Oh Dog! I am so excited! Today I have an extra special guest who has a fascinating story to tell. I met Screwshank the Rat through his kitty brother Morgan, who is the captain of a pirate ship. I was fascinated with his story of rescue from a hoarder and I hope you will be too. So dogs and cats, put your paws together and help me welcome my friend Screwshank!
Screwshank: My name iz Screwshank, an I lived in a trailer wid 250 other ratz. Sadly, my human waz a hoarder, and he haz me get lotz of da lady ratz pregenatedz. I muzt haz 200 kidz!
Rumpy: Oh Dog! That is so sad!
Screwshank: Mainely Rat Rezcue found out aboutz uz – an dey came to da rezcue. Dey takez 200 of my familiez, and da Animal Controlz letz da human keepz 40 of uz. Includin meez. Da human man doze love meez – but we iz too much for himz. A few weekz later, da human man goze to da Rainbow Bridge.
Rumpy: Oh Dog! What happened?
Screwshank: Da rezcue is full, and da Police comez an putz uz in dere garage. The Polize Chief sayz we all gonna die – and the peoplez in Maine goez CRAZIEZ! Dey doze lotz of adoptionz of my familiez – an Mainely Rat Rezcue takez da rezt of us inz.
Rumpy: What an amazing group of people at Mainely to take all of you in!
Screwshank: Lotz of da lady ratz now beez havin babiez. NOT MY FAULTZ! So da rezcue haz over 400 of uz!
Rumpy: What? That’s alot of rats!!
Screwshank: Auntie Kim poztz my pikture on Facebook – and my Mom zeez mee! Zhe goez CRAZIEZ! Zhe callz Auntie Kim an turnz out dere beez a transport of uz goin all over on da weekendz. BUT – we all beez ztaying in CT with Dr Joan – who beez my Mom’z Rat Vet! It beez FATE! It beez Magic! I goin to my FOREVER HOMEZ! And I beez a Pirate Ratz! An Auntie Kim haz me neuterz zo no more babiez.
Rumpy: Yeah, now you are in charge of Quality Control for Morgan’s Beds!
Screwshank: I can zleepz dat night – I beez zooo excited! I meetz my Mom an I lovez herz – and zhe lovez meez!
Rumpy: So tell us about your family.
Screwshank: I lovez my Mom an Dadz. Momz adoptz 6 more of my familiez zo now I haz two wivez – Sadie an Sarah. Dey beez bootiful! 4 of my baby girlz livez upztairz frum meez. My only complainz iz – I wanz more play timez wid dem in da catputer roomz on da couch.
Rumpy: I’m so glad you’ve got a better life now with a family that loves you. So what kind of treats does a rat like?
Screwshank: I lovez CHEEZE! Every day my Dad givez us cheeze for a treatz. Iz yummyz! An Chicken bonez! We lovez chicken bonez!
Screwshank: I beez on Facebook a few monthz – Morganz Da Pirate haz a Blogz – but he not writez much in a whilez. He haz Fan Page on Facebook an I getz to writez dere.
Rumpy: Cool! So, tell us what’s so great about sharing your home and your life with a rat?
Screwshank: We ratz beez very cleanz, very zmartz, and very nice. We likez to kizz our humanz and znuggle wid demz. We likez our catz – and we giggles wen the yellow dog barkz at uz. Zhe beez a loco dog. We makez very good petz. We thankz Mainely Ratz Rescue for savin all of uz.
Rumpy: I also want to thank them. Now, one more question for fun. If you was a dinosaur, what kind would you be?
Screwshank: If I waz a dinosaurz I wood beez a Zaltazauruz – I beez a big boyz – but I beez very gentlez.
Rumpy: Awwwww…. that’s fantastic! Screwshank, thanks so much for being my guest and sharing your story with us!
For your information, Morgan’s Beds is an ETSY store started by Screwshank’s human to pay for the medical care of Morgan the Pirate Cat who has diabetes. We have a bed made by the swabie and it’s still in great shape, even after several washings.
Mainely Rat Rescue has helped rescue rats from two large hoarding cases in the past year. So if you live in the Northeastern US and are interested in adopting a rat, check out their website for photos and info on animals currently seeking forever homes.
Dogpaddling Through Life 
Well, that’s a story! I had no idea people adopt rats too 😉
I know! I had no idea there were rescue groups for rats. But it is a good thing there are because they are sure needed.
Hi Screwshank! *waves paw* I didn’t know that there is a rescue place for rats until I read your interview. Mainly Rats Rescue is great to have saved the rest of you from the human’s house after he went to the RB. I’m glad your mom adopted you from the rescue! You’re lucky boy, Screwshank! My mom used to have hamsters who were very cute , she said but all of them went to the RB because it was very long time ago. We love rats,too!!! 🙂
They sure are cute, aren’t they Kevin?
he likes the chicken?? I also love the chicken!
kiss
vento
see? You can eat the meat and give your pet rat the bones!
What a cool story! I think it’s nice that there are people who want to rescue ANY animal from a bad situation….including rats. Obviously Screwshank’s one happy guy and that picture of him is just adorable – what a face! I want a pet rat…think I’ll add that to my Santa Wish List… !
Sammy, One Spoiled Cat
I think it’s wonderful too, but I also think it’s sad that we even NEED these rescues.
That’s an awesome ship, screwshank!
🙂
Ah, we love this story. We had 3 rats in our family a few years ago. They have all crossed Rainbow Bridge now but they were so sweet and Mumsy and the cats loved playing with them. We are so happy for Skrewshank and his family. Thank you sweet Rumpy for sharing his story with us. Hugs and nose kisses
Isn’t that something? I didn’t realize so many people had had pet rats before. It’s way cool!
Great interview Rumpy! Screwshank is adorable and so articulate. How great is that not only him but his whole family were rescued. I’d love to have a rat, I’ve heard only wonderful things about them as pets but I don’t think our cats would care for it much.
Miss Sheri,
Dere bees 5 catz herez, 8 ratz, 2 pearie dogz, 1 ginny pigz, an 2 dogz. We all getz alongz. Da doggiez barkz at da ratz (dey beez little doggiez) and we goze noze to noze wid demz. Dey taklz to uz.
Da Shank bees everyonez favorites (shhhh – don’ tell Gizmo or da girlz)
Love Willow
Yeah, never underestimate your 4-legged friends!
Thank Mews Rumpy for interviewin Screwshank! He bees such a cute Rat-a-tat an he doze a good jobz as Head Bilge Ratz of da Pirate Shipz,
I hopes dis helps getz more Ratz a homez!
Thanks Mews for linking Mainely Rat an Da Morganz Bedz. The Etsy store bees a little low at da momentz – but da Swabie beez making lots more beds. She haz 5 foot high pile of fleece! MOL!!!!!!!!!
Love Willow
YAY! I hope so!
Great interview. Screwshank is such a character 🙂 I am pleased he has found a less crowded home. Tall person kept rats as pets. He says they are very smart and clean and not like the rats in sewers,
Wow! That’s awesome Bassa! BTW, congratulations on your 6-month blogging anniversary!
We have had a bunch of rats over the years and we loved them all. They are one of the best pets you can get. Glad to hear everything turned out ok for you Screwshank. I love your name as well. It’s unusual; like me. My name is Mic. If my world was more just; it would be my picture on the site but my Dad uses it for his political stuff for his blog so I’m stuck in the background for now…………………..and that’s really a shame because I am a most beautiful Polydactyl Cat. I HAVE THUMBS! Oh Sorry. I get excited sometimes when i meet people and I stick my paw out to show them my thumbs. I’m reaaly proud of them. So is Dad. I have a brother, “Little Big Nose”. We just call him “Little Boy” mostly. I have four sisters; Gert (Gertrude), Lunch Box, Turtle, Nu-Nu, and my mom, Monkers so I know a thing or two about unusual names. Well Dad is on the way out to write something or other about Blah; Blah; Blah etc. so I better go. Welcome aboard the Rumpy Dog site. It’s a great place but…..well……..watch out for that Dee-dee. She has this advice column…….and….well. Well she gives the best most sensible advice and …well who wants that? I’m just looking for ways to drive my Dad crazier than he already is. Anyway; no offence Dee-dee. Your really smart and ….pretty and all.
It’s OK…. *snickers*
Um, me has not meets a talking rat! Me has chased and catched them, but not talked to one. Rumpy mes is glad yous introduced us! Me is going to check out the beds
Kisses
Nellie
Hey Nellie! Thanks for checking them out!
Who would not fall in love with Screwshank? Such joi de vivre! Such hale-fellow-well-met! No wonder there is this wonderful rat rescue mission! (And the interviewer’s Muse ain’t half-cute, either!)
YAY!!!! Thanks for stopping by!
Thanks for sharing, Rumpy. I didn’t know anything about rats as pets or rat rescue. It was great to learn something new.
Rumpy did you see that article about how rats actually show empathy towards each other? They can be very clever. Glad they found a safe home. Merry Christmas all little creatures
What a special wee fellow is Screwshank – how could you not fall for him…
Ok I’m just going to say one thing …. I think Screwshank is a wonderful name!
Thanks Rumpy for sharing and thanks Screwshank…i like rats now. 🙂