Last year when my daughter, Ashley, had an extra part time job working with a snake breeder, she came upon a tiny feeder rat that apparently "looked at her a certain way." Well, to make a long story short, the tiny rat ended up in her pocket rather than as the planned meal for one of the large snakes she was care taking.
Since then MoJo the rat has grown into one of her most beloved pets. His cage is adorned with a giant running wheel, a sling hammock and he has many toys to play with outside his cage as well. Mojo is so used to human interaction that he travels with Ashley. At home his cage is left open where he has two cat friends as companions. Mojo and Ashley are visiting my home this week, and I was worried about my three cats who are all sharp mousers.
While Ashley was out visiting friends she asked if I could play rat grandma and baby sit her beloved white and camel rodent with red beady eyes. I have actually grown quite fond of Mojo, as his personality is quite apparent and cute. I agreed as long as we could clasp Mojo's door shut so I could be sure my cats would not bother him. I would be mortified if one of my cats were to hurt him. I also put him in the living room and shut the door between spaces to keep my cats out, just in case.
Well, one of my cats, Patchouli, has been known to stalk a mouse for hours if one happens to mistakenly end up in the house. She will perseverate like protective gargoyle until she either drives the mouse out, or worse. Yesterday I came in from the garden and Patchouli had pried open the living room door and was on the desk behind Mojo's cage. I gasp at the thought of her having access to him and immediately went to the case to see if there were any limbs missing.
Much to my surprise MoJo was on the side of the cage checking out Patchouli. He appeared very confident and showed no fear what so ever. He was just as interested in her as she was in him. When Patchouli put her paw on his cage, he lunged at her with a nip to let her know that any attempt at getting him would be met with bitten toe pads. The look on Patchouli's face was priceless. It was a mix of apprehension, curiosity and respect.
I could not help but be amazed at the power of Mojo's confidence. It took Patchouli by surprise, and she immediately respected Mojo, even though she is a giant in comparison to him. She has visited him on the desk several times since and shows no aggression what so ever. There is something valuable to be learned from this little rescued rat. Confidence is power.
No comments:
Post a Comment