Argent
Well-Known Member
One of my little girls that I rescued as she and her sisters and mother were being advertised as breeder rats (she was bout 5 weeks when I got her, younger when the ad first appeared!!!)
Anyways, her sister, Mochi is a himi, very perky, healthy, sleek and normal looking. Mimi on the other hand, is one of a kind. It wasn't noticeable at first, but as she's grown older, I've realized her eyes are smaller than normal. Her ears are rather pointy too. Now I've heard of the condition micro-eye, which can affect one or both eyes of pretty much any species including humans. It's a birth deformity technically, rendering the eyes pretty much useless. She also managed to acquire a cataract a few months ago, but she has no problem at all navigating the cage, though is pretty jumpy of my hands.
Her behaviour is less than normal...she seems to go out of her way to annoy the other girls, particularly Lavender, who ends up losing her rag and flipping on her (no blood shed). Also, when I get them out of the cage, after about 15 minutes, she gets really frantic and wants to escape. We also noticed her scooting herself along the cardboard barricade, not really in a digging motion as she can do that perfectly well...it's like she's rubbing her side on the cardboard and her feet slip out from beneath her, but she appears to start and stop it of her own free will. I've also seen her digging at the carpet, which none of my other rats have ever done. She's not keen on my hands at all, and unless I'm talking to her and approach her slowly rather than just drop a hand on her from above for a casual stroke, she freaks out!
Is she just scatty? Or do you reckon my little Mimi is 'special'? She certainly has that sort of look about her, facially, like when you can tell a person is autistic or has downs syndrome...she's rather unpredictable and random at times. She doesn't appear to have any sort of motive when she goes about her business...
Anyways, her sister, Mochi is a himi, very perky, healthy, sleek and normal looking. Mimi on the other hand, is one of a kind. It wasn't noticeable at first, but as she's grown older, I've realized her eyes are smaller than normal. Her ears are rather pointy too. Now I've heard of the condition micro-eye, which can affect one or both eyes of pretty much any species including humans. It's a birth deformity technically, rendering the eyes pretty much useless. She also managed to acquire a cataract a few months ago, but she has no problem at all navigating the cage, though is pretty jumpy of my hands.
Her behaviour is less than normal...she seems to go out of her way to annoy the other girls, particularly Lavender, who ends up losing her rag and flipping on her (no blood shed). Also, when I get them out of the cage, after about 15 minutes, she gets really frantic and wants to escape. We also noticed her scooting herself along the cardboard barricade, not really in a digging motion as she can do that perfectly well...it's like she's rubbing her side on the cardboard and her feet slip out from beneath her, but she appears to start and stop it of her own free will. I've also seen her digging at the carpet, which none of my other rats have ever done. She's not keen on my hands at all, and unless I'm talking to her and approach her slowly rather than just drop a hand on her from above for a casual stroke, she freaks out!
Is she just scatty? Or do you reckon my little Mimi is 'special'? She certainly has that sort of look about her, facially, like when you can tell a person is autistic or has downs syndrome...she's rather unpredictable and random at times. She doesn't appear to have any sort of motive when she goes about her business...
Sadly I have lots of girlies like that including Inca my 3 legged girl...she actually flops on her side like a fish when she's rubbing LOL
