http://www.ebay.com/itm/My-Little-Pony-Friendship-is-Magic-12-in-Rarity-plush-and-extras-/150826087262?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item231def735e
Thursday, May 31, 2012
Rarity needs a home
Still no bids on my plushie *major weeping*
She needs a good home!
http://www.ebay.com/itm/My-Little-Pony-Friendship-is-Magic-12-in-Rarity-plush-and-extras-/150826087262?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item231def735e
http://www.ebay.com/itm/My-Little-Pony-Friendship-is-Magic-12-in-Rarity-plush-and-extras-/150826087262?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item231def735e
Not my week..
One of my babies passed away due to a constipation issue and then went I put him on a safe block diet...he starved himself. Yeah...rats hate block...
Then my special boy, Zoc, suddenly died.
Now today I took Saoirse to the vet to treat her ear infection....
Oh, and my laptop broke.
Yay me.
Then my special boy, Zoc, suddenly died.
Now today I took Saoirse to the vet to treat her ear infection....
Oh, and my laptop broke.
Yay me.
Rat food sounds GOOD
I was browsing rat treats to make and came across these ideas: Yummy!
And man...is my stomach growling now! I may have to sample these before giving them to my rats....
And man...is my stomach growling now! I may have to sample these before giving them to my rats....
Tuesday, May 29, 2012
Epitaph and Ophelia
Ophelia, my black and white hood, is being paired with my rex boy, Epitaph.
As I prefer, Ophelia is "older", meaning she isn't being bred for the first at at four months of age. I find older, mature females have grown into their personality, so I can tell if there is aggression, and also if they carry any health problems. Breeding younger girls can sometimes throw you into a world of unknown problems.
The downside to breeding older girls is a chance of complications. So my fingers are crossed that everything goes smoothly.
As I prefer, Ophelia is "older", meaning she isn't being bred for the first at at four months of age. I find older, mature females have grown into their personality, so I can tell if there is aggression, and also if they carry any health problems. Breeding younger girls can sometimes throw you into a world of unknown problems.
The downside to breeding older girls is a chance of complications. So my fingers are crossed that everything goes smoothly.
Extra, extra!
It is a slow process, but the Rattery's website is coming along: A Gothic Rattery
I am ordering the girl's new cage today, yay! They.......ate their shelves....and now have a crazy tangle of broken shelves. It's like an extreme jungle gym.
Last night everyone had an immune booster snack with lots of fruits exploding with antioxidants. The weather has been smoky and I want to make sure everyone's immune system is strong.
I am ordering the girl's new cage today, yay! They.......ate their shelves....and now have a crazy tangle of broken shelves. It's like an extreme jungle gym.
Last night everyone had an immune booster snack with lots of fruits exploding with antioxidants. The weather has been smoky and I want to make sure everyone's immune system is strong.
Wednesday, May 23, 2012
Tuesday, May 22, 2012
Adoption day3
2 baby boys went to their new home today. I had to hold them an extra week.
The owners' are a friend of the family, so I will be able to visit the rat-boys....which always makes me happy to be able to see my babies again.
The owners' are a friend of the family, so I will be able to visit the rat-boys....which always makes me happy to be able to see my babies again.
Monday, May 21, 2012
Future Litters
I am debating my next litter. Here are a few litters I could have:
1. Siamese dumbo
2. Dumbo agouti rex
3. Black and white dumbo
4. Blue dumbo
I think I am leaning towards option 1 or 2, but I am not sure yet. I will start the waiting list soon.
1. Siamese dumbo
2. Dumbo agouti rex
3. Black and white dumbo
4. Blue dumbo
I think I am leaning towards option 1 or 2, but I am not sure yet. I will start the waiting list soon.
Sunday, May 20, 2012
To buy or not to buy
Ah...the age long debate about "rescuing" feeders and petstore rats.
I support this. I know many, many people disagree. They feel purchasing these rats will open up new spots for more poorly bred rats to fill. By not buying from retailers...you are not rewarding them for their mistreatment of animals.
I understand this.
But I cannot walk into a shop, see those terrified faces, and not care. They need love, too. I wish breeding mills could be educated...and breed for the right reasons. But they don't. That does not mean the rats should suffer. And I really dislike people who look down on your for owning petstore rats or feeder rats. There is no difference between snake food and a rat with a pedigree that reaches a mile. I will continue to save feeders as long as people continue to abuse them.
If snake owners would buy pre-kill...or breed and kill their own (humanely) ...there would be no need for starved, urine covered sick rats in the reptile shops.
I support this. I know many, many people disagree. They feel purchasing these rats will open up new spots for more poorly bred rats to fill. By not buying from retailers...you are not rewarding them for their mistreatment of animals.
I understand this.
But I cannot walk into a shop, see those terrified faces, and not care. They need love, too. I wish breeding mills could be educated...and breed for the right reasons. But they don't. That does not mean the rats should suffer. And I really dislike people who look down on your for owning petstore rats or feeder rats. There is no difference between snake food and a rat with a pedigree that reaches a mile. I will continue to save feeders as long as people continue to abuse them.
If snake owners would buy pre-kill...or breed and kill their own (humanely) ...there would be no need for starved, urine covered sick rats in the reptile shops.
Additions
I am considering adding a few more rats to the rattery. I have found some wonderful people with great, healthy rats. If this is the case, after quarantine, careful examination, observation of behavior/health/ect. I will breed a rex little in the near-ish future. Huzzah! I was very disappointed in how terrible Beatrice, my rex, turned out and that I would be unable to breed her with her aggression and terrible personality. I was so looking forward to a rex litter this year. This is why waiting always has its perks! She was not this aggressive as a young rat...but quickly grew into it as she aged. Always wait until at LEAST 4 months of age.
Also, I have reached my money goal and will be ordering the fist Critter Nation for the girls. Then I will start saving up for the boys. So excited!
Also, I have reached my money goal and will be ordering the fist Critter Nation for the girls. Then I will start saving up for the boys. So excited!
Thursday, May 17, 2012
Rats are never content
I have a few rats in the "hospital" (i.e....the living room).
Lenore busted her foot. The swelling is gone, now it is just sore. But she keep trying to bust the lid of her "Get well tank" off. She will stretch up on her messed up foot, grab onto the wire, and hang there. I have taken out her house so she'll stop head butting the lid. Crazy girl. I am moving her to the 40 gallon unused fish tank to prevent anymore brain-damage. It is very tall, and unless she develops super powers, she should not be able to jump and reach the lid.
Zocquiel got in a fight and had some battle wounds. So he's in a bird cage while I tend to his bites. He has figured out that if he uses his mouth to pull up on the door, he can lift it with his paws until he is able to wiggle his head under. Smart guy. Now I'm breaking out the locking clips.
Naberous (who fought with Zoc), is in another cage for observation. It is one of those one level rabbit cages. But he has found he can push his head against the door and pop it out. ...More clips.
I have a gang of Houdinis here.
Rats just hate cages. Houses are more their style....complete with full course meals served thrice a day (don't forget ice cream!)
Lenore busted her foot. The swelling is gone, now it is just sore. But she keep trying to bust the lid of her "Get well tank" off. She will stretch up on her messed up foot, grab onto the wire, and hang there. I have taken out her house so she'll stop head butting the lid. Crazy girl. I am moving her to the 40 gallon unused fish tank to prevent anymore brain-damage. It is very tall, and unless she develops super powers, she should not be able to jump and reach the lid.
Zocquiel got in a fight and had some battle wounds. So he's in a bird cage while I tend to his bites. He has figured out that if he uses his mouth to pull up on the door, he can lift it with his paws until he is able to wiggle his head under. Smart guy. Now I'm breaking out the locking clips.
Naberous (who fought with Zoc), is in another cage for observation. It is one of those one level rabbit cages. But he has found he can push his head against the door and pop it out. ...More clips.
I have a gang of Houdinis here.
Rats just hate cages. Houses are more their style....complete with full course meals served thrice a day (don't forget ice cream!)
Sunday, May 13, 2012
Adoption Day2
My brother giving the girls a goodby.
He's been very handy in their socialization!
Adoption Day 2 went very well! I had a great time meeting everyone.
Someone drove over an hour for their girls. That is a dedicated owner!
I know my babies will have wonderful lives.
Someone drove over an hour for their girls. That is a dedicated owner!
I know my babies will have wonderful lives.
Saoirse The Strange
Saoirse. She is very strange. And a pest. She chased Sally (the cat) off of the couch, down the hall, into the kitchen, off of the kitchen chair, and under the coffee table.
Here she decided to become mole-like and tunnel through the bedding. She did not care that half of it was stuck to her fur.
She is almost 2...but more active and young looking than her daughters (Who are both only 1 year old)
Adoption Day1
The first adoption went very well yesterday. It was great meeting everyone. Have fun in your new home, Raven and Ligeia!
See you both in a month for rattie vacation.
Friday, May 11, 2012
Goodbye Dinner
I made the babies a fancy meal for their last night.
We have a mixture of yogurt, cranberries, blueberries, cheerios, and oats.
Carrots and broccoli, spiced, with olive oil drizzled over top
Buttered almond crackers with raisins
Klaus x AGCR Vriska 04/08/12 Archive
| 4/09/12 Expecting a litter in 3-4 weeks Doe: Vriska a black and white hooded Buck: Klaus a blue blaze hooded (recessive blaze) |
This is my girl's first litter so I am anxiously awaiting the outcome. Let's all cross our fingers that she is a good mum!
3/22/12 Expecting babies on or after the 2nd of April. She is starting to show (unless she's just being piggie).
04/08/12
Labor preparations began on the evening of the 3nd. After difficult and stress labor, babies arrived on the 8th at 2:30 AM. 12 were born, 1 stillborn. Mum is very weak after the labor, so I am helping her out and hand feeding the babies with formula. I had to hand feed Vriska and her 2 siblings, and they all turned out wonderfully. So here's to hoping everyone will thrive and grow into healthy young ratters.
Vriska is a very good mum and is risking her own health for them. I am hand feeding her an electrolyte/protein formula.
04/09/12
Babies
are strong and well-fed. Their coat patterns are already beginning to
show. Vriska is still refusing to leave them and sits on them and feeds
them. I got up early to feed Vriska her liquid mixture.
04/10/12
Vriska is finally understanding she needs to eat and ate her first full solid meal. Almost all coat patterns are visible. There are 5 males and 6 females.
04/11/12
Patterns are coming in noticeably now. Their skin is peely from the fur that is getting ready to come in.
04/12/12
One male had an accident. He is alive, but quite bruised. I am unsure if he will live her not. On a more pleasant note, the babies are getting a velvet feel to them, so fur should be appearing very soon. Vriska is still pretty thin, but she is eating a lot more now. And is very active when I let her roam the bedroom to get time away from the pupplets.
4/14/12
Babies are so big now! They are covered in a light layer of fur now. I will upload new photos and videos soon. I have been busy with some home renovations the last couple of days.
4/15/12
A video of the girls at 6 days old...not beautiful filming quality:
Six girls go to their new homes tomorrow. They will be missed!!!
3/22/12 Expecting babies on or after the 2nd of April. She is starting to show (unless she's just being piggie).
04/08/12
Labor preparations began on the evening of the 3nd. After difficult and stress labor, babies arrived on the 8th at 2:30 AM. 12 were born, 1 stillborn. Mum is very weak after the labor, so I am helping her out and hand feeding the babies with formula. I had to hand feed Vriska and her 2 siblings, and they all turned out wonderfully. So here's to hoping everyone will thrive and grow into healthy young ratters.
Vriska is a very good mum and is risking her own health for them. I am hand feeding her an electrolyte/protein formula.
04/09/12
Babies
are strong and well-fed. Their coat patterns are already beginning to
show. Vriska is still refusing to leave them and sits on them and feeds
them. I got up early to feed Vriska her liquid mixture. 04/10/12
Vriska is finally understanding she needs to eat and ate her first full solid meal. Almost all coat patterns are visible. There are 5 males and 6 females.
04/11/12
Patterns are coming in noticeably now. Their skin is peely from the fur that is getting ready to come in.
04/12/12
One male had an accident. He is alive, but quite bruised. I am unsure if he will live her not. On a more pleasant note, the babies are getting a velvet feel to them, so fur should be appearing very soon. Vriska is still pretty thin, but she is eating a lot more now. And is very active when I let her roam the bedroom to get time away from the pupplets.
Here's a funny video of Vriska taking off with my bag of crickets:
Babies are so big now! They are covered in a light layer of fur now. I will upload new photos and videos soon. I have been busy with some home renovations the last couple of days.
4/15/12
A video of the girls at 6 days old...not beautiful filming quality:
4/17/12
Babies are all furry and soft! Eyes should be opening soon. Looks like we have:
2 berkshire blues 1 male, 1 female (I will be keeping the male)
1 black berkshire female
2 beige hooded females
2 beige hooded males (I am keeping one)
2 blue hooded females
2 black hooded males
I will be sending photos to everyone in the next couple of days so you all can select the rats you would like. I would like them to develop just a bit more, so you can get a full idea of what they will look like when they grow up.
4/18/12
Babies are crawling around like little monsters! I spent the day at the dentist so was unable to take any really nice photos of them today due to spending most of the day numb and in bed. I will post more videos soon.
Babies are all furry and soft! Eyes should be opening soon. Looks like we have:
2 berkshire blues 1 male, 1 female (I will be keeping the male)
1 black berkshire female
2 beige hooded females
2 beige hooded males (I am keeping one)
2 blue hooded females
2 black hooded males
I will be sending photos to everyone in the next couple of days so you all can select the rats you would like. I would like them to develop just a bit more, so you can get a full idea of what they will look like when they grow up.
4/18/12
Babies are crawling around like little monsters! I spent the day at the dentist so was unable to take any really nice photos of them today due to spending most of the day numb and in bed. I will post more videos soon.
4/19/12
I posted a new video. They are so squirmy now it is near impossible to take decent photos of them. Silly things.
Baby girl, Morella, washes her face:
I posted a new video. They are so squirmy now it is near impossible to take decent photos of them. Silly things.
Baby girl, Morella, washes her face:
4/21/12
Eyes are open!!!!
4/23/12
I
posted many videos, of the babies, and of other rats. They are
crawling around like little monsters now. I had their
grandmother(Saoirse) visit them yesterday. She wasn't all that
impressed. She gave them a sniff, and went on her way to steal some of
her daughter's food. Saoirse has always been a crazy ADD girl.
She of course, chased both cats off the couch on her free range
today. Luckily Vriska did not take after her mother's bravery. I
can only deal with one pesky rat! :)
4/23/12
The babies are tackling each other and running wild in the cage. They tried some spinach leaves today.
Eyes are open!!!!
4/23/12
I
posted many videos, of the babies, and of other rats. They are
crawling around like little monsters now. I had their
grandmother(Saoirse) visit them yesterday. She wasn't all that
impressed. She gave them a sniff, and went on her way to steal some of
her daughter's food. Saoirse has always been a crazy ADD girl.
She of course, chased both cats off the couch on her free range
today. Luckily Vriska did not take after her mother's bravery. I
can only deal with one pesky rat! :)4/23/12
The babies are tackling each other and running wild in the cage. They tried some spinach leaves today.
4/24/12
The babies have learned how to crawl up the side of their little nest igloo and now come and go as they please. Vriska will run about snatching them up and placing them back on their blanket.
4/25/12
The babies had their first "free range" session...this involved placing them on the coffee table with a bunch of random items and letting them explore. Dad-rat, Klaus, also visited them, but he was more interested in jumping onto my shoulder.
4/26/12
Escaping!!! This morning they learned how to escape...so everyone is now in a tank with books on the lid. Sneaky! They also have discovered the fun of cardboard tubes and have been chasing one another through the tubes, as well as trying to stand on top of them.
4/27/12
My cat has been missing for about a week. I checked the pound, nothing. I feel sick to my stomach. I've had her for 11 years. Missy, come home!
The babies have learned how to crawl up the side of their little nest igloo and now come and go as they please. Vriska will run about snatching them up and placing them back on their blanket.
4/25/12
The babies had their first "free range" session...this involved placing them on the coffee table with a bunch of random items and letting them explore. Dad-rat, Klaus, also visited them, but he was more interested in jumping onto my shoulder.
Escaping!!! This morning they learned how to escape...so everyone is now in a tank with books on the lid. Sneaky! They also have discovered the fun of cardboard tubes and have been chasing one another through the tubes, as well as trying to stand on top of them.
4/27/12
My cat has been missing for about a week. I checked the pound, nothing. I feel sick to my stomach. I've had her for 11 years. Missy, come home!
4/28/12
Today I started doing "desensitizing" exercises. I make random kissy noises, move objects over them, crinkle a plastic bag...to get them used to strange things (I stole this from techniques I use with horses)...nothing crazy and scary, just a sudden noise like something they may encounter while exploring as adults. After a few times, they just ignored the random sound and went about running in their "playpen" box. I really want them to grow into curious, brave rats.
4/29/12
I've started posting lots of photos in the facebook album, nothing "fancy", just lots of photos of them out playing and such.
Today I started doing "desensitizing" exercises. I make random kissy noises, move objects over them, crinkle a plastic bag...to get them used to strange things (I stole this from techniques I use with horses)...nothing crazy and scary, just a sudden noise like something they may encounter while exploring as adults. After a few times, they just ignored the random sound and went about running in their "playpen" box. I really want them to grow into curious, brave rats.
4/29/12
I've started posting lots of photos in the facebook album, nothing "fancy", just lots of photos of them out playing and such.
4/30/12
A dose of crazy for today. I also posted several other videos of random baby play as well as a ton of photos in their album.
A dose of crazy for today. I also posted several other videos of random baby play as well as a ton of photos in their album.
5/01/12
Today's desensitizing exercises included vacuums and paper shredding. At first everyone hid, then one by one they came out and stood on their back legs to see what was going on. Then everyone forgot about the big scary noises and proceeded to all crawl up my arm (looked like a scene from a horror movie). Start planning a date to come get your babies! The time is just around the corner. ...As for photo updates, I am afraid this page is getting too long (Yeah...I am rather long winded...), anyways I will continue to post updated photos on the facebook album (feel free to become friends with the Rattery if you like...but it is an open account and can be viewed by non-friends)
5/03/12
Babies are smelly little things! They will get their first bath today. They are also obsessed with shoulder riding.
5/06/12
They have learned how to jump up on the rim of the pool and will occasionally slide right off...so I have to be extra careful during playtime now since they are all little klutz.
Today's desensitizing exercises included vacuums and paper shredding. At first everyone hid, then one by one they came out and stood on their back legs to see what was going on. Then everyone forgot about the big scary noises and proceeded to all crawl up my arm (looked like a scene from a horror movie). Start planning a date to come get your babies! The time is just around the corner. ...As for photo updates, I am afraid this page is getting too long (Yeah...I am rather long winded...), anyways I will continue to post updated photos on the facebook album (feel free to become friends with the Rattery if you like...but it is an open account and can be viewed by non-friends)
5/03/12
Babies are smelly little things! They will get their first bath today. They are also obsessed with shoulder riding.5/06/12
They have learned how to jump up on the rim of the pool and will occasionally slide right off...so I have to be extra careful during playtime now since they are all little klutz.
5/07/12
Babies had their first bath today.
5/11/12
Six girls go to their new homes tomorrow. They will be missed!!!
TARDIS Rat Box
I am in the process of making a TARDIS rat house. It has 4 levels inside. Now...for paint!
Attempt at a portrait...hah...
Here is the original photo
Rat vs. Rabbit
So I stole some fencing off of the rabbit pen to use on the new cage...so Lucious (Louy), was living in a cage on the back porch. I let Saoirse out to free range and being the bothersome rat she is, she chased Louy all over the porch....then later switched targets to the cat. Here's a video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3VwVfKhHpCA
Thursday, May 10, 2012
The time has come
Adoption day is quickly approaching. I can hardly believe it's been 5 weeks already. I am going to miss my crazy bunch of babies. But I have some amazing families for this litter and I know they will all be going to great homes.
Wednesday, May 9, 2012
Illusion Modeling
Some cute photos of Illusion's photoshoot. These are my favourites.
I can't wait for her litter. She is an amazingly sweet, gentle rat. Her breeder did splendid work with her! The first day I got her she was not nervous with me and licked my hand. She's never once been timid (unless a vacuum cleaner is brought out haha). So I have a good feeling she will be a great mother and produce wonderful pupplets.
I can't wait for her litter. She is an amazingly sweet, gentle rat. Her breeder did splendid work with her! The first day I got her she was not nervous with me and licked my hand. She's never once been timid (unless a vacuum cleaner is brought out haha). So I have a good feeling she will be a great mother and produce wonderful pupplets.
Switching Blogs
So I have decided to change my blog host site. Wordpress has very limited features and I am not too fond of the set up as a whole. I will be adding all of my old posts to here.
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