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nezuko — Yin Yang Rats
Published: 2005-02-18 08:20:20 +0000 UTC; Views: 1260; Favourites: 26; Downloads: 13
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Description
Portrait of my rats Vash and Wolfwood. Wolfwood's the curly black one.Related content
Comments: 13
Is Wolfwood also a dumbo or was it just too difficult to paint the ear? Indeed, it's a very nice picture.
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Ratties in a rat pile are adorable! I love my ratlets and my big rats so much!
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Nice curly rexie fur! I find curly fur a challenge, and yours looks wonderful!
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Thanks! I actually really struggled with that fur. It still doesn't look as soft and wonderful as Wolfwood really is. Sadly his buddy Vash died shortly after this was painted - he was only four or five months old. My vet and I believe he had a congenital heart disease, for he stopped growing, then developed fluid in the lungs and a severe pneumonia. But I have this and one other portrait I did of him to remember him by. And Wolfwood is happily the alpha rat in a cage of four boys. He's grown into quite a splendid black berkshire rex. A real licker and cuddler and just as soft as he was when he was a baby ratling. I do love that curly fur!
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I've had a few female rex rats that were very soft, like little lambs. Unfortunately, all of my male rexes had that sort of wirey, crinkly fur. Not that I loved 'em any less of course, they just weren't as soft as the girls. You are very lucky. And it's really unfortunate that rats are so prone to getting respiratory infections/pneumonia. I've lost quite a few little ones to it, and antibiotics usually don't help. At least they had a good life while they were around, though. That always comforts me.
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I have two male rexes, one neutered, one intact, who both have downy soft fur. I've seen those kinky wirey boys, and I honestly thought that's what Wolfwood's would be like when he matured, but he's stayed absolutely plush. Hiei, my neutered rex boy has a brother who's a satin coat, so I assume his exceptionally fine, soft, downy fur comes from a combination of the rex and the satin genes. He looks and feels more like a gosling with fluffy down than a curly furred mammal. He's getting elderly now - 32 months old - and beginning to go bald, which I understand is common with rexes. But he's still an absolute delight to pet and love and cuddle.
And yeah, those respiratory infections are just awful. Wolfwood had a bad one (same one that killed his buddy Vash) which he recovered from as a 4 month old ratling, but ever since then he sneezes and snuffles at the drop of a hat, and he's often on antibiotics. Oh the fortune I've spent on these critters. But they deserve it.
I guess the only consolation for their short lives is that you also get to bring new rats into your life frequently. As I mourn Cassidy, who died quite unexpectedly this morning, I'm trying to hold on to the silver lining that at least I get to go to Rat Rescue and bring home a new friend to join the big boys cage.
Thanks for giving me a chance to go on and on about my rat companions. They really are my family.
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Oh, I understand completely! We love our little rat-kids! If my hubby and I weren't in an apartment, we would have a rat rescue. Several of mine are adoptees from the shelter, which is where I've gotten all my rats since I found out that the shelter kept them.
We've had a lot of problems with respiratory infections. Usually even with antibiotics we've found our little guys don't make it. One of our females, Topaz, had pneumonia and a tumor at the same time... She made it, though, and now you can't tell she's ever been ill, other than a scar line down her side. She's a tough cookie! And lord knows how much we've spent on these little guys, but I agree that they are worth it. We're they're guardians and friends, so we take good care of them.
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omg how adorable *__* i love how you draw your rats.
youre updating, but youre not on aim!! *is lonely*
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Thanks! You really give me such an ego boost with your comments. I love conversing with you.
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