RE: TOM, JERRY, AND I

I clean the cabinet every day because it stinks like a mini zoo,

😅

I forgot to mention the smell. Took a lot of cage cleaning to keep the house from reeking of mouse musk😄

I don't have the time to spend some an hour or so in front of the cabinet to get the rat costumed to my presence when I bring the food,

🌈

I found the mice were sociable to varying degrees. Some would come out of their cages and play on my hand. Others (particularly the patriarch) would bite me as I tried to socialize with them. I thought they must be very lonely, each in its own habitat. One was so terrified it never came out of its hut when I was close by. I called that mouse Hat Mouse because it was always under some sort of cover.

Your rat seems to be quite clever, although not avoiding cats doesn't seem to be very clever. Good luck with socializing this rat. Although perhaps you should get a tetanus booster, just in case it gets temperamental and gives you a nip. 😆 I got a booster after the first bite. I knew it wouldn't be my last.

Good luck with your little improbable pet. Please keep us informed. Quite a saga, in both cat and rodent world.