… I’ve been good. Outside of educational trip with the kids I’ve not visited the local pet store. I see it several time a week and been strong. Today, everything changed. I was going to go to the grocery store to get more juicing supplies. I was pulling into the Pick n’ Save parking lot when the Hoffer’s sign caught my eyes. No biggie normally, but today I felt called there. Since I am a woman who believes in following my instincts, I turned the car into the Hoffer’s lot instead.

Okay, were still safe so far. I was just looking around. So many cute things there, and other off. Captain Morgan, the old grumpy Iguana is still living, that was good. They were selling quails as pets now, okay that’s odd. Where I came from Quails were food. They had fashionable hermit crabs in painted shells, and the sweetest champagne colored ferrets. And of course I had to visit the small furry section.

Like I used to when I made weekly trips to Hoffers years ago, I spend a good 45 minutes playing teacher to the customers as they looked at all the critters. I used to run a small animal rescue and education was crucial. I was impressed at the info they had in the rat section, it looked like they had someone there finally that really understood the ratties and their needs (outside of still using the darn pine bedding all the pet shops still use). I looked at the baby rats (called kittens), they were cute, but no draw there.

I admit I miss having rattie children. My last pair of boys died at over 4 years old, and that was almost 4 years ago. I haven’t had rat since. I’ve thought about it, but baby rats are just no my thing, and when I closed shop there were and are no more rat rescues in Wisconsin (that I am aware of). 

I was just on my way out when I saw the signs. It was an aquarium with lots of stuff in it so I couldn’t see inside, but the signs explained these were 1 year old females, to be sold as a pair of sister and really needed a home together.

I was just gonna look…I swear it. I didn’t want a rat right now. I had so many other things going on in my life. I had no intention of giving myself more to do. I’m betting the store gal saw my weakness…I know she had to have. She didn’t just show the girls to me, she took them out of the tank and made them available for me to hold as I wanted.

I picked up the champagne gal rat that looked sorta like the ferret I’d seen earlier except for the auburn hood and strip on her spine. She curled under my hair and happily nuzzled and tickled my neck. Okay, I admit, that a weakness for me, nuzzling and that uber cute tail of theirs. 

The other rat seemed shyer, staying close to the sales gal without the curiosity of her sister. This rat was black and white, with patches of fur missing around her head and neck. She didn’t show signs of mite, so it was certainly a cue of stress. My bet was over grooming by herself or her sister.

I picked up the black and white rat gal and let her hide under my hair with her sister. She was quiet for a few minutes, and then gave my cheek several kisses. I come to find once she was comfortable, this shy gal was a very kissy lass….I was done, hooked, rattie mush from that moment on.

I was realistic. I didn’t bring them home right away Wednesday night. I needed to make a safe and draft free place for them to stay, make them some of my special rat food, and clean up the rattie condo. I knew if when I finally went to get them that they were gone, that they were meant to have another home than mine. Plus, I had to talk to the family, make sure everyone was okay with the idea.

It was very hard to leave the pet store without them, but I had to make sure their home was ready. Another sales lady found out I was looking at then and told me they’d been there 2 over months since their last owners gave them up, and would likely still be waiting for me in a couple days. The people who looked at them, always ended up picking babies.

So, I got home and after I talk to my family, we all decided they would come home with me as soon as we made their home ready. I swiped a metal cabinet that was by the window and moved it to where the bookshelves used to be. It would be a place where the rats could watch the most social room in the house, and have no chance of drafts near them.

I found a few of the rattie bed sacks and hammocks I used to make from fleece and colored cotton in the attic as well as a couple of the rattie dishes. The rat condo was filthy, in part because if the darn squirrels that have been chewing stuff up in our attic….aren’t those things suppose to be hibernating or something? I knew it’d need to be soaked scrubbed and sanitized.  Good thing I didn’t bring my gals home that night. It was disgusting.

I made plans to hit the organic grocery Thursday morning to get some of the things I need to make the rattie mix. The bedding is easy. I only use Carefresh, cause it seems to be the lest allergenic. Plus it’s biodegradable and if I don’t feed dairy or meat to the ratties, which I don’t, then I can use it to compost. 

http://www.supershavins.com/cf1.htm

For the fun of it, here’s the recipe I put together for my gals. Everything but the total cereal is organic…

Moon’s Rattle Mix

Total cranberry crunch
Total raisin bran
Organic oat circles
Pearled barley (1 lb)
Whole oats (1 lb)
Rye Berries (1 lb)
Soy Nuts (½ lb)
Sunflower seeds, roasted, unsalted (½ lb)

Now remember this is not counting the fresh fruits and veggies they should have everyday. I’ve considered making them tofu for the protein and calcium as well soon as I get my machine. For now, I’m gonna see if the girls like the store bought stuff.

The good thing about this is if I make a habit of sharing what I eat with the gals, I’m more likely to only eat healthy things. Sort of a case where caring for them forces me to police myself.

Once I got them home the next day the hardest thing was getting the kids to leave the gals be so they could get used to their new home. My 4 year old was funny. Since we brought them home she has named the rats. I noticed it when she left for school this morning. She walked up to the cage and kissed the black hooded one on the nose and said “goodbye darling”.

Since I was supposed to name them (I’m doing all the work I should get to :) ), I told her the names I gave then could be their last names. Then my son decided to get into the act, and I have to admit came up with a sweet name for the champagne one right away. Luna, after the gal in Harry Potter. Okay, so that left me one name to discover. 

That got me to thinking. What do I know about this gal beside her dark hood. Well, she was shy at the store, but has gotten bolder here. She is gentle and kissy. None of this was helping me come up with a name. Even the hubby had nothing, and he’s a writer to, go figure. So perhaps (at least for now) she is simply Darling.

So, as of today the red hooded champagne girl is Luna Cutiepie, and the Black hooded white gal is Darling. They seem to be adjust well, though they have been sleeping most of today. We’ve tried a few treats, broccoli, veggie dog treats, carrots, even choc chips, and they’ve at least tried each of them. My daughter shared a chunk of the breading from her corndog and they liked that too.

All in all, things are even more peaceful then before the rats came. I can use time with the ratties to bribe/reward my kids to get work/good behavior, it’s a reminder to us and the kids to yell less and to keep things calmer. Looks like this wasn’t such a bad idea after all. I'll have pics of the gal when they are more adjusted, and it wouldn't be such a stesser.