We had a pecial anniversary a few weeks ago that I forgot to blog about. McClane turned two at the beginning of June. While this is awesomeness in itself, it is doubly special because Mumble is also over two. This is the first time we’ve ever had two bucks over the age of 2 at the same time. And what makes it even more special is that Mumble is 30 months and 3 weeks, making him our oldest ever rat!! Yay!!
I’m so pleased that Mumble has reached this anniversary. He’s a very sweet, very affectionate little boy. As soon as you hold him he starts bruxing and boggling, even while you’re lifting him out of the cage. He’s not without his health issues - he’s got hld, slight myco and is losing his fur quite a bit:
but he’s doing ok. He’s proven he can shift it when he wants to (i.e. chasing after Berg and Cosmo and climbing the bars to get a yoggie) so fingers crossed he’ll be with us for a bit longer. Here’s a pick of him a few hours ago, being sexy:
Claney isn’t doing quite so well. I took him to the vets yesterday as he had a lump on his pelvis we were worried was a dislocation. Unfortunately it’s a tumour. He seems happy enough and not in pain or discomfort, so we’ll have to watch and wait. You can see the tumour clearly in the second picture:
mcclane
Poor lad.
Gumby’s doing well, a few months shy of his seond birthday (I can’t believe it!) He’s still a crazy thing and, thankfully, has seemingly accepted Berg and Cosmo (McClane and Mumble haven’t which is a surprise as the’re quite chilled).
Isn't he a babe!!
And I did promise some more pictures of the husky boys (not to be mistaken with the husky brothers, aka Ptolomy and McClane).
Cosmo
Cosmo
Berg (Cosmo background)
Berg (left) Cosmo (right)
OK, I’ve finally managed to get some decent pics of Berg. He’s never still! Cosmo is still sulking at the back of the big boys’ cage so I may have to wait a few more days before he’ll pose happily. And Berg would like me to inform you that he hates Mumble, he hates Gumby and McClane keeps looking at him funny.
It’s hard to tell, but Berg is a champagne husky (Cosmo is a blue husky). Either way, they’ll both be white before long. Berg’s named after the main character in ‘Two Guys and a Girl’, so that should say a little about his personality.
It looks like I haven’t yet uploaded a picture of Puddle here yet (not any pics of Cosmo and Berg). I’ve become very remiss lately with taking pics of my boys - Puddle is now a big chunky boy and I’ve barely taken any pics. I must redress this. But nonetheless, here is a piccy of baby Puddle, taken in approx Feb:
Puddle
My goodness I’m sleepy lately.
Not much to report at the moment, thankfully. Still unemployed, although I have an interview for a position of temporary tutor next week, having a bit of a fibro attack at the moment. I am working on getting my rat book finished though - the plan is that I finish by the time I get a job. Preferably sooner, actually.
Filmes this cute little video of Gumby eating rice krispies the other day - thought you might enjoy. He’s so gentle!
Gumby the dumbo rat eating rice krispies
I came back to London a few days ago to a rapturous welcome by my boys (sadly minus Ptolomy 
) I’ve always enjoyed the welcome back that rats give when you’ve been away for a little while - most of the time it’s very apparent that they have noticed your absence and have missed you. Si has noticed that in the past, whenever I’ve been away, the boys start treating him quite suspiciously - our joke is that they think he’s murdered me. Also, they all rush to the bars when he comes home from work but as soon as they see I’m not with him they slink back to their beds, disappointed.
I do wonder how much the rats take on board. We know they’re intelligent little critters, but how much do they comprehend on a grander scheme of things; applied intelligence beyond the instinctive? I ask because of Moose. A few weeks ago I reported how he choked one night and I nursed him through it and, at the point where things were getting desperate, I had to do something I would only do in an extreme emergency. He would have been forgiven for treating me with caution because of this but in actual fact I feel his attitude towards me is even more affectionate than it had been before. Since then he has really shown me very great affection. He is always extremely happy to see me and has turned into an uber-licker. He’s more trusting of me, snugglier and although it might sound crazy I feel like he loves me even more than before. I honestly believe that he fully recognises that I saved his life and he is eternally grateful. I mean, even at the time I felt that he was grateful because after he had recovered his strength he crawled up to my face and began licking it and I thought that he was thanking me. A similar thing happened with Baldrick when he choked - he was always very much Si’s rat and although he was fond of me he was definitely a daddy’s boy. After he choked and I nursed him through it he seemed more affectionate towards me. They are remarkable little animals.
On the health front, Moose and Boswell are both getting better. Very pleased as Moose hadn’t responded to his meds at all until we were prescribed an unlicensed med from the vets and since he’s been taking it we now feel that he is going to recover (to put it in perspective, his decline into myco was so quick and his response to baytril so non-existent that if he hadn’t responded to alternate medicines he would have probably had to have been put to sleep, his decline was so fast and aggressive). McClane seems to be doing ok and none of the big boys seem to be pining for Ptolomy (although I am). I guess the fact he died in the cage meant that they were able to see the body and accept what had happened - the massive downside of having rats pts is that their friends don’t see what happen and therefore don’t understand where their buddies have gone. Mumble is looking a little threadbare these days lol, he’s definitely getting patchy but then he is an old chap. Gumby doing well, as is Puddle (aka the Poodle, which is what we call him as we’ve always referred to puddles as poodles i.e. “Don’t step in that poodle”). Doing some housework and then will let them out for a romp.
Ok. Ok.
Ok.
we have no idea what happened with Ptolomy. Currently I am in Devon and Si is in London, as my joblessness started last week and I thought a change of scene might help me in those first scary few days. Moose has been very poorly wih myco lately, as has Boswell, so we’ve been treating them with various potions etc (thank GOD Moose is finally starting to respond) but Mumble and Gumby have also been a little chesty, and McClane is in a bad way these days (he’s got what Pocky had, although a lot milder and he’ll probably outlive the condition) so we’ve been treating them too. So basically Puddle and Ptolomy were the only ones in full health.
Si called me late last night and started with the words I dread - “Baby, I’m afraid I’ve got some bad news…” My immediate thoughts were Boswell, Moose or maybe McClane. Maybe Mumble. Of all the rats, whilst I would have been absolutely devestated if they had died it would have been slightly anticipated. Mumble’s 28 months old now and the others have been poorly lately. Then my mind thought, in a panic, “Gumby!” He has been a little poorly. I can’t lie, Gumby’s death (hopefully far in the future) will really mess me and Si up. Every now and then you get an exceptional rat who you know will be a legend for all time. RiffRaff was one (although, surprisingly you might think, not Riff). Hobbes was one. Piglet was definitely one (although not Pocket - although Pocky will always be in my top 5 fave rats ever, he was too much of a lazy grumpuss to be legendary. To be a legendary rat you need to have a strong personality and at least an occasionally sunny outlook. Craziness to some degree too. Funny habits. Confidence. Pocket wasn’t confident or cheerful). When he said Ptolomy had died I immediately burst into tears. It was so completely unexpected.
That we know of, Ptolomy was in full health. He went for a full check up about a month ago and was doing fine. A good healthy weight - veered towards the slender but wasn’t underweight at all. No myco or history of myco. Perky and alert, no change in behaviour or eating habits. Si went to check on him at 9pm last night and he was fine, then again after 11pm and he was curled up in the back of the cage, dead.
I’ve never had a rat die like this, curled up asleep without any previous sign of illness at all. Cannot stress enough that Ptolomy was behaving normally. The only thing to be thankful of is that he apparently just went to sleep and didn’t wake up. But how can you not ask yourself, again and again, why? How?
Only 4 of our rats have died naturally - RiffRaff, Riff, Cobway and now Ptolomy. And 3 of our mice - Bobble, Moppet and Timorous. All the rest were put to sleep. RiffRaff, Riff, Cobway and Bobble died after illnesses (although only RiffRaff had a long illness - Bobble suffered for 2-3 days, Riff for 2 days, Cobway for about 6, although we thought he was getting better.) Moppet we kinda expected as she was infirm and grieving for Bobble (she died under a week later). Timorous’ death was a BIIIG shock too, although he had been a bit off colour for a few days (I was staying In Devon while Si was at home then too). But Ptolomy! Both me and si are in a state of fearful shock. I’m sure you will all understand that I am extremely paranoid now, as I have flashbacks to 2 years ago when Ptolomy and McClane brought the SDA virus and our rats started dying while I was in France. Constantly asking Si, are the rats ok? Are they acting normally? Do they seem happy? What’s Gumby been like? How’s McClane (Ptolomy’s brother). are you sure they seem ok. Simon is just as nervous as me by the way, it’s not me just being a shrew.
It’s only when I think about it that I realise Ptolomy was just a week or two away from his second birthday. As I’ve written before, only 3 of our male rats have ever lived beyond 2 years (out of 20 male rats - Mallow, Piggy and Mumble) although 4 of our 5 does reached 2 + (I don’t count Magenta and Frankie as they had to be rehomed). Hopefully McClane will make it to 2 years, as long as he lasts until May 1st. But the most common time for our bucks to die is in the month before their second birthdays - we’ve had so many of those 20 bucks get close, but not quite make it:
RiffRaff
Baldrick,
Riff
Ptolomy
OK, I thought it was more than that.
a slightly rambling, incoherant post from me today then, because I’m so shocked and upset. Perhaps I didn’t realise ptolomy was nearly 2 because he still looked and acted like a much younger rat, making his sudden death so unexpected.
So, goodbye Ptolomy, who we usually called Puh-tolomee (as McClane couldn’t pronounce it when he was little 
). You were always a loner, a bit of a background rat but one who loved cuddles and scritches. You loved leaping off the sofa and picking out pasta from the food bowl (in fact the last thing you did when I last saw you was scrabble through the handful of food I had to see if it had pasta in it, then shoot me a look of disgust when it didn’t). I loved how you enjoyed free-ranging time but always, always crept onto my lap every few minutes because you didn’t want me to feel ignored. You were one of the most beautiful rats we’ve ever had, with your little egyptian-Pharoah eye-marking which gave you your (mispelled) name. I remember how you tried to feed Piggy pasta when he was sick. I love how you used to steal my pens, and I wonder if you know that the youtube clip I have of you and McClane playing when you were babies has received more views than my Rainbow Bridge animation (currently it has had about 8299 views). Sorry I spelled your name wrong. Love you baby xxx
I
Moose isn’t doing particularly well at the moment. He’s had a bad case of myco come out of nowhere and his breathing is horrendously noisy. Such as shame - so far the baytril is easing it but nothing miraculous. Last week he choked on a piece of food and I really thought he’d die. Took him into the bedroom, laid him on my tunny and stroked him while he gasped for air, his little mouth opening and closing desperately. He crawled up my chest and gazed at me - I swear he knew I was trying to help and comfort him. He started to weaken and it looked like the end, so in desperation I grabbed the skin (not flesh, just skin) over his throat and gave it a gentle but firm tug to the side. It dislodged the food. He spluttered and gagged one last time, then we both knew it was over. Whole thing lasted about 20 minutes - very scary. He was weak so we rested for ten minutes, then he pulled himself to his feet and climbed to my face and licked it all over, I knew he was thanking me. “Mummy, you saved my life!”
Fibro is in my arms at the moment and so I’ll keep this short today. Just been an age since I updated. Moose and Boswell both have lice and Bossie ripped his fles raw scratching. They are, of course, being treated and it’s started to work. Puddle is so in love with Boswell. He’s like his little gay buddy.
The big boys are all doing well, nothing serious to report there either. Mumble now a year and 3 months, Ptolomy and McClane both 2 months shy of their second birthdays. McClane loves his Mumble but won’t stop biting his ears! McClane sadly has the same condition that Pocky had but thankfully not as severely. Mumble’s back legs starting to go a little, but we think he’ll outlive anything serious. Gumby still naughty and stupid - Puddle is very much like him 
As for me? Well, another change for me. I lost my job :( Was made redundant about a month ago - just got a week and 2 days left to serve and then I’m out. Kinda looking forward to it. If I’m honest, my body needs the rest. But it’s scary too though. Only every been out of work once since I was 16, and that was only for 3 months. This, in the current climate, may be considerably longer. We’ll see.
I am not the healthiest of bunnies at the moment. Let me take this moment to step aside from the world of rat, into the world of Lady Shamisen. It’s not been brilliant lately, and I hope you’ll understand why I’ve been quiet lately.
About a year ago I had an injection in my arm (contraceptive, nothing sinister) and shortly afterwards I started experiencing very bad pains in my arm, chest and neck. These pains were so bad that I had to go to hospital and get checked out, to make sure that I hadn’t suffered from some sort of reaction. I was in a lot of pain for a week, and it took even longer for the pain to eventually disappear, but we thought maybe the needle had hit a nerve. The pain went and in time I forgot about it.
As many of you know, sometimes in my job I help arrange conferences, and in September we had a big one. Around that time I started getting cripplingly bad back pains, that alternated between my lower back and my neck/shoulders. I thought it might be to do with the stress of work and being madly busy, went to the physio a few times a week and tried to get on with things. Then by November my boss was getting quite concerned that I wasn’t improving, and insisted I went to see a specialist, which I did. Now at this point I need to mention that the pain was more than just an achey back. We’re talking seriously debilitating. I woke up screaming in agony most nights, unable to get myself out of bed without Si’s help and even then it would take me half an hour. I couldn’t turn over in bed without excruciating pain. For the first few hours each morning I’d feel sick with the pain, then it would die down until late afternoon, until by early evening I’d be as bad as before. I couldn’t sit in any position or lie down without being in agony. And the pain would change location on a daily basis, although it would usually be either in my neck and shoulders or my lower back, and frequently both. My limbs felt numb and certain areas of my body would be extremely tender to even the slightest touch.
My consultant had an idea as to what he thought it was and I had to try a few suggestions and monitor it over the following three months. In that time I had a few weeks where the pain went, but mostly it didn’t, athough it wasn’t quite so debilitating for a lot of that time. But a few weeks ago it came back with a vengence - I could barely get out of bed, had to sleep sitting up in an arm-chair, could hardly walk because of the pain and barely slept. I had to have some blood tests and xrays and went back to my consultant and he confirmed his original diagnosis, that I have a condition called fibromyalgia. A life long and incurable condition. I won’t be in agony all of the time but it can strike at any time and when it does an attack can last for weeks. It’s already limiting that which I can do. I have had to use a walking stick a lot over the past fortnight, which makes me feel very old. This week I haven’t been able to make necklaces, which is one of my favourite hobbies, because this week it’s mostly in my arms. I struggle to use the laptop in the evening because I can’t support it on my legs. If I put any pressure on my limbs for longer than 30 seconds they go dead, which is horrible because even hugging Si can be painful. Can’t use the phone because holding it up to my face is out of the question. Can barely dress myself because I either can’t lift my arms or can’t bend over.
I don’t think it’s quite sunk in that this isn’t going to go away. Suffice to say, I’m quite down about it.
Happy New Year everybody! Yeah, I know it’s late
I have a confession to make. I actually have 2 rats that no-one knows about. I wasn’t meant to be getting any more rats as I’ve been planning to move from London for some time now and moving from rented flat to rented flat isn’t the most stable time to have pets. But the two boys, who originated from Harrods (like Mallow) have had such hard lives. No-one wanted them because they were boring and then grew big and hard to handle. One owner couldn’t deal with special needs rats and so I took them home with me. Poor guys have never had a home, but I know I’ve been bad. This, as you may guess, is a heavy burden for me to bear and so it’s time to come clean and introduce you to Moose and Boswell.
Check me out, using glitters like a 14 year old. Yeah, I’m down with the cool kids!
I have actually had them for quite some time. I can’t remember exactly, but at least 4 months I think. They were adults when they came to me and no-one is 100% sure how old they are. Moose is definitely younger than Boswell and I think he might be about 9 months old now. Boswell could be around a year old, it’s hard to tell when you don’t know their histories.
They were tough when they first came to live with me. They were both extremely nervous, having hardly been handled their whole lives. For the first fortnight we coudn’t get them to come out of their cage. Putting your hand in was a big no-no - bitey!! We’d open the cage door and let them take their time but the best we could expect was for them to stand by the door shaking with fear. So we sat near them and talked to them, gave them yummy foods and in time they would come out onto my lap (although patience was the essence - it would take them about 10 minutes to pluck up the courage and if a hedgehog so much as moved a pebble in the back garden they’d leg it back into their cage and shake). Also they hated being picked up, but did’t mind being stroked. They bit quite a lot as well, particularly Boswell - not too hard but enough for it to make me need to be brave when handling them.
Now they are normal, happy boys. They get very excited when they see us. Moose is very sweet and cheeky, a bit lickey and loves cuddles. Boswell is slower - the muscles - and more guarded but still quite playful. He really likes being talked to. I can pick them up, carry them on my shoulder, anything. They also love playtime, and are so happy when they run up and down the hall, bruxing the second you open the door.
Totally worth it
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