Sophie's lump has gone down a little. Just as well as I still haven't got very close to it with the warm water. Hum, what else has happened? I forgot to say yesterday that I'm not entering anyone in the show this coming Saturday, as Brunel has started a little whuffly squeaky sneeze. Not very frequent, but sounding slightly congested. He's on Marbocyl just in case. My mum's coming to the show with us, possible Ginnie too. Joe has a party to go to. We're meeting KimnCass there.
Py met the girlies again. They're not getting on too badly, but there's still a fair way to go. Vixen seems nervous of him. Thisbe was in season, so she was very interested in him. She seems to be in heat every four days rather than five. How did I not notice them when she was on pregnancy watch? Vixen has a bitten ear, which is worrying. I haven't seen her having problems with any of the girls, so I don't know what happened.
I've got the new cage set up with shelves and hammocks. It suddenly looks much smaller. I wish I could get the rats in there. Got to be patient. I can get some ropes and toys and stuff to go in there while I'm at the show.
The boys are chasing and squeaking again this evening. Mostly Oliver as usual. No injuries though, just noisy. They aren't getting at the babies though, so I'm still confident that they are coping well with the big cage. They seem bright and busy, enjoying all the space in there. I had to mend the cardboard wall again before the boys could come out to play, as they ended yesterday's session by making another escape hole. Darwin was attacking the wall again tonight, so it's not going to last long.
Py looks as if he would like to come out more, but he makes me slightly nervous as he gets territorial without much warning. I like my fingers. That's unfair though, he's only drawn blood once, and that wasn't a hard bite.
I think it's time to sleep now. Can't put it off any longer. G'night.
We went off to the rat show this morning with a car full of Ratty Corner goodies to sell, and had a really enjoyable day. I sold almost enough to pay for all of the bits and pieces I bought for the rats, we had good company, good food and lots of ratties to meet.
I took a fair number of photos, but managed to leave my camera at KimnCass' on the way home, so they won't be with us for a week or two. So stupid! I reminded everyone else to pick up their things on the way out, and then left my own camera. Sigh.
On getting home, the good day continued. The boys let me change the litter in the left hand base of their cage without helping me too much. Theo's open wound has shrunk to about half its original size, which is fantastic, and Sophie's abscess has shrunk further - it's just a small lump now.
I tried putting Py with the girls in completely neutral territory. The girls are used to playing on the table, so even when it was wiped down beforehand, it wasn't strictly neutral. They went into the cardboard enclosure instead this evening, which worked much better than the table. They basically ignored each other while exploring, and of course trying to jump out of the enclosure. Py seemed very eager to go home again afterwards. I think it's quite stressful meeting all these girls.
Py came out with the girls again this evening. All went smoothly again. Sophie was in season, so I hope Tabirat is right about boys being safe two weeks after a neuter. They had a big audience, as the only space big enough to put the enclosure down is in front of the boys' cage. They were all lined up along their balcony!
Sophie's abscess has grown again. I've got some Synulox so I'll put her on that, but I haven't managed to open the scab yet to drain it.
The good news is that Pyramus was successfully integrated with the girls last night. They are currently all snuggled up in the tent together.
I set up the new cage last night, put it on the table with all of the doors open, and put all five rats on there. They all explored inside, but it was very tense for a while. Vixen looked lost and hid under a door outside for a while, then when she did go in she went straight up to the tent to bed. After about four hours I shut them all inside, then eventually felt reassured enough to go to bed. This morning, all is fine.
The bad news is that Babbage and Brunel are being chased by Oliver and Darwin. First time those two have ever agreed on anything. I'm keeping a close eye on the little ones, and will pull them out of the big cage if it looks like they're getting hurt or not coping.
I can't take many photos because I left my camera in Derby. I've got Mark's camera at the moment, but he hides it because I use up his batteries. Who, me?
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 two 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.
Pyramus 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.
Thisbe continues to gain confidence, but doesn't come into season during the first week in her new home. Are there still more chapters waiting to be written?
Finally after ten days in her new home, Thisbe comes into season, so she is introduced to the lady's three doe rats, Vixen, Sophie and Lucy. Sophie is suspicious at first, and turns into a big white snowball. Lucy has a stand up fight with Thisbe. Eventually, at their third meeting, when they are getting along really well, the lady puts the girls' apartment nearby to see what will happen, and all four girls go home together. The lady didn't even need to clean it out to make it smell like neutral territory.
Two weeks after Pyramus is neutered, he is ready to meet the girls. He is very excited, but behaves well. The girls aren't completely happy with him being around, so the lady lets them meet each other once a day on neutral ground.
After six days they all meet on the table next to a new, bigger rat home. The young rats are eager to look inside. Vixen is an old lady and feels upset by the change, but eventually goes in to explore. After an evening of small disagreements over the new accomodation, the five ratties finally settle down.
Come the morning there are five little noses looking out of the tent at the top of the apartment.
The End
Py and Tizzy are well settled in with the other girls. I'm really pleased with the way it's all turned out.
'Heavy' snow today. That's what they were calling it. Probably about two inches here, but the schools were closed anyway. It was a nice change, it's too long since we've had a good snowfall. I had a few catalogues to collect in, but didn't go out other than that.
I've taken the three babies out of the big cage. Brunel was squeaking every time I touched him and Babbage was trying to hide from everyone. Otis was coping but I thought he'd be better with the other little ones. So I'm back to three cages now. Watching them playing after they went into their own cage, I was happy with the decision. They weren't exactly being welcomed into the clan.
Py was really good this evening. He put his teeth round my finger, but didn't nip me! Last night I tried to keep my fingers away from him, and his nipped my wrist instead. Mind you, he was busy this evening, because Lucy and Sophie were both in season.
Theo's wound is really improving. I took a photo this morning, I'll put it with this entry when I get it off the camera. It's healing incredibly slowly, but it is healing.
The three babies seem happier already. Well, maybe except for Otis - he was enjoying the big cage, and he's very, very fast - but the other two were living in fear of Darwin and Oliver. I've put Toby in with them this morning and they all seem happy with the arrangement. He's always had the problem of being bottom of the pecking order and not quite being one of the gang. I think it's due to spending too long on his own in the pet shop when he was little. Maybe being the big boy in the cage will help bring him out a little.
The snow is clearing. Everyone's back at school/work. I finally got round to getting some Ibuprofen for my tennis elbow. The world's looking good today.
Here are the photos of Theo and his wound.
This is when he took the skin off it, on the 18th of January, about a week after the tumour was removed
This is what it looks like now
It's sort of getting narrower, top to bottom, and closing in a little from the sides too.
I'll be so glad when it's all gone.
Oliver and Darwin are so funny. They seem to be the best of enemies - they spent all of yesterday evening chasing and fighting, then settled down for a mooch together on the balcony. Ah dear!
Vixen is getting older and lumpier, but still full of life. Her back legs are giving up on her, but she's pulling herself around quite well. Py and the girls had a nice big lump of lamb bone last night, and Vixen really applied herself to it. She looked so happy. I feel guilty about not getting the lumps removed, but she's already had two or three operations, I forget which, and with her legs failing too I think she's better off not being messed about any more. I got some video of her which I'll stick on YouTube when I get the time.
The three little boys are getting on well. I forgot to say, I took Toby out after the first day and put him back with the other boys because he was getting his own back on life by beating up the babies.
I've decided to start a new project when I get the opportunity. I'd like to get a really big piece of paper and do a sketch of each of my past and current rats, in one big picture. Then mount it in one of those clip frames, so I can add new rats as they come along. It might get full, as that will be 47 sketches - 21 current rats and 26 past rats! Maybe it needs to be a series.
Not good today. I've got a horrible shivery cold and claggy lungs. The rats need cleaning out. I've got Kleeneze deliveries that should have been taken out a week ago. The house is a mess - I haven't vacuumed for ages because it hurts my tennis elbow. We're running out of milk. The clothes airer has broken and I've got piles of wet washing. Blech.
OK, that's enough self pity for the day. Onwards.
I've decided to do my rat sketches as pyrography (poker work), so I've ordered four placemats to put the pictures on. That'll keep me quiet for a while! It's going to be fun!
I almost caught you in the dining room. I knelt down, and you stood on my foot. But when I turned round you were gone! I put the carrier down, so you could climb in, but you sniffed it and ran away. I know you'll never let me pick you up, because you're so nervous of hands. Maybe you'll go into the rat pouch? Let's try that...
Ha! I caught you! You wouldn't climb into the carrier to be taken home. You wouldn't crawl into the trouser tunnel I put down. But after 40 minutes of persuasion you actually let me pick you up. Sophie, we really have to get you hand-trained. This isn't funny.
Well, I suppose it is really. But only afterwards. Sigh.
I went over to Dudley today to fetch a second hand cage. It's HUGE! Heaven knows where I'm going to put the thing. I didn't realise just how big it was until I got it home and looked at it next to the others. I'd like to move the girls into it because it has a nice large base so Vixen would have more room now she can't get any higher up. The bars are slightly wide, but I think my girls are all too big to get through.
I've been making a pyrography picture of a friend's horse as a gift. I thought it was finished last night, but looking at it this morning I don't think I've got the shading on the nose right, so I'm going to keep going at it. This is it so far:
It's a big of a challenge because my posh pyro iron with a thermostat has given up, so I'm using a plain soldering iron type one. I need to start off on the light bits, then as the iron gets hotter and hotter I move onto the dark bits. When the plastic handle starts to heat up, it's time to give it a rest to cool down.
I've been trying to get in here all day.
Anyway, I've finished the Della picture. Here she is.
I've also done the first ratty plaque. I didn't realise until I'd finished that I'd missed Storm off. Poor little man. So I've got to put him on the second boys' plaque. He was a skittish little boy, and died very young, so I never really felt that I knew him as well as I should have. Here we are - some of the pictures are better than others.
I've just got two more to do now. Ergh.
Here's the new cage for the girls. It's truly enormous for this type of cage.
and a wonderful googly-eyed photo of Pyramus.
I'm going OT today. It's Joe's 15th birthday. He didn't want a party, but we had a birthday tea just for us. It's strange to think that it's 15 years since he was born. Strange to think I know exactly what I was doing 15 years ago today. My bonus baby. Completely unplanned, but totally welcome.
Poor Theo fell victim to hammock slippage yesterday. They've chewed their pocket hammock so much that it sags almost to the ground, and Theo slid out of the hole to the point where he was sleeping with his bum in the food bowl. Silly rats. Still, I bought some fleece yesterday morning, so I can make them a replacement hammock to save his dignity.
I got a nice big bowl for the ratties too. Big enough to pea fish in. It even says water on the bowl, but whoever did the picture isn't very good at drawing ratties.
We've had a very busy weekend. Kim came home for the weekend for Joe's birthday, by train so I only had to collect and deliver her to the station. It looks like she might be going home on the bus, though, as there were rows of them outside the station. I guess they're checking all the points after the crash on Friday.
I went out with Mum and Dad on Friday night to see a geriatric Jazz group, 'J for Jazz'. Good fun though. I do enjoy watching them play, though recorded jazz leaves me cold.
On the back row they had the bass player, plucking away quietly in the corner. I don't think he said a word all night. Then in the centre was the drummer. Bill Bailey hairstyle and dark glasses. Reminded me of the jazz man on the Muppets. He had the smoothest singing voice, very nice. Then on the right was the strings man, switching between rhythm guitar and what they called American banjo. I don't know what the difference is between a banjo and an American banjo. Anyone? He liked to watch what his fingers were playing from a close distance. Maybe he forgot his glasses?
The front row, left to right, was the 'reed man', switching between sax and clarinet. He had a decent singing voice too. He was the odd man out, as I don't think he was even close to sixty and most of the others looked at least 70. Lovely sound on the clarinet. In the centre was the band leader, John I think, the cornet player. Also whistle blower and slapstick clacker on occasion. Is there another name for the slapstick thingies? He did a lot of the singing. He had the slightly nasal voice that you associate with a lot of old jazz sounds. On the right was the trombone. Fascinating watching his eyebrows going up and down as the slide went in and out. I wondered if they were attached by an invisible string. He seemed to spend a lot of his down time shaking the spit out of the slide. You'd think there'd be a better solution to the problem. I never realised there were so many different types of mute, either, with so many effects. Both the cornet and trombone players had a selection.
The songs were very definitely more my parent's era, but I did recognise most of them. 'You are my sunshine' and other classics.
That's another question. Why do you have to keep applauding each player after they've done their little bit? You're just getting into it and you have to bring yourself back again to applaud. Can't they wait until the end of the piece? See, I'm a philistine, me.
Anyway, a great night, especially with the fish and chip supper which arrived halfway through. I'd been saving myself, so was ravenous by then.
I think Joe had a fairly good birthday on Saturday, despite the fact that he's coming down with the family cold. We got toffee pavlova for his cake, which went down well. We actually bought two, because we didn't know if anyone else would turn up at teatime, but only ate one so there's more to come. Mmm, sugar and air - lovely.
It wasn't until I was feeding the girls this morning that I noticed Thisbe had been out exploring. She popped her head out between the boxes on the shelf and asked to go home for breakfast. I'm sure she was home when I put them to bed last night, but I hadn't secured the top door on the cage properly, so it would have only needed a shove by a determined little girl. Which Thisbe surely is.
I've got my new 'marquee hammock' design in testing in the girls' cage. The blue one in the top corner. They seem to approve. Here are the instructions.
I've also put a hammock right across near the bottom to stop them falling and hurting themselves, but when Thisbe fell (was pushed) off the top shelf this morning she managed to miss the hammock completely. Sigh. No damage done, though.
This is it. I'm not quite sure what triggered it, but you're the first to know. I'm giving up on the Kleeneze distributorship. Yes, it does earn a reasonable hourly rate, now I've worked at it for a year. But it also fills my house with boxes, and uses up my evenings because half the people aren't in for delivery during the day. The family don't feel they need to help with the housework at all, because I'm in and out all day anyway. To earn big money you have to introduce new people - not only does Rugby seem to be bursting at the seams with distributors, but I also have a very bad habit of telling interested parties exactly what it's like. The bad bits as well as the good bits. Not good sales tactics.
I was fully intending to go out and start delivering again today after being off sick. But I looked at the trolley and thought "Why am I doing this?" We need me to earn more money, so we can pay off the mortgage before Joe goes to uni. Kleeneze isn't doing it for me.
So, I've walked into town and bought myself two pairs of trousers that fit. My old office wear is all too big, because Kleeneze has walked the weight off me. I've registered with Premiere Employment again, looking for permanent work. I'm updating my CV. I've got the wanted ads in the local paper. Employment, here I come!
I wonder if I should tell my husband?
The boys approve of their new hammock 'wot I made'. I fixed it in the cage last night, and they instantly inspected it. Then filled it up. You don't get very interesting photos of pocket hammocks, though.
Good news on the jobs front too. The agency phoned me up late this afternoon with a temporary job to start on Thursday. Collating some information in Excel. I like playing with Excel! Need to revise pivot tables just in case. The job is for somewhere from one to three weeks. I wonder if that depends on how fast I do it? It'll be a good introduction back into working 9 to 5 again.
Starting my temp job at 9am tomorrow.
I've never even been to the place before, and I'm going to be working there.
The agency lady says it's a really nice place to work, and the boss is nice.
Am I allowed to be scared?
Lots of free fizzy drink, because it's a soft drinks distributor.
So I'm going to be sitting still all day, drinking fizzy pop? I'm so gonna get fat!
Erk!
Better clean my shoes.
Ought to clean out the boys cage tonight.
Need to put the laundry away.
How am I going to fit everything in to the time I'll have?
I've been so spoilt.
Ratty Corner is the home of Brandywine Stud, NFRS Registration 2011-04
Last modified: Saturday, 10-Nov-2007 22:51:33 GMT
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