Does
Treacle: Treacle is an Agouti hooded rat that I bought from the pet shop I work in on January 2nd. She was returned that day as the guy that bought her had just found out his landlord wouldn’t allow rats. She is a hooligan and very clever and naughty. If there’s a rat where it shouldn’t be it will be Treacle. She was the first to get off the bed when I first had her and her ’sister’, the first to get on the top of the wardrobe from the top of their cage, the first to get over the play pen barrier and the first to figure out she can climb off the wardrobe, down the OH’s dressing gown and reach the floor! I’m not sure exactly when she was born but it must have been somewhen in October 2006.
Charlotte: Charlotte is my OH’s rat. She is the quietest of my four and a very sweet rat. She’s still a hooligan though and keeps trying to jump out of their play pen. She is a champagne hooded and came in to the pet shop at the same time as Treacle. I bought her when I bought Treacle. She was the last one left from a group of six. 
She was very nervy at first and for the first three weeks of free range time spent the whole time she was out hiding under the unit. You wouldn’t believe it now though - she’s full of life and is actually more confident with new people and situations than Treacle.
Doughnut: Doughnut was born on Valentines day 2007 to a pregnant pet shop rat someone had purchased and came up on the re-homing board with her sisters on the fancy rats forum. I drove all the way to Falkirk to collect her and Tinkerbell (512 miles round trip). Doughnut is very sweet - similar in personality to Charlotte, but a little bit shyer in new situations. She is quite confident with strangers though, my sister commented on how nosey she was. She is a cinnamon hooded hence the name! Her favourite trick is to climb up the inside of my trousers.
Tinkerbell: Tinkerbell is a Mink Roan rat. Her colour will eventually fade so she will probably end up looking like a red eyed white. Tinkerbell is very skittish. She bites through the bars of the cage… well not really a bite, just grabbing with her teeth lol. She never breaks the skin, but it still makes me jump. She likes to chase things and wrestle with my hands and can be very difficult to pick up. She loves to be out free-ranging. It’s always her and Treacle out playing when the other two have gone back to the cage for a sleep or food.
Bucks
Spike: Spike isn’t really mine, but he’s here at the moment so he will be included. He is a champange hooded rat who came into the pet shop at about 12 weeks back in January 2007 and by May was still there and was rather large so no-one wanted. My boss muttered something about if i knew anyone who wanted him they could have him for free, so I snapped him up and put him on the fancy rats re-homing board. I would love to keep him but don’t have the room at the moment to have two large cages, so he’s being re-homed. He has a home lined up and is leaving here on 14th June. He’s a lovely boy, very friendly and just loves being out. He loves to trundle about on the bed and the computer desk and doesn’t ever try to escape. He’s not to keen on being picked up but he’s getting better and doesn’t protest. It will be so sad to see him go, but good that he’s going to a home with another lone boy, so he will have company at last.
Written by Laura Young, 6th June 2007
