Mrs.R has been tirelessly working on the logistics of the Star’s Rat Train. To learn more please read her recent posts here on Rattitude.com, the RatChatter.com forums, and of course at StarsRatRescue.com.

As we have volunteered to both adopt and relay some rats in need we found ourselves in need of current passports. This is generally not a real overwhelming issue but the timing could be a bit better … as it is, I am writing this post as I sit in the waiting area of my local Passport Canada Services office. All my documents are in order so it is simply a matter of waiting for my ticket to be called, speaking to an agent and paying the necessary fees.

Like other posts written from my iPhone, this one will be “published” once I have a chance to sit down at my desk and do a quick review and add a couple of appropriate links.

More to follow …

This just in…

Star’s Rat Rescue has over 143 ratties they rescued this week. They need our help, that’s a lot of ratties to take care of. You can donate via their website http://www.starsratrescue.com/donations.html. You can also purchase products and mail to them, email them off of their donations page for their mailing address.

Or you can order some hammocks and things for the cages through Jen’s Custom Crafts…
I’ve been in touch with Jenny from Jen’s Custom Crafts. Jenny has a program where she helps rescues. She gives you 25% off and free shipping if you order and ship her products directly to the rescue. You do have to order thorugh a special page where the items are currently 25% off of her regular store price. She’s added hammocks onto this page because that’s what Star’s Rat Rescue uses the most of in their cages. So please visit this link and order some hammocks for Star’s Rat Rescue. http://www.jenscustomcrafts.com/ourshop/cat_274477-Rescue-Donations.html

Also, from now through Tuesday June 1, 2010, Jenny will give you an additional 15% off of the “rescue store items”. When you go through checkout please use the code “take15″ in the “customer code” box on the checkout page. This will give you and exta 15% off…totally a whopping 40% off of regular store prices.

She has graciously set up Star’s Rat Rescue on her Rescue Donation page…she gives 10% of her sales to rescues. Since she already has a list going, Star’s Rat Rescue is listed for July 2011, please check the page here http://www.jenscustomcrafts.com/rescuedonationprogram.html

Thank you Jenny!!!! You Rock!!!!

I found this gem of an idea while reading the RatChatter forums:

Every animal has a purpose. We often take our furry, feathered and scaly friends for granted, and it’s this folly that makes us ultimately less like human beings, and more like the animals we once were.
Kerrigannn, member of the RatChatter forums

… I think everyone should share it.

We are very fortunate at the RatChatter forums to have some very talented artists amongst our members. Recently RatPirate posted a link to a collection of some of her recent works.

The last piece is titled: Alien Egyptian Rats Homeworld

Take a moment. Enjoy this imagery. Follow the link above and have a look around. Spread the word. Let your friends know about the RatPirate!

A long time ago I wrote a post about three of our girls and how they came to our home, their forever home. One of the girls, Cat the Rat is still with us (her sisters passed over to the Rainbow Bridge) and enjoying her life with the latest girls we rescued, er, I mean saved … Molly, Mandy, Mindy, and Mel.

Those girls came to us, as their other option was … no life. A good friend of the family contacted us to ask if we would be able to take any of these wonderful creatures into our home and after we heard the alternative the obvious answer was yes. We had room, we always have room in times of need; and, so the four came to live with us.

But, that is not what I started to write this post about … actually I wanted to say that we have gained the respect of the staff at our vet’s office to have them think of us when they learn of pet rats in need. They called just a few days ago asking if we could take in some pet rats as the current owner was at their wit’s end and may feel forced to release them into a field. Again, it was simply, “Yes, we’ll take them.” Then it was, “oh, by the way, how many; and, what sex?”

Fortunately the rats found a new home with a “family friend” and hopefully it will be their forever home. Otherwise, we are still here … in times of need.

We still do not think of ourselves as a rescue … or are we?

The RatChatter web site and the RatChatter forums are two years old today.

It was Aug 1, 2007 that we officially opened the RatChatter forums to the general public, although from the beginning of July 2007 we had sent out a few private invitations to the forums that were also accepted.

Our membership has grown over the last two years; and, Mrs.R and I are very happy for the interest and community that is building.  We have a fantastic group of “Chatters” that we greatly appreciate and look forward to being involved with every day.

Our forum moderators, the “ladies” as we often refer to them, are the best in our minds.  Each one of them bringing a rat-friendly but different view which I believe allows us to keep the RatChatter forums a family-friendly, helpful community filled with care and information to share and grow with.

We have been working behind the scenes to make changes to the RatChatter web site with the intent to change the “portal” front page.  The new “front page” is still being designed and there are a few more details to sort out with the change but we hope to finish in the near future.

We look forward to many more years of activity and we would like to take this opportunity to thank all our members, and staff, for their time; their efforts; and, especially for caring for each other and their families over the last two years.

May we be able to continue, and to thank everyone again, for many more years to come.

Mrs. & Mr. R

Today, as I was going through our morning ritual of breakfast for our little ones I noticed Number 9 laying rather conspicuously staring at the extra daily plate of baby food he has been sharing with WiiOne and Number 8.

I generally start with the triple Ferret Nation and work my way across the room placing the breakfast plates or bowls into each home.  When I reached the last Ferret Nation where the Numbers and Wii live I took a closer look at Number 9.

To my dismay, he passed sometime overnight.  I found Number 9 laying there, looking quite comfortable in what could only be described as a very relaxed almost stretched-out position; just like he had laid down to rest after some playtime with his brothers.

Mrs.R and myself have been readying ourselves in preparation for the next year or so as most of our boys and girls are now over two years old. It would seem Number 9, always the last to go home, will be the one waiting to greet his brothers and sisters as they follow him across the Rainbow Bridge.  As he made sure they were safely home ahead of him in life, he can now make sure they can safely cross when it is their time.

Of course the same photo session that captured Turq with his grape also caught three of our newest girls in a slightly compromising position …

Mandy, Mindy, and Molly caught in the act free ranging between some storage bins of their nesting materials.

Another rat friendly iPaper.  This time it is one of our blue boys with a grape.

Our Turq making sure we all know it’s his grape!

Once again the infamous rat iPapers are here … meet Copper. A rat in the care of Star’s Rat Rescue, one of their resident rats.