Wow! Is it really December already? I can hardly believe it! Did you get snow the other day? We did! It was so weird to look out our window the other morning and see white roof tops! :) Well, we are moments away from Christmas and ratlet deliveries. Things are going to get exciting really quickly now.
The kittens are doing very well. They are in the process of being weaned. They are spending more time away from mom and I am mixing the groups (litters). This is for their benefit, if in the event an adopter decides to select kittens from two separate litters.
I have taken individual pictures of ALL of the boys and girls!!! This took a great deal of time as I am sure you can imagine. lol I am in the process of posting their pictures to their individual litter pages. You can access the pictures by visiting this link and click on the litter page, of the litter, you are interested in seeing!
Over the weekend, I will be emailing everyone that is officially on the waiting list. You will be prompted to submit your choices. You can choose kittens from different litters and I would encourage you to do so. Any kitten that has the word "reserved" under their name are not currently available for adoption. This means that they have been previously selected by a breeder.
If you are interested in purchasing anything from our boutique please place your orders this weekend or next. This will give us time to make sure we have all of your items in stock and have time to put the orders together by delivery time. If you do purchase any items, you are eligible for the free gift wrapping. You must email us to let us know that your items are a "gift" and you would like them to be wrapped.
Due to an error in Tsunami's pedigree, the Venus litter did not produce hairless kittens. Some of you have been kind enough to switch to a different kitten type and I appreciate that you were willing to do so!
Delivery days will be the weekend before Christmas. I will email the days, locations and times in the email this weekend. I will also provide alternative dates if the weather is inclement.
Last but not least! There are three litter announcements! Taken by Storm, Apple of My Eye and Thumblina all had their litters! There are openings on their waiting lists if anyone is interested! I will do a formal count, gender count and photograph them this weekend!
I am very excited about these litters because they are intended to produce rich dark Russian blues, american blue, and pearl merle! *crosses fingers*
Thanks,Shelley
Yesterday, my daughter and I spent some nice quality time together.
Today was a major cage scrubbing day and also the last day of vacation! I have spent several hours interacting, cleaning, feeding, filling water bottles and disinfecting cages.
All of the kittens are doing wonderful! I will start posting the new pics that were taken today! It will take a while because the uploads are slow! So, check back later today. I will include a link here.
I will continue to add information to this journal today, regarding the best foods, cages and toys for rats! In the meantime here is the link to see updated photo album of the kittens.
Thanks,
Shelley
Dear Everyone,
How are you? Hope you are all with families and enjoying yourself! :) lol It is a wonderful time of year. I think that this is my favorite time of year...that and Christmas! lol
Hannah, Bob and I had a wonderful time yesterday. We enjoyed our time and gave thanks for the little that we have!
The kittens are doing wonderfully! :) they are sooooooo cute soft and fluffy. They all run to our fingers, which of course smell like yummy things and nibble, nibble, nibble! :)To see the updated kitten pics, click here!
We had fun sleeping in this morning. I made a big breakfast and cleaned up a bit. we had to prepare for another feast with family. Then, we lazed away the afternoon watching movies. This time we watched "angels and demons" the Dan Brown movie. Must be the turkey!
Available Kittens!
There are still a few slots open for adoptions if anyone is interested. I will post individual pics next weekend. Then, we will start to arrange for pickups!
Well, I must say it was another fun day of toiling away in the kitchen and rat room! We did some cooking and cleaning! The kittens are doing marvelously and I will photograph them tomorrow and post the images. I wanted to take some time off to spend time with my boyfriend and daughter tonight! I will share with you all soon!
Take care,
Shelley
I know that many of you read this last night. An adopter wrote in and suggested that I create a face book page to hold the images. This was a quick alternative that seemed to accomplish the job. So here is the link! Check out the kittens here!
All of the rats are doing wonderfully. I have been trying to think about other ways to load pics up to the journal. Unfortunately, photobucket isn't working for me. When I try to load one or a group of images, it freezes after loading the first or the only image and it won't let me access the image. This is incredibly slow and with the amount of images I work with, I need something very fast. I will think of a solution today and work on it later in the afternoon or evening. Thank you for your patience.
Safire's kittens are now officially driving their mother crazy. They zoom all over the cage and even attack her too! She complains that she never gets any rest because they always getting into trouble! Ha! Their colors have developed to the point that I can see what they are nicely and I believe we have Russian Dove, black, Russian Blue and Black eyed white! Very nice rainbow! They all have the most adorable facial markings! It will be hard to let any of them go! Plus when I play with them they are so curious about me and love to snuggle and explore!
Venus' Kittens are giant balls of curly fluff! They are very very calm lovies! I can't get over the softness of their curly coat and how tight the curls are. I bet they will have dad's nice coat which has held his curl a lot longer than expected. They spend most of their time eating and grooming and playing, just like Safire's kittens. They are so cute! I am so excited to see that they are a deep Russian blue and that the Siamese blue points are so blue already!
China Doll's litter is soooo lovely! When you open the cage the fluffy litter all sits up and faces you like flowers facing the morning sun! lol They are full of energy, eat EVERYTHING and love the be the center of attention. All of them. All at once. When we take them out they are hard to keep together. They all want to be everywhere! lol I just love their golden coloration and dark eyes! Very beautiful combination. I plan to keep a nice male from this litter to breed to a young Burmese female from a previous litter named EVWD Panovision. The resulting litter will be burmese, seal point, and black eyed seal point. I just love the color burmese. My goal for this rattery is to produce American blue wheaten burmese. This future mating will hopefully lead us in the right direction!
Allie's litter is also doing well. I see such variety in their marking! I just love them so! They are chubby and full of love!
Ok, need to run and see to my daily chores! I will be back with pics!
Shelley
I worked hard over the weekend and now, I am crashing! I am so tired today that I have decided to go to bed really early tonight. I ran some errands to pick up food items for the rats and ate dinner. I didn't even get t
o go riding! :( I miss my Lenny and Princess! I will take Hannah to see them tomorrow! We will bring extra carrots and apples for them! I have good news! I had a riding lesson last night and I jumped for the first time! My trainer had me on a really reliable mount and we trotted over an 18in high oxer! MAN THAT WAS FUN!!!! I cannot wait to do that again! :) Jen said that I did good for my first try! Whoopee! :) This is not me in the pic, I just found the image online. I find myself forgetting to bring the camera when I go to my lessons. I would eventually love to videotape myself...but the camera with that function, bit the dust a year ago! lol
If you are a horse lover ...or are not sure if you are..you have to check this video out..it is amazing. It was sent to me by a fellow equestrian who appreciates the subtleties of riding.
Hmm...interesting...I could add this picture to the journal...but not rats... hmm....
Ratties:
I took pics of the kittens after "playing" with them. I tried four times to load the pics to photobucket and it keeps crashing and closing the window. I ended up posting a current picture to the individual litter pages. You can go to each page to see them.
Safire
Allie
Venus
I don't have China's page done yet. I am too tired. Please forgive me. I feel that eternal tiredness like I am about to get sick!
Ok, off to bed...as weird as that sounds!
Take care,
Shelley
Wasn't the weather wonderful yesterday for a "November" day! I had the chance to spend that time working with the horses. Hannah was with me and I taught her many new things about handling and working around horses, cleaning stalls, and gave her a riding lesson on a bay mustang named Cody. She did very well and didn't complain much about sore muscles today. lol
We slept in a little, and by this I mean we got out of bed at 7:00am instead of 5ish...like we normally do. I made a big breakfast of eggs, bagels, bacon and hot cocoa for Hannah. We did our rounds to check on the animals and everyone seems to be doing fine. I took a few more pictures and got a great idea from a future adopter Dani, for fixing my picture dilema by using photobucket again and selecting html. We will see how this works out. If anyone has a big problem opening the journals, let me know. :)
China Dolls KittensThis very sweet litter now has their eyes open and are steadily approaching their third week of life. There are differences in size that are apparent and give us the impression that there are possibly two - three dwarfs in this litter. They are very healthy and eating solid foods at this time!
Allie's Kittens
Allie is a wonderful mother and taking her role very seriously! She builds these magnificient nests for them and supplies them with super milk as they are growing by leaps and bounds. They do not have their eyes open but they are moving around much more now! They crawl all over my hand and make it nearly impossible to take pictures of them! lol Pictured to the right is a blue masked that we are planning to keep and an adorable velveteen Russian Blue with head spot!
Safire's Kittens
I cannot believe the amazing rainbow litter that this girl had! They are calm, sweet and possess the most amazing head markings. I see what I believe to be black, mink, russian dove, russian blue, american blue, and black eyed white with head spots. There are both dumbo and top hear and all of the kittens are starting to develop a nice shiny smooth coat.
Venus' Kittens
These plump wonderfully calm kittens are the product of a much beloved father and a very diligent mother. If it is true, that a mother imprints her personality on the kittens, then adopters from this litter are are going to be very pleased because Venus is marvelous! The kittens appear to be Russian Blue and Blue point Siamese.
Back from the farm:
Tried to download the pics up to photobucket this morning so that i could post them before I went to work. There was a problem so I had to give up. I am back from the farm now and going to add the pics. Then, I am off to check on the rats, take a shower, and prepare for school tomorrow!
There are still openings on each waiting list! If you are interested please email me!
Take care all!
Shelley
I had an interesting surprise when I looked into the mirror this morning, Pink Eye! Ugh... I can only imagine how I got it! lol You should have seen me trying to take my contact lens out... ouch! ouch! ouch! Then, you would have laughed as I tried to drive to work this morning! The sun blinding my infected eye. The tear ducts gushing all over the place! Que Disastre! Not to mention the "Pink eye jokes" told by my students (playfully of course). It made for a fun day! lol My students concurred that I should have pink eye more often. *!*
LiveJournal:
I sent in a request to livejournal to find out why I cannot add pictures to the journal anymore. Can you believe it!? They said that I have filled my virtual photo album with too many files! What!? Too many? Meeeee? sigh... So, I have two choices, either I start going through old pictures and delete them or I get a paid account. I guess I will have to sit down this weekend and try to figure things out. I am also considering opening a new account and still making this one available on the website so people can enjoy the "old version". Any advice? Any solutions??
Hello Everyone,
I have the day off today. Hannah and I will be in and out all day with many things to do! I plan to hike, go to the barn and ride, and clean the house. I would also love to relax. When I woke up this morning I felt like I was sick! So, I think that my body is saying, "Slooooow down Shelley!"
I just had to add this picture. This is a lovely American blue self female from a recent litter. I am just absolutely in love with this color! It is probably one of my favs!
Computer Problem:
My computer is still down. It should be back soon. Thank you to those who emailed to offer assistance in fixing the problem. I didn't even get a chance to talk to my boyfriend about your offers for help! He just had a buddy come over and his friend ended up taking our computer back home to work on it.
Had a scary moment yesterday when the website went down. I received emails all day from old friends and new friends (adopters) concerned about the rattery. I still do not know the details,however, It appears that webs.com is back online and they have fixed the problem. That was scary! I imagined the hours and hours worth of work that it took to develop my site...gone.
The Rattery:
The ratties are all well. I will be down working with them for several hours today. It is nice to have a day off to get caught up on a lot of things. I want to rearrange cages, play with them and make up a new batch of food. That always takes a while because there is a lot to it! :)
The Not So Harley:
Well, a few weeks back we adopted a set of ratties from the same litter that had an unusual coat type. Genetically, based on what is known we thought that they, at first might be hairless, then their coat changed. Then, we thought that they were satins and harleys, but their coat changed. Now, they have gone through their molt and they appear to be longer haired and rex-ish. This is odd because rex is a dominant gene. That means that you have to have one parent be a rex for the gene to be passed on to the offspring. So, we are scratching our heads as to what this group could be! It is exciting and confusing at the same time.
I am photographing the kittens like crazy because I know that after a few pairings I am going to have to have documentation and something to look at
to compare the development of future offspring back to their parents. Right now, we are planning to breed the two mutated coat types together, then one mutated coat type to a non-related smooth coat. If you breed the mutated coat types together you should see the coat type being produced and I am also looking to see that there are dwarfs in the litter too. If the mutated coat shows up in the litter 100% then it tells me that the gene is heritable, or passed on. If the following ratios show up 50% mutated, 25% double mutated and 25% smooth coat, then I know that it must be a dominant trait. I should see dwarf in the litter however. If I outcross this litter (take a mutated and pair it to a non-related smooth coat) I might expect the following: 50% mutated coat and 50% Smooth coat. If I see that it will tell me the coat is dominant over smooth coat. If I only see smooth coat, then it will tell me that the gene for this mutated coat is recessive. I woke up earlier than I thought I would so I took some new pictures of the Kittens. I wanted to post them here so that you can all see how they are progressing!
Safire Kittens:
I am seeing all kinds of interesting colors and markings in this litter. They will be so interesting! I think I see American blue, Russian Blue, Russian Dove, and Black. In addition they have really cute facial markings too!
Allie Litter:
So cute! Lots of them are smooth coat and their colors appear to be mostly blue,
which was expected. I just know that they are going to be super sweet and very very curious about EVERYTHING!Venus' Bubs:
They are just huge! I can't believe it! (Just like Papa!) I see really nicely colored Russian
Blue. I am looking for a rex boy that has very little white markings. Also, I believe that the lighter colored kittens are possibly blue point siamese! They have a bluish cast on their nose and across their backs! Very very cool! 
China Doll Babies:Man are they stinkin cute! I am so pleased with the way that they are developing. I see many dumbo and a few might even be dwarfies! Horaay! :)
Horses and Riding:
I rode Lenny last night and had a lesson on him. He was a good boy. I did somethings differently, after watching my riding instructor and they helped me improve. I will ride him again today and then, Hannah and I will have a riding lesson tonight. I am so happy that I am finally at a point in my life where I have the health, motivation and work ethic to do what I have always wanted to do. It has taken soooo long to get here and maybe that is why it means so much to me.
As a child, I always wanted to be surrounded by animals. My first job was at a pet store, not surprisingly. From an early age I obsessed over horses and my first pet was a hamster. I discovered genetics and tried to breed, at the age of 13, (when other girls were fussing with their hair and painting their nails) I was pouring over "beginner genetics texts". Since I lived in the suburbs, I never had much in the way of experience with the types of animals I wanted to work with. I was forced to push some of my dreams to have a horse farm, to the side. When I made it to college, I took my dream out and dusted it off, surprised that it was still intact. Now, after all of these years, almost forty years old, I am at a point where I can even entertain the notion of breeding rats as a hobbyist and riding horses for the joy of the experience. It can happen if you really want it to. I really do believe that!
Take care and I hope you have a wonderful day!
Thanks for reading!
Shelley
Well, I am officially freaking out now! I have been without my website for 8 hours! I think Webs.com's server must have crashed. We are all ok and here, singing cum by yah...(however that is spelled)..while waving a lighter...until the website comes back!
*waaaaaa!*.....
Had a long day, too many meetings!
I did have fun rdiding Lenny tonight. Mary, my trainer showed me how to ride differently and that did the trick! I have improved my ability to ride a 16.3 hh horse (his back is taller than I am and I am 5 foot 7in!!!). She asked me/showed me that I needed to shorten the reins and grip his sides more. That alone gave me more control! Yeah! I guess I didn't think that I should grip that much because a little touch and he is off. Also, I hate to think that I should pull that hard on the reins but, he was, on the bit and not really in pain from my holding the reins as I did!
Ok. Really tired. I will have lots of cool things to share tomorrow.
Bye for now!
Shelley
Exciting news all around!
Yesterday, school went quick! Too quick! I had a student observer in the room with me and together, we taught a fun lesson on classifying while using Jelly Belly (Jelly beans). It is based on a lab I found online called Harry Potter Classification Lab. It is helpful for teaching students how to read a dichotomous key. The students went nuts trying to figure out what the flavor was and giggled and screamed when they got unexpected flavors! lol It was cute.My older students in the biology class, are learning cell parts. I needed to step back a little bit and work with them on the functions of cell parts. It seems that they do not understand the functions as well as I hoped. So, a part of teaching is abandoning your plan and reteaching information in a different way. Since I have a lot of English second language students, this is not a surprise. They have a tough time with content specific vocabulary.
I had a riding lesson last night. I recieved
some compliments for improved riding. It is due to all the effort I am putting in. I cannot afford more than one lesson a week, so I work at a farm on the weekends to "earn riding time". That is when I ride a large gelding named Lenny. I have built confidence and it allows me to ride in a relaxed manner which improves my seat! At any rate, one piece of exctiing news is that my instructor thinks that I am ready to move to the next step, jumping! I will let you know, next week, how that goes! ;) The rats are all doing well. I am very busy once I get home interacting and tending to their needs. I took pictures the other night and didn't have time yesterday to write or post the pictures in the journal unfortunately. I will post the pics to this entry during lunch!
China Doll
China Dolls kittens are so pretty and she is doing a great job with them too. They are starting to move around a lot more and are becoming very curious about the world outside the nest,without actually leaving it! They won't really start to go anywhere until their eyes open at day 13 but, they are starting to develop their hearing and sense of smell to lead them around if they are accidently dragged out of the nest.
Safire
Wow, really exciting markings on this litter.
There are still spots available if anyone is interested! They are going to be precious! I see lots of colors, facial markings and distinctive head color markings (capped)! Safire is a pro and this will be her last litter. She is a very special rattie! I love Safire so much because she has nice type and a wonderful personality. She isnot the typical female rat. Safire is calm and personable. As a mother, she is a TIGRESS! lol Allie
Well, Allie is the big exciting news. It appears that the other day when she gave birth and I thought that she had four, I was correct but , not entirely! She just wasn't finished. Each day that I have checked since then, she had four. The other night, I discovered that she made two piles and actually has 11! Now that is more like it! lol I was getting worried. I tried to put them together into one nest, but she separated them out again, so she must really want them that way. At any rate, they are all doing well and look great. I will take more photos of them soon.Venus
She is really loving her role as Mommy! Her kittens are so chubby and marvelous! I just know that they are going to be huge, like their father! I bet that they will also be very serious and devoted to their new human families! Both parents are very much "people rats", if you know what I mean. I am hoping to keep a pair of Russian blue and a hairless female here with us at the rattery. I just love these guys!
Breyer Models:
Any readers collect Breyer horses?
I am selling the rest of my collection. If you would like to reserve a horse for a Christmas present I have lots of limited additions. Prices are negotiable. Visit www.justforhorses.webs.com to see the horses I am offering. Wish me luck I have meetings at both ends of the day! ;)
Take care,
Shelley
Wow! What a day! (I feel like I say that a lot!) Ha ha! I woke up early and cleaned some rattie cages and topped off water bottles. After giving everyone a kiss I made my way to the farm. I cleaned 20 stalls in three and a half hours and then, rode a horse named Princess.
When I returned home, I gobbled down some food and went to the book store for a while. I love to just sit in those comfy chairs, with a cup of coffee and read books.
I got home a while ago and checked on the rats again and played with kittens. Everyone is doing good.
China Doll
The China doll kittens are growing so quickly! They are very exciting too! I think that I see two dwarfs. I am not 100% positive though. They are so stinkin cute! :) They just calmly lay in my hand and enjoy the warmth it provides. Look at the picture, here in the right. It is interesting to me to see the difference in coat coloration! The kitten on the left has a darkercolor along it's back in comparison to its litter mate. I wonder if the lighter kitten is carrying a mink dilute. This mink gene may dilute the the black hairs in the coat leading to the lighter color. Or, it may be more complicated than that. ;) As genetics often is!
Venus
Venus and her litter are doing well. All of the kittens are very relaxed and chubby. I am so pleased by her excellent mothering skills. Often times, hairless mothers do not produce much milk and the kittens do not fair well. Bijou, a hairless female here at our rattery, while lovely and beautiful, is not the best mother. She isn't mean, however; Bijou does not produce much milk. I usually have to give her kittens to another mother to raise them. Fortunately, rats usually accept other kittens readily and this isn't an issue. It is nice to know that I have a line that I can outcross the "Bijou" line to with the purpose of improving "milk product
Uh...oohhhhh! Last night, in the middle of writing this journal, the computer completely froze! I coudn't even get a response when I hit, Control, Alt, Delete! Bad sign. So, consequently, I couldn't post the pictures. I will have to take more tonight. Just think of the change that will take place insuch a short amount of time. We will take the computer in tomorrow and get it fixed.
I have a busy day planned. I have to go do barn chores, ride, get an oil change, tutor a former student, and meet a girl that has a litter of kittens that need homes. Then, I have some school planning to do. All of the rats are taken care of, but I will spend some time again this evening interacting with them again..."playing" instead of just making sure water bottles are filled and food is replenished!
Ok, Take care and have a good day.
Shelley
Horaay!
We have returned from dinner to discover that Allie gave birth tonight to four kittens! I was expecting more but, they look healthy and lovely. I believe that we have one boy and three girls. I can't wait to see how their color and markings develop! They are going to be special because both parents are delightful goofs! :) lol
Also! Safire gave birth to 13 lovely little bubs! She had nine girls and four boys! They are all very healthy and full of milk. I will make closer observations tomorrow. Safire is a very diligent mother and will do a good job tending to their every need.
On another note, long day at work. Glad it is finally Friday. I didn't ride Lenny tonight at the farm. I wanted the time off. I will be off to the farm tomorrow for several hours and then back home to do a thorough cleaning of the rattery. Got to keep things neat, clean and organized! ;)
Ok, off to bed. I feel like I can rest knownig that all the Mama's are doing well.
Take care all and have a good night!
Shelley
Hello All,
Long day at work! I had fun though the students were extracting their own DNA! They loved the lab and were grossed out too! lol They had to take spit (which contains their cheeck cells) and add salt water, dish washing detergent and cold rubbing alcohol. This will break downt he cell wall and free the DNA. The cold rubbing alcohol will reveal the oxygen covered DNA! It was cool!
Check out these awesome super cozy Christmas Hammock sets offered at Everwild Rattery! They are well made and come with metal attachment hooks! The set is only $19.95! They are offered while supplies last! Adopters can pick up their hammocks upon delivery day or they ship for only $3.21! To see all of your fabric choices and to order a set today please click here!Had a brain storm this morning when I woke up. I was trying to think of ways to create a fund raiser for the rattery and share the love, so to speak, and give to a local shelter for Christmas. I decided to do a raffle with some really nice items that rat owners can use. So, I sent out an email to members of our Yahoo group! If you are not a member please email me! You are welcome to join and will be privy to important information and events! Events such as this raffle. Here is how it works. Starting today, you can purchase tickets for $10.00 on Paypal. You can purchase one or more tickets to increase your chances to win. A drawing will be held on December 12, 2009 and winners will have their choice of Swing Hammock and Socialization pouch or Swing Hammock and Everwild Growth diet. The prizes have a combined $30.00 value! Enter today! For more information email or visit our site!
Drove to the farm tonight to ride Lenny. He appeared to be happy to see me. Lenny walked right over to me and lead up to the barn quickly. I was happy about this because there is nothing worse than trying to catch a horse in the field. When it is cold and threatening to rain. ;) lol I put him into his stall and tacked him up. When I brought him out to the arena he nervous about the drops of rain that were colliding on the roof of the barn. Instead of getting right on him, I walked him around the arena. I took him over to the four wheeler that was parked in the back. He sniffed it and I talked to him.
I don't know if I mentioned this previously, but he spooked at the four wheeler earlier in the week. I almost fell off as he burst into a canter. This has me nervous and untrusting, as a result. So, today, I decided to be proactive. It helped because he sighed deeply and was ready to move on.
When I moved him into the trot, he was slower, more collected and balanced. Thus, I was able to post (rise up in the saddle) and keep time instead of go something more like (bounce-bounce-bounce-bounce). Which is uncomfortable and yucky for everyone...lol I had Lenny trot around the arena once, I posted successfully and let him walk. It was PROGRESS!
Then the hail came. Great sheets of hail blasting the sides of the barn. Of course, Lenny did not like this. He danced and walked fast, head held high very distracted. I tried to walk him but he was scared so I got off. I just kept thinking about how he spooked and thought about what it would feel like falling off a 16.3 hh horse. Just wasn't on my agenda for the evening.
I made the right choice. As soon as a fresh wave of hail slaughtered the metal roof he blew up. I talked to him and calmed him down, from the ground. I put him into his stall and he quickly plunged his muzzle into the alfalfa. Sigh...*tells self, Riding is fun, I love horses, Riding is fun....I love horses....). I just have to keep reminding myself that someday, I will find a mellow horse that I can bond with and I will be able to reconnect with that childhood dream. lol
Hannah took her first riding lesson on a cute little old pony named Tommy Moe last night. She loved it! In fact, Hannah was very unhappy about getting off the horse. I guess we are duplicates after all! I am so happy that we have one more thing we have in common! Horses will be a great thing for us to share...now I just need to get a horse! lol
China Doll.
The kittens are doing fabulously. China is a calm sweet mama! Hannah thinks that she can tell which kittens are dwarf and standard. I don't know ...everyone she picked up and said was dwarf was a female...and females are normally smaller than males. So, so far, it is difficult to tell. Again, it might just be an evolutionary advantage. The growth hormone (GH) is what controls the size. So, perhaps the amount of growth hormone in both standard and dwarf is the same right now. Perhaps it isn't until a week or two from now that the "amount of hormone being produced" will change. Venus
Venus is a different type of mom. She is very serious about her role and has really changed. She loves being a mom and is a nervous mom. We give her space and are careful with her. She is very friendly though and loves to be with us, however when you go into the cage with your hands to get kittens she runs up an says, "What do you think you are doing!?" lol So, Hannah and I take her out first and play with Venus and then, take out the kittens. :) hehehe...
I find this absolutely fascinating feature about rats individual personalities. When you expose them to different situations they really surprise you with their sophication and level of awareness. :) Just one more reason why rats make the best pets!
Safire and Allie are doing great and are getting close. Safire is going to have big kittens and Allie is making the most elaborate nest out of papertoweling that she pulled into her cage! lol This should be interesting. I will check on them again in the morning before I run off to my early meeting and let you all know if the "big" moment happens.
Take care!
Shelley
Hello All,I wanted to let readers know that two boys just came into my possession that are available for adoption. Their owners can no longer care for them and I offered to help find homes for them. They are very sweet personable and licky! They will sit on your shoulder, brux and groom. If you are interested in adopting them please let me know! :) They must go together as they are close buddies! You will love them!
This morning, when I went to check on the ratties I discovered that Venus has delivered her kittens. She has given birth to 12 and they are all doing really well. She is supplying them with milk and I can already see that some are Siamese and others
Russian Blue smooth coat, Rex and Hairless. I cannot tell who are dumbo or top ear just yet. My eyes are not that well trained! :) we will have to wait for a week! I have spots open for boys in this litter if anyone is interested. You can also pick from multiple litters if you like. So, in other words pick one say, hairless kitten from this litter and get a rat with a marked coat from another litter! :) I had a long day of training at school today. It was Superintendents Conference Day. The students stay home and we all come to school to learn and discuss school wide and classroom issues. After spending the day in meetings I was relieved to run off to the barn to ride Lenny. It was a wild one tonight. He decided that he didn't like the look of a parked Four Wheeler and spooked a couple of times, into a vicious canter. I was nearly unseated. It takes a while to learn how to be prepared and unfortunately it comes with time and experience. I battle quite a bit with fears of falling off but, I always get right back on! I believe that over time the fear will be replaced with confidence. I just need to be able to put myself in situations where I will have guided positive experiences.
Anyway, I am very sore from riding so much, a good problem! :) I need rest, my poor muscles are crying out for me to stop moving! lol
Take care and have a good night.
Shelley
Hello Everyone!
Woooo... just got in from the farm. I am cold and tired. I rode a horse named Neat Mover, "princess". She was very safe and lovely. I was able to drop the reins and canter it was fun! Liberating even! Then, I stayed and helped Jen, my riding instructor water, feed, and sweep.
We worked together and she talked about her horses, training and other general care. Then, she taught me how to lunge a horse. It was harder than it looks! :) I enjoyed it and would love to practice more and eventually train horses some day. I checked on the rats earlier, when I got home from work. Everyone is good and Safire, Allie and Venus haven't given birth yet. I will look in on them tomorrow morning again and let you all know if anything exciting happened last night.
The new pouches arrived and boy are they cool. I found the package on the table when I returned home tonight. the new pouches are exactly as I imagined they would be! They are blue, fuzzy, wider and have a longer strap! I love this design! I only got four of them. I plan to keep one for my self. I will photograph them tomorrow and offer them for sale! One is already sold so, that leaves two! :)
Have a great night and I will talk to you soon.
Take care,
Shelley
It was a nice day in Rochester. That means, for the most part, it was sunny and not very windy.
I got my barn chores done and rode Ebony today. I spent my 45 minutes in a walk without stirrups and a nice working trot to try out my new Wintec saddle. Let's just say, a good saddle makes a world of a difference! Speaking of horses, I don't know if any of you are Breyer Horse fans??? I just placed an ad in Craigslist to sell the rest of my collection of Breyer horse models. I have regular models and some Breyer Horse show models that I drove to Kentucky Horse Park to pick up back in the mid-90"s! I am selling the "standard" models for $20 and the show fest models for $60.00 (which is a steal). If you are interested I would be happy to send you a list of the models that I have left. They would make awesome Christmas presents!
The late afternoon was spent helping Hannah complete, or should I say redo a book report, that she lost! I think that she learned a great lesson tonight. One must keep track of school work so that we don't have to do the hard part, twice!
We checked on the ratties and everyone was happy to see us! Everyone had water and tons of food in their cages, for once, and we spent the time playing with them! :)
China doll is doing really well. The kittens look very plump. lol They are starting 
I have posted the "free gift Wrapping" and Stocking information on the website. I plan to go to Jo-Ann Fab next weekend! I will pick up some cool Christmas related fabrics and start sewing hammocks and Christmas stockings and post them on the website! I am so excited! I would like to buy some paint and personalize them with the names, if people have them picked out! Or...do you think that I should include a small tube of fabric paint and let people put the names on once they get them home??? Too much fun! Let me know what you think! :)
Lastly, my friend has designed a new type of socialization pouch and they are on the way to my home! I should receive them in a few days. I think that I have talked about the socialization pouches in the past, however; this new design makes it easier for people to wear them around their neck ...so for people like me who "wear their kittens" all around the house..to socialize them to "daily life" this pouch can be purchased cheaply and you will have the ability to pick up where I left off. The rats you adopt will have the familiarity of the pouch to feel safe in while they transition to a new home! :)
Take care,
Shelley
The rats are all doing great. I spent a few hours cleaning cages, feeding, watering, and playing with everyone today. China Dolls kittens are doing good too. Mom enjoyed her carrots, spinach and yogurt.
Worked at the farm today and rode Ebony. She was tired. I think that she was used for a lesson an hour before I got there. She was tripping over herself and just seemed really logie.
Took Hannah trick or treating tonight. Bob stayed home and gave out the candy. Hannah was a gypsy. This year the houses were really decorated nicely. Some of the homes really went all out! They had ghosts, haunted house (you could walk through) and lots of other really cool decorations, lighting and music! It was a blast.
I am excited! I have some new socialization pouches on the way to offer in the boutique. the socialization pouch is a small soft fabric purse that you can wear and it provides a nice comfy warm dark place to put the kittens while you socialize them. I often encourage adopters to purchase them because the rats you adopt will be used to this pouch already and it helps with bonding during a time of big change!
Ok, I need to get to bed. Safire and Allie are well, but have not had their litters yet. :) As they say, a watched pot never boils.
Good night!
Shelley
Hello All,
Well, the holidays are coming, indeed! Soon, we will have a nice break (some of us will) to relax and spend time with family and feast to our hearts content. I look forward to the break from every day life too because I would love time to work on some things at home that have been neglected like dusting, laundry and my sock drawer. lolSoon after Thanksgiving, we find ourselves amidst snow and sleigh bells and presents! Ahh... Christmas. If your family is anything like mine, this is a time of year where you dash around last minute trying to find "just the right gift" for the ones we love. Then, we back our customary dish to bring to the families house! We gorge ourselves on hor d' ourves and get caught up. Then, inevitably, one member irritates another family member and soon...it is time to go! lol
Christmas morning, is my favorite time of year. My parents would really make a big deal about Christmas. Mom would spend tons of money on presents and has great "gift giving" skills. (This is apparently not a heritable trait, however as I am horrible at this!) lol We would get up early (who could sleep) and open presents one at a time. Dad would play "Santa" and hand out each present. Lots of pictures were taken, me with my bed head and in "footsie" pajamas. hehehe....
With Christmas, just around the corner, I wanted to write a bit on pets and holidays. First, if you have pets, especially rats, watch what they are fed. Sometimes, with all the foods and desserts around, people are tempted to offer something inappropriate for rats. Please check the rattie care page and find the link on appropriate foods. Desserts and spicy items are not safe. However, fresh veggies, turkey without gravy and potatoes can be offered without fear. Lastly, do not give males anything with oranges.
Second, rats make great pets any time of year. They are a popular pet to give at Christmas time too. Rats are easy to care for, bond, have great sophisticated personalities and are not expensive to manage if you adopt from a breeder with well known lines. A problem arises when the pet rat is purchased for a child and after a year of owner ship, the child loses interest. Sometimes, rats are given as a first pet, instead of the dog or cat which is considered by many to be a "bigger responsibility". The rat may only live for three years however, in that time they will require at least two hours of your affection/interaction. They want to be with you. It is like leaving your best friend in a cage in your room. I don't ever want to discourage anyone from getting a rat because they are great, but we must understand the magnitude of the responsibility that one must take on when deciding to give a child a rat as a pet.
I say this because several times a year I do a walk through at a local shelter. Unfortunately, 4-6 months after major holidays these shelters are inundated with pets such as rats, rabbits, hamsters, guinea pigs, pot belly pigs, cats and dogs. This is why I have a policy where I accept back any rats that I have bred that adopters can no longer care for. Fortunately, few are returned, but when we think about how wonderful rats are and how short their lives are, don't they deserve the very best?
China Doll Kittens
Well I just returned from my rounds. The rats are all happy tonight. It is so relaxing to interact with them. They make me smile on the inside! :) China doll is a great mom! She is nursing diligently and is also very patient with my intrusion! The kittens are two days old. I can see the glistening hair starting to develop on their bodies. I held them in my hand tonight and blew warm air on them and sang my song to them. I held and petted them gently for 15 minutes and then put them back with mom who promptly inspected each one. Once she was satisfied that everyone was OK and accounted for, did she settle over them to begin a new nursing session.
I took this picture (above left) and separated out the ones that I thought looked smaller than the rest of the litter. I added two (left side of photo) to show the average sized kitten. The ones on the right appear to be smaller and more lithe. I am wondering if they are "dwarf". It will be interesting to find out.
The Newcomers: Harley or Not?
Well, as I said before, I am not sure if the newcomers that I adopted from Rat dippity are in fact Harley. Kat and I hope that they are but, there is no guarantee. :) lol I am keeping a close eye on them to see if they display any signs that would indicate that they might be. So far, the hair on their face is too short to be harley, but they are young yet. In fact, today I noticed that they have started to molt. This means that they are losing a baby coat that starts at the head and fans down across the back. During this time, their hair is very short. If they are harley, their hair may shed right out and then grow in to the "characteristic" Harley long hair. If it stays short, then, I will know that I have velveteen. If the kittens, when bred together produce double velveteen dwarfs, I will know that I have a very interesting recessive velveteen gene and not the typical dominant Rex/Velveteen gene! Very interesting indeed! :) So, for now, all I can do is play the waiting game. Everwild is All Wrapped Up!
I was driving home from the barn tonight and I had this brainstorm. I have been getting lots of emails from people interested in adopting rats for Christmas. When I think about the adoption process I am constantly thinking about how I can make it fun and exciting while adopters are waiting for their kittens to grow. Since I want each kitten to be highly valued, I make a big deal about each one, photograph them, and write about them in a journal. However, we are coming up on a big holiday; Christmas. Then, it hit me! Why not let Everwild Rattery make your Christmas special this year! I have decided to offer gift wrapping on items purchased for your rats, free of charge. In addition, I would also like to offer handmade, printed Christmas stockings to place all the toys, treats, and other goodies you might like to pick out from the boutique!
It would be a great way to send a gift or surprise your child with
their new pet this Christmas season! Since I love to sew sooo much, I would be willing to make a stocking for free with orders that total a $150.00 or more! I am going to go to Jo-Ann Fabrics this weekend to select some fabrics and sew a few samples up to put in the boutique annex! The picture above is just a generic place holder image. :)
Here is a sample of some of the Christmas paper I have. I will get another set of designs later in the week! I had so much fun picking out bows and paper! Now to buy lots and lots of scotch tape! lol
Thanks and good night!
Shelley
I took a lesson on Lenny tonight. He is a large 16.3 hh thoroughbred that I ride at a stable near my home. He has a large stride, due to his size, that is challenging for me but, his personality is stellar. Hannah was with me tonight and was kind
enough to take pictures of me. Here is a close up of Lenny's face. This was after our ride. I brushed him down and picked his feet. Then, I wrapped him up in his turn out blanket. He is such a good boy. He even lowers his head back into his halter, like he wants to wear it! I figured out what was going on with Lenny's hind feet. As it turns out, his gait is so big that since we were moving at a walk, he was dragging his hooves. His trot is soooo big that I bounce, bounce, bounce and lose my seat. The instructor worked with me to gain balance. She complimented me on the quietness of my leg and said that I looked like I have been riding for two years... Never mind I could barely stay on the horse! hahaha! The compliments were much appreciated because riding is very hard work!
China Doll Litter Announcement!
China Doll has had her litter tonight. She is the proud mommy of 14 little ratlets!
In the picture to the left, you can see the different eye colors even in newborns. Here we have a black eyed siamese and a red eyed siamese (lower).
Here is a picture of the boys in the litter. This is a first count but, there are six! I do not know which are standard sized and which are dwarfs. Dwarfism is the result of a lack of growth hormone. I would be willing to bet that they will be the same size as their standard sized litter mates. That would be an advantage at any rate. If the dwarf kittens in this litter were smaller, they would have a tougher time getting their share of milk. This is my first litter where the parents were dwarf carriers. I will photograph this group heavily and document how the changes occur over time. I have adopted dwarfs out of standard sized parents before.
I have heard that they tend to be calmer than their dwarf cousins. The breeder, Mellissa from Ratlandia Rattery, had said that the fact that she had dwarfs in the litter didn't become apparent until they were a few weeks old. Of the males, there was only one that was born a red eyed Siamese.
Here is a group photo of the girls! There are eight all together. They are very tiny and so cute! (not to mention noisy!!!) China Doll is an excellent mother.
I have refilled her water bottle, gave her some fresh foods and covered her tub to give her warmth and safety provided by darkness.
Ok, I am off to bed. Long day and it was filled with surprises!
Take care,
Shelley
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