January 13, 2005
Dumpling and Cecily
Well, we have had our little furballs for almost a week, and we have all learned a valuable lesson about our rats: They do not like to be picked up inside the cage. They prefer to be allowed out onto the table through the open door of the cage, where you can pick them up with ease.
This lesson was hard earned by us all, and we are all sporting Bandaids on at least one knuckle. Even the Spousal Unit, who insists on calling them vermin and had proclaimed that he will never warm up to them, was given his lesson this evening when he attempted to retrieve one from inside the cage. He'll never admit he wanted to hold her, but hey, he reached in there didn't he?
He said later that after his bite, Anna the Progeny opened the door, let one out, and happily played with her on the couch for almost an hour and a half. Picked her right up off the table unscathed and remained so during the entire playtime.
Ah, the learning curve. It's a wonderful thing.
Sharp teeth aren't they? I had two that I'd turn loose in the grainery, they'd go into places a cat can't even think about getting into, take care of the mice there and come to you with a whistle. Try that with a cat. My daughter always had "critters" when she was growing up, by far the worst were gerbils, destroying anything the could sink their teeth into. Looks like you're having fun.
Posted by: Jack at January 13, 2005 06:59 AMCheers! There will eventually be a time when you'll have to take them out of the cage, whether they want to be taken out or not. Might I suggest you start handing them treats while they're in the cage? Yogies are a commercial treat--they're Hershey's Kiss-shaped yogurt drops and rats go ape-poop over 'em. Only problem is is they're high-calorie and rats can get fatfatfat. For small things place them in the palm of your hand and put your hand into the cage, flat, and let the rat take it from you. If you hand small things between the fingers to them, you might well get bitten--sometimes their aim is a little off.
You can give them more healthy treats--try carrot sticks, broccoli (our rats fight over steamed broccoli), avocado/guacamole...darn near any fruit or vegetable. Avocado is like crack for rats! About the only things to avoid are sweet potatos and citrus (male rats only).
Posted by: Victor at January 13, 2005 07:56 AMRats! Too easy.
Posted by: EC at January 13, 2005 08:20 AMNo honey, I DID NOT want to "hold the cute little thing" Progeny wanted me to get one out to show her friend, I little realized that she was setting me up for a bite she KNEW was going to come. The little rat! LOL
Posted by: delftsman3 at January 13, 2005 06:23 PMrats eh, well they can chew through everything but glass it seemed when I had mine, He was friendly enough once he got used to being handled and eventually got to where he's climb up my arm or my husbands but we would wash our hands before reaching into the cage, my husband's brother used to forget and he was nearly alway bitten when he handled ratbert on accounta his hands always smelled like whatever snack food. They are very smart and quirky little anaimals, Alyssa use to stare into the Large aquarium we had the rat in for hours. Alas Ratbert died just over a year ago from a tumor. But he was a very loyal pet and quite sweet as long as one did not smell of doritos or fritos or any other toes flavored snack. Good luck with your new family pets.
Posted by: K-Squared at January 14, 2005 07:54 PMMama or Delfts Check your E-mail,Its Sat I am off at home,drop me aline,Cheers
Posted by: NeilV at January 15, 2005 12:02 PMIf Dumpling and Cecily are into blogging, they might enjoy reading Rugby:
http://rugbytherat.blogspot.com/
mntambernat.com I find that to be true. Another thing http://refinance.tambernat.com/refinance.html _ that seems related to me: when the focus refinance of a band is several different songwriters http://loan.tambernat.com/loan.html loan help writing their own material and alternately http://credit-counseling.tambernat.com/credit-counseling.html credit counseling using the rest of the band as back-up or http://refinancing.tambernat.com/refinancing.html refinancing rates as session musicians (and even more noticeably http://loans.tambernat.com/loans.html loans when a band has initially been more of loans the collabourative, holistic bent), the http://refinancing.tambernat.com/refinancing.html refinancing direct music is seldom as good. Examples I can http://online-loan.tambernat.com/online-loan.html online loan calculator think of immediately: Spacemen 3. Mercury http://mortgage.tambernat.com/mortgage.html mortgage tambernat.comnm
Posted by: debt consolidation at February 15, 2005 04:15 AM