Ratty Corner

January 2007

Wednesday, January 03, 2007

Happy New Year

Happy New Year! It really does seem like a fresh start. New Year's Eve saw rain, storms, our phone line died, my OH was in a foul mood and despite my pan of mulled wine I felt quite low. Next morning the sun was shining, OH was happy, everything was beautiful.

Dante and Milton are going home on Sunday to stay with Kim and Cass. They're going to love their new cage.

My big boys have a new play area. I've made a wall from cardboard boxes so they can come out to play straight out of the cage. Why is it that boys who get along fairly well within their cage start fighting when they are out on the floor? Little beggars! Oliver and Darwin even tried to fight up my trouser leg, while Edison climbed up inside my trouser leg and bit my leg!

I'm about to get a couple of new boys. Brunel is an agouti boy who is almost seven weeks old, Otis is a black mismark boy who is almost five weeks old. I don't know if they will go in with the older boys or not, but I'm so looking forward to having them. Don't know what OH will say.

I've put myself on MySpace, joining Kim and Cass. I'm on http://www.myspace.com/rattycorner and I'm gathering friends. Looks like fun. I think I'm a web addict!

Sunday, January 07, 2007

Visiting

This is the day to take Dante and Milton up to Kim and Cass. Rainy old day, but it's not a bad drive from Rugby to Derby. Specially on a Sunday. I can't wait to see the boys in their new cage - it's so big, they'll have a ball!

Theo's booked in to have his lump removed tomorrow, poor lad. I'll be glad to get it over with, because it's making him so unhappy and obnoxious to the other boys. Just hope his lungs are up to the operation. :-(

My new boy Brunel is coming to me next Saturday. Can't wait! I do love agoutis. They have such a wonderful mixture of hair colours, combining to make a beautiful nut brown. Then Otis should come during the following week to keep him company.

Monday, January 08, 2007

Theo's Tumour and My New Year's Resolution

Theo is back from the vet. The lump was a large, fibrous tumour according to the vet. Theo was looking very rough when I collected him, and when we got home he sat in the corner of my hospital cage looking miserable, but he has a bowl of warm egg food now and he's making inroads into that.

I was very, very bad last night. Someone posted an available buck kitten on one of the forums, and I seem to have reserved him. I don't know how I'm going to explain it. Sigh. I don't really know why I did it, except that he's an agouti rex and that's what I was looking for before I took on all the other boys during the summer. He's between Brunel and Otis in age, and only a couple of streets away from where I'm collecting Brunel. So I'll have three youngsters all from different breeders.

I need to stop taking babies for several months now. It's getting beyond a joke. Maybe a late New Year's resolution will work. I will not take on any more babies until I have twelve or less ratties. I mean it.

Friday, January 12, 2007

Theo Update

Theo is doing well, though he still looks a little under the weather. I let him go home after meeting up with his cagemates out of the cage and seeing that they weren't bothering his stitches at all. He is much happier back with all his friends. The others have been building him a very untidy nest with sheets of Yellow Pages. No tearing them up, just whole sheets of Yellow Pages.

I'm getting really impatient about these kittens. I'm picking up Brunel and Babbage on Saturday afternoon. Two little agouti boys, one rexy.

Friday, January 12, 2007

Oliver and Darwin

Oliver was winding up Darwin something rotten last night. They're a funny pair -

1. Olly follows Darwin until Darwin gets upset.

2. Darwin gets all bog-brushed up and they have a little spat.

3. Darwin runs away and Oliver follows him around again.

The annoying thing is that if Oliver leaves Darwin alone, D goes looking for him! Silly boys!

I have to show you this photo. Three of the lads taking a leisurely drink in bed.

Friday, January 12, 2007

A Calmer Evening

The boys were much better behaved this evening. Only one little fight while they were out playing. Edison had a fingertip taste of wine and spent the rest of the time begging for more! I told him he is too young. I look quite far gone in this picture though.

Theo still doesn't look his old self. The vet said that the tumour was growing around the muscle, so they weren't completely sure that they had got it all. I don't think we'll go for the operation again if this one hasn't done the job, but I'm hoping it will give Theo a good few more months.

16 hours now until I get the new babies!

Saturday, January 13, 2007

Rats and More Rats!

I picked up the two boys this afternoon - Camelot Brunel and Swiftvalley Babbage are here! They are totally gorgeous, and both as soppy as can be. I'm in love.

Then this evening I had a phone call from a chap who has captured what sounds like two agouti hooded rats that were living in his pigeon loft. I've agreed to go round tomorrow to see what sex they are, so we can try to home them using the forums. I'm really, really hoping they're both the same sex.

Sunday, January 14, 2007

Pigeon Loft Rats

I went round to see the two ratties today. They had them in a guinea pig pen in the back garden, so I brought them both home with me, unseen, in the Bonio box they were hiding in.

Turns out they're not agouti, I think they're mink hooded, about four months old at a guess. They'd been living in a nest box in the pigeon loft for about three weeks, eating the pigeon feed and not disturbing the pigeons, but the chap started to get worried that they would attract wild rats so he decided to catch them. He just picked them up wearing leather gloves. They came with a lovely section of their nest made of wadding, scrap paper, leaves and a spattering of pigeon poo, which I've binned.

They seem a little disorientated, but are very handleable.

The big problem is, they seem to be one buck and one doe.

Here's the doe

and here's the buck

My Agouti Cuties

Just realised I haven't put up pictures of my new kittens

Meet Camelot Brunel and Swift Valley Babbage

Brunel

Babbage

Pyramus and Thisbe

As you can see, the pigeon loft ratties now have names, given to them by the Fancy Rats Forum. Pyramus and Thisbe, the runaway lovers in Midsummer Night's Dream.

I've given them each their first doses of Ivermectin and Synulox, which I'm assured are OK for pregnant does, and they're settled in their respective cages. They look about four months old, so easily old enough to have mated. They were spotted about three weeks ago, which makes the timing about right for unwanted Christmas presents. I put a card up in Pets at Home on the way home just in case, but now I've realised that they're a 'breeding pair' I'm not so keen to return them to the original owners anyway.

If Thisbe by some miracle isn't pregnant she can go in with my girls once she's finished her antibiotics. In fact, maybe she could go in there anyway until she looks pregnant. I need to check with the vet how long they need the antib's for. Pyramus can go in with my new agouti boys, and we'll see whether or not I can intro them all to the big boys' cage. It will make it more difficult having an older boy in with the babies.

Monday, January 15, 2007

On Otis, Pigeon Loft Rats and Cages

Otis is coming today - the third of the three kittens I had booked. That will bring me up to TWENTY ONE RATS! I know some people have a lot more, but it's a lot for Ratty Corner. They're taking over my life!

Anyway, Enkidu Otis is a little marked lad, white with a black hat on. He's just a week younger than Babbage, so will fit in quite well. I'm wondering whether to see if Pyramus will go in with the babies too, but their cage doesn't have good access and Pyramus is acting very, very nervous now he's got over the shock of coming here. I'm getting a second hand cage next weekend, but that has terrible access too - I was counting on having time to add bigger doors and give it a coat of paint.

Still, I need to wait until the newbies have finished their antibiotics before I do anything about that. I hope Pyramus isn't carrying anything because he bit me yesterday. It was completely my fault - he was bog brushing and foofing at me, and I didn't believe it because he was so calm the first time I picked him when I first put him in his new cage. It was only a warning bite - good job really because he got me on the knuckle, so if he'd meant it he could have done some real damage.

I need to do some research this evening and find out what I should be feeding Thisbe, in the assumption that she's pregnant. Mark is being very good about it all. I expected him to get more upset about me filling the house with rats, but he is taking it in his stride.

Right, got to stop this now and go and do some work. Catch you later. Bye!

Tuesday January 16th

Meeting Otis, Getting to Know Pyramus and Thisbe

Little Otis

Little Otis is here. He's a tiny little rat, but one of those with a big character. I'll try to get some photos of him today. Thankfully he moved straight in with the other two babies, because I'm running out of cages here. The sight of this tiny little lad pinning the other two much bigger boys is sooo funny. His pedigree calls him a Black Baldy, whatever that is. I'm not convinced that his markings are black. They look blue to me, and his mum was Russian Blue.

Thisbe

Thisbe is turning out to be a really sweet little girl. She will quite happily climb up onto my shoulder, and doesn't mind being stroked, which is more that you can say for some of my other does. She didn't come into season last night, or the night before, but we still have three evenings left for her to prove she's not pregnant.

Pyramus

I've decided to have Pyramus neutered so that they can go back together later, as he's acting so hormonal that I feel it would be difficult to move him in with my boys. He was pushing himself round the table on his shoulder yesterday, trying to scent mark the whole world! He's also very nervous, so it will be good for him to be back with Thisbe who is calmer and more friendly.

Cuddling with Pyramus

I've had a long cuddle with Pyramus this afternoon. He only once threatened to bite, and actually bruxed at one stage. I think he'll be my friend in time. Maybe not tomorrow though, 'cause he's booked in to be de-cushioned.

Of Theo, Pyramus and Thisbe

Theo

My little old man Theo has made a mess of his scar. Last night he'd scratched it a little, so I bathed it and tried to put a dressing on, but completely failed to keep anything on it. I started him on some Marbocyl and left it open, hoping it would scab over.

This morning it looks truly awful. He's taken the skin off over the whole tumour site. It looks clean, so I'm hoping he will let it scab over, but I guess we're going back in to the vets again. I'm just not sure what they will be able to do that I haven't.

Pyramus

Py has gone in to be de-cushioned today. He was really good at the vets' and let me lift him out of the carrier without making any fuss. I hope he'll be OK, he doesn't deserve any complications.

Thisbe

I'm starting to believe that Tizzy is pregnant. I know I expected it, but I was very much hoping she wouldn't be. She definitely looks more rounded than she did, and didn't come into season last night. She is just so sweet, and wants to be out cuddling all the time.

New Ratty Photos

Py was trying to scent mark his cage this evening - here he is trying to smear himself on the cage walls

Here he is just looking cheeky

And here's Tiz, peering down a hole.

Theo and the Vet

I'm just back from taking Theo up to the vet. We had a right game, me, the nurse and the vet all trying to get a bandage tube to stay on Theo. He just kept wriggling out of it. We had little leg holes cut in it, the neck glued with skin glue to make it narrower and all of us trying to get his legs in the right place but he was just having none of it. It's a good job he's a patient old boy.

The vet said that normally they would have freed up the wound and re-stitched it, but with Theo's bad chest she was very reluctant to give him another anaesthetic. So he has another two weeks' worth of antibiotics, some cream, and our fingers crossed that he will leave the wound alone long enough to heal.

Thursday, January 18, 2007

Introducing Boys

The baby boys have been meeting the older boys throughout the week. First of all they met the older boys one at a time, for a couple of minutes each. For the next couple of days they met two or three older boys, for five minutes or so. Today they had a little time with Theo, then some time with all of the other boys together, for around 15 minutes. The only trouble was between Darwin and Oliver. Again!

Holes

There seems to be a lot of hole investigation going on today. Babbage learnt about holes.

Later on, he and Hubble found a different hole to look down

And little Thisbe was looking out of holes instead

A Tale of Two Ratties

(Edited a little)

I just wonder what those two little pigeon loft ratties have been through. Maybe this is something like their story?

Pyramus and Thisbe are born on a late September evening in the back of a pet shop, living with their tired mum and lots of siblings, playing ratty games in their tank. Then as they begin to grow older, they are separated into different cages, just getting quick snatches of scent of each other; the opportunity for a quick touch of noses when their cages are left close together; a swift ratty kiss through the bars.

Their littermates are sold off, one by one, or if they're lucky, two by two. Finally, only Pyramus and Thisbe are left. Christmas is coming, and it looks as if they'll be left in the pet shop through the holiday. Just as they are giving up hope, they are each lifted out of their cage and put into separate cardboard boxes. They are bumped around in the dark until finally they are placed into a strange new cage together, probably far too small for them, and hidden away in a quiet place until Christmas. No-one comes to play with them, or let them out for exercise, but at least they can be together!

Christmas morning finally comes, Pyramus and Thisbe are taken into a bright, noisy place, handed over to a child who has so many other things to interest it. But then Mum says "I'm not having rats in the house! Look at those tails! What on earth did you get her those for?" "C'mon sweetheart, let them go and we'll get a hamster instead."

Out in the December weather, Pyramus and Thisbe look for a place to live. Maybe it takes them several days to find their pigeon loft, with its food and shelter. They move in and set about making a cosy nest, stealing wadding from old furniture, finding dried leaves and scrap paper. No-one knows what adventures they have setting up their home. But it's hard to blend into the background when you have a white body, so it's only a matter of time before they are seen.

The kind pigeon keeper knows they are there, and keeps an eye out for them, but they don't harm his pigeons so he lets them be. Then he gets to thinking that they may attract wild rats, or breed and produce hundreds more rats to take over his pigeon loft! He dons his thick leather gloves and gently scoops them out of their nest into a box that smells of dog food, adding a little of their nest to make them feel at home. Pyramus and Thisbe cower inside while they are placed in an empty guinea pig pen in his garden.

The pigeon keeper doesn't know what to do with them now, so he walks his dogs to the pet shop to ask their advice. There on the wall is a poster for a local rat club, so he writes down the phone number and calls it that same afternoon.

The two little ratties spend a cold night in the guinea pig pen, with pigeon food and cheese to dine on. Next morning they are lifted out, still in their box, and taken away in a carrier which smells of strange rats. They are lifted out into a wire cage in a bright, noisy house, with plenty of food and water and a cosy igloo nest which they hide away in. A short while later Thisbe is removed and placed in a different cage, leaving Pyramus alone and frightened.

Thisbe is pleased to be back with people, although she misses her brother. She lets the lady stroke her, runs up into her arms and nestles in the hair on her shoulder. Safe again!

Pyramus is more nervous, hissing at the lady and giving her a nip when she gets too close. Everywhere smells wrong, so he rubs himself along every surface, trying to make it smell of himself. The lady decides he needs to be neutered to make him feel better, and so he can rejoin his sister. He is sent away for a frightening day at the vets, who make him feel strange and do painful things to him.

He comes back again to the bright house, discovers new foods, and begins to tolerate being picked up, although it still scares him. Maybe life won't be so bad here? Time will tell.

Friday, January 19, 2007

Is she, or isn't she?

Question is, is she pregnant? She looks round, but so do my other does and they're definitely not preggers. She's been eating better these past few days too, so she could just be putting weight on. She hasn't come in season as far as I can tell, but maybe she's one of those does who isn't so obvious. This is killin' me! Just so I remember, her weight on 18th of Jan was 247 grams.

Saturday 20th January

Sweet little door

The boys in the big cage have had a cardboard enclosure for a couple of weeks now. It goes right round the cage and enables me to let them out to play straight onto the floor from the cage door. I can sit in the pen and play with them.

Then the other night rats kept appearing outside the enclosure. I put the first one I saw back in the pen. Then the second. Then I realised that they had an escape route somewhere round the back of the cage.

After investigation this is what I found:

A beautiful, rat sized little door, just like the mouse holes you get in cartoons. Naughty boys!

Small Progress

Pyramus came out of his shell a little this evening. He laid in the rat pouch bruxing away as I stroked him. He climbed up onto my shoulder twice for a little visit, and then fell asleep in the pouch.

Thisbe weighs 251 grams today.

Sunday, January 21, 2007

Theo

Theo is leaving the wound alone now, it's dried up and seems to be healing from the edges in. I'm still applying the cream twice a day, and he's still on the Marbocyl.

The cream is Dermisol, which claims to aid removal of necrotic tissue and debris from wounds. It sounds like it will be a useful addition to my ratty first aid box once Theo has finished with it. I have to separate Theo for a while after applying it, as the other boys like the taste.

Pyramus

Pyramus came out of the rat pouch for a walk around my lap today. He's getting braver!

Thisbe

Thisbe weighs 255 grams today. I lost her on the bookshelf for a while. Little pickle.

Our New Jenny Cage

I collected the new 'fixer upper' cage from Nuneaton today. Thanks pinkfraggle! I've cleaned up some of the corrosion and cut some holes for the new doors. I need to take the sharp edges off next, then get to work with the primer. I threw the shelf away, as it was in a bit of a state. I've got some in the attic that I can use instead.

I'm hoping to move my girls plus Py and Tizzy into it, then keep the Freddy for Kim and Cass's rats when they come to visit.

Truce

Oliver and Darwin seem to have come to some sort of arrangement. They have stopped the constant fighting and are living peacefully together, at least for this evening.

Squeakless Intros

The introductions between the three babies and the boys from the big cage are going incredibly well. Not even a squeak yet. They spent a good 20 minutes together today. I want to wait until Otis is a little bigger before they all move in together, but things are looking good.

Monday, January 22, 2007

Wonderful to have baby ratties!

I'm getting to know the three new kittens now, so I thought I'd give them a proper introduction.

Brunel

Brunel is a sturdy little chap, nine weeks old, quite happy to sit in your hand while you make a fuss of him, but earnest in his exploration of the world. He has a beautiful shiny agouti coat and reminds me very much of Stitch, a rat we had a couple of years back.

Babbage

Babbage is a lovely fuzzy agouti rex, quite pear shaped even at eight weeks old. He looks like a little hedgehog with his fuzzy fur, his big bright eyes and quite a short little face. He's the one who might run to fat as he gets older, and he's quite happy to sit and doze off when they're out to play.

Otis

Otis is a total live-wire. He's just seven weeks old, still full of kitten-ping, and very busy trying to build nests in the cage and rearrange his world. He's hard to get hold of - he'd rather nibble your fingers than be picked up, but he's happy to explore you, your nose, your mouth, glasses and any other interesting bits once you've got hold of him.

Just so I remember, Thisbe weighs 261 grams today

Wednesday, January 24, 2007

So is she pregnant?

Damned if I can tell. Yesterday Thisbe weighed in at 261 grams, the same as the day before.

I thought I could see her nipples, which would make it yes. Then I looked again and maybe I was mistaken.

She looks round enough to be pregnant. Then I look at my other girls, and they're quite round too.

She hasn't come in season as far as I can tell. But not every doe has such obvious seasons as my other three girls.

Aaargh!! If she'd just come in heat I could start introducing her to the other girls!

You know, the silly thing is, I almost want her to be. Which makes me feel guilty because it's really not the best thing for her. I mean, we had the accidental dwarf hamster litters (thanks to Pets at Home), but that's not the same as little rat kittens. There's so much that can go wrong too, and Tiz is such a little girl, and she looks at you with such worried eyes that your heart just melts. So I shouldn't want her to be pregnant. I hope she isn't. But I hope she is too.

Cagey business :-P

The fixer upper cage is coming on well. I've cleaned off the corrosion as well as I could, taken the doors and catches off, cut holes for the new extra doors and smoothed the sharp bits off, and put a coat of primer on everything. When that's dry we get the nice coat of metallic blue Japlac. Then I just have to get the doors and catches put back on, get the corner shelves out of the attic and we're all set up with a new cage.

I want to use it to put the boys in at first, while I clean out the 'normous cage ready for both sets of lads to go back in. Then I can use it to unite the three girls with Py and Thisbe. If she isn't going to produce bubs, that is. Then we'll have the Freddy cage spare for when Dante and Milton come to visit with Kim-n-Cass.

Phew.

Wednesday, January 24, 2007

Now we know!

Thisbe came in season this evening. This is the best result really. She met the other girls as soon as I realised, as I thought it might go more smoothly while she's in season.

Sophie turned into a big white snowball.

Lucy had a little boxing match with her.

While Vixen just stayed out of it all

Sophie calmed down after showing Tiz who's boss.

Here's a photo of Sweetie Py to round off. He's got another week to wait before he can meet the girls again.

Thursday, January 25, 2007

Theo Update (again)

Theo still persists in removing the scab from his tumour site, but he's taking his antibiotics OK, and we're still using the Dermisol cream, so the hole is clean and seems to be shrinking in from the edges. He's growing fur back on the shaved area, all patchy, looking like something from a cheap Jeckyll and Hyde film.

Introductions

The girls went back to the bog-brushing and boxing stage when they met Thisbe this evening, but they calmed down faster and spent about half an hour together without any major issues.

The boys are amazing. There's been no chasing or squeaking at all. The older boys just seem to accept that there are now three little ones on the table when they get there. I don't know how they'll feel when they end up in a cage with them, but right now they're getting along fine.

Saturday, January 27, 2007

Wow!

I don't know what was in the air tonight, but it was good! The boys have spent eleven evenings getting to know each other, so I decided it was time to go for it and put them all in together. I spent most of the evening cleaning out the big cage, while they all spent the time together on the table. They've gone into the cage together with very little fuss. Quite amazing really, because it wasn't completely odourless when I'd finished. The little ones don't really know what's hit them, but they're exploring the cage.

Then the girls came out together, Thisbe meeting Lucy, Sophie and Vixen again. It went really well, so I experimented by putting the Freddy cage on the table with them and all four went home into it. Not even a clean out, and they're all in there together.

So it's only Pyramus to do now, and his fortnight isn't up until Wednesday. I don't know if I'll have the Jenny cage ready by then, but it will probably take a while to get the girls to accept a boy, even if he is minus his bits.

The cage is coming on, but it looks like it will take three coats of Japlac to get a decent finish, then I have to give it time for the paint to set completely. Still, I don't need it immediately, do I?

Sunday, January 28, 2007

Cage Painting and Other Stuff

This is so slllooooooow! Each side of the cage needs three coats. 5 sides to the cage, inside and outside to each side. That's 30 sides to paint! I've done 14 of the 30 so far. I've also got all the doors to paint, four large and two small, plus the shelf. The doors are almost done. The shelf is taking four coats because it was white to start with, so the colour shows through more. It'd better be worth it.

The number of doors is because it originally had three doors, (It's a Ferplast Jenny) a large one in the top and two small ones near the base. I've made the top door into a double one, added one on the front in the opposite corner from the small door, and one on the end. It should give me really good access, though now I've decided to add a wire shelf that will make access in that corner a bit tricky. Not too bad though.

The Big Cage

The boys are all getting along OK in the big cage, except for Oliver, who has everybody else at the stage where they run away as soon as they see him. He's not making a very good alpha. Darwin would have been better, but Olly obviously beat him at some stage, though they still have little showdowns every now and then.

Babbage in the new cage

Otis up in the attic

Theo, the old alpha, has moved into a retirement flat in the top corner of the cage. It has everything he needs, a little hut, a food bowl, water bottle and litter tray. It makes it very easy to find him, always peering out of his little hut to say hello. The others go up there to visit, but it seems to be his place now.

Theo

The Girls

The girls are not quite so good. Thisbe seems to be spending most of her time hiding in a tube, because Lucy is being a pain. It's such a pity, because that first night together they were all fine. I'm hoping that they'll get over it. Maybe the new cage will help.

Monday, January 29, 2007

Finished!

Finished painting the cage. All I need to do now is wait a few days for the paint to go off and put it all back together.

Tuesday, January 30, 2007

Hair Talk

I think I've finally found a purple hair dye that doesn't fade into pink! I keep dyeing the under-layer of my hair purple - it's going so wonderfully white now that I can keep it white along the parting so my roots don't show, and have it purple underneath. Fun!

I started off with shades that called themselves violet, in semi-permanent, but they kept fading into a heathery pink. So then I tried the same colours in permanent, and they still faded but took a couple of weeks instead of one. But now.... I've discovered Mystic Purple. I washed it out after the half hour developing time and it ran deep, deep red, like blood, quite disturbing. But once it had dried I had a really nice deep purple. Now it's fading into reddish black, which still works great and is far better than pink. Um, not that I have anything against pink, you understand. It's just not what I was aiming for.

I never had the guts to dye my hair strange colours when I was younger, but I think senility maturity suits me. Silly thing is, other people my age keep saying 'I do like your hair! But I couldn't do that myself.' Aren't we daft?

Ratty Ramblings.

I've posted a heap of new videos of the ratties at YouTube today. Nothing earth-shattering though. I wanted to get one of Thisbe and the other girls, but they were all fast asleep when I went to do it.

The 'new' cage is looking beautiful. I can't wait to start putting stuff in there, but I'm told I've got to wait a few days to let the paint set completely. Sigh. I'm going to have a wire shelf and two corner shelves, I'll hang their tunnel up, and maybe get some more tubes. I don't know about that though - it involves spending money we don't really have.

Only a day until Py can meet the girlies. I tried to get him out yesterday, but he hid himself away. I really need to make sure he comes out for a while today. Poor little man. Tomorrow I can start to intro them every evening then put them all in the new cage when they're ready.

It doesn't look like I'll be taking any rats to the show next Saturday, as Brunel has developed a wuffly little sneezy noise. I'm just debating whether to take him up to the vets.

Brunel and Babbage have built themselves a lovely little nest today. Unfortunately it's in the tunnel between the two halves of the cage, so it's causing traffic mayhem. Sillies!

Wednesday, January 31, 2007

Lovers reunited!

Pyramus and Thisbe were finally reunited this morning, if only for a brief spell. Sophie and Lucy also met him, but Vixen refused to get out of bed. She was firmly ensconced in the wooden hut, which is in an awkward hidey hole to lift out of the cage and I know that Vixen is quite willng to nip intrusive fingers. I'm not quite that stupid.

They met each other in a big pile of clean hammocks. I like using that for introductions because it gives them somewhere to play and hide in, but means I can easily get to them if things get out of hand.

Pyramus and Thisbe obviously remembered each other, and spent a little time snuggled up together under the hammocks. Lucy wasn't so impressed, and had a little set to with him, but no injuries on either side. Sophie seemed to be trying to inhale him.I think she may be in luurve.

They all seemed quite happy to go home again after ten minutes or so. I don't think they're ready to move in with each other just yet, but it all looked very promising. I took a bit of video of them, but didn't get any photos which actually show Py. I'll get the video up later.

Stress Ball

Little Babbage seems to be turning into a fuzzy little stressball. He's soo round! I can't believe he's only just nine weeks.

Little stress ball Babbage

Sophie's Bad News

I noticed while the girls were out that Sophie has a lump on her back. Sigh. I guess this means another trip to the vet. It's hard to get a good feel of it, as she doesn't like to be touched at the best of times. Heaven knows how the vet will manage to examine it. You can just see it in this photo.

Sophie's Lump

Well I managed to have a feel of Sophie's lump this evening. I think it's an abscess, as there's a scab on there. I got a cup of warm water and tried to bathe it, but not only does Sophie hate being touched but she was also in season, and to cap it all Lucy ran off with my soggy cotton wool ball. Rats! Who'd 'ave 'em!

Intro's Continued

Py met the girls again this evening, with slightly less success. He started getting hissy and bog-brushy at them, and had a couple of not-too-serious fights with Lucy and Vixen, so I put him home again after about five minutes. Never mind. We'll try again tomorrow.



Ratty Corner is the home of Brandywine Stud, NFRS Registration 2011-04

 
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Last modified: Thursday, 08-Nov-2007 22:18:09 GMT

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