Getting Along

In a newspaper article, a story is told about how a man taught three how to get along that normally do not - a lesson to us all...

Charlotte's Templeton based on Real Rat

"We assumed someone in the audience would have a pet rat and know if what Templeton was doing didn't look right," says effects supervisor Joel Friesch, who with colleague Blair Clark oversaw Tippett's work on Charlotte's. "We had to get it right."

Full story here...

Goodbye, Sweet Beatrice Rat

Beatrice rat's passing was relatively quick. Sometime during the week we noticed she was not as active on her wheel and when she was she was very slow. Friday night I noticed she was sitting by herself, looking very tired and sad, and I took her out for an examination. It was not that she was lethargic, she was in fact still perky with her eyes wide and her ears upright. On closer inspection I found she had dried blood on her nose and her bottom. At first I thought she might have gotten into a fight with one of the other girlie rats or that she may have injured herself falling. But I could not find any other signs of injury. Beatrice rat would not eat offered treats or willingly drink pediasure or pedialite. She was quite contented on being wrapped up in a towel and sleeping in my arms, eventually poking her head up and out of the towel to let me know she wanted to go back to her hammock. This morning her health appeared to be improving and I checked on her several times, even taking her out to see if she would eat or drink and snuggle with me. This afternoon I took her out, wrapped her in a towel and we snuggled to together on the couch for a nap. As I slipped in and out of sleep I checked on her, seeing she was snoozing away and I could feel her heart beats and breathing against my chest... And then I awoke suddenly, startled, and checked her once more. Beatrice appeared that she was looking right at me, eyes half closed and almost winking. I stroked her ears and side and could tell she was no longer breathing, her heart no longer beating... But she looked still looked so very much alive. I sat with Beatrice rat for a while longer, giving her soft skritches and cuddles before preparing her for her journey.

I noticed almost immediately after Beatrice rat went on her way that Regina rat and Eva rat knew she was gone. The ratty girls were searching frantically for Beatrice. And when I put the ratty girls in the hammock where Beatrice had spent the last couple of days Regina laid down with her nose over the edge of the hammock, her big sad eyes looking off into the distance...

Steampunk Mice

Amazing armor for cats and mice (worthy of Reepicheep himself), check out Jeff DeBoer's fantastic work...

Ratty girls feasting on pediasure

A good-morning treat.


Good eats, indeed.




rats feasting on pediasure part 2

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Goodbye Clara love mouse

I had awoke earlier than usual and went to check Clara mouse. Clara mouse was cool to the touch and her breathing was labored. I picked her up and tried to warm her in my hands while offering her pedialite and milk with an eye dropper. Clara refused any offers and actually turned her head away from any future offerings. I continued to hold Clara mouse in my hand, wrapping her in tissue and breathing on her to help warm her, and sat with her for the next hour or so. Clara twitched and made soft squeaking noises as she sat. And then she had a series of short, quick spasms and was still. I could see she was no long breathing and her little body started to relax in my hand. Her ears were still perked upwards, as if she had just went to sleep, and her head sank down on to her paws. I held her for a little longer, stroking her ears and giving her little scratches, before preparing her for her last journey.

Clara love mouse was the last of the mice. She was preceded by her papa Mabel, mama Pudding, auntie Belle, cousin Lena and seven assorted sisters.

Eva sweet rat

Lately, Eva sweet rat has taken to wanting to be picked up and hand feed. She insists that I hold the yoggie or other treat for her as she munches away.

Portraits of Clara Mouse the Proud

Clara mouse at a little over 16 days old.


Clara mouse at a little over 24 months old.

"Enough pictures already!"

More sleepy ratty girls

The ratty girls surprised us by not only snuggling into a love pile in between the pillows, but staying in the love pile long enough for us to take pictures.

Portraits of a Slugo Rat

Young Slugo rat finally agreed to take some pictures, but, only after the offer of a couple of yoggies.

Sleepy-butt ratties

Three sleepy-butt ratty girls crammed into their tissue box. The ratty girls just want to get some sleep. But someone keeps insisting on taking pictures. You can imagine the sound of annoyed sleepy rats, little whiney squeaks and grunts, every time a picture was taken.

Mouse race from the 1953 movie Stalag 17

Poor mouse... it was not enough they tied tags to their tails.

Portraits Of A Ratty

Chaucer rat wanted to be part of the fun.




Beatrice rat is not only hard to photograph because of her colors, she just will not sit still.





Regina rat is an old pro at taking pictures.







Eva rat does not not the picture taking so much if it also included a treat and a cuddle.

Sight restored to blind mice

Cell transplants 'restore sight'
Cell transplants have successfully restored vision to mice which had lost their sight, leading to hopes people could benefit in the same way.

Jet Lag Shortens Life Span of Older Mice

Jet Lag Shortens Life Span of Older Mice
TUESDAY, Nov. 7 (HealthDay News) -- If flying to London throws off your body clock for a few days, be happy you're not a rodent. According to a new study, elderly mice die earlier if they're exposed to time shifts that replicate the effects of jet lag.

Scientists: Cooler mice live longer

Mice genetically altered to literally live a cooler life also lived longer, scientists now report.

Charlotte's Web the movie RAT!

Charlotte's Web the movie

Rodent lovers bumpersticker suggestions

"My rat peed on your honor student."
"My rat is weirder than yours."
"My other car hauls rats around, too."
"Rat on board."

Any suggestions?

Oh happy mice

Big doses of red wine extract help obese mice stay fat and happy

By Seth Borenstein, AP Science Writer | November 1, 2006

WASHINGTON --Huge amounts of a red wine extract seemed to help obese mice eat a high-fat diet and still live a long and healthy life, suggests a new study that some experts are calling "landmark" research.

Boober, R.I.P.

This is how I'll always remember Boober. He came into our lives on a whim, just because I made a phone call to a local pet store to see if they had a boy. A rescue had come in, they said. We went to see him, and it was love at first sight. He was shy, but friendly. A big boy, with an incredibly thick, beautiful coat of hair, and big dark eyes that connected to a kind, old soul. But he was just a rat, you say. That he was - a big buck of indeterminate age and background - but to know him was to love him. The last weeks were spent mostly in Christopher's arms, getting hand-fed and lovingly stroked. During his last night, I held him as best as I could into the wee hours of the morning; Boober lurched periodically in obvious pain, sometimes crawling out of my arm as if trying to escape it. I finally put him to bed, wishing I could hold him to the end, but knowing he needed to be safe from falling. His last act - out of pain and maybe a little out of need - was jumping up onto the door and hanging on, looking at me, before jumping down. I found him this morning laying by that door, waiting...

Lullaby

A short film currently in competition on the SciFi Channel's Exposure website, Lullaby is a sweet, eclectic tale told with puppets, set to the tune of a Russian lullaby...and oh, yes...the cast are...mice. The entire production was created by a very talented man named Leonard Manevich.

Be sure and stick around for the credits - at the 'tail end', you'll hear the mice!

Ellie the Basketball-playing Rat

Ellie is an unusual rat. With a little help from her human, she has learned how to...play basketball!

St. Hamsters

Boober rat parades

Boober rat is parading around the play area.



Boober rat likes his privacy...



"SNORT" says Boober rat. "That camera is annoying me.."

Boober rat love

Boober rat has not been well...
We got Boober not knowing how old he was or his history. Irregardless he is a wonderful ratty boy, full of character and dignity.
Boober rat had been previously diagnosed with having damaged lungs from either infection or environmental causes and had been on a regimen of antibiotics. But Boober rat has not been responding to the medications and was brought in to the vet for a checkup. The vet suggested that Boober's lungs were worse and also discovered the beginnings of a mammary tumor. From the choices that were presented we decided to take Boober home and administer a more powerful antibiotic and see how he responds. Boober perked up after two days and seems to be on an upswing.
Boober rat can be quite the ratty baby boy when he has been cuddled and cared for...

ratty love at all levels

Rat attack!

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30 bunnies dumped on the side of the road...

what the hell is wrong with people...

30 bunnies dumped on the side of the road near Herriman; 17 rescued
LAST UPDATE: 10/12/2006 6:55:46 PM
A disheartening discovery last weekend leads to the rescue of 17 bunnies abandoned and left for dead in Herriman's Butterfield Canyon. Sadly, two of them did not survive, the rest are all waiting to be adopted.

Mighty mouse! Rare discovery in Europe

Mighty mouse! Rare discovery in Europe
LONDON, England (AP) -- Using DNA testing, scientists have discovered what is believed to be the first terrestrial mammal found in Europe in decades: a mouse with a big head, ears, eyes and teeth that lives in a mountainous area of Cyprus.

Ratty girls getting treats

The ratty girls are getting tissue paper wrapped treats.

Rodent Birth Control - UPDATE

Two years ago, I posted about a project being conducted in Australia to control rodent populations, specifically mice.

A reader asked if I have heard more. I have not, but I did find an updated website for the project. I have also contacted the scientist I was in touch with back then, and will let you know what I find out...

Pet store break in

This video clip and post may be disturbing to some.
Pet store break in. When they are caught they should be punished to the fullest extent of the law.

Animals killed during pet store break-in
11:06 AM PDT on Sunday, October 8, 2006
By LINDA BRILL / KING 5 News
SEATTLE - Thieves broke into an animal shelter and pet shop in northeast Seattle, killing several small animals and opening cages.
The thieves hacked through the front door of Animal Talk pet store and shelter in the Roosevelt neighborhood sometime Friday night or early Saturday morning. Volunteers arrived to find animals scattered everywhere and several dead animals on the floor.
The 44 cats fought each other and hunted the smaller animals.
Some animals suffered an even crueler fate.
"Some of the animals were obviously stepped on intentionally, they were flat as pancakes," said shelter owner Missy Young.
They took all the reptiles, including an iguana, and some merchandise.
Staff and volunteers recovered all of the cats that were let loose and are setting traps for the smaller animals. Many of the cats were injured and will need vet care.
"If you want to take something take it..but you do not have to harm the animals in the process. that is totally malicious," said Young.
Damage is estimated in the thousands of dollars.
"This is an afront to the neighborhood," said volunteer Gaye Davies. "Animal talk has been a mecca for people with questions, people with lost animals."
Young warns that the stolen iguana is mean and he bites.
Police have no suspects.
How you can help
Send donations to: Animal Talk Rescue C/O Animal Talk, 6514 Roosevelt Way NE, Seattle, WA 98115. Or visit the Animal Talk Web site at http://www.animaltalkrescue.org/index2.html

Treats, indeed.

Found at JibJab

Artistic Rat

I get such a big kick out of Robyn's rats over at the Dapper Rat. She captures their personalities perfectly in her photos and stories.

One of the latest stories surrounds Schnoz of the Mighty Whiskers; Schnoz has decided to take up art, and is having a fine time being artistic...!

Clara Mouse goes through the motions

Clara mouse gets tired after cuddle and play time.