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Ξ April 30th, 2007 | → 2 Comments | ∇ Rats, Toga |

Please think of Toga…

Ξ April 29th, 2007 | → 4 Comments | ∇ Rats, Toga |

We don’t quite know what happened, although I suspect Cobway had something to do with it, but on Friday night we had a very traumatic time.

Late last night we came home from some serious and expensive shopping and went to check on the boys. Mallow is declining fast and I know his cuddles are the things he looks forward to most. Toga said hi, and I got Mallow out for his cuddle. A few minutes later as I was putting Mallow back in the cage Toga turned to look at me and I saw a scab on his neck. Thinking his mites had returned I got him out for a fuss and some spot-treatment and nearly passed out at what I saw. He had a huge gash on his neck running from his ear to his throat and it wasn’t just the skin that was split. The muscles were split and you could see his skull. I have never seen a more horrific injury on a rat. When he stretched his head forward the flesh and muscle parted by about a centimetre. This picture (and you can see his skull shining through at the bottom of the wound)  doesn’t even come close to how bad the wound actually was - the actual wound was twice as long and I was nearly sick.

I grabbed Toga and ran into the bedroom where Si was on the phone and said “We’ve got to go to the vet NOW.” It was 10pm. I called the emergency vet to let them know we were on our way and we managed to catch a bus. Toga was very calm and not really bleeding, but even the vet thought the wound was really really bad. They operated on him straight away and charged me - get this - £250. I was hysterical most of the evening btw, and this didn’t help. They kept Toga in overnight and I picked him up this morning. He was ecstatic to see me but still really groggy. Now he’s in isolation in case the others chew off his stitches and also we suspect it was Cobway who did this as they had a fall-out earlier this week and my poor little Frankenstein’s rat has a terrible face-wound and a big bald patch and certainly won’t be entered into any more shows. But I don’t care - he’s going to be all right. But he is really depressed and very clingy right now.
I don’t think that, if one of the other rats did do it, he’ll be in any danger when he does go back - there were no signs of struggle so I think it may have been an accident. Riff was thrilled to bits when I brought Toga home - he was trying to lick him through the bars and he couldn’t stop boggling!

Now please pray Toga heals well and doesn’t rip his stitches out:

Devious little rat…

Ξ April 23rd, 2007 | → 3 Comments | ∇ Mumble, Piglet |

Despite his special needs, Piglet can startle me with dazzling displays of intellect from time to time.  Yesterday, for example, I had just fed that rats.   Mumble, being right at the bottom of the pecking order, isn’t allowed to eat at the same time as the big boys, so he waited in his tube.  Feeling sorry for him a started feeding him tidbits through the bars.  Mumble is so gentle you can actually place the food into his mouth - he never bites.  While I was doing this I turned to have a chat with Pocket who, quite frankly, was exaggerating in his tales of derring-do.  For the next 5 minutes I was constantly aware of a little black head makeing the distinctive weaving motions that Mumble does when he eats, as I fed him distractedly.  Only, when I turned back to the tube the little black head started weaving itself out again to reveal itself as - Piggy!  Mumble was sitting next to the tube looking furious - clearly Piglet (who had been watching) had outsted Mumble the moment my head was turned and was mimicking him in the hope I wouldn’t notice that he wasn’t Mumble.

That’s smart thinking!

He’s pushing it…

Ξ April 19th, 2007 | → 2 Comments | ∇ Cobway, Mallow |

 These are Cobway’s tezzercals.  These are Cobway’s tezzercals being used to squish Mallow.  Cobway should have a very long look at these.  If he’s not careful, he’s going to lose them.

To say he’s been stroppy lately is an understatement.  Cobway is getting very similar to my old boy Hobbes, who was so single-mindedly in love with me that he fell into tremendous sulks if I slighted him in any way - if I went away on holiday for example, or if he didn’t get his late evening cuddle on time.  He wouldn’t speak to me for days if I did that.  Cobway is getting very similar.  He has a very strong idea in his mind of how long his cuddle-time should be.  A minute shorter and he starts stomping around the cage getting stroppy and kicking at things.

Mallow took the brunt of it last night.  In the last week, since our stand-off, he’s been getting much more affectionate.  He has willingly come out of the cage for several cuddles, which he hasn’t done for a while.  It’s been really nice.  Mallow, for all the teasing, isn’t totally stupid - he knows his name and always responds to it (when he’s awake) and, unlike Piglet who is always hopeful, he only ever responds to his own name.  Last night he came out for his cuddle - it’s heartbreaking to hold him, he hardly weighs anything and you can feel every single bone in his body.  You really have to support him too.  But he purred!  Oh, he still purrs like the happy boy he always was.  Mallow was noteworthy for being incredibly happy go lucky and purry.  We had a nice cuddle and chat, then when I put him back into his cage Cobway beat the crap out of him.  Generally the other boys all treat Mallow with respect.  They all know how, when they were new eepers being beaten up by Baldrick or Riff, that Mallow would always love them and look after them - often physically protecting them with his body.  For a rat to duff him up shows remarkable short-sightedness.  We had to dismantle the cage to get to Cobway to stop him.  Mallow got lots of yoggies afterwards - he looked shell-shocked.  Cobway did not.

Actually - come to think of it though, Mallow was going through his alpha-phase when Cobway first came to us and he did used to attack him.  Once he seriously injured Cobway’s leg, splitting it the entire length.  I’d forgotten about that as, for Mallow, it was so completely out of character. Has Cobway been holding a grudge that long?

Toga and Cobway at loggerheads

Ξ April 15th, 2007 | → 2 Comments | ∇ Cobway, Toga |

Toga has been in a foul mood lately. Maybe it’s because he senses an opening in top-rat position will be available soon, but he’s been throwing his weight around lately, mostly by beating up Piglet and Mumble. The other night he savagely pounded them both, and then everyone else piled in, which included Cobway running around and biting everyone on the bum in the confusion.

Yesterday when I was cleaning them out a vicous fight broke out between Cobway and Toga. I seperated them, and afterwards they boxed each other a bit, but I was convinced Toga had started the fight. Later, however, I caught Cobway trying to goad him into another fight while poor Toga tried to run away. Toga is twice Cobway’s size, but Cobway is a little git - he’s the kid whole start a fight specifically to get the big boy in trouble, and then look away innocently.

Mallow versus me

Ξ April 8th, 2007 | → 3 Comments | ∇ Mallow |

I had a stand-off with Mallow today.  I wanted to clean the cage, he didn’t want me too.  Sadly these stand-offs are becoming all to frequent these days now the dopey chap is getting old and blind.  I managed to get the other 7 out of the cage, but not him.  It went something like:

Me: Come on Mallow, come out and play…

Mallow: (Runs to the back of the cage) No, don’t want to!

Me: Look, I have nice treats for you if you come out…

Mallow: Not worth it!!

Me: Look, nummy yoggies (smacks lips together)

Mallow: I don’t like yoggies!

Me: Yes you do!

Mallow: Not like this I don’t!

Me: Now don’t be difficult Mallow, I’m just going to reach in and get you…

Mallow: I’ll bite you!

Me: No you won’t baby.

Mallow: I will! (Bites me)

Me: F***!  Ow!  Si, Mallow bit me!

Si: Maybe he didn’t realise you were there!

Me: (Muttering)  He bloody did!

Mallow: I bite you again! (Bites me again)

Me: Si…can you give me a hand?

Mallow:  Noooooooo, ebil harpie, you shall not get me! (Runs manically around the cage - eventually headfirst into the side of the fort)

Mallow: Ouchie!

I am trying very vey hard to make allowances for his great age, previous good character and the fact he is blind now.  But god-dammit Mallow, you’ve got to give me a break for time to time!!!  I know you like your bed just the way you’ve got it, but from time to time, for reasons of hygiene, I have to clean it out!

Got stung at the vets

Ξ April 7th, 2007 | → 0 Comments | ∇ General Vermin |

Took Toga to the vets this morning - he’s developed a very nasty case of myco - and they charged me £70!! I couldn’t believe it - normally it’s only £30 (although we did get extra meds for the future, but that doesn’t make up the difference in price).  I swear i went into shock almost immediately.  I clenched so quickly I actualy strained a muscle in my butt!  So there’s something weird for you

Toga did make me laugh though - he was so laid back when being examined that, when I had to stand him on his hind legs so the vet could listen to his breathing, he actually fell asleep standing up, and didn’t even wake up when he was injected!

I am very interested…

Ξ April 5th, 2007 | → 2 Comments | ∇ General Vermin |

…in knowing who the person who is visiting my site from the Tate Gallery is…  Do you work there…?  Do I know you from Fancy Rats (as I see you have visited from there…)  Does your boss know you’re visiting personal sites while at work (heheheee - cos that’s naughty and I certainly don’t ever update my blog while I’m at work, no siree bob, not never!  I DON’T KIM, DON’T TELL ON ME! )  Did you find this site through the Banksy-inspired rat leaflets I left in the ladies loos last time I was at the Tate?

Anyhow, welcome to the Vermin Realm.  Come on, give me a wave

Much better today.

Ξ April 5th, 2007 | → 2 Comments | ∇ General Vermin |

 He gave us a bit of a fright, but all seems to be well today!

I really don’t know what it could have been that made Dobby so extremely poorly, but it seems very much like whatever it was has now cleared up.  Last night he had ventured out of the fort for the first time (voluntarily) for a few days and greeted us quite lively at the bars.  I’ve seen him eat and move around quite happily and he even tried to escape when I attempted to cuddle him.  So, all in all, normal Dobby behaviour.  There’s still something of a little concern over him - I will be watching him, that’s for sure, but I’m confident now he’s going to be fine.  I think, with having so much experience with the debilitating rat diseases (myco, Pituary Tumours, strokes and pneumonia) that you forget that, as with humans, animals have days when they feel a bit groggy too.  Not every illness is a life-threatening illness.

Pedlar seems to be slowly making improvements too.  This is in no small way thanks to Si, who has been in charge of the mouse medication (in cases of illness, it tends to me Si that looks after the mice and me that looks after the rats - although Si certainly gives a lot of help there too).  But Pedlar’s mites seems to be on the way out, his breathing isn’t so noisy any more but his eye still worries me a little.  Wu is a worry too.  I won’t go into his life history now - I’ll save that for a later post - but his very prone to disfiguring lumps and bumps, abcesses and tumours etc.

He’s always been blind in one eye, but the other side of his head is the one that constantly has tumours and abcesses.  Thankfully we have been able to treat them successfully in the past and he’s definitely not in pain.  Wu has spirit such as you’ve never seen!  He really is an astounding little meece.  He won’t let anything get him down.  Sadly he’s having problems with his ear(we think he’s now deaf as well) - every now and then a lump appears which turns his ear almost inside out.  It looks terrible, and of course we always worry that this will be ‘The One That Gets Him’ but to see him running around being so cheeky and handsome is to allow yourself hope that he’ll be fine whatever happens.

Happy World Rat Day Everyone!

Ξ April 4th, 2007 | → 2 Comments | ∇ General Vermin |

May your day be filled with many whiskery kisses and cleaning of ears!