Rattie Vacation

People who have never been around rodents, particularly rats, are often flabbergasted when I say that one of the things I love so much about them is how each one has a distinct personality. Those poor rat-less ones just don't understand how something as small as my boys could develop into two completely opposite characters. It's hard to believe that they are of the same species, never mind actual litter mates.

Every so often I take the Adams and Calhoun to Provincetown for a vacation. (Yes, they are spoiled rotten. Lots of PEOPLE would like regular vacations in P-Town.).

Thanks to the generosity of my friend Virginia, I'm able to leave their "travel cage" there, so I don't have to haul a big cage every time we go.

Now both rats are very familiar with this travel cage. It's the same one I used for them for the first three or four months I had them, and they use it for 4 for 10 days at a time several times throughout the year.

When I put Adams in it, this is his reaction: (Body language translated for those who don't speak Rat.)
"Hey, this isn't my usual cage.  HOLY CRAP THIS ISN'T MY USUAL CAGE. WHERE'S MY CAGE? HELP! CALL 911! I HAVE TO HIDE! WHERE CAN I HIDE? I'LL TRY HERE! NO, THAT'S NO GOOD, I'LL TRY HERE! OH THAT'S NO GOOD EITHER! WHAT WILL I DO?? HELP! CALL THE ASPCA! I WANT TO GO HOME! THIS GIANT PRIMATE IS TORTURING ME! HELP! OH THIS IS JUST TERRIBLE."

This will go for about an hour, until he finally calms down. For this hour you must walk on egg shells, because if you inadvertently make a loud noise, the process starts all over again.

Next is how Calhoun reacts to the vacation cage:

"Hey, this isn't my usual...oh, look food."

End of discussion about the new cage.