Watch Ronnie and Derek trying to nibble on the crust of a baguette which I put on top of their cage! Have a look at more crust activity here.
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
Featured Photo, 25/9/2020
Featured Photo, 25/9/2020
A featured photo, selected randomly from the Photos page. There’ll be another in a couple of days!
Derek and his pumpkin, Oct 2019. (Click thumbnail to enlarge image.)
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.
Featured Photo, 24/8/2020
Featured Photo, 24/8/2020
A featured photo, selected randomly from the Photos page. There’ll be another in a couple of days!
Derek exploring a mint plant, Apr 2019. (Click thumbnail to enlarge image.)
Featured Photo, 27/9/2020
Featured Photo, 27/9/2020
A featured photo, selected randomly from the Photos page. There’ll be another in a couple of days!
Possibly praying, Apr 2019. (Click thumbnail to enlarge image.)
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.
Bristol Veterinary School Rat Ownership Survey
If you own rats, it’d be great if you could fill in the Rat Ownership Survey which is being conducted by researchers at Bristol Veterinary School. The aim of the survey is to better understand the UK’s pet rat population and it shouldn’t take more than 5-10 minutes to complete.
The survey is available here.
Featured Photo, 29/9/2020
Featured Photo, 29/9/2020
A featured photo, selected randomly from the Photos page. There’ll be another in a couple of days!
Ronnie being pushed out of the tube by Derek. (Click thumbnail to enlarge image.)
♦ 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.
Featured Photo, 27/8/2020
Featured Photo, 27/8/2020
A featured photo, selected randomly from the Photos page. There’ll be another in a couple of days!
Ronnie, probably up to no good, Dec 2019. (Click thumbnail to enlarge image.)
