Haven't done it yet with these guys, but all my previous rats were up for a game (some even invented some, like RatBertha with Jeanne (my ex-wife) and her chair in the morning) as long as they were fully awake -- However, I try to make a point of giving them a treat once they are back in the cage (sometimes makes it easier to get them back in the cage when they are exploratory females) -- It's very frustrating right now to not be able to make any "food" noises to signal that treats are on deck!

RatBertha was the best game rat so far -- If I ran up and down the stairs, she would bound along beside me -- When Jeanne gave me a tiny key-chain pump squirt gun for Christmas one year, as the little kid I am, I started squirting RatBertha with it and she started ducking around corners and then peeking back -- We would chase each other around the house for a while -- She was also very content to go out in public on my shoulder, surveying her domain like a Pasha in one of those fancy elephant-back carriers -- I had her wearing a red scrunchy around her neck one Christmas season as we all toured some outdoor markets.

Are you serious? You could actually go out with RatBertha on your shoulder and she did not run away?? Was she tethered in some way?

Have you thought about getting a clicker for the food noises? They are used in dog training. It is just a small piece of plastic with a piece of metal in it and when you press on it, it makes a click noise. The whole idea of clicker training a dog is that each time they do a behavior that you want to reinforce, you click the clicker and give a treat. You could train the rats that the clicking noise meant that treats were on deck. I have a blind dog and I got the clicker that I use for him at Pets Mart I think - pretty cheap. I'm sure that you could get one on the internet.

I think that once the Quack Pack is trained we should get you on Pet Star on the Animal Planet. Most of the contestants are not nearly as entertaining as your descriptions of the antics of the rats.

Patty

Why would she run away? She was tame, bonded to me and I am part of her mischief (a group of rats is called a mischief, an appropriate name if one has ever had a couple of female rats as pets) -- I represent lots of food and attention, not a role as a jailer -- At home, I could let her roam a bit during the day and she would return to the cage (built runway up to door) to use the potty or store found food or take a nap.

Here's a film clip of a lady rat named Apie jumping the wall of her play pen (some people rat-proof an area for pets like rats to have open play and some set up portable play areas with the plastic they use for political signs called Coroplast):

http://s545.photobucket.com/albums/...on=view&current=EscapeartistApie.flv

I've watched RatBertha easily jump from the floor to a chair and then up and across to the kitchen counter -- Had to keep the chairs at a distance to keep her off the counter.

I mentally debated using my clicker (already have some), but decided that my condition with regard to making noise is temporary -- I don't want to be dependent on having the device to communicate -- There is an animal training school here in the Pac NW (Sequim WA), nicknamed Chicken School, where they use clicker training and chickens -- Reportedly,the advanced class uses the chickens trained by the basic class to teach more stuf.

http://www.clickertraining.com/

A good book is "Don't Shoot the Dog" by Karen Pryor.

Pete

For some reason I don't get the video on photo bucket. I get the rest of the page, and the title at the bottom, but not the picture.

I like Karen Pryor. I do agility with my dogs. My pack consists of 5 energetic pointers and the agility is great because it is physical, uses their brains and they get to succeed at something they like. All but 2 of mine are from rescues and especially at first, they need to succeed.

Mischief is a good name for a band of rats because I bet they can get into some mischief if left to their own devices. It would not occur to me that they would bond with a human like that. I would think that if they saw some food that was really appealing they would jump for it. I guess that they are more social with humans than I realize. How old was RatBertha when she was able to have free roam of the house?

Patty

I guess she was about six months -- She didn't have free roam because my wife was allergic to a lot of animals, so the upstairs was off-limits, enforced by a pocket door -- That allowed RatBertha to roam downstairs while my wife slept in.

Hi Pete

Just wondering how you are feeling and whether you are starting to get some of your energy back yet. Do you still have a trache?

I hope you are making progress and feeling stronger as each day goes by.

Karen

Energy is good, but not sustained. Still have the trach -- Office visit last week, next one in three weeks and one three weeks from that will be with Doc -- That's probably the earliest it can come out -- So, I've had it for two months with likely six weeks to go...

Throat swelling is going down very slowly, but in last few days, I have been able to grunt and make some noises that resemble words -- I can (barely) swallow tiny bits of water, although I am not yet licensed to swallow, and the thicker junk won't fit yet -- Less junk coming into mouth, but still plenty of it -- I am reminded of post-radiation mucus.

Pete,

Glad to hear from you. I was starting to worry. Can you make a grunt that sounds pleasurable to the pack yet?? How is their game playing coming along?

Is there a reason why your throat swelling is going down so slowly?? How is therapy helping you?

Patty

Therapy is helping, esp for my leg -- According to nurse, I am ahead of the curve, not behind it -- Between radiation and two surgeries, I guess the area is a bit stressed!

Pete
I realize a seasoned veteran like yourself has used and discarded more trach work arounds than I can imagine, but ehen I did a search on OCF, nothing came up with a handy gadget they gave to me herein hospital until they pulled it this morning: a passy-muir speaking valve forspeaking that clicks on and off trach tubes. I loved the upening shot on yheir web page as it shows what I imagine as your "inner self" always young at heart despite being adult on the outside
the once and future Pete D - forever young