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So here we are, past Turkey Day, missed Black Friday and it’s a quiet Saturday night in the cage. The boys are a bit quieter, maybe it was all of the feasting they did the last couple of days. It was a bit much, even by greedy rat measures :p.

They are getting so big now! Baby Vroo will be here in the next couple of weeks, we are all looking forward to that. It will be interesting to see the boys reaction to their nephew. I don’t expect intros to be much of a problem. All of my boys are pretty mellow for the most part.

Adrienne and I are in the market for a bigger cage this spring. We have decided the boys need even more room to move around and play in. It’s amazing the amount of time and money you pour into owning rats. We were out this morning doing some Christmas shopping and bought more dishes for them!! Scott bought 6 more towels to line his cages with as well as more dishes! We just keep buying, finding new and better ways to improve their quality of life for all of them. I even bought some more baby food custard, the boys go crazy for the stuff at breakfast with frozen fruit mixed in!!! They are spoiled!!!!

Having found rats, learning what wonderful critters they are!!! I am thankful for those that have come into my life and have now left it. I am thankful for those still in my life and the happiness they bring everyday.

Buster Loot - his surly, never really happy little personality was my first intro to rats.

Despite him not being the best ambassador he opened my heart and my mind a little further and made me love these little creatures. We spent better than two years together, wary of one another, but finding a middle ground that made us both happy in the end.

I still miss you Mr. Loot and I think of you when I am laying in bed at night waiting to fall asleep. I am grateful that your departure from this world was quiet and dignified, just like you always were.

Henry - my beloved hooded boy.

How you made me smile when you would run eagerly to the cage to see if I had snacks for you! Being a pet store feeder bin rescue, you stayed leary of me the whole time you were here. But we were friends.

You grew into such a handsome rat man, so squishy. Thank you for finally trusting in humans enough to let me cuddle you when it was your time to leave. I know you are at the bridge and watching me, smiling in your ratty way that was so comical. I miss you everyday!!! I miss your busy body night antics that kept me awake.

I tell people often of how much I loved you and how much you made me want to own even more rats.

Penny -The only female rat I have had the pleasure of knowing.

A sweet little girl that never trusted humans. You were a gentle soul that would cower in a corner, always terrified of being picked up. I am glad to have known you, very glad to have been part of your life. I hope you saw in me that not all humans are cruel and unworthy of trust.

Bub - The first dumbo earred rat we ever met!

Such a handsome man, so cuddly. Even being from a feeder bin, he was friendly and sociable from day one. I know Scott still misses you very much. We all do. I hope you are happy at the bridge and finding lots of playmates and snacks.

They are watching out over those with us, helping them to discover that humans are wonderful and many of them are worthy of bruxing and boggling. They are the reminders of what makes rats so special and why we love them the way we do.

I thought about all of them this morning as I was playing with my babies and it made my heart feel just a bit tighter, but in a good way. They were a wonderful bunch in their own ways. I am thankful to have known them and been caretaker and keeper to some. They paved the way for Wembley, Fergus, Nugent, and soon baby Vroo.

Today we will go away from rats, yes away from rats!!!!

Lets talk about our fishy friend Jack. He is a leftover from a school project on the environment. Rather than see him flushed down a toilet, Adrienne brought him home. He is a cute little fella.

What’s interesting is that he was supposed to be a guppy, after going to a pet store to look around we found a tank with literally hundreds of Jacks swimming about. Our delightful little fish is a minnow!!!;) He cost a whole 12 cents!!

I wasn’t in the neighborhood for any more pet fish. Right before we moved into this house, we had a nice tank with a few “fancy” goldfish who were a respectful age and doing well.

We moved and they seemed shocked by it all and quickly died off. I decided that I wasnt going to have fish anymore, although they are lovely creatures.

Now mind you, he is a simple and humble minnow. I don’t expect much out of him or his lifespan. I don’t even know how long I can expect him to be with us. He has a comfy one gallon tank–complete with lovely blue gravel and decorative accents, a very nice water plant and lots of tasty fish food everyday. He seems to be doing very well with us.

The boys seem to like the tank, although I think Wembley has dreams of Jack on a bun with tartar sauce, but that’s for another post!

We shall see how things go with our fishy friend.

As I wrote previously, taking on a rescued rat is an exploration into your own patience.

Chin-po and Mushu are wonderful rats to begin with. They have been patient with me and I have with them. Basically, they are rats that I have no real understanding of where they’ve been and what has happened to them. Because of this, I can only move them slowly to my will or I risk having their personalities spoiled for their entire life.

Both of their personalities are very worthy and they’re coming along. However, this is where it ventures into a branched path. I had hoped originally that they would both be progressing at the same pace. The reality is much different, however. Mushu is still a bit resistant to being picked up and held but that’s to be expected.

Chin-po, on the other hand, doesn’t fight at all. He’s progressing very nicely indeed. He’s still a bit shy sometimes but he’s not a whiner at all.

It’s just a matter of gaining their trust. Usually, Yogies help in this endeavor.

I may be developing a dumbo ear fetish. LOL

I was just admiring pictures of our boy Vroo over at Azure Ridge Rattery. That boy has got some dazzling ears and such a cute face. I can’t wait for him to come home. It will be alot of fun caring for babies while they grow into the “big” boy cage.

I think Im in love :0)