Rats aren’t the easiest pets to live with.
Mum and Dad (Gabby and Si) are an ordinary couple in their early thirties, living in an ordinary flat with extraordinary pets. They have been together for many years and are forever planning to get married, but it’s so hard to save up money when you’re always spending it on rat treats.
Mum has been keeping rats as pets for over ten years and, as a result, is very laid-back when it comes to their squabbles and silliness. She bought the rats in stages and without Dad’s permission, trusting that he would love them as soon as he got to know them. Smurt came first, followed by Snitch and, after some deep persuasion and subtle manipulation, managed to convince him to let Dervel come and live with them.
Mum can be quite childish at times, sometimes playing tricks on the rats, but always offers a cuddle for each of them whenever they want one. She acts as the disciplinarian at times but can easily be distracted by a cute scrunched-up ratty face of remorse and, in reality, the rats have her wrapped around their little fingers. She is also sometimes strangely blind to the many and varied ways Snitch torments Dervel.
No matter what happens, Dad can always be relied upon. He is a kind, gently-spoken man who loves his strange little family and is very protective of them. He is always ready with good advice and does everything he can to make mum and the rats feel happy and secure. He is particularly fond of Dervel – possibly because he knows what it’s like to be ordered around by a bossy female!
Dad tends to have more self-control than Mum, who is frequently tempted to add to their furry family. He puts up with a lot from both Mum and the rats, who at times get into bed with them, or interrupt his quiet moments with their squabbling. A quiet man, he lets the rats (and Mum) get away with most things with grace and good humour but, despite this, he is no pushover and has been known to put his foot down at times. It’s just a shame that when he does this, no one really takes him that seriously.
Mum and Dad are based on the author and her fiance, and do not appear in the books.
