Fragglerats.com

A bit of orange fluff runs by and then suddenly stops, whiskers twitching. He wheels around, runs full speed at the door, slams on the brakes, up he goes and begging for a bite of cookie.
Chubbs is a character worthy of his own stories, full of mischief and antics that only a youngster can muster. He is by far the youngest of the group and he stays busy most of the day while the others nap or groom lazily in a corner. I watch him pester Boo, onto Fergus, a nip at Wembles. Its usually Vroo that will indulge his playfulness. I watch my gentle giant nibble his ears and then stop at the youngsters squeals of protest. Chubbs is off like a shot, but he is back seconds later to see if he can get Vroos attention again.

My “kid” will snuggle under the pile, cozy and warm with the older boys. He bruxes like mad when one of then grooms him in the hammie. He squeaks soft protests when the warmth leaves him to run greet me for breakfast platters. He will often wait and watch as I rub heads, play with whiskers. Its been lately that he tends to wait for the others to finish before he crawls out for a taste. Most mornings are rice cereal with crusts of toast, others are soft fried eggs. He is a careful eater, no longer gobbling food up in the babyish way he once did. He has developed a fine tuned palate( well as fine tuned as any rats) and will turn his nose up at once loved dishes. He likes the olive oil and bread, warm baked squash of all varieties, soy and rice milk soaked kibble. I have seen Chubbs completely ignore a sweet for something more savory.

I see my baby is growing up and before long he will have grown into his full adult size. He has a broad head, with nice ears and a beautiful coat. The color reminds me of Fall and the beauty of that time of year is my favorite color palette. He is good sized, well into the 600 gram area.The whiskers curl around his tiny muzzle in a perpetual smile that often makes me laugh.

I am wistful today looking at the boys, they just grow up way to fast.

So my Fergie is a sissy. His peeps of protest and the whining finally had me jumping up last night to “save” him from his “tougher” cagemates. He sat in my lap, wandered the couch, said hello to Scott and basically enjoyed his freedom. He is softer than the rest, even Vroo, who is a gentle giant. He is quickest to come say hello and offer kisses of encouragement when I rub his ears just right. I know his peeps are engineered to get my attention, for mom to “resuce” him from his awful fate. I laugh at the staged production of being so squished and picked on. His brother has always tolerated only so much when it comes to him. Wembley has often went in search of Fergus when the others have picked with him just a bit to much. Its touching to see him look into hammies and in igloos, finally find his brother and groom him in a way as if to say “Its ok Fergie, Im here now”

Lately Wembles seems to forget and even nips at us a bit. He is shorter tempered and quicker to get antsy and run off and hide. I know he is getting older, but the rejection hurts a bit and I tell myself that he doesnt mean it. Most days he is just as happy and cuddly as always. I realize I am sensitive to their whims and often wonder what people would think of a grown woman who gets her feelings hurt because her rats dont want to play………..LOL

Things have been stressful the last couple of weeks and the boys have been a constant source of comfort. No matter what else is going on around me, they are solid and sure in their affections.

I want to get the camera out and take tons of pics today..of course thats after I clean the cage!!! Maybe there will a yogie or two passed around to get that “perfect” picture.

So my old men just passed the twenty month mark. Like always we check carefully for lumps and bumps. All of the boys get a good going over once a week. Its how we caught Boos cancer so early, Wembles lump and even the small one Fergus is playing host to currently. I tend to be a bit paranoid about their health and make sure weights are monitored monthly.

I sat with my beloved Fergus the other night, him cuddled in a blanket, eyes closed, bruxing softly..how can you not love an animal so much in the now. They are happiest with a snack and some ear scritching. All of them come to se me when I walk by the cage. I often joke they are like zombies invading….the way they will press against the cage for a pat on the head or hopefully some yummy treat.

I love my boys and Meef passing away has left me worried for my Vroobert, his brother. i can only hope that all of my boys live to see old age..to sit with me in their twightlight, to brux softly while I scritch ears.

It’s with heavy hearts and much sadness that we post the passing of Mr. Meef this morning. He was humanely put to sleep after being diagnosed with congestive heart failure. He was a lovely boy, full of kindness and always happy. It was a shock when he seemed to become so withdrawn and sad. The vet examined him and even tried to intervene and help with the issue, but it wasnt to be.

He was a fine rat, a wonderful ambassador for his kind. He loved people and was friendly to those he met. He will be very much missed and it will be a long time before Scott gets to feeling better.

Sleep well Meef, play hard at the bridge. Tell your aunt and daddy we said hello, give your grandpa Ku some kisses from us.

I got this orange kid on my back. He seems to think Im a pillow and Im not quite sure why. Could be my rounded goodness, my soft fur or the fact I am a pretty nice guy. I noticed the other day he was being all kinds of cuddly and cute with mom, trying to horn in on my turf? Not quite sure. I suppose I will worry about him another day.

I got a whiff of carrot cake early this morning, made my little mouth water. That means there will be cream cheese frosting!!!! Its something called the Super Bowl today
..does that mean bigger amounts of snacks being served? Not sure but I aim to find out as soon as I can.

Mom got us some really nice new cage stuff, I cant wait to do some shredding!!! She tries to make the cage soft and comfy for us and we do our best to thank her by ruffing up corners and making a mess. We know how much she loves when we really mess stuff up, you should see her eyes get all big and how she tells us what wicked little rats we are for tearing up brand new bedding sets..she LOVES it!

Well Im off to wait on carrot cake, I want a big slice all to myself. My brother thinks we should all crowd around and share..not this old rat…I want it all to myself!!!!!

Till next time, keep the snackies coming,
Fergus