It has become quite the hit around here. Since we have Ratatouille posters and collectibles around, the pigs thought it only fair we add piggy stuff to it as well. So be it.

Labels: Guinea pig

Things are moving slowly around here. The Midwest has been hot and humid so everyone is laying low from the heat. We took a little break for we have several more losses. Noodles the nakey rat, as well as King Solomon rat, both passed away 2 days apart. Noodles suffered from kidney disease that finally claimed his young life. Solomon had been in recovery from a stroke, but after a long fight, he rolled up and went to sleep. I will memorialize them soon, but I want a happy picture up here.
Since losing Waffles, Dandelion rat has been coping good as long as she gets all the attention.

On a side note, King Solomon has a surviving companion name Marshmallow, and Noddles has his surviving companion named Perseus. Although Marshmallow and Perseus are both dumbo rats, Marshmallow wants nothing to do with him. Solomon was Marshmallows life mate and he is determined to be alone now. Soo..I may be on the lookout for a rat rescue. Desperately seeking male rat; must be willing to play, groom, and play some more. Contact Perseus' mom for play date.

Labels: News

Tonight, Waffles let me know she was ready. Tomorrow she will be going to the bridge, 9AM. Dandelion will be visiting with the vet, she has another tumor that needs to be removed. King Solomon rat will also be visiting the vet, he is unsteady, off-balance. Could be a Pituitary tumor..I do not know. I am somber. No, that is a lie. I am devastated. I must have been in denial about how this would go. I have never loved something so much, and had to say good-bye. I have been fortunate in my life, my loved ones still surround me. But my babies, keep going. It never gets easier. I laid my Waffles in her cage, and Dandelion snuggled up next to her and plopped her head on waffles neck. They are so beautiful.
To all who may read this, they may scare you, they may be mere objects or even pests to you. But I love them with my whole heart. My Waffles comforted me in times of pain, she kissed me when I cried, she listened when I was down. This is her last night. I want to remember her as the young hooded ratlet that scurried about in a box on the way home from the shelter. I want to remember bobbing for peas, their birthday parties.
I know tis better to have loved and lost. But I am so very sad. Our rescue has dwindled for there is not enough time, not enough days, minutes, to love them enough. I would always give anything for one more brux.
I heard this song and thought of my Waffles, Coffee black and egg white...
What will momma do without you my love?

Labels: Good Bye Waffles

After believing we had beat the cancer, it made a comeback. Waffles began limping and I assumed she probably sprained her ankle like so many of the rats have done in the past. We of course went to the vet to be sure. The x-rays showed the cancer in her shoulder bone had caused a fracture by growing the bone so large. I had 2 options. Amputate the leg and hope that the cancer hasn't spread, and watch her suffer through weeks of rehabilitation, that will probably be in vain do to the cancers aggressive nature, or, make her comfortable with pain medication and wait for her sign that says, "mommy, I've had enough." I chose the latter. Waffles is home now and her and Dandelion are in Gerbers old cage, no ramps or stairs for her to have to climb. We have ordered pizza tonight, no more health food for her. Waffles can have whatever foods she desires, pizza, french fries, cheetos, all her favorites. I am not sure how much time we have left, and I do not know how I can manage making the "decision", but I hope she will let me know. The sadness I am feeling, it is heartbreaking. Saying good-bye to so many friends. Waffles deserves more than 2 years. I have been crying all day, I am exhausted.
Waffles and Dandy are moving into our bedroom, next to my side of the bed. I want to be there every minute, and when I am at work, Jeremy or the Grandratparents will be keeping them company.
I wish I did not love her so much...it would not hurt this bad. But how could I not? The angels who came into my life, and whispered my calling. My first rats, my first rodents after Onion and Coal mouse. My friends. My happy gobbling rat. My Waf Waf. My rodentist. My loud bruxer. My nail cuticle trimmer. My hair groomer. Waffles, the terror of band-aids. Lover of carrots. Lover of Dandelion rat. She smells like soap and spaghetti sauce. My gargoyle, breaking out of her cage to perch on the edge, warding off evil.
Waffles.

Labels: waffles

It has become a custom in Gerbers old age, that instead of ball time, he sits with me after jeremy has gone to bed, and helps me with the last of my days work on the computer. He even sometimes insisted on posting on Facebook. He just enjoyed sitting in my lap and snuggling. Tonight I went in there like normal with his blanket he liked and I found him sleeping. He passed away around 8 tonight since he was in his wheel during rat playtime. He liked being up and watching the rats run the rodent room. My Gerber was an old man hedgie, probably somewhere around 5 or so since no one new exactly his age when he was rescued.
For the last few hours I have been sitting with him. It is custom here that the departed spend their first night in the afterlife with loved ones. I will stay up tonight with him.
I never got over Baby the hedgehogs death, and was not able to adopt another hedgehog, after her. Now that my original hedgie, my Gerber has gone, I do not know if I could ever have another hedgie again.
Gerber came to me trough a friend who knew of his predicament. He had skin issues, dehydration, and diarrhea. We thought he would probably pass away quickly but I wanted to make sure he had a great last few days. We had done it in the past, adopted animals that were to die soon, just to make sure their last days were filled with love. But Gerber, he fought. And after a month of therapy, he was fat and huffing. I fell head over heels for my little gentlemen. In his younger days he accompanied me in a special hedgie pack I made for him, while I ran errands. He loved the outdoors and visitign Jeremy at work. He loved wooden floors and speeding over them in his ball. He loved going after the spiders that attacked mommy in the old apartment. He hated bath time and getting his nails done. He loved to anoint himself. He loved hard boiled eggs,and bananas. He especially loved Gerber baby food.
My Gerber will be cremated and his remains will be added to the family crypt to be buried with me when I pass away, as with all my babies. It sound silly I know. But never having human children, these are my children, and I want to spend this life, and the next one, by their side. I tear up as I write this, typing for the first time in months without Gerber in my lap.
He did not give me any indication he was sick. he passed away fat and full, the remains of a torn up egg still lingering by him. He really looked like he just fell asleep, the way I hope all my babies, and myself will go.
Good bye my sweet Hog, and have a blast with your new wings. I hope you find Baby and all my other little ones at the bridge.

Labels: Gerber

Always doing what her sister does, Dandelion has a mammary tumor. Luckily she does not have the lymph node tumor Waffles had. I will be calling the vet tomorrow to set her up with an operation date. It just hurts, everything I did, all the anti cancer food and vitamins, pro-biotic and flax seed, chromium picolinate, EVERYTHING! and it still came. My little girls...This has been one of the hardest journeys I have gone through. My girls though have done everything together, they are sisters. It only seems fitting that they go through this together as well. No matter what, I will fight as hard as I can to keep them around and happy. No matter the cost, no matter the stress, I promise you my girls, if there is a way, I will find it. Please stay with mom a little bit longer. I love you so much.

UPDATE
The deed is done. Dandy has come through surgery with a little bruising, but looks to be on a speedy recovery. I am having a biopsy done on her tumor as well, to see what to expect in the future. Waffles had her stitches out and is almost back to normal. Dandy will rejoin her sister in a few days after much deserved loving and rubs. Thank you to all for your thoughts, I know they have helped.

Labels: Dandelion and Waffles

My girl, my waf-waf...I found our first tumor on her, near her back leg. She is going to the doctor tomorrow. We will do all that is necessary to treat it. My beautiful, my love, mommy is not ready hun. I will post an update after the first visit.
UPDATE.....
Waffles has two tumors. She is going into surgery tomorrow. The doctor said we could buy another 6 months of good health, 6 months is worth it all.
Waffles came through surgery well. Both tumors were removed and will be sent for analysis. She is very weak and I will be getting up periodically the next two nights to syringe feed her baby food and high protein. Her little stitches and shaved fur look so painful, she is so brave. We got a wonderful rattie like Valium pain killer to give her as needed and she is sleeping peacefully now.
UPDATE 4/19
Waffles has been a good girl in her recovery tank, but she has grown bored and has started to pull at her stitches. I'm glad to see her spirit back. She moves her mouth in a big chewing motion (that I call "gobbling" like a turkey) when she is happy. She gobbled for the first time tonight since the surgery. My happy gobbling rat, I love you so much, You will get to go back to your Dandelion soon.

Labels: waffles

Well its is here, the cage of my dreams. The wonder, fabulous, superb RUDD!!! Standing taller than me, it now sits between two rat skyscraper models. It was love at first sight, Dandelion and Waffles seemed just as thrilled as I was. They were chosen to move to the Rudd since they are the seniors of the house.


And now, without further ado, Bubba.
Bubba enjoys his meals, he especially likes bananas and yo-baby organic yogurt. A new addition to his diet, as well as all the babies is the Acai berry smoothie drink by pure. At 9 dollars a bottle for a bottle that is 7oz, this is no cheapie, but is a wonderful boost of anti-oxidants for my middles-aged babies.
Bubba, with his dinner in his sight...

Getting closer...he is always careful at dinnertime to inspect the meal before eating to make sure it is to his standards.

Ahhh....the yogurt gets it.

Labels: Bubba Rudd

Ok everyone it is here again. Clinique is 100% Allergy Tested and Fragrance Free. It is also cruelty free and on PETA's careing consumer list. I am the business manager at the Dillard's Clinique here in Saint Peters Missouri and would love to help you with your cosmetic needs.
Here is the offer. I will ship to wherever you are. Some of my best customers are 8 states away from me. You just figure out what Clinique products you want, then you call me and place your order, and then I ship you your products with your free gift.
It is so easy and fun. I have a link to the Clinique website at the bottom of this post, you can decide on what products you want there, and then pick up the phone and call me.
My number is (636)970-2555, just ask for the Clinique counter and don't forget to ask for Stefanie. If I am not there do not worry, one of the other helpful ladies will take your order for me.
All you have to spend is $21.50 and you get to choose which gift you want.
If you are looking for a fragrance free non animal tested product, give Clinique a try.
Click Here for The Clinique Website

Labels: Clinique Bonus

Well, this has been an interesting week. Noodles the hairless rat had Pneumonia which has since cleared up with antibiotics, King Solomon the boy rat got an abrasion on his eye so he'll get eye drops and rattie painkillers for 2 weeks, and finally Perseus the new baby dumbo rat has a head tilt. My vet is treating it as an inner ear infection, hopefully we caught it in time, but the tilt may be permanent. When it rains it pours.

Now do to popular demand, Noodles the naked boy rat, these pictures are rated R and not for young viewers. We do have full monty.


And the ever elusive and camera shy Gerber, running for dear life from moms sneaky camera.

Labels: Gerber Noodles

That is why we all here have been so quiet. I got a lovely e-mail virus that crashed my computer. Thank god for back-up disks. So Anyway I wanted to start the new year late, but with a belated Birthday. Tomato is the last of my baby mice that were born in the house. He is 2 years and 2 months old. About 103 in human years. He is still the most active of all my mice and the most disgruntled. He is truly, a grumpy old man-mouse.

Happy Belated B-Day Tomato!!!

Labels: Tomato

Christmas Eve. Lets just start with my parents gift to us. Every couple of years I go to the Petco here and rescue all the mice, since they sell all their animals for snake food. Well Christmas Eve I was going to do just that. I walked in as they opened, and low and behold a woman was already in the small animal area. I waited patiently and looked and all the babies when I heard her say to the attendant "I need two mice and a rat". When I heard that I new. I backed away in horror speechless. I looked at her and she would not look at me. Finally I said "I will give you a hundred dollars to just walk away now. She continued to look down and said "Nope, my snakes gotta eat to" I stepped closer to her and said low, "Please make it quick" and walked out, where I subsequently had a breakdown in my car.

I called my parents and told them what happened. I kept saying in my mind if I had gotten there 1 minute sooner I could have saved them. My parents told me to go to work and they would handle it. Christmas Eve night. We walked into my parents house to discover 7 baby boy mice and 1 gerbil. They had explained to me that they went on their own rescue mission, and the workers at their Petco begged them to take the gerbil to since he was getting old and nobody had wanted him. So we had new babies, and 1 new old man gerbil.

Since it is the holidays I had went shopping for all the babies, a new octo-play and hide and play fish were in order. New beds and new hammocks and new balls for running. And I made the mistake of going to a different Petsmart to do my shopping and of course they have pet rats. Please note the extreme difference between Petsmart and Petco, Petsmart jacks up the price on all their small animals to prevent them from being feeders.

So of course I saw two lonely boy rats, and they choose me, the minute the worker opened their cage door. Sigh...I am in the business of rescue and here I was buying two more rats. Oh well.

Now back to the mice. Apparently Petco does not separate their boy and girl mice, and 1 of my 7 boys happens to be a little girl. We may be having a litter, but I certainly hope not. But if it happens, we have delivered 2 other mice litters in the past, and they will all be spoiled and fawned over of course.

See what I mean about what a holiday??

Introducing Jerry the Geriatric Gerbil!!


Introducing Colette, the Mama Mouse


Introcing the Mice, Brownie, Butterscotch, Sherbert, Colette, Brain, Barthlomoo, and Pinkie. This was when we did not realize that Colette was a girl. She has been moved to her own home.


Introducing Perseus the Siamese Dumbo boy rat.


Introducing Noodles the Nakey boy rat.


King Solomon and his new baby brother Noodles


Of course the ever enchanting Dandelion in her new fish, and a Waffles butt.


Waffles the girl rat with a biscuit.


Gerber opening his Christmas present


Bubba letting me know picture time is over.

Labels: Christmas

Merry Hogmas!!!!

Gerber getting his eggnog on

Labels: hogmas

The babies got an early Christmas gift, the Kenmore humidifier. Guaranteed to help wheezy babies and dry skin.

We also put up our Christmas tree with a little help.


And a side note on Marshmallow..."Look Ma!! no lumps!!" My baby boy is all better.




We hope the ice and snow isn't bombarding everyone, were getting a good dose this weekend. Stay warm and make sure the windows are insulated if any babies are near them.

Labels: Holidays

I had rats sleeping in my bed..


And who better to serve green bean casserole to then the babies..

Labels: Thanksgiving

happy turkey day!

Labels: Thanksgiving

Bubba saying hi to his new neighbors


Bubbas new neighbor Princess Douglass of the Field mouse house says hi back.


Bubba settling down in the nursery, I put baby night light by his cage so he can settle in a bit for the first night, but hammys like their dark time, so the night light will be moved back tomorrow.

Labels: Bubba

False alarm. It was just an abscess. 2 Weeks of pain medication and anti-biotics will fix him right up, along with me draining the abscess of the smelly puss every night. Ahh the joy of lumps.

Labels: marshmallow

I have found a lump on Marshmallows tummy. He is going to our exotics vet at 3pm today. Please keep him in your thoughts and prayers.

Labels: marshmallow

So the guinea pigs have been given an upgrade. The new cage features a huge 32x42x14 frame. It has been met with a night full of pigs at full speed and popcorning everywhere!!









And now introducing the newest member of the family, Fat-Boy Squirrel.

Labels: Cages Squirrels