A few years ago, we fostered a Gambian Pouched Rat called Yena. She eventually ended up staying with us until she passed away a year later. She was an amazing creature, and it sparked a passion for this unique animal. In April last year, I travelled to Essex to collect Floki, our current rat, from my friends. He was 9 weeks old and had been bred and raised with love. He's now just over a year old and brings us joy every single day. These animals are totally unique. They're trained by Apopo in Tanzania to sniff out land mines so they can be destroyed safely. They can also detect tuberculosis in humans, and are known as hero rats. But living with them is not always plain sailing. They're not an easy pet. They're born feral, and a relationship with them is on their terms. You can never guarantee that they will bond with you. Floki is now fully grown, and due to hormonal changes as he became an adult, we had to have him neutered. He became quite aggressive with me, but since his operation, has settled nicely. There can still "incidents" when he gets too excited. But he also loves a good cuddle when he gets tired. Having pouches in his cheeks, he loves to rip up paper, pouch it, snuggle under the blanket with me, and then unpouch a gooey mass of paper on me. For some reason, he loves to pouch my husband's fingers. He finds it a really strange sensation. He has a fascination with plastic carrier bags. He will steal them and take them back into his bed, and line his nest with them. He vocalises a lot. He has distinct whistles that tells us what he wants, or how he feels. If we put him back in his cage before we go to bed, he whistles in disappointment. He also purrs, although the sound is different from that which a cat would make. He's sleek, shiny and about the size of a small cat. He eats nuts and seeds, fruit and vegetables, and a small amount of meat every day. He also loves warmed up baby food, especially anything with a tomato flavour. He loves to play with and chase our cats around, and wrestle with us. He grabs my hand with his mouth and pulls it around, and leaps about like a kangaroo when he gets really excited. He is the most amazing animal, and we are constantly learning from him and with him. It's sometimes a difficult journey, but not one that I've ever regretted. He's quirky, funny, and we love him dearly. I wouldn't change a thing about him.
