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Tuesday, April 24, 2007
Meet the New Rattie Girls!!
Miss Molly has made great progress since she has come home to me. I felt it was the right time to introduce her to a family. I was at Petsmart getting Carefresh and a new mouse wheel when a worker struck up a conversation with me. We spoke of mice and rats and got on the subject of Miss Molly. I told her of Miss Mollys troubles and triumphs and explained my desire and fear of bringing Molly a companion. I needed a baby girl rat, calm and sweet. The woman got a smle on her face and took me back to the back of the store. In a little cage I saw two tiny rats, the size of mice almost. The worker explained "they just arrived."

I have never held a rat before. Molly does not approve of holding so I have been content to feed and care for her from a distance most of the time. These two little babies crawled into my hands, up my arms and onto my shoulders. They picked me. I brought them home. Molly has taken to them instantly, even becomming defensive and nipping me as I picked one up. I was so proud of Molly for being such a good big sister.

The little girls has very different personalities. Waffles is the black and white one and is an adventurer. Dandelion is the peachy one and is shy, but not quiet. They are both loud talkers. Peeping and squeaking and sniffing and chirping all through the night.

Waffles and Dandelion
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Dandelion
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Waffles
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Waffles and Dandelion
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Dandelion
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Waffles incredibly tangled in moms hair.
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Monday, April 23, 2007
Molly Tricks and Treats
My baby rat has discovered many a ways to control mommy. Miss Molly knows how to get treats and how to get loved, even if I am late for work or my hands are full of laundry, I will stop whatever I am doing to love on her.
Molly will stand on her hind legs and press her belly against the bars of her cage if she wants a treat.

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My baby does not like being rubbed so much so when she wants to be touched she sticks her tail out of the cage and insists I rub it by dangling it back and forth like a wet noodle.

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Miss Molly truly is a little Einstein, she has me all figured out. My little shy angel has finally accepted me I think. Fabulous.

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Wednesday, April 18, 2007
A Moment of Zen
Never to tired to receive a treat.

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Sunday, April 15, 2007
Why I was a Hedgehog in a Past Life
I am making home movies of my babies and when I was editing this one, I saw myself in her huffy eyes. God help anyone who wakes me up when I am dead tired. But I get over it quick if I get "treats" afterwards, aka white castle, or in her case, a boiled egg.



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Tuesday, April 10, 2007
I am Un-Employed No More!
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Saturday, April 7, 2007
Laughing Rats
I would like to thank my friend Jen for the marvelous video she sent me. I really know science is on the verge of proving animals have real emotions, so close to humans that we cannot ignore it any longer. I have watched this video about a hundred times...

I think all my ratty lovers will enjoy the video just as much. Thank you.


Laughing Rats

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Friday, April 6, 2007
Summer haircuts and snoozing mice
Ahh....what a whirl of a week. I have been on a million job interviews and I believe I have found the one I want. Selling pursues. Might not sound too exciting but I am a purse fiend, it is my heroin. I am so stoked. Anyway, Onion the guinea pig had an appointment with mommies scissors. Every summer he gets a haircut because he is so woolly and I fear him over-heating while out in the grass in the sun. So Onion is shaved and looking good, I probably took a pound of fur off of him.

I am about to clean the mice homes and stumbled upon Carrot and Turnip cuddling, I had to capture the shot.

Onion falling asleep during dinner.
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Onion fully awake and chowing down some salad mix.
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Carrot and Turnip snoozing the morning away.
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Tuesday, April 3, 2007
Ratty Discoveries and Teenagers
Well, I was laying in bed and looked toward Miss Molly the rats cage. I saw a beautiful act unfolding before me. Miss Molly discovered her hammock, finally. She has been content to just chew on her hammock but this morning I saw her laying peacefully in it. Just sound asleep. I had to capture the moment, waking her though, but I couldn't miss it. Here ya go, Miss Molly waking from a night of sweet hammock slumber.

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The next piece is my realization of genetics. My Coal mouse, who passed not a month ago, left me 14 babies, 13 now. One of his boys resembles his daddy so much. He even climbs the water bottle to be picked up by us like Coal mouse did. He has his color and and his eyes. His characteristics are so much like Coal's. I am so thankful my old man mouse left me this gift to remember him by. Darth Vader is a joy and a constant reminder life never ends, it just changes form and lives on through memories and love.

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Sunday, April 1, 2007
The truth behind Miss Molly the Rat
I have been reluctant to write about Miss Molly's past, but I think it is crucial to help me deal with her behavior now. Miss Molly was bought on a whim by a couple who were only together for a month. The man kept the rat, and she resided in a 10 gallon sized wire cage in the dining room. The metal wires were spaced far apart. Also in the house was a Rottweiler. I love these dogs but of course her instinct was to hunt the rat which was at the dogs level on the shelf. The dog would constantly nip the cage and chase poor Molly into a worn out cardboard tube, the only protection she had.

This went on for 6 months. Never being held and constantly tormented by a dog. One day I was approached by a friend of the mans and was asked if I would take her in. She explained to me that the dog had finally got to the rat and attacked her, fortunately Molly is a pretty bad-ass rat and kept the dog at bay, even inflicting wounds that required stitches. The moment I heard the story I was taken. I received her in her tiny cage full of old yellowed bedding with bits of plastic bag in it and seeds so old they had begun to sprout<--no I am not joking.

Molly has been with me for 3 weeks now and today was the first day she REALLY bit me. I was organizing her cage and spot cleaning as I do pretty much every other day when I noticed some fuzz on her back. Not thinking I reached over to get it off her. She bit down hard and ran. I didn't jerk my hand back because I did not want to scare her but the blood was dripping down good. I was shocked. I did not come from over head because I know it scares her, I keep my hands at her level at all times. I have to admit I was really upset, not at being bit, but the fact I scared her enough to chomp me. She looked at me with her eyes as if she were saying "sorry mama, please don't send me away". I sat with her for a long time talking to her and telling her she never has anything to worry about ever again and showing her my finger was just fine.

We have a good relationship I think. I adore her, and love everything she does. I love giving her treats and cooking her dinner. Perhaps she will never want to be loved on as my other animals do. Perhaps petting is something she just cannot tolerate. I know though that if she ever changes her mind, my hand will be in there again to oblige. Miss Molly is moody, paranoid, and can be the biggest brat and get away with it all with one glance of her big jelly bean eyes. Jeremy said she inherited it from me.

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