AFRMA

American Fancy Rat & Mouse Association

This article is from the Fall 2000 AFRMA Rat & Mouse Tales news-magazine.

Our Pets & Friends


Lucky Star

By Elizabeth Vizoco, Gloucester City, NJ


Last Thursday I was walking home from shopping. Taking different side streets than I usually take, I saw four people standing at a trash can, and I overheard the male person say, “There’s a rat in the trash can.” I walked towards the people and asked, “Is the rat alive,” and the man said, “Yes.” I got to the trash can and there was a baby Hooded rat. I said, “That’s not a wild rat,” and told the people I would take the rat home. I proceeded to take my coat off and take off the extra shirt I’d worn that day. I usually never wear an extra shirt.

The people all ran in their houses. As they were running, I told them I have pet rats and what wonderful creatures they are. Now I have my shirt in hand, and I’m trying to scoop up the rat without scaring it. I looked to the side of me and here comes a cat ready to fight me for this rat. I quickly scooped the rat up, wrapped her up in my shirt, grabbed my bag, and ran home.

As I got to the side of my house, the rat was wiggling around and got loose. I threw myself on the ground and quickly scooped her up again, ran in my house upstairs to the spare tank I keep on hand, put her in it, fixed it up for her, and gave her food and water. She ate and ate. She was starving. I told her she will never be hungry or cold or without a home ever again. Poor thing was bony and dirty. How she survived in this cold weather and escaped these city cats amazed me.

I named her Lucky Star. As I am writing this letter she is sitting on my shoulder getting kisses from me. I was meant to save her. She has many different friends with us for we have a variety of animals (no snakes). *

Rat by trash can
Updated March 26, 2015