Albert was one of the original Menlo Park rescues. He came with a litter of 15 that I brought back to LA to find homes for. There were three boys left over and I couldn't seem to get anyone to take all three (no one wanted three, just two, and I didn't want one to be left over). I ended up keeping all three. Albert is the surviving member of those three boys (Willie passed a month ago and Hank passed in '04). Albert is now 2 years and 9 months old. He's lost the use of his back legs. He can pull himself around pretty well with his front, so he has free range of the place. His favorite food is vanilla custard baby food. He can still stash his treats with the best of them. Some of you may also recognize Albert from the cover of the documentary "Rats: The Great Underrated Pet" (that Deb Ducommun hated).

He's got all kinds of papers to shred among his sheets and boxes.

This is his set up, although he's all over the place. I've also got
various towels and coke boxes all over the place for him to lie in.
He loves those coke boxes.  He also likes paper bags.

You can see his front leg in the water dish, he was just getting
a quick drink there. In the metal dish there is his baby food
and a noodle he didn't eat. He gets lots of stuff to eat but generally
leaves a lot of it. He still gets plenty to eat. He also loves to get nuts
moreso to crack the shell.
 

He had stitches a couple months ago from a MDR rat getting loose
and hurting his back, but they healed quickly and his fur is almost totally regrown.

Here he is with one of his cookies.
 

He's got a nut there. I'll hear him cracking those shells all night long.

He still likes to go inside that cage even though I put the water bottle
facing out. And he loves his paper bags.
 

Here he is in his tent. He will pull those blankets or any other blankets
he's lying in right over himself like a baby.
 

Going in his paper bag.

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