Algernon, I don't think that's gonna work..

She's been chewing on the bars, looking at me as if to say, "I shall escape these wretched bonds!" So, here's a comic.

G'mornin, g'night or g'day

Afterthought: Why are they so cute?

I'm.. I'm.. I'm thankful.

Persephone is fine. Not just fine as in, "she's alive and we'll see where we go from here," but fine as in, "she's perfectly healthy and running around like her old self." I don't know what to say. It's crazy. We thought she was going to die. Not only from what we read but common sense and personal experience. We even had a box ready for when passed and we had to dispose of the body. She started getting better last night, although I was skeptical because she'd appeared to be getting better once before and had not.

The other fear was that if she made a recovery, she'd have a tilted head for the rest of her life. She isn't tilting. She seems to have made a full recovery. We're keeping her with the big ratties, the two she'll be living with, because they're the most healthy. The little ones we just got yesterday are a little sneezy and so we're making sure they'll be okay before we get all the rats together.

I am... floored.

G'mornin, g'night or g'day

Afterthought: How do you treat a miracle?

Um... Athena?

Dear Athena:

Thank you for cheering me up. I know I've been a wreck with worry over Persephone (who may or may not be getting better, too early to tell). I love you very much and I'm glad you've been getting more acclimated to Algernon as a buddy, it seems she's getting more comfortable with you too. You've been so super-sweet, even though you've been on a hypermink mischief run today. You've been so cute and so overwhelmed and just going nuts! There is one little thing I'd like to address though.... you're classified as Rattus Norvegicus and not Macaca Mulatta now.. I think I can see how you're ratty brain may be confused. Or how you may genuinely think you're a Macaque and not a rat. But your cage climbing skills are pretty epic, even Algernon agrees.

Sincerely,
Momma and Daddy

Yeah, that's right, Athena is going monkey on us. She's climbing upside down on the ceiling of the cage. Why, you ask? Because she can. That's all I can figure. After the emotionally charged blog about Persephone earlier, she's been so cute and has been making me laugh so hard I even had to go pee to make sure I didn't wet myself and the chair in the process.

What happened on that occasion wasn't necessarily her fault.. but it was still funny. I was refilling the food bowl for she and Algernon and it was sitting on the front top cage door. Both the surface of the door and the bottom of the bowl are smooth. Well, Athena felt like investigating the bowl.. so she hops in it and then proceeds to comically slide off the door and to the bottom of the cage where she looks confused. Then just gets back up and grooms herself. I mean.. this is ridiculous and I wish I had a video camera.

It didn't end there (as if it ever would). Just a few minutes later she's on the second shelf of the cage, maybe nine or ten inches from the roof. Well, she and Algernon climb the cage all the time, it's how they get from the floor to the first level because I replaced the original shelf with denim and then removed the ramp. Before she started rooming with Algernon, she would sneak in on occasion and climb for a bit. Well, she has since figured that she's living there and has celebrated appropriately.

And when I say this I mean she climbs up the wall from the second shelf and then hangs precariously upside down by two paws until she gets the rest of her feet in line. Then she walks around in a circle while Algernon looks baffled and Ben and I laugh until we can't breathe. It's funny to watch. I haven't seen a rat do it since Demeter was with us. So it's refreshing and having a laugh like that when there's so much worry and sadness is just wonderful.

G'mornin' g'night or g'day

Afterthought: Why do all of the recent posts seem to be about Athena? Do I sense an attention-seeker? Hmm..

She Just Doesn't Understand

Why she can't be out. Why she's alone in this weird place. Why she can't say hi to the new babies and be the sweetness she always is. Why Momma won't hold her. Why Momma's been crying. Why she's sneezing. Why no matter how much she chews on the wire where a water bottle used to be held, she's not getting out. Why she can't climb sometimes. Why her right side is acting weird, even though she really wishes it would work. Why Momma and Daddy keep smacking the side of the box when she resting, so still and sleepy, startling her awake. Why there's so much noise she can't investigate. Why Momma keeps telling her she loves her, like something's wrong. Why everything changed. Why Algernon hasn't visited.

____    ____    ____    ____

Why she's in this new place with Algernon. Why she can't see Hermione. Why no matter how much she chews on the bars, Momma won't let her back in to see Hermione. Why she has to put up with Algernon. Why Algernon's freaking out and running on the wheel so much. Why Momma and Daddy seem so sad and worried. Why the other sister she had isn't around in the cage anymore.

____    ____    ____    ____

Why Athena's here. Why things are so weird. Why there are new fuzzies where Athena used to live with Hermione. Why this is happening again. Why Momma's crying so much. Why Momma just wants to hold her so much and kiss her, like someone else. Why she can't see her sister anymore. Why Daddy seems to sad like before.

____    ____    ____    ____

Please, Persephone, please I beg you keep fighting and don't die. Please, just don't die. You can fight it. I know you're having strokes and I know you more than likely have pneumonia. I know it looks like you're getting better, but you may not actually be getting better. I know you're so confused and scared and angry that I have you some place alone, strange and without any visitors. I know you want to chew your way out but can't. I know your right side is failing to the point where a simple jump is now near impossible. I know you miss me. I know you miss Algernon. I know she misses you. I know you miss Daddy. Please. Fight. Please. Don't die. Please. I love you so much please don't die. This isn't fair...

This just isn't fair and there's nothing I can do to stop it.

More of My Insanity.. and such

So, Ben read my plan for world domina-uh... domestication! Yeah. Heheh... anyway, all joking aside, he read what I was thinking of as far as domesticating black rats and I am happy to say that he isn't so opposed to it as I at first thought he may have been. He was alluding to airing on the side of caution, which is understandable, but he wasn't outright saying no. He was talking about how the foxes I had mentioned in the previous post and in the note I posted on facebook (they're the same post, I copied it from facebook to here) and said that they didn't look like foxes anymore. Which, in the sense that their coloration changes, their skulls have a more domed shape than per usual and sometimes their tails curl.. no they don't look like foxes. But if you were to put a wild silver fox side by side with one of Belyaev's foxes, you'd see they are quite closely related. Being that they are, essentially, the same animal. Just like if you were to take Algernon (a fawn variegated berkshire) and put her next to a wild brown rat and go on coloration alone then she looks nothing like a brown rat! However, if you look at her bone structure, the shape of her skull and body in general then she's a slightly bigger brown rat with a funky coat color. He brought this up to say that through selective breeding the appearance of the rats would change in ways we can't predict yet.

Scientist have found, through studies of many different species of animal, that coat color and temperament are intrinsically linked. Being that coat pigmentation can be an indication of how well the animal will respond to you being nearby. The more pigmented an animals' coat, the more likely it is to have a very violent response. This is because when you have a wild rat with no silvering or pibald splotches in comparison to a black-eyed white (BEW) rat, the BEW is more likely to be friendly, or at least less likely to outright attack and bite you.

These genes have another fascinating effect on rats. Being that when they are more docile and less stressed by captivity, they are more fertile. The same affect was found with Belyaev's foxes. Once they'd reached full fledged domestication (the generation given for this information was 30th, but it may have happened in a prior generation), female foxes went into heat twice a year (like dogs) rather than once per year like their wild kin.

All of this factors into domestication of black rats. All the information I can get my hands on is essential. I know I won't be doing this venture for a while, a few years at least. In that time I'll be doing a lot of research as well as a lot of ratty-lovin'. Those were just some thoughts and intriguing things I found. It's odd, I'm a writer and I have quite a few aspirations for my writing which I consider dreams for my life. At the same time, this is just as much a dream as writing books. Anyway, I'll stop blabbing for now.


G'mornin, g'night or g'day

Afterthought: If I know she's a trouble-maker, why does Athena get away with everything?

Making A Cage!/I'm Crazy!

Making A Cage!

I'm renovating a storage tub to be a multi-level home for our little ones. I'm going to see about combining it with the fabric bin and using the trunk as the new fabric bin. That way there is even more room for play, not only for them but for me! Plus, the storage bin has a lid I can modify to have an open top. The trunk doesn't. I'm also cleaning out the big ones' cage soon. I've been foggy-headed all day. I had such a hard time going to sleep last night I thought it might never happen. What is it with this selective insomnia crap?!
___     ____     _____   _____        ____   ____     _____    ____    _____

I'm Crazy!

I have this idea, it's an odd one, but bear with me. I want to domesticate rats. You're in your head saying, "uh, Cami, already been done, you have four as pets to prove it," and to that I say, correct. But the ones I have with Ben are brown rats. Rattus Norvegicus (Norway Rat), they are the typical barn/sewer rats people complain about and call exterminators for. Well, at least here where it gets cooler.

The ones I want to domesticate are black rats. Rattus Rattus, they are known as roof/tree/black rats. They also get the exterminator called on them.

If you know anything about rats you know they come in so many colors and marking combinations that it will make your head spin trying to calculate just how many are possible. That's if you limit it to show standard. Of which there are 18 colors give or take, 13 markings give or take and 7 different coat types. Combine this with the fact that the rats can be standard or dumbo.. and things get even more complicated. (The reason it's give or take is because show standards sometimes change from year to year.)

Now, to think about how many cute little faces are out there is just... cutely awe inspiring. Any responsible rat breeder will tell you breeding is done for health and behavior. Domestication is, mostly, a process of selective breeding. In Russia they started a project roughly fifty years ago domesticating foxes. They chose silver foxes that were not aggressive and bred them to simulate what they think happened with wolves in domestication to dogs. What they've found is that when you choose for "tameness" after a while you end up with things like white fur and curly tails, traits that are not native to the foxes they started breeding. So what I'm saying is that when domesticating rats it would be a process of choosing which ones are calm around humans and which ones are hand-tamed the quickest or start out hand-friendly. Then to breed those boys and girls then, once the second generation is mature, to start the process over again. Pick the ones that are less wild than the rest of the generation and breed them. It could turn up incredible results. Not only in appearance but in health and behavior as well.

It would have to be done every generation for quite a few years. Rats generally live for 2-4 years on average and wild rats reach sexual maturity at 12 weeks in comparison with current pet rats at five weeks.

I know it would take years and a build up of funds (ask any responsible rat breeder and they'll tell you they rarely break even on a litter let alone make any actual money.. being profit is not and should never be the goal). I think it would probably take 10-13 generations before any "pet-able" rats were born. It may happen sooner or later, but probably not much sooner.

Now, why would I want to do this? I care about the animals. So much that if a wild rat plopped itself in my living room today, I'd give it food and a nest box for a few days and release it into the metro park, right next to the creek that runs through it. That and the fact that it could prove to be a very unique and fulfilling experience. There would be so much knowledge to gain and share that I can't even imagine it right now. It would be something that I could do and be proud of. I don't know how easy or difficult domestication will be, but anyone who says, "_______ can't be done," is really saying, "I've given up."

I'd rather have a failure to learn from than to give up on a dream. Call me crazy, lofty and a dreamer.. you'll be absolutely correct.

G'mornin, g'night or g'day

Afterthought: What are your dreams?

AAAATHEEEEENNNNAAAAA!!!!

She's... she's everywhere... and she wants our BEER! Okay, let me explain. Ben buys a really good beer called Leinenkugel's that, when I first tasted it, made me wonder when people started making beer that was actual good tasting. Well one of their brews, Sunset Wheat, is to Athena's liking, at least the smell is. I'd never give my rat beer. Well, she likes the smell so much that she has taken to climbing inside both mine and Ben's mouths. She'll be sitting in my shirt and start clawing at my lips so I'll open them and she can lick all over where the smell is. Well, when I do she ends up nearly half-way in my mouth (as in half of her is in my mouth, just crawling around like nothing's up). It's insane. The Sunset Wheat has a touch of coriander in it, and I'm thinking that may be why she just goes nuts for it. I mean like a cat on catnip nuts for the smell of it. I wanted to make sure it was the smell and so, I put the bottle within smell range and she bolted for it and tried to carry it away in her mouth. Yeah... she's determined. No wonder she's been on the counter more times that my food today.

G'mornin, g'night or g'day

Afterthought: Why does cuteness make it seem like they didn't really do anything wrong?

A Few Photos

Algernon's quite a lot larger now than she was when I took photos of her last.

Even Persephone is bigger. Still cute as ever, though.

Athena! Sweet, mad, minky face :)

Daddy's girl <3

The malformed left front paw.

Sweet little agouti cuteness with the perfect lightning blaze. Say hello to Hermione. :)

We've Got A Ghost! A Minky-Mad Ghost!

You know, when we bought Athena I knew she would cause mischief. She's a mink, it's bound to happen. But oh sweet mother of ratty cuteness! She's so... so... full of mischief! Okay, so since we got Hermione, Athena has been really sweet and happy. She was all bouncy and adorable and giddy. This hasn't changed, she's still happy and sweet. But now she's mischievous as well. She's been jumping up to the side of the trunk where she will then do a high-wire stunt across the side. Her little feet balance right on the side and walk around, looking amused at the goings on in the apartment. She's been doing this most of the day and at one point I put the fabric bin next to the trunk so she'd have a place to actually go when she was up there.

Well, this was cute and fun.... at first. We put the trunk on top of the cage, like we normally do, and just let them sit for a bit. Putting the trunk on top of the cage takes up less space and makes them easier to transport. That and the trunk is barely wider than the cage lengthwise but it thinner width-wise. Anyway, the trunk is on top and the ratties are pushed off next to our freezer. It's a floor freezer that opens from the top. Well, Miss Minky Mischief decided the freezer would be an awesome place to explore.

So, I hear a bit of crunching, like a plastic grocery bag. Ben and I had gone shopping earlier for some food for breakfast over the weekend and a loaf of bread was still bagged on the freezer. So surely enough, Athena has found it her duty to hop in the bag and check it out. I put her back in the cage and grabbed a light piece of fabric and put it over the bin, telling Hermione to make Athena behave. Mind you, this took maybe five seconds in all. I see motion out of the tops of my eyes, just a faint bit of movement on the counter. Athena had hopped out of the bin and was running around on the counter. I went after her, laughing the entire time and called Ben over to see the ridiculousness of it all. By the time he came over Athena had found her master hiding spot... right behind the coffee maker. We're both laughing, I grab Athena and have to hand her to Ben because I'm laughing too hard to hold on to her.

That was earlier today, later we were sitting around and she was on the edge of the bin every few seconds it seemed. Ben was over by the window and I was just amazed at how quickly she was hopping up and how stubborn she was. I thought Persephone was stubborn... she has nothing on Athena. So I finally yelled to Ben that we have "a ghost! A minky-mad ghost!"

We ended up putting a heavier fabric on top and are trying to figure a way to make a lid for the trunk since I had to take its hinged lid off.

G'mornin, g'night or g'day

Afterthought: If I live north of Georgia the weather shouldn't be allowed to get above 75 degrees F in the summer.

Artemis' RIP Memorial Photo

Our Art of Mischief, Artemis has passed. She tried too hard to get better, but from what we can tell she was running in the wheel when she passed. I couldn't look at her, that and I had to get dressed to be able to walk with Ben when he put her to rest outside, but Ben told me a little while ago that she had her trademark smile when she was laying there. It was the same smile that made him think she was only dreaming.

In another day or so I'll have photos taken and posted of our newest little rescue sweetie, Hermione. She is a little pistol, so daring and fearless. She is the perfect girlie to help us as we mourn the passing of our Art of Mischief as she accompanies Demeter at the rainbow bridge.

All I can really think to say in conclusion about this day is that Athena is hopping around and is so excited.  She's welcomed Hermione and has just been so happy. It was crazy the first time we saw Hermione jump from Ben's shoulder to the big girls' cage. Mind you, she's missing her front left paw. She later jumped from Ben's shoulder to my chest because she knew I could get her closer the mirror we were standing in front of. She's more than we expected and the best we could have hoped for. I will miss Artemis, but at least I know she's no longer hurting.

Wait for us, little ones, we'll see you one day, and we'll make sure to bring plenty of treats.

G'mornin, g'night or g'day

Afterthought: Rats don't have disabilities, they have adapt-abilities.

You're a Hairy Wizard!

After Artemis's untimely and sad death this morning, Athena was alone. That's not a good thing for a rat to be, obviously, so after class, I went to get Athena a new buddy, with a help from a friend (but that's a bigger story for another time). I drove to the pet store near where I live, and started looking at the rats, not expecting to find a direct attachment. The first one I tried to grab crawled into my hand as I put it in. She looked at me with her boggling eyes, and instantly crawled around my arm, licking.

What was strange for me was that the clerk seemed a bit sad that I picked the baby, even as she said, "Looks like your lucky day." As I drove home, she chewed a hole in the box and crawled out, forcing me to hold her all the way back. This is how Hermione came home with me: in my hand, driving down a curving road. I raced into my apartment, handed her to Cami, and tried to get my stuff when Cami said something that threw me: "She has a stump... Awww! You rescued her!"

I looked at her perplexed, and then saw it. Hermione had for legs, but her left paw didn't form right in utero. It all seemed clear that the staff at the pet store probably handled her a lot, and cared for her. At the same time, I wished I had seen it before she crawled into my hand, because that would have made me want to snag her. After Artemis, I was worried that I wouldn't find a baby rat who would be talented like Art of Mischief was. I was wrong: we have a capable, sweetheart, Hermione the Three-Pawed-Wonder Rat, who loves leaping on her hind legs, from my arm to the cage. Even better, she seems to love her new home.

Best yet, Athena hasn't stopped bragging to the big ratties, either.

In Her Case, Paradise by the Rodent Wheel Brace Bar

It was the day before yesterday when I noticed it at first. Artemis wouldn't eat anything, be it coconut or, her favorite, a "bananas chip." She barely climbed up my arm, and wouldn't run on the wheel.

Yesterday morning, red gunk built up around her nose, and she wouldn't move much. Cami and I had to force feed her some antibacterial meds, and cream cheese to make sure she didn't starve. Things seemed to have gotten better, too. By the time we went to bed, Artemis was drinking on her own. Around 2:30, she was walking on the wheel after eating half of her precious "bananas chip." We petted her, kissed her fuzzy head, and put her back in the wheel. Just before the light went out, she stood up, using the wheel brace as a support, winked at me, and smiled as if to tell me she would get better for us.

I had a dream later that night: I was helping my old high school with a school play, starring a man dressed as Artemis singing the chorus to Meatloaf's "Paradise by the Dashboard Light" (Though its cold and lonely on the deep dark night, I can see paradise by the dashboard light). I woke up from the dream at 7:30, but incredibly peaceful, waiting for my time to play with a healthy Artemis, Athena, Persephone, and Algernon. I heard the wheel spinning, but didn't see Algernon running. I got up to see if Athena was running or if Artemis was better.

Instead, I saw Artemis lying next to the wheel, peaceful and still. "Oh no," I sighed as I petted her side. She was cold to the touch and dead. As I woke Cami up to tell her, in her sleep, she said, "No!" as if it would bring her back to life. But, it couldn't be done.

As sad as it is for us, I'm grateful for two things. The first is even having her in the first place. She was playful, sweet, and I'll always miss her little traveling songs. Even when she was sick, she'd reply to me with a chirp or a whistle. But, the second thing is that it wasn't the illness that got her. She started getting better, eating and drinking, and running. But it was the exhaustion that got her. She tried so hard to recover for us that she pushed herself too far. Even in the end, she was selfless and caring for those around her.

Goodbye, Artemis, my little song writer. You will be missed until I see you on the other side of the Rainbow Bridge.

Artemis and her... traveling song?

Yes, you read right, Artemis (Art of Mischief) has a little tune that she foofs out whenever Ben picks her up. It's only for Ben too, which makes it even cuter. Before tonight I'd not heard it. But just a few minutes ago she started again. We've decided she's singing. It's so cute! We have no clue where this behavior comes from. It's the same melody most of the time, "do do-do do do-do do." Sometimes she'll change it up, it almost always seems to sound like video-game music. Surprise surprise in this household.

Cop-out Post

I haven't posted in three days. Ugh. So much stuff has been going on, from emotional troubles to a hard realization of who I am. Bleh, it's been hectic. Combine this with how overly opinionated I am and the political climate we have, now especially, and I've been busy ranting/arguing with people who don't have the good sense to develop their argument before arguing. I don't like arguing with people, I prefer to discuss most times, but sometimes I feel the need to.. let's say aggressively discuss. Too many people are being complacent for my liking. We have the same generation in the 60's and 70's who went out and protested, sometimes losing friends and family in the process, who are now complacent to just sit and take it, it seems. I don't know, maybe they're jaded from their past. It just bothers me, everything and how my generation seems to care more about whether Lady Gaga and Katy Perry are in the top 100 than whether or not we'll have a safe country to live in in ten years. It's more complacency than we can afford, honestly.

Okay, I know this isn't a political blog, it's just been on my mind. Anyway, I cleaned the girls' cages out last night. I've decided to try and see how using fabric will fare versus using recycled paper bedding alone or in combination with fabric. They are all so cute, last night was no exception. Because of back pain it took me quite a while to get the cages cleaned out (coughalldaycough) and I needed Ben to dump out all of the trash outside because it hurt too much to walk. I got everything arranged in both areas and then cut up more fabric for nesting areas and introduced babies. They were happy, still are if the cuteness is to be trusted.

G'mornin, g'night or g'day

Afterthought: Which is more productive in society, happiness or unhappiness?

Dum dum... dum dum... da-da da-da da-da...

As I'm sitting here, waiting for Cami's surely to be tasty calzones to finish cooking, I am watching the ratties, namely Athena, sniffing for food. She is holding on the edge of the plastic basket they're in, staring at me, thinking, I know there's food! Tell me where it is, now, or I'll boggle at you! As if to add to her threat, Algernon and Persephone stick their noses out of the basket. Imagine this as a movie poster, with rat noses.

It'll be a hit, and figuring what I learned about Artemis today, they'll have a theme. Yes, as Artemis was climbing my arm today, she started squeeking a tune. Artemis takes after her daddy and sings random songs and writes them. Obviously, the movie won't be named Jaws, because they're rats. Maybe Teeth? Um... no.

- Ben

Dear Sewer Pipes, I am disappoint.

So, two days ago we began having issues with our water system in the apartment. Apparently someone had clogged their toilet and instead of oh, I don't know, unclogging it or calling the management for a plumber... he just leaves it. So the night before last we ended up not having any kind of water at all flowing into the apartment. I mean, when we ran water in the bathroom sink it came up in the tub plus some ever so lovely sewage. So, not having any way to go to the bathroom or even get drinking water, we left for a hotel for the night. It was really nice, he didn't have class in the afternoon and just ended up skipping the morning class. Turns out it was a much needed break for us. But, being that it was a hotel room, we couldn't take our four little girls with us. So, we left them in the living room near the air conditioner. We figured it would be better to leave them in near the ac when Ohio has decided that it would be awesome to be 100 degrees.

Yeah, Ohio seasons are as follows: winter, not winter, construction and almost winter. Right now we are in not winter and it sucks. I hate the heat. Ohio summers are harsh. For anyone in a desert state, let me explain. Ohio has winters where school will be closed for no other reason than how cold it is. In Arizona the coldest it ever gets around Phoenix and Glendale is 30 degrees F in winter. Yep, that's it. Yes, I do understand that it gets up to 120 degrees F in summer. I spent five months in Arizona last year from May-October. So yeah, I get it. But your summers aren't necessarily harsh, they're just hot. In Arizona for example, the temperature on the thermometer is just straight heat. In other words it's a dry heat with no heat factor pushing it up. In Ohio there are some days where people swear they're going to drown in humidity. It's insane!

So, weather related ranting aside, we left the babies in the living room. We spent the night in the hotel, ate pizza and watched some cable t.v. (a semi-rare treat since we don't have any t.v. service). We went to the mall the next day and walked around for a bit. I fell in love with the Hallmark store and all the cute little ornaments they have. It just made me so excited for Christmas this year!

Well we came home around five in the evening. I didn't realize it had been that late. The rats did though. When we came home we had these two little faces in the cage peering out at us and when we lifted the blanket off of the trunk we had two more little faces looking at us in excitement. We brought the girls out and let them run around on us. They were so expressive in letting us know they missed us. Even Algernon, who normally doesn't lick, was kissing Ben all over! I mean, they were just so sweet and we knew they missed us. We'd needed the break from this place, with all the stupidity around us and the only reason it was worth it to come back was because of the babies. They make this place feel a bit better.

G'mornin, g'night or g'day

Afterthought: No one "makes" you anything. Not angry, sad or happy. You choose the effect they have on you. Think about that the next time you feel like saying, "you make me so _______!"

Wait, did someone say CHEESE?!

Oh yes, Ratty photos :)

Demeter, Baby, Momma and Daddy miss you <3

Algernon, well her nose at least

Well hey there, Persephone

*sigh* Algernon, we can barely tell this is you!

Persephone: Hey, my nose... you're in its' way!

*gasp!*

This was Algernon's expression upon realizing she was being photographed, she then buried her head to hide :)

Mwahahaha

Why is ratty mischief so adorable?

Persephone: Ooof! Sis!

Algernon cares not that you sleep puny baby sister! Mwahaha!

Algernon: Hey, look up there!

I have teeth Momma!

I am tired.

Momma! I'm stuck! Save meeeee!

Persephone really isn't the most graceful, is she?

*nom nom nom*

Must explore!

This is our hooded sweetie, Artemis

I see minky madness in my future!

Athena trying to not look obvious as she looks at herself in the lens.

Dood!

I  has a mad, is a little one, but is still a mad!

Artemis (L) and Athena (R)

Get ready.... set.... go!

It would appear that Athena is taking the lead!

Oh and Athena is a full head ahead!

Athena wins it!

  

Oh! look at that brutal kick!

Artemis got her revenge when it came time for the wrestling event.

We have a new clubhouse!

Well it used to be my dice bag ;P

Now, where is that B flat?

Ben and I can too easily see me doing this to him as I give him a back rub.

We has cutes?

*sniffle* So cute ^o^

Mommmaa!

Oh my word, that is a lot of ratty cuteness! The first image is of Demeter before she died. We believe she had a pituitary tumor after having done more reading and research. She will always be remembered for sweetness and an adventurous attitude.

G'mornin, g'nigt or g'day

Afterthought: Why is a large group of rats called a mischief? Also, why is a large group of crows called a murder?

WARNING: Algernon is not baby friendly!

So, we brought Artemis home and introduced them all two days ago. At first we thought that maybe it would be okay, we got them used to each other and Algernon seemed fine. But as it turns out, she wasn't. As soon as we put them in any environment she begins to go hyper territorial, to the point of it being dangerous to have them in the same cage. We tried a neutral environment in addition to the normal cage.

What I did was take an old trunk, one that had a securing lid that none of the babies had ever played in before and modified it, removing the lid with a wood burning tool (don't worry, the rats were nowhere near the trunk while this was going on) and then securing a wheel and water bottle for them. None of them had been in the trunk before, all of the bedding was fresh. Yet, by the end of the night when I was getting ready to close off the top with some fabric, Algernon began attacking Artemis again. This was when Ben and I made the decision to get another baby girl so that Persephone and Algernon could have the cage and then Artemis and her new sister could have the trunk.

It's worked out beautifully. We now have our little Athena (if you noticed the naming trend, then spot on for you) and she has been welcomed very warmly by our baby Artemis.

But on a side note, last night was the second night we had Artemis. Algernon was attacking her the very first night, so we had to separate her and she was, unfortunately, alone for than night. Well, when Ben went to check on her the following morning, the middle drawer was open completely, but she was sitting in the bottom. Last night I looked over toward the rockband drum set and saw something kind of odd, rat foot prints! Algernon had not only pushed the drawers open, but she had wandered out to try and find a way into the cage because she was lonely. She must have climbed all over and realized she could not get in. Well, upon this realization, she then proceeds to climb back down in the drawers and sleep!

It was just so funny and for a moment I literally could not believe that she had done such a thing. But when I thought about who this was I was talking about, I quickly got rid of my denial and commended her for being a clever and obedient girlie.

So far Athena and Artemis are the best of buds, even sharing a ketchup bottle/pants leg nest! I'll be taking pictures of them tonight for sure, and maybe some more tomorrow. We shall see.

G'mornin, g'night or g'day

Afterthought: How does wiggling your ears let a male rat know you're ready to mate, girlies?

Haje-habbeh-haaaa soooo CUTE!

We got another little girlie today, we have named her Artemis. :) I will have some photos taken soon, just need to get them all comfy, so it may take a few days. Algernon got territorial, so now I have Artemis in a separate drawer away from the cage with food and water while she gets the things in the drawer permeated in her smell, then I'll introduce her back to the cage sometime tonight probably. But she's so cute!

She's a small right now, so she's the littlest one. Persephone is now the middle child, haha. But she is a hooded, I think she may be mismarked, her chin is white like the rest of her body, I'm going to double check markings and then I'll update her. But she is just so sweet.

So glad to have our newest little baby girl with us :)

Mining For Gold Would Be Easier

So, I'm fairly certain at this point I've given Persephone her own weight in pasta. Where is she hiding it?! It's split between the drawers and the cage. There is no pile of pasta in either that I can see. A few times I've seen her take some food to the lower level of the drawers and rustle in some fabric. That is the only clue I have. I gave her some saltine today as well while I was eating some soup. It's like David Copperfield in a rat costume.

In other news, I cleaned the floor and detangled cables! Yay! So, I let them down for a bit last night while Ben and I were on the floor. Turns out Algernon is stubborn. VERY stubborn. Every time Ben and I put her down and didn't watch her constantly with one hand hovering over her she went straight for the game systems and, you guessed it, the cords that are around them. While the main floor area is cleared, there are still plenty of cords by the systems (4 in total [ps2 &ps3, xbox &360] so yeah, a lot of cords) plus a surge protector. *sigh*

Persephone has been sneezing and last night it was really bad so I went online and was frantically searching for symptoms of a resp. infection. Turns out, she isn't sick. She and I actually have a similar problem... dust allergy. So guess who needs to dust. Yep, me.

Algernon's fur color has once again been redetermined, we are now positive she is fawn colored with variegated berkshire markings. Her eyes are ruby, not pink and this is the only reason we know she isn't silverfawn. But she is too creamy to be argente. Not nearly orange enough. Persephone is a BEW and so I don't actually know what she would be save for the blue agouti color that is patched down her back.

These guys keep me busy, I swear. Ben has Friday off until Summer B starts, then his schedule will change again and I'm fairly certain he'll have classes five days a week. But tonight this means games, pizza, movies and fun. We're thinking of spending the weekend in, we've been out the last 2 or 3 and so we both agree we need a weekend to ourselves.

We usually do this, where we'll have 2 or 3 weekends a month where we go out to spend time with friends but then at least one weekend where we stay in.

Anyway, I need to build up the motivation to do dishes. Oh. Joy.

G'mornin, g'night or g'day.

Afterthought: What happens if you put super glue on a non-stick pan?

So... STINKY!

Oh my gosh. I do not know how these girls can be so cute and lovable but stink so badly at times. I mean, he day before yesterday they smelled a sweet and cute and... ratty. But yesterday evening I went to kiss Persephone's belly and landed on Algernon urine. Luckily it only got on my lower lip and I didn't taste it or anything.. but still. I smelled Persephone as well, and she smelled like pee. So yeah, bath time. They still don't like it. This time we went straight for bathing our own girlies, Ben with Algernon and myself with Persephone.

How are they so cute but so STINKY?!

So, Persephone is getting more skilled at stealing food straight from my mouth. That's awesome. Actually it's pretty cute just kind of.. distracting. She's now formed two stashes of pasta. It's crazy and cute.

Did I mention she ONLY wants the ones in my mouth? Yeah, I had one set in my lap for her but she wouldn't take it. I lick it... and she runs off with it.. *sigh* Goofy girl.

Anyway, g'mornin, g'night or g'day

Afterthought: A lie doesn't have to be made up.. any absence of truth makes a statement at least a partial lie.

An Apparent Need

I need to build these girlies a free-range area. Or at least  a collapse-able barrier so I can set them on the floor relatively worry-free. I mean, I have a new little play area I built for them out of a stack of cheap-o plastic drawers someone bought me when I was younger to put clothing in. Well, they like playing in it but then they also like driving me nuts by trying to escape (this led to the top part being encased in denim with only one open side). So now I just need to figure out what I'm going to use.

Algernon tries to escape more than Persephone, and she is so funny when she tries. It's as if she's developing a strategy. She'll try feverishly to escape for a few minutes at a time (usually when I'm sewing or some such) and then she'll stop for a few minutes and then try again. It's just crazy. She's adorable when she does it.

Persephone when she tries to escape tries to escape with cuteness. I pick her up to set her back in the cage and she licks my hand as if to say, "Momma! I'm cute! Let me explore!"

She's adorable, I can't wait til she's full grown, she'll be a big sweetie.

Well, it's 1:09 am and I started writing this while I was having dinner at... 9:30 pm... I wanna say.

Anyway, g'mornin, g'night or g'day.

Afterthought: 50 years from now, will retirement homes host LAN parties instead of bingo night?

Ratty Feet!

So, being inspired by the site icon for Dapper Rat I decided to get foot prints from Persephone and Algernon yesterday. Now, being as this blog is young and I haven't delved completely into the rats' personalities I feel I should explain a few things.

1. Algernon is kind of shy and more reserved. So much so that at first, it was an ordeal just to get her out of the cage. She has warmed up considerably, today she even jumped into Ben's hand.

2. Algernon does not like being wet or dirty, however she dislikes being wet far more than being dirty, hence the bath time woes.

3. Persephone is a Momma's girl. Hardcore.

So, to explain what the process was, I took cheap sketch paper and a small amount of acrylic paint and added ratty feet. Sounds simple, right?

Well, Algernon went frantic. She was running about trying to figure out how to escape the evil Momma. Well, once her session was done and had a nice tail swish that wiped out some of the clearest prints, I dunked her a little warm water to clean the majority of the paint off so she wouldn't get too much in her system while grooming. These are Algernon's thoughts:

"Okay, Momma, I love you, I think, but this is weird! There's stuff on my feet and I can see where I've walked and ahhh crap, why are you putting more stuff on my feet?! Why are you making me walk on this? Why can't I run onto the couch? Why am I doing this? Gahhh! Now my tail's covered in it! Momma! What are you doing to me?! No! No! I already took a bath last night! Gahhhh! Why?! Why would you do this?! Where's Daddy? I am quite certain he would not approve of this!! Did you even let him know? *gasp* He doesn't know, does he? You are doing so many insane things and he doesn't even know! He will know! I will tell him when he gets home! Ahhh! Quit rubbing my belly! If you hadn't put me in that weird stuff and gotten me wet this wouldn't be necessary! Hmph!"

Persephone wasn't as frantic and was really curious of all that was going on. She walked around a bit and sniffed and looked at me all bright eyed and confused. She is so cute! These are Persephone's thoughts:

"Momma, what's this? Euuw, it feels weird! Whaa? So.. walk here? Okay. Whoa! I can see where I walked! Momma! Momma! MommaMommaMomma! I can see where I walked! Isn't that cool? Whoa, it still feels all weird. Oh cool, I can see where I walk again. S-so Momma, how's this stuff coming off? I don't wanna lick it. It smells funny! Gahh! Mommaaa! I already had a bath last niiiight! Wuh, huh? Why can't I walk up to your arm? *sniffle* I'm all shivery and I just want to sit in your shirt and love on you and get warm and dry. Momma? Ack! Ohh! Yay! You're drying me! Bahah! What the-momugeffurglebleg. Momma! I can't talk to you when you're all rubbing this towel all over my mouth! Speaking of which, why does my nose smell funny? Hey, hey, hey! Am I dry?"

Algernon was trying to escape onto the couch when I was cleaning her off, I had to grab her quickly before she darted under a cushion as the bottom of the couch isn't sealed off from the floor. She was just so obstinate and was sure she was going to escape my evil clutches. Persephone on the other hand was just calm and inquisitive. She acts very much like a child. In fact, there are times I have to remind myself she's a rat because she is so complexly cute. I will have to remind myself Algernon is a rat sometimes too, because her personality is just so wild (as in unique and surprising) and has grown and changed as we've had her with us.

If someone out there isn't quite sure if a rat is the right pet for them, I'd say to find someone who owns rats, whether it's a friend or an experienced owner/breeder. They can tell you all kinds of facts and will more than likely have a few really good stories to share of ratty antics. They aren't for everyone, they need a lot of attention and care, but they make great companions. The only complaint I has is that I wish they lived longer. Ten days to a rat is roughly one human year as far as the aging process. But honestly, I love rats and even if they have such short lives (2-3 years on a good average), I wouldn't have them any other way :)

G'mornin, g'night or g'day.

Afterthought: Why couldn't Lois Lane see that Clark Kent was superman? I mean, it was a pair of glasses for Heaven's sake!