Kiwi's been beside herself with worry/depression/sadness/etc since Coconut had gotten so ill, and then put to sleep. My boyfriend and I saw she hadn't been eating in days.... not a good sign at all. She'd been trying to feed her sister, even though Coconut hadn't been able to eat.

My boyfriend brought me to a pet store to get some babies the other day, because Kiwi needed new little friends, minions to do her bidding. Plus the trio (Pepper, Ginger, and Cinnamon) need little ones to boss around and teach the wise ways of my rat clan, passed down through the generations.

Brownie was in a tank full of small babies, even though she was double their size and probably twice as old. The girl at the store told me no one had wanted her, she was the last of her litter. She was sad, but fat and alone. I thought she was adorable. I picked her up and put her in the box to go home. My heart was deadset on finding a mini Mocha rat.... so they had a bunch of b/w hooded babies. None of them had the right temperment or personality... until I spied a different tank of rats. A single b/w hooded girl was in there with a bunch of pink eyed whites. She stared at me, sitting there with her chicken legs and giant expressive ears. Then she peeped like a little chick and ran. I had to have her, so I hunted her in the tank and put her with brownie. I gave them a little oatmeal dog cookie for the ride home.

The first night they got to relax in their new home. Day one they wouldnt let me touch them. They'd squeak and peep and run away. They'd cower and hide.

Day two, I'd continue with showing them my hands, letting them sniff and nibble my fingers (they chomp finger nails not knowing they're not food). I brought more food and toys, and they started to learn to play with my hand. They'd run up and tag it, then run away... then run back and tag again. Sometimes I'd poke them or tickle their little tummies. Eventually they realized I wasn't a bad lady with evil hands.

Day three, I was able to pick them up and pet them... and tickle them to death when they deserved it. They know I bring the food, the know I bring snuggles and tickles. They don't hide when I open the cage and they're starting to climb out to say hi to me. They want to be played with constantly.

Day four, they climb all over me, no more terrified squeals or peeps. They wrestle with me and give me kisses. They run all around until I open their tank and play with them. They love food time and play time. They're not afraid anymore. They come to play and expect to be held and squeezed and snuggled.

Brownie's personality is laid back. She likes snacks, food... anything edible really. She spends most of her time eating. She also like sleeping and snuggling. She's not very interested in exploring.

Sundae is a mini Mocha. She's hyper... crazy. Clumsy too, smashes into things all the time. She's escaped/fallen off of me a few times and run around the entire living room. She always comes back when I call her, but only to race off again and play hide and seek. She loves to be tickled and flipped upsidedown. She's not bitey or nippy anymore. She's always in her wheel, running and hopping. Mocha would be proud.