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Rampaging Rodents Part 4

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Five Happy(frustrating, anxious, entertaining) Months With Rufus and Reuben

19th April 2005.
 
Its been 5 months since i bought the boys home..  ive had some fun times, frustrating times and some terrifying times...
 
Reuben is starting to get a little better at being picked up, he likes to hide under my hair and scratch the back of my neck...   Rufus has taken to liking being stuffed down the front of my jumper and running around in there for ages, occasionaly taking a peek out the sleeve or investigating at the neck of my jumper and whats new with Mamas Ear...
 
Rufus more than Reuben is a very very determined little rat.... he is determined to make it under the TV table and numerous times ive taken him off only to have him jump back up there again...  this can go on for ages... 
 
22nd April 2005
 
Well mama got home last night earlier than usual, both boys were snug as bugs in their hammock... Rufus was the 1st out when i walked in as he could smell what i was carrying.  Yes... it was Corn and Chiken night...  I opened the cage door and set about changing into some casual clothes and then sat down to eat my dinner.
 
I set aside some of the peas and the 2 corn cobs i had got for the boys....
 
Thinking that they would be happy to stash the corn and nibble as they wanted.
NOt so for Rufus...  I was eating Chicken Wasnt I.....  so after circling the area where I was sitting, trying to pin point  where the lovely smell of chicken was comming.  Rufus homed in on my lap and attempted to climb into the silver tray i had my Chicken Dinner in that I had got from Red Rooster... 
 
I offered him is corn, and peas... but no... this was not what was on his mind.  All the mean time Reuben was still snoozing in the Hammock as he seems to be getting active later and later as the time goes on.....
 
Back on mamas lap comes Rufus and mama puts him back on the floor with his corn...  nope not having any of this thanks mama not while chicken is on the offere.
 
I had not yet eaten the chicken so could not give him the bone, this was not to detern Rufus.... Back on the lap and made a grab for the entire Chicken quarter i had in the tray.... Gravey and all, he managed to get a bit of lose skin and took offf like a shot...  after this i thought i better finish the chicken quickly before he came back and decided to steal the whole thing....
 
Reuben slowley made his way out of the cage about half an hour later and ambled under the lounge where i gave him his share of th bone....
 
Rufus came out from under the lounge and grabed one corn cob in his mouth and bounced off into the bedroom to store the corn in my bed....
 
Reuben seemed happy to stay under the lounge today, sometimes he would go to the lounge with Rufus others he likes solitude.   Rufus came out looking for his brother and they ended up Rubling, of course mama does not like her boys rumbling so she told them off.  Reuben always seems to be the dominant one, is biting Rufus, so i told them off, lectured them again about brawling and then set Reuben on his way and took Rufus into the bathroom with me to give him some time of quiet... He likes to play in the shower recess so i put him on the floor while attending to other bathroom function only to have Rufus make himself quite at home at me feet in the leg of my track pants...  Is nothing sacred now!!!!  ..
 
I noticed later in the evening that Rufus had something on his cheek, so will have to keep an eye on it, am not sure if it is something to do with Reuben picking on him or if it is a flea or maybe something else, if it has not gone in a weeks time ill take him to the vet.
 
26th April
 
Well yesterday was ANZAC day, so had the day home with the boys...  They were happy that they could come out for a run earlier than normal..  so Reuben dissapeared for a while and I was starting to think he may have snuck outside when I was going to to get the laundry...  Turns out he was hiding in his little hidee box..  Whew, that was a close one... 
 
Reuben is still a little cautious with me but is getting better at letting me pick him up and pat him, but he minute I say its my bed time, he is out and gone like a shot...
 
Rufus is getting cheekier than ever...  it is a constant battle trying to keep him from going behind the TV table.  But then Rodents will be Rodents... 
 
2nd May 2005
 
On the weekend while the boys were out rampaging,  Mama thought she would have a laydown and read a book before putting the boys back in the cage.  I decided to lay on the bed as it was a little cool, i put the blankets over me.. 
 
Next thing, there is something cold and wet on my leg, then something sharp climbing up my leg...  OH NO!!!!  then there is something fuzzy crawling up the other leg..  EEEEEKKK!!!!  
 
"HI Mama, what are you doing here"  Rufus seemed to be saying as he popped his little head out from under the blankets...  Then Reuben not far behind him scuttled off when i lifted the blankets and discovered what the comotion was all about...
 
both boys continued to have a bit of a play for a while..  climbing on me and then hiding under the pillows when I tried to grab them
 
5th May
 
I was having a nice Shepards pie for dinner, and thought i would leave some for the boys to snack on before their dinner...  I left them some of the potato and mince  to cool in a plastic container..  Rufus came along and had a lick of it and then  dashed off with a hunk of potato to stash for later.  Reuben was trying to get the lump that was in the middle of the container.
 
Everytim Reuben lent on the edge of the container to reach the middle of the dish, the container would give way under his weight and hit him in the face, then he would step back go for the good stuff again get hit in the face, this went on for a few minutes then to help the poor thing out i held down the other edge so that he could get his taties... 
 
9th may
 
On arrival home, there was a lovely surprise for the boys,  Auntie Andrea sent them a fufferbag  oh the joy of it all,  not only do they now have hammocks from Aunty Robyn but now they have their fufferbag...  what more caould a pair of cute little ratties want out of life.
 
 
on the weekend while i was trying to have a little rest, i had the boys out rampaging...  I curled up for a quick nap, on my bed, only to be head butted by Reuben..  who thought I was in his spot... both boys have "Their own spot" on the bed, and it was rather rude of me to choose Reubens for a quick snooze...
 
So we all got played together for a while, with Rufus rather interested in the book that i was reading...  he gave it a thorough checkout and investigated wvery nook and cranny of it..
 
After much invesigation and play, it was time to put the boys to bed, as always they never want to go to bed when I do, being nocturnal animals...  they just want to play and play and play...  so its a matter of hunt them down and grab them when i can.  Before putting them to bed They get a hug and a scritch.  and lots of kisses and then put into their cages...
 
Tonight was Egg and mash night...  they love their mash potato and their egg.  I had been having a shepards pie for dinner and saved them some of the potato from that, and oh boy did they have a wale of a time chowing down on it... 
 
13th May 2005
 
Winter is fast aproaching and i think the boys sence this.  The other night when it had the 1st rains for a long time, Rufus was out on his little free range time and was far more exuberant than he normaly is...  he was bouncing this way and that, I had the glass door open, as it was rather warmish out side,and he was at the door sniffing and then he would prance off elsewhere then back to the door for another sniff.
 
All the wile Reuben was snoozing in the boys play box..  he poked his head out with a yawn as to see what all the fuss was about and then tucked himselfe back into the box for a nother snooze.  He is much more plumper than Rufus, and is more heading to the "couch potato stage the Rufus is.. 
 
Both boys will be 8 months old next week.. ive had them now for 6 months.. 
dont know where i would be withouth them.... 
 
17th May.,
 
Last week i took home some boxes from work to make up some snuggle spots for the boys while they are out on their free range time..  Both of them love their little hidee holes.  I go the idea from the Dapper Rat Page..   Robyn has a lot of great ideas for fun things for our cute little furry friends to play with.. 
 
Rufus has taken a likeing to my track suit pocket, and the sleeves to the jumper i wear... 
 
I learned a very valuable lesson on Sunday, after getting home from church, i noticed that Rufus was awake, normaly he is snoozing happily next to Reuben, but he seemed to want out and play..  so i thought since im not going anywhere ill let him have a little extra free range time.  Reuben was sound a sleep in his fufferbag..  after watching a little TV, i checked to see what the Rufie was upto..  he was sound asleep in my pajama draw, so i thoughs "Hmmm this will be a good time to have a little "Nana Nap"... both boys are asleep so i can get a bit of shut eye too. 
 
Boy Was I wrong!!!  No sooner had i settled into bed and got comfy, then i feel something cold and wet crawling up my leg, followed by something sharp digging into my stomach...  on investigation.  "Hi mama whatcha doing!!!,  got any treaties..."...  I thought if i ignored him for a bit he may settle down for a sleep with me, but nope!!!  wrong again...  he bounced, he sniffed, he nibbled, he climbed... eventualy i gave up the idea of the nap and had play time with him..  just around that time Reuben woke up so i brought him in to join the fun... 
 
 
6th June 2005.
 
What is it with rats that make them want to pee and poo in their beds..  you make them all nice and clean and then five minutes after they get into their nice cozy beds they poop and pee all over it.... 
 
Rufus is missing some fur from his neck where Reuben has been pickin on him.  he had a bit of blood there, but i cleaned that up, and will hve to keep an eye on both the boys...  most of the time they get on realy well, and there is only the odd tiff or 2 to be worried abourt. 
 
The boys seem to enjoy it when im in be d with them reading my book, they have a game to see how close they can sneek up on me without me spotting them...  every now and then i see a wiskery little face peeping over the pillow at me to say "Hi mama im here.",.
 
Rufus has taken to scratching the top of my head, he is getting very cuddly of late, and Reuben has taken a great fancy to sitting at the back of my neck under my hair....  half haning down my back so as i cant grab him and put him back in the cage.
 
They will soon be 9 months old,
 
Im going to leave them with Lena and Don from the WestOz Rat fanciers for a week while on holidays that reminds me i must call them this week to organise dropping the lads off.  Hope they wont fret too much...  but with other little rattie friends to play with they should be ok.
 
13th June 2005
 
they boys will both be 9 months old at the end of this week....  Reuben seems to be more sleepy, and quite content to sit in his hammock or in his play box.  Rufus on the other hand is still full of beans and get up and go... 
 
I made the boys a new play box, their other one was getting a little wiffey...  as they both love spending time in it... with their snack  foods..    i managed to get a large box that larg padded bags  were shipped to us in..  I thought it would be a little different for them if i cut up other cardbord and stuck it inside to make a sort of maze....  the boys love it...  but getting them out to go back into the cage is a nightmare...  
 
I had taped the top of it up, but had to unstick it to get Reuben out... it was close to 10p, and time for mama to go night night...  do you think he would come out...  NO WAY!!!    Rufus is usualy quite good at coming to me when i call him...  Well most of the time...  but Reuben, talk about a stuborn rat!!!!   
 
so i opened up the box and had a bit of a chase getting hold of Reubs, finaly getting him and putting him up on my shouder he was quite content to sit there for a while, so then it was off to get Rufus from the Bedroom... 
 
both boys are very very very good at playing, now you see me , now you dont...  when i think i see them going under the bed, or on the bed, i search high and low but they are no where to be found. !!!!  shesh. 
 
 
5th July
 
The boys are both 9 and a bit months old now..  Reuben is very much a couch potato and likes to just sit....  the the occasional change of location.
 
Rufus on the other hand is still very much a get up and go type of rattie... 
 
I was off on holidays for 2 week and a week of that I went away so left the boys with Don and Lena from the WestOz Rat Fanciers..  I was a little worried about leaving them and i midded their little rattie kisses and having them begging for what every i was eating at the time. 
 
but they coped well, although a little quieter than they normaly are..  But that was probably just a little separation anxiety...  Its amazing how like humans ratties are...  they get jealous, they are cheeky, they are smart
they get up to mischief... 
 
 
On picking them up at 7pm, it was not quite their wake up time, and Rufus was sitting on his little ledge looking a little bemused, Reuben as always was under the paper and in his little hidding spot in the milk carton halves that i keep for them.
 
I put them both in their travel cage and as soon as they got out side it was action stations...  they were up and sniff sniff her sniff sniff there standing up at the edge of their travel cage looking very much like 2 over excited ratties.. 
 
when we got home as soon as i put them out of their cage they were straight between my legs and there they wanted to stay...  until i dug them out and put them in their play box....  Reuben was quite content to stay there but it did not take Rufus long to get out and sniff sniff sniff, check out the place and make sure all his stashes were where they shou8ld be and that everything was as it should be..  then he stayed close to me in his playboxes..  usualy he likes playing on my bed, but where i was he was and did not venture too far way... 
 
for the next week it was quite a novelty having mama home all day...  they had an early morning run which is not normal, as im usualy in a bit of a rush to get out to work, as i only allow myself half an hour to get up and showered and dressed before heading out the door... 
 
so the boys relished haveing an extra play time.
 
so now things are back to normal, with mama going to work and the boys being home aloan all day, but then they sleep most of the dayt anyway... 
 
The boys will turn 1 on the 22nd september, so we will have to see about having a party for them... 
 
 
27th July 2005
 
the boys are now 10 months old, Rufus is still a ball of "zoom"  he is very much an on the go rat, although in the last few weeks its been a little on the cold side so they have both been more sticking to their play boxes than anything.
 
 
Reuben is starting to get cheeky...  every now and then he will venture out from under the sofa and explore further afield, that is until i talk to him then he zooms back under the sofa and into his play box..   its almost like a game to see how far he can get without mama seeing him....
 
Rufus is still being a handful jumping on the TV table and trying to get under it...  I doubt he will ever get over it..  Reuben is developing a bit of a pot belly, i may be either feeding him too much, or just too much of the good thing.... 
 
they are both getting a little over spoilt, i had put out some peas for them to snack on during play time,  i noticed while i was sitting on the floor, Reubs would come and put his hands on my leg, go over to the bowl, look at me look at the bowl..  back at me back at the bowl..  Cheecky rodent wanted to be hand fed....  so i scooped up a few peas and gave them to him, he shoved as much as he could in his mouth.  then next thing i feel a tap on my rump, its Rufus wanting his share, of hand feeding... 
 
Good grief.... 
 
as it has been quite cold for the last few weeks at night, ive wrapped their cage up in some towls to reduce the amound of cold air that comes in to their  space...    Soon it will be warmer  and they can have more seeing space.  They have recently started chewing on their hammocks which they never did before,... im going to have to order a few more from Robyn (who has sadly lost 3 of her boys in the last month or so... )  .. once i get a few more bills paid...
 
I may get a Loft aswell that will give the boys a little change...  Ive only realy had them a short time but in that time they have become very close to my heart...  their cute little rattie kisses and their ever enquiring if mama woudl like to share her food...  is just so cute...
 
 
2nd August
 
Last night when i was putting the boys back in their cage after their free Range time...  I had Reuben on my shoulder, he had his head burried in my hair and his butt...  and tail sticking out, so i gave his butt a furm scritching, and there was much teeth chattering and fuffery going on,,  looks like i found is sweet spot... 
 
rufus i had put in a box on my bed to stop him from jumping on to the TV table and trying to get under it as well.. 
seems to me the only way to keep him from going where all those naughty electric cables are is to put him in my bed,  I  had just changed the paper in his play box so it was full, i had thrown in some snacks for him and put him on top of the paper.  it took him a little while to get out the holes i had made, and to redistribute the paper to his liking..
 
3rd August 2005
 
Well last night was a first!!!  Reuben has decided that he likes spending time with mama and instead of being in his play box he sat on the lounge , while i was on the floor eating my dinner, and occasionaly jump on my shoulder enquiring if i had anything i might like to share with him.. !!
 
I lay down on the Couch for a little while while watching TV and Reuben came zooming up under my jumper and into the sleeve...  he was quite content to sit there for a while just peeking out from the end of my sleeve, then he decided that he was heading back down and behind the cushions on the sofa...  and then thought he woudl join Rufus in the bedroom...
 
Rufus was in a bit of a manic mood, he was zooming everywhere.. then for a while was quite content to munch on his snack biscuit in the bedroom in his little box on the bed...   Then he came back and he and Reubs had some time in the play box under the lounge before going to bed with googgies for dinner. and honeydue melon for desert.
 
9th August 2005
 
Next week the boys will be 11 months old.  Wow that time has gone fast...
they continue to be very much mamas pride and joy...  Reuben has become very much a neck rattie...  when I pick the boys up he is straight up under my hair and sitting at the back of my neck chattering his teeth and ocasionaly scritching my head for me... 
 
Rufus so long as I pick him up at the same time as Reubs is quite content to share mama, but if he thinks Reuben is getting something and he is not, well there is trouble...
 
Last night i had been eating chicken and given the bones to the boys to gnaw on, i had picked the boys up, adn they could smell the chicken on my breath...
 
"Ok mama whatcha got, i know you been eating something good"  Rufus looked like he was going to give me one of his rattie kisses but then decided to bight my lip, trying to get me to cough up whatever it was that that smelt good to him... 
 
now when i scritch the boys, they both either lick or groom me back, the other day Rufus and reuben were nibbling on my hand, like they were grazing their teeth on my skin, not bighting mind you but just scrapping off some dead skin and cutting the hairs...    Very strange feeling... 
 
Soon they will be 1 year old,.....  oh brother that time has gone fast.
 
24th August
 
 
Its been a bit on the cold side of late, and the boys have not been as active as they usualy are..  Well Rufus in particular.. He has been quite content sitting in his little play box where it is nice and snug and warm.
 
Seems every time i replace the paper lining in the box, both boys work very industriously to remove it from the box and stash it outside the box, or to block up the entry holes.  I learned a while ago to keep the top of the box untaped as trying to get them out of the box if i have to put them to bed was a trying situation. 
 
 
 
The other day i was laying on the couch watching TV, i thought both boys were under the sofa, next thing i know there is a ball of fur zipping up the leg of my track suit pants...   
 
Rufs and decided it was time to play with mama,  trying to get him out was rather interesiting challenge, no sooner did i get him hout he was strait back in..  maybe because it was warm.
 
Its amazing how stealthful they can be..  you think they are in one place then before you know it ...  Good grief what was that crash, and one of them has gone from being where you thought they were to being in the bathroom and knocking things over
 
 
29th August
 
In 3 weeks time it will be the boys 1st birthday...   
boy has that time gone fast ill have to get the boys a cake or something nice  
 
Their old play box has been rather run down and peed on too many times so i got them a new one and changed the design.. 
 
Of course Rufus had to be in on the inspection on how the construction went.   And if it was not to his satisfaction Mama would have had to do it all over again.
 
Fortunately Reuben is not as fussy, he is a very content rattie sitting in his little box and enjoying his time.
 
Rufie is still a very much on the go and get out and do things rattie...  Reubs forever i think will be a sit and watch the world go buy rattie.
 
Mama now has a song for her little ratties.  I sing it to them when its cuddle time just before going back into their cage, sort of like a lalabye.
 
it goes something like this... 
 
"mama's got the rufus mama's got the reuben,
Mamas' got the Rufus and the Reuben.
 
Mama's got the Rufuses, mama's got the Reubens
mamas got her two little boys.
 
mamas got a Rufie mama's got a Reubie
mamas got her two little ratties"
 
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