New Pet

Due to the fact that I'm not involved in any extra-curricular activities, my roommate is never around, and it's not a good idea to party EVERY night, I decided to get a pet. If I had enough money to pay the $60 per month fee to have a dog or a cat in my apartment, I would. But, I'm broke so I can't. Nonetheless, I was curious and researched small dogs. I love Jack Russell Terriers, but they are expensive up here.

Rat Terriers are very similar, and even a little smaller(perfect for an apartment!) their max height hitting just below an average person's knee. They can have floppy ears or pointy-stand-up-y ears and a docked tail. In my search, I looked through local papers and online at the Dubuque Telegraph Herald. I found numerous ads. Rat Terrier puppies up here are SO cheap! The average price asked for a Rat Terrier puppy was $40! The cheapest I found was $25. Very tempting. BUT, not smart. So, I put getting a puppy on the back burner. Maybe next year. (wishful thinking!!)

Well, with a puppy out of the picture, I turned to something smaller. After more internet searches, I decided that a rat would be fun. They are low-maintenance, intelligent, and actually are very affectionate.

I named my rat Remy, after the main rat in the kids' movie Ratatouille. Remy is affectionate, gentle, and VERY curious. He loves to explore, and is drawn to anything shiny or sparkly. His favorite hangout is in the hood of a sweatshirt. He loves carrots, broccoli, peanuts, and cheese. He also loves to be petted, especially inbetween his ears and on his forehead. He likes to run around in the ball I bought him, but he hasn't figured out not to poop in it. Surprisingly, he enjoys baths and hates to be dirty. He cleans himself more than a cat!