Tag Archives: rats

Mouse Hunt!

What happens when you combine a former city chick who has seen rats the size of small cats, a handy husband that is surviving on too little sleep and a mysterious “something” with an appetite for a 45-year-old house in the woods? Chaos, I tell you, chaos. When I last left off, I was telling you about our adventures with a mystery rodent. Let’s call it Godzilla, so you don’t confuse it with that cute little epicures mouse in Ratatouille. Better yet, let’s call it the ROUS (rodent of unusual size); with teeth. (If you missed the early part of … Continue reading →

Of Rats and Men

Oh, you noticed the change in the title, have you? There is a good reason for that. Here are the continuing adventures of our battle of wits with the rodent who threatened our home and our sanity. If you missed the earlier article, you can read it here: Of Mice and Men The scratching started up again, and with a sigh, my husband, at my prompting got to banging. I coached him on technique and frequency. When the mouse fell silent, we would retreat back to the couch to wait. Then the noise would start up again. At one point … Continue reading →

Reading Rodents: Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH

Before it was a movie, The Secret of NIMH was a book: Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH. Published in 1971, Robert C. O’Brien’s book won the Newbery Medal in 1972. Mrs. Frisby is a widowed field mouse. Her late husband was a companion of the mysterious and intelligent rats of NIMH. NIMH is the National Institute of Mental Health. The rats had been subject to various experiments that left them highly intelligent and organized — more like humans than rats. They escaped the lab and set up a literate, mechanized society under a rose bush near where the … Continue reading →

The Pets Blog Week in Review for Jun 18-24

Another week has passed, summer arrived, and there was no Moose, Lally, Murphy, Kitty or Tabby chaos to report. (Phew!) Which means it was a quiet, yet productive, week here in the Pets Blog. Here’s what Aimee and I covered on: Monday, June 18 Were you curious how Murphy, Tabby, and Kitty did for Father’s Day? If so, you’ll be happy to know all went well. Tuesday, June 19 Did you know the Queen of England is a royal dog lover? I didn’t, but of all the things to learn about her after watching the movie “The Queen” that was … Continue reading →

Pet Rat Feeding

Your rats will need a varied diet in order to stay healthy and happy. The basics: Your local pet store should carry a variety of pellet or block style diets for rats. These are formulated to make sure the rat gets all the nutrients he needs. Check the ingredients list when you’re shopping. Look for a rat food that is low in fat and calories, and has soy meal high on the ingredients list (instead of corn). Loose mixes are also available at pet stores, but your rats may pick out the things they like best and leave the rest … Continue reading →

Pet Rat Housing

You decided a rat was the right pet for you and your family. You found a curious, healthy, happy rat from a breeder, store, or shelter. Now it’s time to set up your new pet’s new home! When it comes to cages, bigger is always better. Your rats will want to explore and play, and will need room to do it! Look for a tall cage with lots of ramps, platforms, and hammocks for the rats to play on. Wire cages are good for climbing, but make sure the flooring is solid. Spending time on wire flooring can cause foot … Continue reading →

Picking A Pet Rat

If you think a rat is the right pet for your family, how do you pick the right one? You have several options for where you get your rat. Pet stores may or may not be a good choice, depending on how knowledgeable the staff is about rat care in general. Check the housing — make sure males and females are housed separately, or you may get a surprise litter after you get your pet rat home. Young rats should be handled regularly. Breeders (also known as ratteries) are a great place to find a well socialized young rat. A … Continue reading →

Pet Rats: The Basics

Not ready for a large, free-roaming pet, but don’t want something scaly or slimy? Pet rats can be a good compromise. Pet rats typically live between two and three years. Males (bucks) tend to be larger than females (does), but the average rat is between nine and eleven inches long in the body. A rat’s tail can add another eight inches of length! Several different varieties of rats are available as pets, including long-haired, short-haired, hairless, and even tailless! Rats are social animals, so it’s a good idea to keep them in same-sex pairs or same-sex groups. Males or females … Continue reading →

Our Condo Story Part 3… The Conclusion

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Part 1 covered our pursuit of our dream of homeownership and Part 2 touched on the horrors of mold. Okay, so listen what happened next… The water damage was along our common wall so we notified our neighbors. They were not having any leak problems. We thought the water must be coming from the roof since there wasn’t any other places it could have come from. We’d had over a month straight of rainy days. With everything that had happened so far, we were not excited about going into the attic. We thought either we’d find a body, drugs or … Continue reading →