Thanks Alice, I just find the rat colony as fascinating as the snake collection really. Jess, they should do fine. Rats are incredibly hardy usually. I'm sure in a matter of days they will be pups and running around all over the place. Once they are bigger, if you want a laugh, hard boil an egg and give it to them whole (shell and all)....lots of rat fun though it makes a gawd awful mess! Bits of stale bread dipped in olive oil are a great hand taming treat as are chocolate chips (in moderation of course). Leftover cooked spaghetti provides tons of fun and stimulation.

Can't remember if I've posted it lately but this site is great for showing you what human foods are appropriate for rats. One of the side benefits of rats is they are great for using up those kitchen scraps that would otherwise end up in your garbage can. Keep them fit though, too many treats make for obese rats and that's just as bad for their health as it is for ours.

http://www.ratnutrition.com/suppleme...forbiddenfoods