vermin

I just wanted to say thank you for all the wonderful messages and blog comments everyone sent after my blog about losing Martha...it really did make me smile. And big love to Gadget and Vesper, you guys are awesome, thanks for letting me vent

Well, things are very different. I went back up to my parents' house last Tuesday, and took Martha with me wrapped in an old top inside a tupperware box. Seeing her body before I laid her to rest, and realising that all that I was burying was a husk that used to hold my baby, was a great comfort. It hurt as well of course, but closure is a powerful thing.

Here's one of my favourite pictures of her taken the day before she died. I found her spooning with Millie - she's the spooner, Millie is the spoonee:


I couldn't leave Millie on her own - she was already pining for Martha. So the next day I visited the pet shop in my hometown to find a new companion to take back for her.

Now, I'm a firm believer, when it comes to choosing pets, that as long as you have made your intentions clear, the circumstances will provide. I knew that someone would be there waiting for me, and she would make it clear that she was the one I would be taking home.

And what a choice. A big bundle of wriggling furries of various ages, all cute as fucking buttons. I hate the pet industry as a rule, but Millie needed a friend, and I was prepared to put my morals aside for my girl's happiness.

So...who to choose? One of them caught my eye immediately, mainly because she was clambering all over the place while her companions snoozed. Millie being the rambunctious, hyper little criminal that she is, I thought an energetic baby would keep her busy, so PLOP into the carrier she went. She was the cutest little scrap I had ever seen - being only about six weeks old she still had a slightly domed baby head, massive ears and the silliest back feet ever. And she was an adorable colour - she's a husky, and will be a stunner when her coat comes through.

I also fell in love with a big soggy doleful-faced boy in the next tank, but knew I couldn't have him. He'd be on his own, and the extra attention he'd need from me would draw me away from the girls. I hope he finds a good home.

Looking at the rest of the sleeping pile of females, I spotted another face staring intently at me. Another husky rat, with huge black eyes, a big white wedge on her forehead, and her left ear split rakishly down the middle. She looked like a little pirate! She stared and stared and stared.

With the tiny baby still bouncing around in the carrier, I reached back into the rat pen and held out my hand to this little wedge-faced beauty. She lazily raised her head, her eyes popped out like balloons and she slowly, deliberately, sank her teeth into the ball of my thumb. How could I not have her??

PLOP she went too. I had only intended to buy one rat....but no harm in an extra ratty fatty!!

The big one is called Ratchet (aka Captain Ratchet). I suggested the name to someone else in the Rats group before I lost Martha, and decided I wanted it for myself anyway. My Dad suggested I name the little baby Widget (aka Widget The Midget)....and it was perfect for her.

I got them back to The Man's house with no problem, they just slept through the train journey, lulled by the vibration. I introduced them to Millie that night - I really should have quarantined them for at least a fortnight but another two weeks alone would have sent Millie bonkers I think, I mean obviously I was giving her massive love but sometimes a ratty just needs another ratty.

My attempts to integrate Millie and Martha with my much older girls back in April were disastrous, and I hoped that Millie would be ok with the babies.

Ok? She's wonderful. She adores them both already. Widget is still very young, and when she's not keeping out of the way of wrestling matches she's sleeping, but Ratchet is old enough and bold enough to give Mill a run for her money! They're inseparable already - I have to keep Widge in a smaller cage because she can get through the bars of the big cage even with mesh over it all, but I swap Ratchet around through the day to keep everyone happy.

Not that Widge seems to mind - she's a proper mummy's girl already. She loves sitting on my shoulder in my hair, but even more than that, she loves to slide down my chest and live in my cleavage. She set up home there the first day I had her! She's barely bigger than a mouse so it's fine for now, but if she's still doing it when she's a big fat adult it might be a problem!!

I've been talking enough - let's have some pictures shall we?

This is how tiny Widget is.


She loves her new mummy's boobies SO much she goes to sleep in them.


But she agreed to come out for the camera!


Millie (brown) and Ratchet (grey and white) are thick as thieves already I have more pics of Ratchet on my Mum's camera, I'll add those soon.


Here's to smiling ratty fatties. Have YOU hugged a squish today?

xxVxx