Rampaging Rodent Reports 7

my Reuben is a little on the snuffly side at the moment!! we have had some smoke in the air due to council burning down south from here that has driffted up.. so dont know if it is that that is making him snuffly or if he is getting something. When I hold him i use a little physio theraphy on him by patting him firmly but gently firmly on his chest and back. he sneezes and is fine for a while..

If he is still snuffly in a few days time.. its off to the vet for Reubs

Here is hoping its just the smoke thats been around.@!!!

Does anyone else get woken up at 2 or 3 am to a chirping bruxing begging
rattie asking to come out to play....

Since moving the cage into my room, Reuben has insisted on waking me up
at this time. Ive been a little cautious due his having had the
snufflies for a few days. also since finding the lump on his hind leg...
. And his begging is just so adorably cute, i cant help but get him out
and put him in the bed until its time for his play time in the play box
at 5.30am... As soon as i put him under the covers with me, he snuggles
down with me for a short scritch and then off he goes onto his pillow or
at the end of the pillows to snuggle down for a few hours..

I then get disturbed by a tapping on the legs or arms reminding me its
5.30 and time for play box time..

also before i put him in the cage for the night, i have him in bed with
me, Last night i made a sort of tent for him by bending one knee up and
crossing the other leg over.. Next thing he is tapping my foot, i
asked "Who is playing with mamas toes... " obviously not getting his
hint.. he then proceeds to tap my onlthe thigh as if to say, "Excuse
me but can you put the covers back the way they were".. on lowering my
legs and blanket he snuggles up again and is quite content..

Good grief....

21st June 2006

Ive noticed that Reuben seems to be fretting at night in the cage by him self.. if im not being woken at 3am wanting to come out.. He is making a huge racket banging on the cage as soon as the lights go out.. (sigh).. Last night i got home late at 10pm, let Reuben out for his play and treat. and then at 11, was realy tired so went to bed, with Reubs tucked in with me for a half hour reading.. then at 11.30 i put him in the cage with his dinner. thinking.. Ah, he will eat and be ok, until morning.

NO WAY!!

As soon as the lights went out, the cage started rattling, and bruxing noises started... I thought at 1st he was a bit snuffly, but it was just one of his cute little bruxes.. so i turned on the light to check he was ok. Huge Smiles I was greated with.." Hi Mama " Ok, he is alright.... off with the light again. On with the cage rattling and bruxing again.. Ok im not going to get any sleep this way... so I got up by now it was around midnight, and put him in the play box with his food for the night... !!

I got up at around 5am to check on him after a 5 hour sleep.. and He was quite happily sitting in his favorite part of the play box.. so i bought him into bed with me for a short time.. then after half an hour, and needing more sleep, i put him back in the play box,. Only 5 minutes later i hear scurrying and rustling of paper... and a Thump!! I leap out of bed "Whats wrong Reubs".. Check the play box, No Reubs..

Mama Freeks

"Where is my Foofy Boy, where is my Woobies".. i franticaly search, and as im heading back into the bedroom to search there incase he headed in there.. here comes Reuben bouncing out, "Here i am mama""... Whew.. So back into bed i take him with me.. And very un like the normal Reuben, he starts Roaming around the bed, my pillow, over the doona , under the doona, over mama, back over the dooner and the pillows.."play with me mama, play with me... " . onto mamas chest and sits there while im trying to doze and scritch at the same time. He then decided that sitting on my face woudl be a good thing... thanks Reubes but .. its not a good idea.. i do need to breathe.. (Im knackered after 4 hours sleep the previous few nights and only 5 that night... I need atleast 8 hours.)

I have a strange feeling that this is going to be a regular occurrence.. SO in desparation of a nights sleep.. im going to trial having a small box , a box from work that the photo copy paper come sin.. ( his play box is way too big to fit on my bed).. cut it down to a reasonable hight so i can put it under the sheets, fill it with news paper, and put his dinner in that and see how we go with him "sleeping" in my bed. Now i can hear a few Groans and "Oh No you fool's " comming from some of you.. But if you have any better ideas please let me know..

wish me luck.

10th July 2006

Well its been a while since ive written about my little Reuben (aka Woobies, the Reubs, the sneeky little peeky)

His bumblefoot has cleared up nicely, there is still a bit of a lump there, and while im on holidays in a few weeks time ill take him back to the Vet for a check over to make sure he is doing ok. His sniffles seem to have eased quite a lot,.. so thats a relief..

since Having him on the Bed with me at night, he seems to have settled quite nicely.. i only get the occasional head but or hand on the leg, enquiring if its play time every now and then.. most of the time he is rumbling with his teddy that i have placed in the box. he has his snack foods in there too. Ive placed a towl under the box and over his half of the bed incase of accidents..

Ive noticed that his play box he is becoming fastidious with the area he uses as his sleeping area.. if he is in there, i sometimes give him a snack of either corn, or his treat (laced with the antibiotic).. or a Lamb or chicken bone.. sometimes a piece of sushi.. he seems to immediately look at me as if to say.. "Excuse me mama, this is my bed, not the dining room, the dining room is over here".. he then promptly takes the piece of food to

another area of the box, which he deams his dining room... (the interior dining room, he also has an alfresco area too.. outside the box)

If im home early enough and he has had an hour or more in the play box, i put him on the lounge with me, and give him a snack of peas and sometimes his Treatie, if i have not already given it to him when he was in the box. sometimes he will curl up on a cussion, in the far corner away from me tucked up next to the big pillows, under the dooner i have on the lounge. othertimes ill see him sneeking up to sit next to me for a little while and a little scritch.. then he will head off to somewhere else on the couch for some alone time.. then he will sneek back over. (its quite funny watching this lump under the dooner moving in all directions... ) for another curl up next to me and occasionaly is content laying with his head and hands in my hand and his hind legs resting on a cushion.. .

He mainly now freeranges and is only in the cage if im going out... which seems to make him quite happy..

so all in all he and i are doing rather well together since the loss of Rufus. which was 4 weeks ago.. that time sure has gone fast.

7th August 2006

Well ive just had a nice 2 week holiday, and much to Reubens delight, (and probably a huge mistake on my part as he will expet more of it) He only spent a total 12 hours in the cage.. out of that 2 week....(and people have accused me of spoiling the little fellow Hmph).. We have had many outings to varous places, sometimes down to the river,as it has been quite wet and cold for the last w2 weeks ive not taken him out of the car, but let him climb over me and the seat and the dashboard.. which he seems to enjoy, i put the window down a small way so he can smell the water.. and the other things that are out side.. there are too many crows and magpies to have him out also.

Much to his delight he has had several trips with mama for outings.. One of these outings was to purchase a "Pet Shuttle" Its a small enclosed carry box (which is actualy oval shaped).. has vents in the sides and top but the rest is fully enclosed, its to be used when Reuben and i go bike Riding.. The other purchase we made was a Bike .. the basket that i got for the bike is wire so as we are zipping along lots of breeze will blow in, and only a little will get in via the vents on the sides, so that he want catch cold or anything.. Ive take a photo of it, as soon as i finish off my photos ill put them up..

We have had many other outings, he has come to a bible study class with my on Tuesday night, and was a huge hit... One of the ladies that is there had ratties in her college days, and just fell in love with him!! there was much scritching and fussing which Reubs seemed to enjoy..

He came with me to pay some bills, although i did not take him in the shop as i was sure they would object.. and on several other outings, Always on returning home he had to do the sweep of the lounge to make sure no one else had been there..

Reuben has also discovered a new game.. One of my Sweat shirts / Windcheaters has a firly firm band on the bottom and i usualy tuck this up to make sort of a Hammock style area .. all the others are loose fitting... During cuddle time, Reubs usualy sits on my chest under my sweater and re-designs what ever T-shirt im wearing.. well the other day he was on his way out Which with the other sweaters he just ambles on out from under my sweater and straight under the dooner we snuggle under on the lounge.. To his fascination he could not find his way out, so he did several laps around mamas waiste, curled up for a bit, did a few more lapps, curled up for a bit of a rest.. As i was going about my business organising dinner and such he was quite content just curled up at one hip or the other....

Only trouble is when he is in there he does not want to come out.. I think he get a bit of a kick out of something different.. Only trouble is sometimes if i dont time it right and i go to support his weigt when i go to get up untill he finds his footing.. Occasionaly.. My hand ends up with a puddle in the middle or an over flow.. Yes ladies and Gents Rattie pee. Which is the 1st time he has ever peed on me, in the almost 2 years that ive had him.. .. .... so that meant i had to change sweaters..

Apart from His play box which he spent a lot of time in, he has a little snuggle bed which is a cat bed with sheep wool ( or i think it may be faux sheep wool, and is padded.. he has taken a liking on these cold night and days to curling up in that.. I have an old T-shirt wrapped around it to give him a bit of extra security..

so this moring on my return to work, i left a very disgruntled rattie locked in his cage.... the look of " But Mama!!! I want to sleep in my play box " Was just too much to bear... I had explained over the last few days that mama had to go back to work, so he had to go into the cage.. but well Ratties will be ratties..

Just before I went on holidays Robyn very kindly sent me Fang (an ikea rattie).. Introductions between Fang and Reuben were a bit slow to begin with, but now they are Best buds.. Although Reuben Most certainly has shown Fang who is "Boss"

So far Fang has almost lost one foot, his tail is hanging on by the bearest of threads.. Everytime i sort out the bed for bed time, i place fang right side up in one spot, next morning, he is upside down and in a different spot..

I thought while i was on holidays that i would try to take some photos of the 2 together.. (and as many of you know you can never get a rattie to

co-operate when you want to take a photo..If you have rattie wranglers on hand to help with the rattie photography your lucky.. ) so im sure there are lots of Furry Butt shots, and I took some of them on the loung, on the bed and under the lounge.. As soon as i finish off the film ill get them developed and put them up ..

I have (I hope) managed to get a few decent shots of the 2 together.. and some nice ones of Reuben on his own..

During the my holiday i had pleanty of time to stay up late and play with Reuben, everynow and then he would like to sneek up on me and tag me then turn tail and run between the bed box and the pillows.. then i would scratch the box and drum my fingers quickly on the bed to make it sound like another rattie scurrying .. all the while saying "Where is that rattie, where is my boy.. where's the rattie gone..... "

sometimes when i wake up i find Reubs curled up next to Fang, waiting patiently for me to wake and put him down for play time int he play box.

16th August 2006

Ruebs and i went and picked up our Bike on Saturday.. It was too wet and cold to go out riding on the weekend plus i was in bed ror 3 days with the flu..

I set up Reubens little Bike capsule and put him it it to see how he would fit.. its a nice snug fit so he cant get hurt while we are zipping along the bike paths.. ive got some photos of him investigating his new play toy.. so as soon as i get the photos developed ill put them up ont he rattie sites.. He seemed quite impressed.. and rather excited.

Ive also set up a sun shade for when it is a sunny day so he does not get too hot.. I had an old Canteen Bandana and tied to to the basket handle and used some hooks to fasten it to the back of the basket..

As soon as its a nice sunny day, Reubs and I will be zipping around on our new bike.

18th August 2006

The other morning , at 2.30 am, I woke up with a sharp pain in my left hip.. I thought i may have injured it the day before or something.. but it was just one small area.. So i turned over, and it went away... then after a few minutes of laying on my back, there was a pain in the middle of my back.. Oh brother what is going on.. Still being rather sleepy, i turned over again.. this time the pain was in my right hip..

SHESH!!!!

So I thought i would check on Reuben. Turned on the Bedside lamp, to mid strength (ive got one of those tough lamps that you have 3 brightnes settings depending how many times you touch it.) . he was quite happliy beating Fang up... Ok, your happy, ill try and get back to sleep..

Only to be faced with the same problem... so when it was 4. 30 and still not able to sleep, it got Reuben up for his play time in the play box...

sorted out the bedding and what sould i find!!!!!! a Chicken bone that I had given Reuben before going to bed, he had obviously either finished with it, and thought he would discard it, or he was being a nice rattie and sharing with mam.. the edge of the bone had been chewed to a nice point... !!!

22nd August 2006

Finaly we had a nice day so i could take Reuben for his first bike ride.. Having been 15 or so years since i last rode a bike, i was a little wobbly to start off... (I think poor Ruebs got sea sick)..

After i had lunch, the following conversation was heard..

Mama : Wheres my baby, who wants to come tat tahs with mama

Reuben: Yawn... what was that...

Mama: Would you like to come tatas with mama?

Reuben: Tat tahs....did you say Tat Tahs... Yaaaayyy!!! Where are we going.. hey wait a minute this is not my Travel cage..

hey this is new...... no one has peed on here yet... Oh look Peas...... and my B'anky....

Mama: Here is your water bottlies..... Up you go into the basket..

Reuben.. Hey whats this this isnt the car... Hey this is new..

On rolling the bike outside it was a bit bright so Reuben dived under the B'ankie I locked the door and off we went.

Reuben: hey mama hold on there your making me sick... (dived back under the B'ankie)

Mama : sorry Reubs mama has not ridden a bike in a while..

Once i got my self sorted and steadies and worked out how to use the gears, We were finaly off and racing..

Reuben: hey whats that smell. (a cute little pink nose pokes out one of the ventilation holes and then hops to another). Is that you up there mama.. Oh look over there.. hey this is kind of fun.

Since this was our first ride together we only had a short 20 minute ride, so as not to do too much strain on the muscles and to get Reuben use to the capsuel.. On arriving home 9beign so out of shame and unfit) We headed home and by this time Reubs was enjoying him self so much..

Reuben: Oh are we home already, can we go out again.. i dont want to go home..

mama : Sorry Reubes mama is exhausted,,,..

Reuben was then sent off to play in the play box and mama crashed out on the bed for a 3 hour nap..

31st August 2006

Well ive gone and upset Reuben the other day...

I took home a fresh cardboard box to make into a new play box for him.. I cut out some extra cardboard to divide the box up into new little hidee holes for him.. put him in it while i was half way through to see how he liked it.. he had a bit of a sniff around and scuttled strait off under the lounge into his old , Much Much peed, pooped and chewd on box....

I finished off the new one, (which is by all accounts smaller than the old one, as that was the only sized box i could get at this point in time.. ) filled it with torn up news paper, retrieved Reubs from his old smelly box... and put him in the middle of the new one so i could thow out the old one... SIGH!!!

As i was picking up the old box and about to take it out to the bin.. i noticed Reuben dangling from the side of the old box.. it took him 10 seconds to work out how to get out the new box, and he was clinging to his old box..

"No mama dont take my play box away.... "

"Mama made you a new one."

"No mama dont take my play box away....." sniff sniff sob sob...

"But this one is very old and dirty and smelly, mama has to throw it out so it does not attract Roaches.."

" But i like Roaches mama"

so I quickly Put him back into the new box, which he quickly scuttled out of and into his snuggle bed.... (which is a wool lined cat bed covered over with a tshirt) and there he sulked for the rest of the night..

I made the new box on monday night and its taken until last night for him to venture into the new box.. all the while sulking... and refusing to play with me.

Sigh

11th September 2006

Last night after heading to bed, i was reading for a little while and playing chasy with Reuben around his beddie time box and pillows..

I then told him i was going "Nigh Nighs" he is fairly good then after i tell him this and he goes into the box and eats his dinner or beats Fang up.

Then around 2am i heard a thump and a chittering sound.. Reuben had taken a dive bomb off the pillows onto the bed..

"Whats the matter Reubs \, are you ok"

foof foof brux brux..

so i gave him a cuddle, with foofing, bruxing and chattering , i put him on my chest and tried to snooze and scritch him at the same time.. after around 15 mintutes he was content so waddled off to pick on fang, and have a nibble on his snacks..

then 5am, i felt a thump on my chest and some wiskers and bruxing in my ear..

"WAKE UP MAMA Its play box time.."

"Whats the matter Reubs are you ok.. "

"Its time to go to the play box.. "

"Ok...."

So i give him a scritch and we sing our play box time song.. i take him out to the loung and pop him down near his play box, he

gets a drink from the bowl that is near the box, and bounces off to play while mama goes back to bed for an extra hours sleep..

After ive had my hour extra sleep, i get up and get ready for work, grab Reuben from his play box..

"Mama has to go to work now Reuben, mama does not want to go but she has to"

foof foof brux.. lick.

so we sing our mama love the Rattie song..

and he goes into his cage happy and content to curl up in his new Fooferdome that arrived on Friday from Aunty Andrea.. also there was a new Foofer bag but Reubs wanted the psycadelic Fooferdome for his cage this week.. (pictures will follow when i get them developed.)

.15th September

It is with great sadness that i must announce the death of Reuben.....

If I had been thinking straighter Tuesday when I took him to the vet I probably should have asked he be put to sleep then... Instead of Having him suffer..

He had not eaten much, but he did lick some baby food from my finger.. He did it to make me happy..

He had a series of convultions after I got home, I could have taken him to an emergency vet, which would have cost me $150 to have him put to sleep.. ($20 for the drug and $130 fee for after hours service)..

I wrapped him up in his snuggle bed with one of his bankies and Fang.. He climbed out and fell off the bed.. So I put him in his travel cage and wrapped him up in there..

2am I heard the cage rattling and him squeeking.. I checked him and he was cold and wet so I just snuggled with him he had a series of convultions each getting a little less.. I just told him I loved him and I was there for him.. Rufus took him over the bridge at 3am....

My normal vet did not open til 8am, but I went there at 7.30 and they were taking in day boarders so I left him with the vets.. I realy could not deal with burying him....

He is happy now with Rufus and the other ratties at the bridge..

MY REUBEN IS GONE.

Oh little Reuben, my precious little Reubie so suddenly, you left me

you have gone to join your brother, he called by one cold morning to take you

to the bridge.

You left me all alone and sad,

You use to call me Mama.

I picked you up one November night when you were small

And fluffy as can be. You and Rufus came home to live with me

And we were happy as could be.

You were a very reserved little rattie, and took your time to grow

You took your time to get to know me, and now you have had to go.

You were very brave when Rufus went to the Bridge

You tried your hardest to brux and foof and cheer me as you did.

It was only after that that you came into your self.

You became my very special little boy… who loved to cuddle

And snuggle with me.

You were always over shadowed by Rufus, as most siblings

Can tend to be.

We have had many an advent going out on our bike

For nice little rides , just you and just me..

Ill miss that cheeky little face peeking out from under the sheets

And ill miss the way you liked to play Tag and run hide somewhere

Out of site.

Ill cry a little, ill sigh a little, ill remember as you were.

Such a cute little furry rattie, who love to play tag the disappear.

But my precious little Reuben, your off at the Bridge were all

Good ratties go.. Your having fun with Rufus and all the others

Who have gone on before.

One of these days the hurt and sorrow will be no more.

Then maybe one day ill be able to be brave and get some

More little ratties to adore..

I miss you little my precious Reuben, say hello to our Rufus for me

When you get to the bridge, Ill see you again, some time..Your

charming little rattie smile will Be at the bridge there to welcome me

________

so now i am alone and without my babies.. ill wait a few months until i feel that i can find it in my heart to go through this all again..

both rufus and reuben were very special little boys...

So closes the Rampaging Rodent Reports for now....