Brooklyn Cat Cafe Announces Tragic Passing of Resident Rat

You don’t usually want to hear the words “rat” and “cafe” anywhere near each other, but that’s not the case at the Brooklyn Cat Cafe, which is primarily an animal rescue organization that takes in strays and adoptable creatures from all over Brooklyn and beyond, and gives them care and shelter while arranging for visitors to come in and cuddle with some fur babies who are looking for a home.

This week, however, they sadly announced the passing of one of their most beloved residents, a brown rat named Mr. Alexander Hamilton who had been hand-raised since he was a baby at the rescue.

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Though we’re all sad to hear of Mr. Alexander Hamilton’s passing, we’re relieved that he died peacefully at the ripe old age of three. Three is very old in rat years—the human equivalent would be around ninety.

Related: Rat Chilling in NYC Store Window Is Living Its Best Life

Mr. Alexander Hamilton was a popular resident of the Brooklyn Cat Cafe. When he first came to live with them, he was a newborn baby who hadn’t even opened his eyes, and required around the clock care to help him survive and nurse him back to help. After that, he delighted the regulars and the cafe, and his biggest claim to fame came when he booked a promo spot for the Netflix Addams Family spinoff, Wednesday. In the video, you can see him dancing and climbing all over the disembodied hand known as Thing.

Fans of the cafe and the rat sent their sympathies. “My son adored him on our visits,” wrote one well-wisher. “Sending so much love.”

Rat Lifespans

Though rats can make amazing pets, they come with extremely short lifespans, rarely making it past two years. The average rat reaches adulthood in one to two months, and after that, every month of their life is the equivalent of two and a half human years.

For this reason, if you have a pet rat, it’s important to make every moment count and give them the best possible treatment. After all, they don’t have very long with us.

Caring For Your Pet Rat

Despite these drawbacks and their long-held bad reputation, fans of rats say they make excellent pets. They are inquisitive and sociable. They like living in groups and doing enrichment activities including puzzles, wheel time, and even getting out and about. Though many people keep rats in a cage, it is advised to give them time to explore their surroundings, even while supervised, as rats are highly intelligent and will grow depressed and destructive without something to do.

Rats should be fed a specialized diet of rat pellets, and should be given fresh water and lots of room to play. Though they enjoy living in groups, it’s vital that their cage is large enough to give the rats enough space to move around in and not fight.

Because a rat’s teeth grow constantly, they have a great need to chew and grind their teeth down and should be provided with chew toys and other items to help them stay healthy. And, of course, no matter how small and short lived they are, they should receive regular check ups from a veterinarian to make sure they are free from disease.

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