Cat plays furry grim reaper at nursing home

Oscar has predicted 25 deaths by curling up next to patients in their final hours

Hoping for Babies

We've been trying for over 6 weeks now to get rat babies. I've witnessed many matings, seen the signs of the doe in heat, had the pair living together for weeks, etc. but...no babies. Why is it when you don't want babies they happen, and when you do, they don't?! If anyone has tips, please let me know. These two are not getting any younger! They come from the same line, are cousins, and long-lived, so a great pairing if we can be successful...

Eulogy for a Friend

I know I say it every time we lose a furry friend, but it's true: "He was special."

Slugo was an amazing person. He may have only been 18" long nose to tip of tail, walked on all fours, and have very wiry, curly whiskers, but to me, he was my friend.

We saw him in a small cage at a local pet store, all bubbly and wanting attention. Christopher noticed him first, and we left thinking we can't take another one. But his little face kept popping into our minds all that night, and the next day, we went to get him. Best decision we ever made.

Slugo was one of the happiest, friendliest little guys you could ask for. He wasn't very healthly from the get-go, and we had to take him to see the doctor more often than most, but he was worth every penny. He brought joy into our lives, and we hope we did the same for him. I will always remember the cuddles, the wrestling matches between him and my hand, seeing his little butt running down the back of the couch, and of the many times I passed his home and saw him sleeping contentedly in his little cube hammy.

While the talk may have appeared one-way on my part, there was plenty of communication coming the other way - Slugo's expressive eyes conveyed not only an intelligence, but a sense of humor and mischievousness. Yes, Slugo knew how to enjoy life, and that's pretty important when you live only two years if you're lucky...and he wasn't. We're not sure how old he was, but he was still growing up when he came to live with us last year. At the most, he was a year and a half.

With love comes risk, and always, always pain. Some say it's not worth it, but I disagree. It most definitely is worth it. Slugo, I love you, and if there is more after death, I hope you are at peace...and happy.

Slugo

Slugo rat's passing was peaceful.

Slugo rat has be struggling with illness from the day we first got him. This time Slugo was getting lethargic and having problems with passing urine and stool. Supplementing Slugo's diet with Pedialite, Pediasure and yogurt appeared to help him recover somewhat and with this last round of illness it appeared he was making a comeback. Slugo was having that rally of youthfulness that most if not all have when nearing the end.

Late night when we looked in on Slugo rat we found he was cold and barely responsive. I carefully picked Slugo up and he turned his head as if he was looking up to me. I sat down with Slugo rat on a blanket, he sitting in my hand. Slugo rat would make infrequent, quiet little whimpers, his body twitching with each cry. Slugo rat's front feet were pressed against my finger, his toes grasping onto for comfort. A couple of times Slugo rat reacted like he was startled or afraid and tried to move but would settle back into my hand. I quietly whispered to Slugo rat and gently scritched and tufted him, hoping to give comfort in these final moments.

I gently placed my fingertip against his ribs on the left side and I could feel his heartbeat slowing down and becoming more irregular. As he left, his body made subtle little twitches, almost as if he were still breathing. It took several minutes for me to accept that he was gone and I cuddled him, stroking his sweet little face and whispering "it's o.k." and "I love you."

Sleepy Slugo rat

There is a disturbance in The Force...

The Mice Templar

Some time ago, I told you about Mouse Guard, an ongoing epic tale told in the comic arts tradition.

Now comes The Mice Templar, another mouse epic (can there be too many?!) And yes, each creator knows about the other, and is very supportive, which is neat in this cutthroat world of ours.

Go here to read a sample story...

Portrait of young Slugo rat as an older rat

It is very, very hard for me to think of Slugo rat as not the little boy rat I found hidden away in a cage, who climbed up my shoulder and chatter at me and who I lamented not getting right away so went back to get him the next day... But Slugo rat is no longer a little boy rat and is showing the signs of being an older boy rat.

Another mouse parade

Ethel mouse and Abigail mouse are not too sure about taking pictures.


"We would rather snuggle..."


"It's climb over the watch time!"


Abigail mouse settles in for a snuggle.


Ricky mouse is not too sure about picture time...

Kudos for Caring

RATS may not be everyone's favourite animal, but firefighters thought highly enough of one to save it from a house fire in Pocatello, Idaho this week.

Firefighters trying to put out a huge fire at an apartment in the southeastern Idaho town were amazed to see a live rat huddled in a charred cage, the AHN website reported.

After being rescued, Halo the rat received oxygen with a special cone-shaped animal resuscitation mask.

Firefighter Kirby Jonas, who rescued Halo, said he was pretty sure anything in the cage could not have survived the flames.

"If I were betting money, I would have put down $10,000 that anything in that cage was dead," Mr Jonas told the Idaho State Journal.

Halo was not the only lucky one rescued from blaze. Firefighters also rescued four of five cats in the apartment.

No one was home at the time of the fire, which officials blamed on an electrical fault.

Rat Life: A Documentary

Thanks to a post on the Ratties Livejournal community, I discovered a fascinating documentary that is available for viewing online. You can also buy the documentary on DVD at the same site. Some question why the scientists did what they did, and the morality of it, as well as what good did it do, i.e., what did they learn. I am not sure myself what their goals were, but what I've seen so far is absolutely fascinating - that is, to see what a domestic rat does when faced with a more natural environment.

Please note that the rats were not entirely in the wild, but rather in a controlled (to a certain extent) enclosure...