Jaime the ‘hikkomori’ Cloud Rat

When the giant Cloud Rat (Phloeomys pallidus) first refused to venture out of his cage, we thought he was just being lazy. But when it became habitual behavior; when he had to be manually carried out, struggling in protest each time the pen had to be cleaned, it occurred to us that he might have acquired a psychological aberration. As he rushed inside the pen when he was set down while glaring accusingly at us, we knew for sure that something was not quite right.

Reading up on the matter, we came across hikkomori, a Japanese term that refers to people experiencing acute social withdrawal. The psychiatrist Tamaki Saito says that the psychological problem “involves cooping oneself up in one’s own home and not participating in society” for a prolonged period. And while hikkomori referred to reclusive people, we thought that our cloud rat displayed the same classic symptoms of that state of social withdrawal and avoidance.

But the adult cloud rat was far from withdrawn when we first got him. A rescue from one of the outlets in Benguet that sold animals for exotic dishes, he was active, alert and ready to defend himself despite his sorry state. The fur was matted, his tail was freshly chopped off with the wound still raw, and he stank like the worst kind of manure and funky cheese, but he let out what seemed to be a low growl, bared his long front teeth and bushed up his fur as if in preparation to attack when we first ventured near him. With enough patience and kindness however, the animal eventually learned to trust people. Soon, he was perking up his ears, twitching his nose and begging to be either fed or stroked. He also learned to tolerate baths, and was allowed to walk in areas of the garden where the dogs could not get to him. 

Since cloud rats eat sayote, we named our new pet Jaime, in honor of a favorite uncle who taught us to overcome our distaste for the bland vegetable. With his health and appetite restored, the cloud rat Jaime was soon tucking in at least two sayotes every day. He also learned to like assorted fruits (jackfruit was his all-time favorite.) And after a couple of years of what could be called a ‘smorgasbord diet,’ he gained considerable girth.

Out in the wild, the Northern Luzon giant cloud rat weighs 1.9 to 2.6 kilograms and grows to about 30 inches long. At almost five kilos and as big as a small dog, Jaime was so hefty that a house guest who was a wildlife enthusiast could not recognize what he was right away. But as the animal grew even bigger and tamer, he also acquired unhealthy habits—most apparent pertaining to his food preferences.

“He just chews up the fruits and vegetables and makes a mess,” Jaime’s caretaker complained, pointing to a ground-up pile swarming with fruit flies. The rodent seemed nonchalant, stood up on his hind feet and waited to be petted. As one of my sisters bent down to stroke his fur, he grabbed the cookie she was holding, ran to a corner and gobbled it up quickly. We didn’t know any better then, so Royal Dansk butter cookies became his special treat. He was also extremely partial to butter cake, home-baked blueberry muffins, and even soda so we also gave him those to keep him happy. But as what usually happens when you always give in, all sense of discipline is lost.  Jaime became a spoiled creature with many bad habits and erratic moods. The veterinarian diagnosed him as diabetic, and to our sorrow he passed away in his sleep one day.

This was a difficult lesson learned about keeping wild animals. Believe the experts when they tell you that it is best to keep them in their natural habitats; that one cannot take the ‘wild’ out of wild animals and if you force it, something has got to give. Fortunately, the laws protecting wildlife are more stringent now than when we had Jaime. But as farmlands continue to eat into the forests and more habitat are lost, what will become of the creatures remaining in the wild? Really, loving animals and upholding species diversity should encompass supporting  groups or movements that preserve our rich natural environments.