Rattus Norvegicus

[poliphilo]

There was a rat in the back yard yesterday. I was watching it through the living room window. At one point it almost let itself in through the open kitchen door and I had to rush round to shut it out.  I suppose I should be horrified, but mostly I was thinking how cute it was with its waddling gait and snuffly-wuffly nose. I can count on the fingers of one hand the number of times I've seen a wild rat out and about in daylight.

Comments

[nellorat.livejournal.com]

A friend led me here, because I'm a long-time fan of pet rats. I adore their little sniffing noses, those whiskers always moving as a sign of how alert they are. (In fact, one way you can tell a rat is ill is if the whiskers are sluggish.) And I love their little paws, so much like our hands sans thumbs, which use to eat. (If a rat has paralysis of the front paws, or is in a post-surgical cone, you have to give it mush or feed it by hand.)

Rats are pretty nocturnal, but wild rats may be out in daylight is food is sparse, and pet rats (unlike pet hamsters) will wake up and even somewhat adjust their schedules to be with their human beings.

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

Pleased to meet you :)

So my rat may well be out and about because of a food shortage? Oh dear.

We have a overgrown area of shrubbery in the corner of our yard and I'm wondering if he/she could be nesting in there. Is that at all likely?