Watch Jack and Alec messing around in their soft-toy pear!
Rat Care explains how our rats are looked after and Rat Habits describes more about their behaviour. There are also plenty of Photos and Videos to view. The site is named after our first rats, Ronnie and Derek, who appear in the banner at the top.
Latest Updates
Settling in
Jack and Alec are settling in nicely – here are some more photos of their adventures!
Click thumbnails to enlarge. More photos on the Photos page.
JACK & ALEC: WEEK 1
Some photos of Jack and Alec while they were settling in during their first week with us.
Click thumbnails to enlarge. More photos on the Photos page.
Welcome Jack and Alec!
On 13 April 2021, we acquired two new rats, who were born in February 2021. The chocolate-coloured one is called Jack, who’s a ‘Berkshire’ rat, while Alec is a ‘Roan’ rat and has grey and white markings.
You can read more about them here. Further content will be posted about Jack and Alec in the coming weeks and months!
This website has also been renamed to ‘R. D. Rats & Co.’ and much of the content about looking after rats has been amended and updated. The ‘R. D.’ in the name is a reference to Ronnie and Derek.
♦ Derek: December 2018 – 9 April 2021
Gorgeous little Derek developed some breathing problems in early April 2021. On 8th April, he was prescribed medication by the vet as it was thought he had a respiratory infection. On the morning of the 9th, he rapidly went downhill and passed away while in our company.
While it’s very sad that he’s gone, it’s preferable he was able to pass naturally and in the company of his humans, without having to be put down by the vet. Thankfully he was also calm and relaxed when he left.
Derek was a well-loved, charismatic rat and there are plenty of memories of him which have been shared on this site. There are quite a few photos and videos of him from the last few months and these will be added to this site at some point.
Update on Derek
I’m pleased to say Derek’s been coping well since Ronnie passed away on Wednesday. He’s been getting extra treats and cuddles from his humans and he seems to be his usual self.
Halloween
Derek’s been enjoying a home-grown pumpkin for Halloween. It’s rather small as the plant didn’t grow well, but it’s a good size for Derek!
Click thumbnails to enlarge. More photos on the Photos page.
Ronnie: December 2018 – 28 October 2020
Sadly, lovely little Ronnie was put to sleep yesterday. He’d been unwell with a respiratory infection for a few days and the vet suspected there may have been other complications, such as cancer, as he wasn’t responding well to any treatment. Letting him go was a very sad, difficult decision, but the right one to ensure he didn’t suffer.
He was a wonderful, funny rat who gave a lot of love and joy to his humans. There are plenty of memories, photos and videos of Ronnie and he’ll never be forgotten.
Derek will no doubt miss Ronnie, but he’s a strong little rat who enjoys human company and he’ll be fine.
Featured Photo, 26/10/2020
Featured Photo, 26/10/2020
A featured photo, selected randomly from the Photos page. There’ll be another in a couple of days!
Having dinner, Nov 2019. (Click thumbnail to enlarge image.)
Featured Photo, 24/10/2020
Featured Photo, 24/10/2020
A featured photo, selected randomly from the Photos page. There’ll be another in a couple of days!
Feeling sleepy, Jun 2019. (Click thumbnail to enlarge image.)
