I hadn't planned on taking any pictures today, but it was just too good to pass. The babies are all over the place. They play and run and hop and one can't help but crack up as you watch them.

Today was the first day I let Felix actually run among them. It was cool to see Felix, and then little tiny versions of Felix, right next to each other. Three of the seven don't have his colors (two have their mom's). But when the four who did were next to their dad, it was pretty enjoyable to observe.

Felix would inspect them as they came up to him. He was very gentle, even grooming a couple of them. Of course, Brook wanted to play with Felix, and I don't know if it was sexual or just because it was another adult, but she kept following Felix all over. He would roll around with her for a minute or so, then go do something else. With Felix being fixed, I don't have to worry about him doing any inception damage (although it's possible Brook may have gotten knocked up from Luke, see earlier days).

The babies have figured out how to exit and enter the cage. They know when the door is open and when it's not (there are three on the cage) so they finally have grasped the concept of being "in" the cage, and getting "out" of it. The funniest thing is to watch them hop. One will be sitting there, then out of the blue, hop six times, then bolt across the room (or cage).

Dusty was the one who followed Felix the most. Felix would sniff him for a moment, then move on (until a little later). It was amazing to watch, though, as Dusty, and his brother Kato, are the ones who'll be spending the rest of their lives with him. They were the two most inquisitive towards their pop. The golden girl (who've I've been calling G.G.) also loves her dad. She followed him all over the cage. He was real good with her.

And of course, the babies know when I've got that camera out, so they're used to it. See how this little girl just looks at me. "Oh gee, the dang camera again? Ho hum."

Dusty hangs with his pop.

"Okay son, now let me show you the proper way to chew up the carpet. I'm the king of chewing, so you'll never learn from anyone who to do this as well as I can show you."

Dusty is quickly becoming my most photographed rat. Whenever he comes out of his cage, he always wants to hang on me. Here he is again, trying to climb on me. Believe it or not, he's starting to learn his name too. When I come to the cage and say "Dusty," he always turns toward me and comes to the cage. It could just be coincidence, but I know he's learning.