Original Article: https://blog.theanimalrescuesite.greatergood.com/special-needs-rat/

Most people’s impression of rats is that they are pests. It’s natural for humans to be wary of a rat’s presence due to health and safety concerns. Those reasons are understandable, but people must also know that some rats are more than just pests. Rats that went through animal cruelty in laboratories or breeders deserve to be rescued. They should be given a comfortable life, especially after a traumatic experience. Those rats often lose a part of their body or eventually their life due to dangerous experiments. Thankfully, there are people willing to rescue and provide them with a comfortable life. Spending time with rats has made them realize they can be like their beloved dogs and cats.

Brenda is one of those kindhearted humans that offered a stable roof for rats. Her house became the home of her precious rodents with different interesting personalities. One of them is a special needs rat named Stompie who lost a leg after getting stuck somewhere. He is a rescue rat that came from a backyard breeder. Brenda has always been fond of rats, so she adopted Stompie when he was four weeks old. Since they’ve met, the special needs rat lived with her in South Africa. Who wouldn’t be able to resist such a charming rat, especially those wide adorable eyes? And although Stompie has a missing leg, he was playful and can comfortably move around.

“Now he’s starting to get close to two years of age. I’m really lucky that one of my best friends is a vet physio. She’s helped continuously through his life to keep his muscles strong so that he doesn’t cause any damage to his skeleton.” Brenda explained. The rat mom is also very attentive with his diet to ensure he keeps a healthy weight. Aside from physically nurturing Stompie, Brenda was able to support his emotional growth. The special needs rat is showered with love and care — not just by her but also by his two brothers.

“Rats are very social and he loves his brothers, he doesn’t like being in the bottom, but he is always in the pile.” Brenda shared. “But you will find him at least once or twice in the day that he is in his own little corner. I always tease that his social meter runs out,” she added. Apparently, even when they are social animals, rats are also divided into introverts and extroverts. That explains why Stompie prefers his alone time whenever recharging his social battery. Stompie even has a go-to sibling depending on his mood. When he feels a bit playful, he goes to Echo. And if he wants to slow down, he would cuddle with Karma.

As Brenda spends days with her rats, she has learned each of their daily routines. She is well-aware of their habits, love languages, levels of intelligence, and dislikes. Brenda is a very hands-on mom to them — they are even allowed to join her in bed. Her effort to keep them healthy and valued is impressive. Surely, the rats acknowledge Brenda’s actions because they express their adoration for her as well. All of them contribute to each other’s happiness which you can witness in the video below.

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Source: The Animal Rescue Site Blog