A FIRST FOR ME

As you all know, I photograph other things besides people.














I photograph dogs -













The occasional cat -























And once in a while a horse -



















But this weekend I was talked into photographing something I've never done before, something I've never had the vaguest desire to photograph. I realize that there are people out there who make a fairly good living getting rid of these creatures, but there is also a rather large contingent of people who find them adorable as pets. They come in all colors, and I'm told they're very friendly. I have yet to touch one, but I think if I spent more time around them, that might happen! Anyway, how could anyone resist this face:

This is Summit, one of the rats from the Maine Rat Rescue organization. As with all pets, there are people who don't realize what they're getting into, what kind of care these creatures need, and who become disenchanted very quickly. What to do? They're domesticated animals, so they can't really be turned loose in the wild (although I'm certain this has happened more often than we'd like to think), and ads for rats for sale don't exactly have the phone ringing off the hook. Some rats are given to shelters, and some find a temporary home with the Maine Rat Rescue organization .

It's worth taking a look at their website, and maybe you'll find a pet like Emmett, who just likes to smell the flowers: