Story and photos by Anne Cosgrove Wimberly
Wendigo Martinez describes herself as a retail person at Dig
It, a unique vintage store in the Plaza District in Oklahoma City. Martinez assists customers, models clothing for social-media posts, and fosters friendships. Not every person who enters the store is a customer; some people visit Dig It just to hang out — with their pets. “I encourage people to bring their pets all the time,” Martinez said. She has interacted with ducks, parrots, free-roaming cats, cats in backpacks, snakes, lizards, and dogs. Martinez is no stranger to the domestic animal kingdom — she has owned dogs, cats, tarantulas, jumping spiders, and rodents.
Martinez mothers one-and-a-half-yearold Dumbo rat brothers Xasthur and Nightmare. Dumbo rats are a type of fancy rat. The term “fancy rat” refers to all domestic rats. Dumbo rats are named in honor of Disney’s cartoon elephant Dumbo because the rats’ ears, set on the
sides rather than the top of their heads, appear larger than the ears of other fancy rats. Xasthur shares his name with a metal band, and Nightmare is named after a conversation Martinez had with friends regarding, well, nightmares.
Learning To Appreciate Rats
Martinez’s foray into rat ownership began when she was about eight years old. Like many people, she had a fear of rats. She had heard that rats are filthy, antisocial, mean, and have ugly, useless tails. One day while shopping at a pet store, she noticed a rat who appeared lonely and sad.
“I felt bad for him because he was owner-returned,” Martinez recalled. “He needed a home.”
Martinez observed the rat’s behaviors to see if what she had heard about rats was true. She was surprised to learn that rats are intelligent, social, clean, and loving. They groom themselves, each other, and their handlers. They are tidy nest builders. They take care when they eat. And they even train themselves to use a litter box.
During a particularly difficult time in her life, Martinez cared for a white Dumbo rat she named Skab.
“Skab was a sweet, sweet critter, the sweetest pet I’ve ever known,” Martinez said. “He mimicked me. I remember one time I was eating garlic bread. I was huddled on my bed. I gave him a piece. He looked at me and dragged it away and huddled in a corner to eat it.”
Skab was a socialite who loved to spend time with Martinez. He gave her kisses. He groomed her, an activity rats engage in when they don’t feel threatened. His nest-building antics made Martinez laugh. His ability to hide, procure, and eat food without a mess impressed her. He even cleaned himself. The manner in which Skab used his tail to balance, scamper, and climb fascinated Martinez. Skab was the bright light Martinez needed in her life.
Martinez learned much about rats — and about herself — through her care for Skab.
“I wouldn’t consider rats the easiest pet to own,” Martinez said. She pointed out that rats need enrichment activities to prevent boredom. Martinez strived to spend at least an hour a day with Skab. “I provided toys, like bird toys, to match his intelligence. Things like boxes, thick ropes, and ladders help rats not to get distracted.” Martinez stated that rats love searching for food and treasures, climbing, and investigating new areas and objects.
Rats, contrary to popular belief, are not immune to everything.
“Because rats won’t stop until they succeed, you need to be careful what you give them,” Martinez warned. “Not all toys are good for them. For example, pine wood is very bad for them. And lots of foods are poisonous. But rats are smart. They’ll take a small nibble of something to see if it’s OK to eat.”
Martinez was fascinated by Skab’s antics, intelligence, and social skills.
“Skab encouraged me to keep growing as a person,” Martinez said. “He made me feel like I was nurturing something. He was my best friend. I was devastated when he died.”
The expected life span of a domestic rat is two to four years. Martinez couldn’t imagine pouring so much motherly love into another curious critter for such a short period. She took a hiatus from rat ownership for two years.
Nurturing the Two Brothers
Then in November 2023, Martinez adopted Xasthur and Nightmare from a local breeder. These brothers differ from Skab in that they have mostly dark fur and white bellies. Similar to Skab and to most domestic rats, they love to be held and tickled, and they love to eat. Martinez initiated her bond with the brothers by offering them Fruit Loops and peanut butter.
“I give them treats, and they give me love,” Martinez laughed. “The feminine nurturing feeling is what I go for.”
Martinez says the rat brothers have the dependency of a dog and the curiosity of a cat. Even though Xasthur and Nightmare
actively steal and gather food and objects, they are polar opposites.
“Xasthur is the go-getter,” Martinez said.
“He constantly runs around. He’s always on a mission. Nightmare is more chill, like a sack of potatoes. He’ll let me hold him and pet him.” Martinez happily accepts the personal grooming services the rats offer her daily.
“It’s very fun to watch them, how they balance with their tails, how they litter-train themselves. They get excited when they see me,” Martinez said.
Martinez continues to research the joys of rat ownership. She watches videos in which people train rats to walk on strings, climb a series of boxes, and run races. Martinez is content to nurture her rats by providing tasty treats and enrichment activities by introducing new objects. “I don’t know how to explain the bond,” Martinez says of her relationships with her rats. “They need me, and I need them. They give me the sense of being a mother.”
Martinez applies this same sensibility in her job as a retail person at Dig It. She greets, nurtures, and encourages positive relationships with her customers and their pets.
