The Cow Town Rats



May 21,2002 I stepped into one of my favorite haunts in Regina, Western Pet Mart, or as it is commonly called "Cow Town". I went there to see if I could get some more of those deals on the bargain table. The table was at the back of the store.....and so was the small animal display.

I really had no intention of bringing another rat home, but as I peered through the glass of a huge aquarium housing 4 mom rats and 3 or 4 litters of babies of various ages, my attention was drawn to the most gorgous silver-grey rat I had ever seen. It was a Dumbo *and* a Rex, and upon further inspection, a female. Why was such an exotic animal in a tank of "plain" rats? She looked to be about 4 weeks old, possibly too young to remove from her mom, but I just couldn't leave her there to possibly become snake food?

Chrissy came home with me that day, but even weeks later, thoughts of Chrissy's cagemates wouldn't leave my mind. I went back to the store and came home with 2 more girls and 2 more boys...so no one would be alone during quarantine.

The boys were really ugly and were immediately dubbed Ugh! and Lee. They were both Rexes and their coats were sparse and had an unkept appearance. I knew I was taking a chance on their health, but a few days on a proper diet, and their coats grew in thick and healthy. They earned the names Jaxon and Leif.

Update January 08,2003: I have recently found a local breeder who had delivered a colony of rats, all females, to Cow Town. Her rats bred with the existing rats and I am delighted to have rats decended from her lines. Chrissy, Jaxon, Janus, Leif, and Teensa are all second and third generations from the breeder's original stock. Her lines do carry double rex, which explains the condition of Leif's and Jaxon's coats when I bought the boys home. Leif and Jaxon are and carry the double rex gene. The dwarf gene must have come from the pet store's existing rats because the breeder has no dwarfs in her lines.
Chrissy Chrissy
aka Kissy, Chris, Christine
Born: April 23,2002 (best guess)
Platinum Self Dumbo Rex Doe
Chrissy's coat is softly waved and it's the same color from root to tip. She has dark-ruby eyes and the cutest little pink tail, paws, and nose.
Chrissy became a mom (not my intention) on July 20,2002
Chrissy's most endearing quality: Dumbos make the cutest moms. Chrissy just oozes gentleness and sweetness and......
RIP Chrissy August 13,2004
Ravages of old age, possibly heart disease, but the medicine never had time to work
Janus Janus
aka Jan, June-bug
Born: April 30,2002 (best guess)
Black-hooded Standard Doe
Jan's dorsal stripe is so close to being perfect.
Janus' most endearing quality: Though a little flighty at times, she's quiet and gentle, once caught
RIP Janus February 20,2004
Chronic Myco
Jaxon Jaxon
aka Jax, Ugh!, Uggy
Born: April 30,2002 (best guess)
Black Variberk Rex Buck
Jaxon's most endearing quality: He's gentle and licky and quite vocal when confronted by another buck. He feels that screaming will intimidate the other fellow. Jaxon is Alpha in his cage with Leif and Chrissy's boys
RIP Jaxon November 21,2003
Bladder Cancer
Teensa Teensa
aka Teeny, Teeny-weiner
Born: May 06,2002 (best guest)
Black Berkshire Standard Dwarf Doe
Adult Dwarf Does are 1/2 the size of the average adult Doe, Teensa weighs 198 grams as of Jan. 06,2003 at the age of 8 months
Teensa's most endearing quality: Cuteness in a tiny package. It is so awesome to watch other baby girls quickly surpass Teensa in size. In a colony of 18 girls she is the tiniest of the bunch. Teensa will always look like a ratlet
RIP Teensa July 29,2004
Malignant tumor, Chronic Myco
Leif Leif
aka Liver, Lover, Lee
Born: May 06,2002 (best guess)
Russian Blue Varigated Rex Dwarf Buck
Adult Dwarf Bucks are 2/3 the size of the average adult buck, Leif weighs 383 grams as of Jan. 06,2003 at the age of 8 months
Leif's most endearing quality: Cuteness in a tiny package, he has very small ears. Leif is so rexy that his curly whiskers totally encompass the front of his muzzle like a plucked web
RIP Leif January 8,2004
Chronic Myco






RIP ratties can be seen here


Their bodies held in storage in the freezer, awaiting this day,
the Cow Town Rats were cremated, their ashes mingled,
and returned to me, August 19,2005






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