How to Tell If Your Rat is Sick

*Marbles*

Rats can get sick just like you and I and when we get sick we go to the doctor, you should also seek out the advice of a doctor for your rat when he gets sick. A Veterinarian that specializes in exotics will be the best one to take him to. They will already have had previous experience with others rats and will be more helpful than a Vet who has little or no experience with exotics.

Respiratory Infections

Respiratory infections are the most common ailment seen in rats. They can get them from being in bad bedding such as Cedar or Pine shavings as well as getting too cold or chilled and being around other rats with an infection. These infections can be fatal so getting them to a vet's office right away is essential. A vet will most likely give you antibiotic medication to give to your rat with a dropper or you can mix with food. The vet will show you how to administer the medication before you leave. If your rat is sneezing a lot, making wheezing noises or you hear crackling coming from his chest you should get a vet's help.

Tumors

Tumors or cancerous growths are very common in rats as well. Sometimes they can be removed. If your rat develops a tumor and he looks like he is in pain or stops drinking or eating and his health isn't good enough for him to make it through a surgery, your vet can humanely euthanize him. While you are playing with your rat you should routinely check him for lumps each week. Sometimes they can be found before they progress too far and your rat will likely make a full recovery after surgery.

Skin Problems

Scabs, cuts and small sores are the most common skin problem with rats. Small cuts can be caused by a rat cleaning himself and his nails being too long or sharp. You can trim rat's nails with baby toenail cutters or by taking a nail file and filing down the very tips of the nail. Scabs should be looked at more closely as they can be signs of a bigger problem. Sometimes scabs are the result of mites or lice and this can be treated with over the counter sprays and medicines from most pet stores, but if it doesn't work you will need to take your rat to a vet to get proper care. A vet can clear up lice and mites very quickly.

If there are two rats in a cage and one of them has bald patches of hair, they might be doing what is called barbering. One rat may excessively groom another rat to the point of his hair falling out. Most times they do this because they are stressed, bored or sick. Giving them plenty of toys, lots of time out of the cage and affection will keep them from getting bored. They may also get abscesses on their feet, also called Bumble Foot. These abscesses will look like small dark sometimes red or brown lumps on the bottom of their feet. Most times a vet can get rid of them by lancing the wound, cleaning it out and giving them topical and/or oral antibiotics.

Broken or Bleeding Toenails

It's quite common for a rat to break or partially rip out a toenail. Their toe will bleed and you may think its worst than it actually is. If this happens the best thing you can do is rinse the nail off, use a styptic pen or powder to stop it from bleeding. Most veterinarian offices will have it and can give it to you. If you don't have this you can always use a small amount of flour. You can also put a small amount of antibiotic ointment such as Neosporin on the wound. Do not pull off a toenail that is hanging on. You rat will do this himself when he is cleaning or it will fall off on its own. A rats toenail will heal surprisingly fast so a vet's visit is rarely needed unless it gets infected.

When a rat gets sick they seem to go downhill very fast so getting them the professional help they require in time is essential. Most rats will make a fast recovery if treated by a professional and you will have many more days with them. Knowing before you get a rat or any animal that you may have to spend money at a vet's office is something you have to think about. Once you bring an animal home you are responsible for their health and well being. Being responsible means being able to take care of all their needs when the time comes.

What Does Your Rat See and Smell?

Rats don't see as well as we do, but they do see things differently. A rat will get a feeling for its environment with his whiskers. Rat's whiskers are the most important thing he has to get a feel for what's around him. A rat will rapidly brush his whiskers along the floor, carpet, cage and even you in order to get a picture of what is around him. Rat's whiskers are more sensitive than humans fingertips in the way they let him know what he is around.

When you're playing with your rat, just watch his whiskers as he walks across the couch, walks along your arm or the floor. They will constantly brush their whiskers along whatever they are next to. They will feel all the tiny indentations, dents, dimples and bumps that we never notice. They know if the surface is smooth, bumpy, or cracked.

Rats have a highly developed sense of smell. As you watch your rat walk around also pay attention to his nose. You will notice his little nose constantly twitching, smelling the air, the carpet, you and any other rats he is around. Your rat may be asleep while you are making dinner but once he gets a whiff of what you're cooking he will most likely be up, jumping around letting you know he smells what's for dinner and he wants some too.

Rats love to stick their noses into small cracks and crevices that hold all sorts of wonderful smells for them. They will try to dig their way through any small opening to find the smell if they like it and they have sharp nails to help with the digging as well as long sharp teeth. Rats love to gnaw on things, so if you let your rat run loose in the living room, expect him to chew on the wooden table legs.

Your rats vision isn't very good, at best what they see more than a few feet away is blurry. That is why a rat will come up to and sniff you, lick you and his ears will twitch when you talk to him.

Because rats are so close to the ground, the things they see are going to be different from what you and I see. If you put your rat on the floor, he isn't going to see just a carpeted floor, he's going to see all the small things on the floor that the vacuum missed the last time you used it, he's going to see a great hiding place behind the couch and a wonderful place to run along the wall.

Rats are very inquisitive, they will seek out fun places to run and climb onto. They will shred your clothes, curtains and any other fabric they find to take back to their nests. They think it would be great bedding material.

Have fun with your rat, but take care where you let him roam as he may get lost, chew up your furniture, wires and walls or just climb somewhere he can't get down without hurting himself.

How To Give A Rat A Bath

Wild rats are very used to being in the water, they will swim through sewers, ponds and even your swimming pool to get where they need to go. Domesticated rats are another story though. While some rats love the water, others will claw your arms and hands and maybe even bite you to get away from the water.

*Lucky got his first bath back on July 10th. He had a little buck grease on his back and so a bath was in order to wash the greasiness out of his fur.*

The best way to make sure you won't have a problem giving your rat a bath if they need one is to introduce them to water long before it becomes a necessity. If you introduce your rats to the water when they are younger and make it a positive experience they are going to be less likely to be afraid when you try to give them a bath. If however no matter what you do your rats don't like the water, you should only bathe them when it becomes necessary. If they smell bad it's probably time to clean the cage instead of giving them a bath. If they get into something that covers their hair and the only way to get it off is to give them a bath, there are ways to prepare.

First thing you should do if bathing becomes necessary is make sure you are in a room you can close off from the rest of the house. The bathroom is perfect as you can close the door. Make sure your rat can't escape and hide under any furniture, get caught behind any appliances or jump from somewhere high and break his leg.

Put just enough warm water in the tub to reach over your rats legs, if your rat is scared, putting too much water in the tub will scare them more. You don't want them to accidentally drown while you are trying to wash them. Make sure the water is warm to the touch and the temperature in the room is warm. Rats can get respiratory infections very easily.

Don't use a human shampoo or body wash, this can cause drying to their skin. Instead get a Critter Shampoo like Squeaky Clean. Most pet shops will carry animal shampoo. Petsmart carries several types of shampoo for small animals. When you start washing them make sure not to get the shampoo in their ears, eyes or mouth. Add just a small amount to your hand and rub all over the rat's body, even the tail. Holding your rat under his body and gently washing him will make him feel more secure. Don't be surprised if you rat poops in the water, they will do this when they are stressed or upset. Just scoop out the pellets and continue with the bath. To rinse your rat off, gently swish some water upon your rat's body with your hand.

After the bath, wrap your rat in a soft towel and pat them dry as much as possible. Some rats will curl up in the towel and let you hold them until they dry. But most will start cleaning themselves right away and will keep cleaning until they are dry.

Make sure to give your rat a treat after the bath, this will help settle them down and make them feel better. You should always talk soothing to your rat and give them treats after they do something that may be upsetting to them.

Lucky seemed to like his bath, he just laid in my hand and let me wash him and then when he was all done he licked, licked and licked his fur some more until he was dry. 

Happy Raturday!

Welcome to a new weekly blog post I'm calling, Raturday! I've seen Caturday and while that's really cute, I think the rats needs some photo time so everyone can see how cute these little animals are. I've gotten permission from Rat Logic's fb page to share their pictures on my blog. So get ready to smile because these are cute. 

*click pictures to enlarge*

Review: Private Selection Blue Corn Tortilla Chips, Salsa and Select Blend Nuts

This week I received a Bzzkit from BzzAgent with all kinds of Private Selection goodies in it. This is what it looked like when I opened the box. 

Inside the box was an assortment of coupons including coupons for free products like Private Selection pie, bacon and frozen fruit. I also received a bag of Private Selection Blue Corn Tortilla Chips, Private Selection Salsa and Private Selection Mixed Nuts. 

Hubby and I dug into the tortillas and salsa right away. *can't really expect us to wait until after dinner, right?* 

Now this is my first time trying Blue Corn Tortilla Chips and I have to say I was a skeptic but they were actually quite tasty. I've had the salsa before so I already knew I would like it. I like the Private Selection Salsa because it has a great flavor, a lot of chunky vegetables and isn't so hot and spicy that I can't eat it. It has a great mild flavor to it and for someone who doesn't eat a lot of spicy foods, that's a plus for me. 

We also opened the Private Selection Select Blend Nuts *you know, because the can was sitting there mocking us and we pretty much had to because the temptation became too much for us* and I was pleasantly surprised to find that the mix of nuts was a good one. There were cashews, pecans and macadamia nuts in this canister. 

Not only were there a great selection of nuts in the can but they tasted very fresh. They didn't have too much salt on them and they had a great flavor. I would definitely recommend all of these products to you to try for yourself. 

I received these Products from BzzAgent. Have you signed up with them yet? No, well what are you waiting for? You could be getting free products to try at home just like I do. Just click here and sign up for an account, it's simple and easy to do and all you have to do is share your thoughts, write a review and share on social media about the products you receive from them. 

Disclaimer: I received these products for free to try at home from BzzAgent.com in exchange for my truthful review. I was in no other way compensated for my honest review. All thoughts and ideas expressed are my own.

Review: Cassani Fogless Shower Mirror

 *This is what the box looked like when I got it.*

Ken painted our bathroom a really nice light green color not too long ago and I've slowly been upgrading things in the bathroom to make it look better. I even painted the frame around my little flower pot a light green to match the new look and bought a new green rug.

So I'm always looking for new things to put in the bathroom to spruce it up a bit more. So when I got the chance to get this Cassani Fogless Shower Mirror for free to try at home, I jumped at the chance. I've never had a mirror in the shower before and why would I when it would just fog up and I wouldn't be able to use it, right?

So when I read that this one was fogless and shatterproof, I really wanted to try it out. I used to have a handheld mirror but it got dropped and broke some time ago so this is a great replacement for that.

This mirror was easy to install in the shower and nice to have around not only for hubby who can now keep his razor in the shower instead of on my perfume shelf but once the mirror is installed, it's going to stay in place. It came with adhesive holder that all you have to do is clean off the area of the wall you are going to stick it to and then place the backing on the wall and hang the mirror. Much better and safer than those suction cup holders that never stay where you want them.

*This is the mirror, mirror holder and razor holder*

I like it because I can also use it to see what I'm doing when I use a face wash or scrub on my face while showering.

I received this product for free in exchange for my honest review.

Weekly Rat Facts: Accessories and Toys

While it's important to give you rat some toys for their cage, it's just as important not to put so many toys and accessories into the cage that they have no room to move around. The best thing to do is to put a couple of small toys in the cage and see which ones they will actually play with, then once a week when you clean out the cage take the toys they don't play with out, and replace it with another.

This will keep your rat happy as well as give them something to do when you aren't playing with them. Keeping your rat mentally stimulated will keep them happy and therefore healthier. Keep in mind you don't have to spend loads of money on cage accessories and toys. Hand made toys can be just as effective as the store bought ones.

The most important accessory and the first thing you should get for your rat's cage is a nesting box for sleeping. Rats sleep a lot and having a safe, secure place to sleep will make them happy. Rats like to hide inside something while sleeping and there are several store bought things you can get that your rat will love. Things like log cabins, houses made from wood, and plastic igloos are just a few.

Make sure to look at other animal accessories, like ferret, chinchilla, guinea pig and even birds will have nesting houses, toys and accessories that you can use for your rat. Once you have the nesting house you will need to add some nesting material, such as extra bedding, shredded paper towels, and even torn pieces of paper are appropriate. Never use wood shavings as bedding or nesting material. Soft bedding made of paper products, such as Care Fresh works best. You will have to clear out and clean the nesting box material more than once a week if your animals are urinating in the nesting box. Rats like their environment to be kept clean.

Getting toys for your rat's cage is essential and will give your rat as well as you hours of fun. They will have fun playing and you'll have fun watching them play. Some but not all rats will like the wheel. Make sure to get a solid metal wheel with no wires. Rats can catch their tails in between the wires of some wheels and get injured.

Making treat boxes is another fun way for rats to play. Just take an empty toilet paper tube, put some treats inside it like nuts, fresh veggies or small dog biscuits and fold up the sides. You rat will love to tear the tube apart and get to the treat inside. There are also treat boxes in most pet stores that have a wide variety of treats in them. Store bought toys like wood chews, treat sticks, exercise balls, and plastic tubes are just some things you can get.

Hanging bird toys are another great thing you can put into your rat cage. Just hang the bird toy from the top and let it hang down, you rat won't be able to stop himself from chewing and tugging on it. Make sure you have a sturdy food bowl and give them plenty of food. They like to munch several times a day. A water bottle is a necessity; make sure your rat has a clean supply of water every day. Putting water in a free standing bowl is not a good idea as they will tip it over and get their bedding wet. Hard plastic or glass water bottles are the best to get. Rats like to chew so if you get a soft plastic water bottle you may find holes in it soon after you put it in the cage.

No matter how many toys you give your rat, make sure they get plenty of attention and playtime out of the cage with you. Rats are social animals and love to have time out of their cage, hanging around their humans, riding on your shoulder and getting bits of your food.

Freebie Friday!

Welcome to another edition of Freebie Friday, where I tell you what free samples and full sized products I received in the mail and how you can get them too. Someone asked me why I do a 'Freebie Friday" each week, so I'll tell you.

A while back I listed all the free samples and wins that I had received that previous year and so many people didn't believe that I could have gotten so many free things. So I decided to prove it by taking a picture every week and sharing the sites that I found the links to the freebies at. So now you too can get great free samples coming to your mailbox each week.

  You can find links to samples like these at Hey It's Free and Freebie Shark.

This week I received:

Nivea Lotion
Garnier 5 Second Blur
Garnier Anti Age Skin Corrector
Fructis Marvelous Oil
Waleda Skin Food
Garnier Clean Nourishing Skin Oil

I also cashed out some points on Chatabout and turned them into a $5 Amazon gift card.

Did you receive any freebies this week?

Digging Box For Rats

First of all you may be asking yourself, what is a digging box? Well that's easy, a digging box is a box filled with sterile potting soil that you let your rat dig in. You can plant grass and let them eat it, or just leave it as soil and hide treats in the soil for your rats to dig and find.

You may never have heard of giving your rat a box of soil to dig in, but wild rats dig and forage for food. Giving them a box full of soil is a great way to let them indulge in a behavior they will find quite natural.

So how do you create a digging box? It's very easy, just get a plastic box, such as a Tupperware or kitty litter box and fill it half way to the top with a bag of sterile potting soil. It is very important to make sure the soil you use has no additives or fertilizers as this may make your rat sick. You can add grass seed to grow grass or grow oat grass, wheat grass or just add bird seed as a treat. Adding a handful of rat food into the soil will be fun to watch your rat digging to find the food as well you may see some of the seeds sprouting, making a little ratty garden for your pet to devour.

Water the soil just enough to grow your grass, but don't let the soil grow mold or fungus. This will harm your rat. You can partially bury plastic tubing large enough for your rat to crawl through into the soil, as well as burying assorted rocks, treats, and toys.

You may want to put a smooth rock on top of the soil for the rats to sit on at first if they don't seem to like the soil, this will also give them a starting point to start their digging as rats like to dig underneath things.

The digging box should not be used to house your rat, you will need to have a rat cage to let them sleep and live, but having a digging box will be a fun thing for your rat to look forward to. If you make a digging box and your rat is scared being in it, don't force the issue. The best thing to do is to leave it out where they can get to it themselves while they are playing on the couch or floor. Leaving it up to them to find the box and find out it can be fun may take time but its well worth the effort.

The Difference Between Manga and Anime

One of the biggest trends in the past few years has been Anime. So many cartoons you see on television these days are of this style. Recently I've seen these huge comic books as well. I wasn't sure what they were and started looking through one, I was told by the comic book store owner they are called Graphic Novels, also know as Manga.

What is Manga?

Manga is just a Japanese word used  to say comics. In America it is a term used to cover all comic books and Graphic Novels that were made in Japan. Book length comics are very common to find here in the U.S and are often labeled Manga. Manga stories are known for having ongoing story lines as well as more than one volume. Their stories are often an existence unto themselves. They way they unfold and are told makes the characters seem real.

The Graphic novels as they are written in Japan, may have nudity, sex, and some obscenities. When we get them here, a lot of time they have been "Americanized", that is to say they have been cleaned up a bit. Now not all Manga has been cleaned of the sex and nudity. Go into any comic book store and you will find a plethora of comic books, Manga and Graphic novels with more nudity and sex in them than the Hustler magazine your dad had under his mattress.

What is Anime?

Anime is a word used to describe Japanese animation. I'm sure you've seen Anime on T.V., maybe watched Pokemon or Naruto with your kids. Those are Anime. Hamtaro was one of my favorite Anime Cartoons to watch with my daughter. Yes, before you ask, it was about Hamsters. Imagine that.

So, you might be thinking this sounds interesting to me. I think I'll go find a Comic Book Store and take a look, maybe buy a few for my kid. Before you do, you should know there are a lot of Pornographic Manga Graphic Novels out there. So make sure you look through the Comic Book before giving to little jimmy, or he might come back asking you what 'That" is.

If you do start reading Manga or watching Anime, there are a whole slew of terms you may be bombarded with that you've never heard before. These are just a few and I hope they help you get started.

Cosplay- Refers to a person who dresses up like their favorite character. Sometimes you will see them at Anime Conventions.

Arigato- Means Thank you in Japanese.

Bishonen- Refers to a Beautiful young boy, sometimes refers to an Anime or Manga character that is drawn almost female but still has male body parts. Characters are sometimes drawn to look delicate, with long limbs, smooth face, long eye lashes and slender eyes.

Face Fault- Is an exaggeration of facial expressions, also sometimes accompanied with falling to the ground.

Fanfic- Refers to a work of Fiction written by a fan of Anime or Manga and based on a popular title.

Sensei- used to refer to a Professor or Teacher.

Sweat Drop- Refers to a large bead of sweat on the heads of an Anime Character. This is common in Anime and it is supposed to help show the character is exasperated.

OAV/OVA- This means Original Animation Video and Original Video Animation. Both terms used in Japan to describe animation that was released directly to video. It was not on television or in the theaters first before release to a video. OAV is not usually used anymore because it was sometimes associated with Original Adult Video, so they mostly use OVA now.

Harem Anime- Usually refers to a nerdy male character who after having no luck with women suddenly finds themselves with several women throwing themselves at him. Thus, he has a harem of woman. Sometimes the roles are reversed and Women will have a harem of men.

Hentai- Anime that usually has Pornography in it, or its whole story line is Pornography in anime form.

Ecchi- Ecchi is a way to say "perverted" in Japanese. Hentai and Ecchi are closely related but while Hentai will have Porn, Ecchi is a bit more subdued with more sexual humor than actual sex.

Fan service- Pictures or scenes made for the sole purpose of exciting or titillating the person watching. Things like boob shots, ass shots ect...Sometimes it also refers to large explosions or car crashes. Things that make you want to watch.

Otaku- Is the extremely negative word meaning someone who has no life and spends all their time playing video games, watching Anime, reading Manga, surfing the internet. Someone who devotes all their time to a hobby to the point of not leaving their house, thus not having a life.

Baka- Means Foolish, stupid or idiot.

Fan art- Simply means Anime art drawn by a fan.

Glomp- is used to describe a strong hug in an Anime scene.

These are just some of the terms used in Manga and Anime, I hope they have helped you learn a few things you didn't know before reading this article.

What to Do If Your Hamster Gives Birth and Then Dies

My daughter with 4 of the baby hamsters we had.

One of the sweetest things you will ever see is a mother hamster and her newborn babies (pups). Hamster pups are born hairless, vulnerable and with their eyes closed. They rely on their mother for everything, including warmth, food, and safety. If the mother hamster dies suddenly before the pups are weaned, there is a chance they will die too.

If the pups are at least 10 days old they have a better chance of making it, but if they are only a day or two old they might not make it no matter how much you try or what you do. If you have another hamster (of the same breed) who has recently given birth, you can try to introduce the pups to the surrogate mother. Before putting the pups into the new mother's cage you must first wash the smell of their birth mother off of them. You have to be extra careful when doing this while making sure all the original scent is gone. First thing you need to do is gather a handful of the surrogate mothers bedding, close to her own pups nest and set it aside in a shoe box. You want the bedding material to smell like her babies.

Wet a paper towel with warm water and sponge the pups off one by one. When they are cleaned of their original scent, gently place them into the surrogate mothers bedding you gathered up. Because you stimulated them while bathing, they should be wriggling around when you set them into the bedding. This will help get the new scent on them and aid in the new mother accepting them into her nest.

Place the surrogate mothers cage in a quiet place and tempt her out of her nest with her favorite treat. Try to keep the mother busy at one end of the cage, if she starts to run right back to her nest with her treat, gently block her way unless she starts getting upset. If she is easily handled and lets you take her out of the cage while she eats her treat, that would be best.

While mom is eating her treat, gently scoop up the pups and bedding and place the pups and bedding into the surrogate mothers nest and let the new pups wriggle around with the other babies. Try not to get your human smell on the pups or the bedding if you can help it, wearing gloves can help with this. The goal is for the new babies to end up smelling just like the babies that were originally in the nest.

Place the mother back into the cage and let her go to her nest. Do not bother her or the cage again for at least a day. If this works, the next time you look into the cage all the babies will be squirming around the mother. If she rejects the orphans, she may wind up eating them. This is normal hamster behavior and is to be expected even with her own brood of babies if she detects they are sick or she gets upset or nervous.

Things are quite different if you find yourself having to hand raise the orphaned pups yourself. If the mother has died, you need to remove her from the cage and dispose of the body. Most hamster lovers find that burying their beloved pets helps with the grieving process.

The pups will be cold since they no longer have their mothers' warmth. You will need to get them warm as soon as possible by placing them in a warm room in a shoe box or something similar, filled with shredded toilet paper or paper towels, until you clean out their cage.

Clean and dry their cage really well and then place them back inside along with the shredded bedding. Get a heating pad and place a towel on top of it, now sit the cage on top of that and set the heating pad to the lowest setting. This will help keep the pups warm without allowing them to get overheated from the heating pad.

Newborn pups need to be fed every hour for the first 10 days. Then every two hours until they are 15 days old and every three hours until they are approximately 20 days old. There are several types of milk you can feed to hamsters. You can get kitten formula from a veterinarian or pet store, baby formula or even a mix of equal parts evaporated milk and warm water.

Newborn pups need between two and three drops of formula every hour. Feeding the pups with an eye dropper is the easiest, but while you want them to drink the formula you also have to make sure they don't inhale it into their lungs. Do not force the formula into their mouths; let them slowly lick it off the eye dropper. After each feeding you will need to stimulate each pup to urinate and defecate the same way the mother would do if she were around. The easiest way to do this is to rub the genital and anal area with a soft, warm, moist cloth or you can also use a wet Q-tip. If you don't do this the pups are likely to urinary and bowel problems or obstructions and die.

When they are walking around a little you can fill the water bottle up with a mixture of one half children's pedialyte and one half water. The pedialyte will help them from getting dehydrated. Make sure to keep their food dish full of normal food. Bread soaked with milk is another thing they will eat, just put it on a small lid and remove it and wash the lid every couple of hours. You can also add small amounts of boiled egg, vegetables, apples, canned dog food and wheat germ. Eat day you will need to remove any uneaten soft foods. If you let the foods stay too long they will spoil and can cause death to the hamsters. When the hamsters are about 20 days old, they should be weaned enough that you can stop feeding them the formula.

Although you may have done everything right and taken the time to feed, love and care for the pups over days or even weeks, there is still a chance they may not make it. No matter what happens you should be proud of yourself for trying.

The Bouqs Ambassador Program

Update:

After seeing my original post they contacted me and offered me a free Bouqs bouguet to review on my blog. So you'll see a review from me about their flowers in the coming weeks. :)

How to Care for an Older Hamster

*Chance lived to be 4 years old*

Most Teddy Bear Hamsters (syrians) live between two and three years. While Chinese Dwarf Hamsters live between one and a half to three years. But like people each hamster is an individual and can live for less time or more time, depending on the care and the health of the hamster. If you buy a hamster at a Pet Store or breeder you should always ask how old it is so you will know. Keeping track of your pets age will help you to determine what's wrong and why he may be acting certain ways as he gets older.

An older hamster will often times have bald spots, be less lively and not want to run around as much, and might not clean themselves as much as they did when they were younger. Therefore their fur may look unclean, but that does not mean you should give them a bath. Bathing your hamster should be a last resort as they can become chilled and get sick and it can be stressful for them. If they do get dirty you can wet a paper towel and clean off the dirty part. Most hamsters will then clean themselves where you got them wet.

Many Dwarf hamsters may bite or nip when they are younger and then mellow out as they get older. Sometimes if a hamster lives long past what is considered normal you may have to take special care of it. Some hamsters as they get older have a hard time chewing the seed mixture. This also means they can no longer bite. My hamster still tried to bite me when I handled him but he just had no strength to do so. I have had several hamsters that when they reached an age of three or more were not able to break through the sunflower seed shells or any other hard seeds and would have died of starvation. My Vet told me I could give him canned dog or cat food, baby food and any soft foods that I eat.

The Dwarf hamster I had was four years old and didn't like the cat food, but loved Mighty Dog canned Dog Food. I also fed him soft human foods. For six months I took him out of his cage at least six times a day and fed him. You could feed your hamster right in the cage but it's easier to take them out and let them take what they want, pouch a little for later and have some out with you. That way their cage won't have old food spoiling in it either. I always left him a little food in the cage to snack on if he got hungry though and just cleaned it out and put more in several times a day that way none of it spoiled.

With an older hamster you should also move them to a single story cage and make sure the water bottle in down low enough so that they don't have to climb to get a drink. In a large cage that has tubes to climb in, an older hamster may not have the strength to climb in order to reach the water bottle. They may also fall down the tubes and hurt themselves because as they get older they lose a lot of their strength. So it's best to remove all tubes and just have one level in the cage with a couple of small houses for him to hide and sleep in.

You may have to take your older hamster to the Veterinarian's office and have him put to sleep if it looks like he is too weak to walk around or eat anything or seems like he is in pain. I took Chance to the Vet's office twice the year this picture was taken, but she told me as long as he is still eating, can walk around and seems healthy there's no need to euthanize. But it is a huge undertaking and not one to be taken lightly. I had Chance with me pretty much all the time and for 6 months he required a lot of care, which I was happy to do. 

 When deciding whether or not to buy a small pet you should consider what you would do if a hamster you bought needed this type of care when they got older. Are you willing to put this type of time into taking care of your hamster? If the answer is no, then maybe you shouldn't get one.

Weekly Rat Facts: Noises

Rats are social animals and like to be around humans and other rats. Children under the age of 10 should be supervised when handling and caring for their pet rats, as rats are somewhat fragile creatures and can be hurt easily. Many rats will sit and groom their human companions, giving you kisses (licks) and gentle nibbles. This is a way to show you that they like you and have accepted you as a part of their family.

Rats do make noises, they will chatter their teeth when you are holding and petting them. This is called bruxing. They will do this when they are happy or content. It's much like when a cat purrs, you know they are happy.

Rats will also make squeaking noises if they have a cage mate and are play wrestling. Most times they will play wrestle at night after all the humans are in bed and the room they are in is quiet. If one of the rats gets a little rougher than the other one likes they will make a high pitched squeaking noise to let the other rat know they are being too rough.

Rats will also squeak if they are scared. The best way to make sure you don't scare your pet rat is to talk to them as you open cage. That way they know you are there and are less likely to get scared and bite you. Most rats are friendly and won't bite, but there is an exception to that rule. Just make sure not to scare them or let small children squeeze them tightly when they hold them so the chances of getting bitten by a rat are very small.

Although Rats will make chirping, squeaking and teeth gnashing noises, if the sounds you are hearing are made when they are breathing or you think their breathing is labored or sounds crackly, you need to take them to a Veterinarian right away. This could be the first signs of an upper respiratory problem and without Veterinary care they can die from this rather fast.

The Veterinarian you seek out will have to be familiar with Exotic pets. Rats, hamsters as well as other small animals are all considered Exotic pets and a Veterinarian familiar with exotic pets will be more helpful than one that is not.

Rats will also sneeze. If you are using the wrong bedding, for instance one that has a lot of dust in it or one that your rat is allergic to, your rat might start sneezing. If you hear your rat sneezing, or when they sneeze there is a yellow mucous getting sprayed from his nostrils, he probably has an upper respiratory problem and will need antibiotics from a Veterinarian before he will get better. Pine or cedar bedding is sold for Rats and Hamsters, but is not good for their health. This type of bedding is notorious for causing breathing problems in small animals. Most people who keep rats will tell you to get Care Fresh Bedding but I use fleece blankets.

Review: Must Love Vampires by Heidi Betts

LOVE AT FIRST BITE

Nightclub dancer Chloe Lamoureaux just met the man of her dreams: Aidan Raines is charming, considerate, rich, and hot. Of course, he’s a little mysterious about his age. And his favorite drink. And he’s not much for sunlight. But he’s asked her to marry him, and she’s ready to do it. Sure, she has a few secrets too—but they’ll have plenty of time to work things out while they’re living happily ever after. Right?

Her identical twin sister, Chuck, isn’t so sure. Maybe reporting for the local Bigfoot-sighting tabloid doesn’t make her an expert, but to Chuck, Aidan and his brother Sebastian look like honest-to-Dracula vampires. Especially Sebastian: beguiling, seductive, and just a hint of dangerous. Maybe she wouldn’t mind him taking a little taste. But with Chloe’s life in the balance, she has to know—do they want hot love or hot blood? Or maybe…a little of both?

My review:

Vampnapped

This is actually a book with two stories in it. Two brother's Aidan and Sebastian and two sister's Chloe and Charlotte. Both stories Vampnapped and Married With Fangs are in this book.

Charlotte aka Chuck writes for the Sin City Tattler in Las Vegas. While she's used to getting stories about bigfoot, aliens and similar paranormal type things, she thinks she knows what would make a great story...vampires. She loved her job but hoped to get a better job with a more prestigious paper. 

Sebastian Raine's is mysterious, private and a vampire. He thinks the woman who is dating his brother has been following him around lately but he doesn't realize it's her twin sister. 

When Chuck stands in for her sister in her showgirl act, she gets more than she bargained for and ends up face to face with Sebastian Raine's. 

I loved Sebastian's character. He's mystery wrapped in sexy and he's funny. As he's trying to figure things out in his head, the things he says to himself are just hilarious. These two characters really worked well together and I found myself laughing at some of the things they did and said. 

Married With Fangs

Between being a showgirl for a hot Las Vegas club and being a mother to her 4 year old son, life was hard and Chloe was ready to settle down. After some not so great relationships she thought she'd finally found the right guy to spend the rest of her life with. 

Aidan was the laid back brother unlike his stern older brother, Sebastian. He was ready to marry the woman of his dreams after only knowing her for a short period of time. 

Chloe and Aidan came into this marriage both having not told the other a few secrets about themselves. Some secrets should be told before one gets married in my humble opinion. Just like the other story in this book, the characters in this story worked really well together and I could totally see them ending up together. 

I found both stories to be full of humor, sarcasm and wit. I really liked that even though the stories are short, the author packed a lot of information into each one. Enough for the reader to get a real sense of all the characters involved. 

I live in Las Vegas so I can't think of a better setting for a rich vampire and his brother to set up house. Plus who wouldn't love a story where two vampire brothers met twins and fell in love at the same time? I know I haven't read that storyline anywhere else before. 

If you're looking for a quick Paranormal Romance heavy on the vampires, then this is the one you'll want to pick up. 

I give this book 5 out of 5 stars. 

The Navy's Active Sonar Could Be the Cause of Beached Whales

Photo Credit/copyright Emiliano Gonzalez -Wikimedia Commons

Sound Effects
Whales use their hearing to follow migratory routes, help care for their young, find food sources and find other whales even from great distances. Certain high frequency noises can damage their hearing, thus making it impossible for them to live. According to Marine Scientists certain sounds have been proven to divert whales from their migratory paths, stop some whales from singing, and to cause whales to do things they would not normally do like beach themselves.

Active Sonar was believed to have caused a massive beaching of Beaked Whales off the coast of Greece in 1996. NATO had been testing their Active Sonar System at the time, which only goes to confirm the risks of doing so.

LFA
LFA stands for Low Frequency Active Sonar. In order to evade the Environmental Protection Act, the U.S. Navy has conducted testing of the LFA in secret and led the push for the use of using the Active Sonar even though they knew full well the damaging effects the noise may have on the Whale's lives and populations throughout the world.

Active Sonar technology uses sounds to detect Submarines in the ocean's all over the world. The sounds this technology emits can kill or injure several different types of marine mammals, including dolphins, Sea Turtles and whales. After reading just some of the findings on The Ocean Mammal Institute website, I found it troubling that the sonar could be harming whales and that hasn't stopped the Navy from using it.

The Effects
In 2000, a U.S. Navy Battle Group used Active Sonar in the area where several whales of four different species beached themselves in the Bahamas. At first the Navy denied their Sonar Technology was to blame until their own investigation found severe acoustic trauma had caused hemorrhaging around the whales' eyes and ears. A study by the government concluded with much certainty that the whales' injuries were caused by mid-frequency sonar that ships in the area had been using. Marine Scientists believe that whales' and dolphins often times beach themselves after being injured by the sonar.

Veterinarians in Britain believe the rise in whales' beaching themselves has a direct correlation to the use of LFA being used more in the area. In the past decade the number of whales' beaching themselves has more than doubled from 360 in 1994 to 728 in 2004. Veterinarians believe there are many thousands of casualties since only a small portion of the effected whales and dolphins wash up on shore, many more swim out to sea to die.

Not only are the whales and dolphins at risk but so are other marine life. Blue fin tuna, swordfish and other marine animals that live deep in the ocean are showing 'stroke like' injuries after being subjected to LFA.

Most people don't even know about Active Sonar or LFA or any of the number of different things the Navy is using in the ocean. Most people have no idea that Marine Biologists and Scientists believe the beaching of whales are occurring not because the ocean is polluted but primarily because of the use of Sonar.

Navy Not Doing Enough
The Navy continues to test it's Active Sonar as well as new High Intensity Active Sonar in coastal waters. These areas hold habitats for many species of marine mammals. Even though the Navy is aware of where they are testing, little has been done to make sure the marine life in those areas will be safe.

Many of the whales that are in danger from this sonar technology are endangered already. The Blue whale, Humpback, and Sperm whales are all at risk if the Navy continues to use this technology. Even though the Navy has said they know this, they have done nothing to slow the use of LFA or other active sonar technology used in the oceans.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has asked the Navy to turn off it's Active Sonar when whales come within a certain distance from them. It is my hope the Navy does more to insure the welfare of the mammals and marine life in the oceans.

24 Years...

This picture was taken 24 years ago, little did I know all that we would go through. The ups, downs, happy as well as sad days, we have always been there for each other and I can honestly see at least 24 more years for us. We'll probably be two grouchy old people yelling at the kids to turn down the music. 

The best thing that could have happened is the day I met you, I'm not entirely sure what would have become of either of us if we hadn't had each other to lean on. Relationships don't have a magic potion to make them last, it takes work, commitment, understanding and communication. Thank goodness we have all that and more. 

Happy Anniversary, Honey. 

Rats and Whip Cream

I shared a bit of whip cream with my ratties a couple of days ago and this is what happened. Scribbles stuck his paw in it while eating as if to tell me his paw is in it, it's his now. 

He didn't mind having a sticky paw at all.

Flower started off with a few dainty licks...

and ended up with it all over her chin and whiskers. *I'm still giggling like mad over this picture*

Lucky started out slowly, "Thanks, nom nom nom" then he took a couple of bites, or tried to, "ohh this is good, nom nom nom"

"I think I need a napkin"

Review of Phantom Desire by Houston Havens

I reviewed this book for I Smell Sheep. Head on over there to read my review. :)

Mind traveler Chandra Lamar is on the run, not only from her post-catastrophic dystopian government but from a past she can’t remember. A psychic vision pushes her to recall her purpose for being, but it’s a ghost that awakens her desires for a life she fears she’ll never have. Both push her to remember the past because it threatens what she wants in the now; the Nodin men. 

Andonis Nodin battles to accept his failures. The heavy burden nearly breaks him when he can’t save the one he loves from the grim reaper’s grip; he questions his desire for Chandra, the woman he blames for the death around him. 

Nikias finds true love with Chandra in his arms, but is desperate to stop her from seeking revenge on a mission he knows is a one way trip. 

Ortello knows for them to recapture the love they once felt for each other, he must be willing to let her go. But overcoming his obsession to make Chandra his and his alone isn’t easy. 

Will Chandra go through with the vengeance in her heart or give it up for love? Who is the powerful woman in her haunting visions and will those revealing apparitions crumble her world with the Nodin clan? Does Chandra find true love in the arms of the Nodin men or does her Phantom Desire forever own her heart? 

If this sounds good to you then head over to I Smell Sheep to read my review of this book. 

The Truth About Bounty Hunters

Who really needs them?

When most people hear the term "Bounty Hunter" they think of the old time vigilantes scouring the land for bail jumpers and getting large rewards for bringing them in "Dead or Alive". Ok, well maybe not most people especially now that we have "Dog the Bounty Hunter" All over the television. I would say most Bounty Hunters follow the law and track down law breakers who have skipped bail and they get paid to bring them back.

However lets for a minute talk about those individuals that do this type of work because they like to work outside of the law and think being a Bounty Hunter gives them rights to break down any door they want and ride straight shot over peoples rights as they look for their bounty jumper.

As in any segment of society there are going to be bad apples, but did you know the laws pertaining to Bounty Hunters hadn't changed until unlicensed Bounty Hunters started breaking down the wrong doors looking for fugitives and Lawyers and congressmen started trying to change the laws and regulations pertaining to Bounty Hunters?

In an 1872 ruling, the U.S. Supreme Court backed bounty hunters' power and authority. The ruling claimed, in part, that bounty hunting was "likened to the re-arrest by the sheriff of an escaping prisoner" and that the agents "may break and enter his house" to retrieve the prisoner. That has since been re-discussed as I like to say and regulations have been put on most Bounty Hunters.

I'm not saying we don't need Bounty Hunters, All I'm saying is that ALL Bounty Hunters should have to take courses, be regulated and abide by the same laws as the Police. I don't want someone who has minimal training, isn't licensed or regulated and may be carrying a gun to break into my home by accident at 2:00am yelling at me, and then later realize they have the wrong home and then I find out that I have no recourse to get reimbursed for my broken front door, screen door.

What reason will I give to my crying upset child after the "Bounty Hunters" are gone to look for their fugitive?

I think there are too many people in this field that have no business in it. With little training, almost no experience and little or no qualifications some Bounty Hunters just shouldn't be allowed to go and get bail jumpers.

All Bounty Hunters should be licensed, regulated and trained because even if people think they all are, there's always going to be a few that aren't.

Wicca: A Guide For The Beginner

Wicca is a very old religion based on love for all living creatures and for the earth. Wicca is also know as Witchcraft and to those who don't understand what being Wiccan means, they may see it as being Dark and Mysterious. Wicca actually has nothing at all to do with Satanic Rituals or Devil Worship, but there are still those out there that fear what they do not understand and give Witchcraft a bad name.

The Wiccan rede is held in high regard as one of the governing rules of all Wiccan followers and practitioners. The Wiccan Rede simply states, "An ye harm none, do as ye will." In other words, do what you want as long as it harms no one. Another principal of Wicca is the three fold law, much like Karma, it tells us that whatever you put out will come back to you. All the good a person does will come back three fold in life, as well as all the bad.

The use of Charms and Spells in Wiccan practice is quite normal. A charm is an amulet believed to have magical powers that will ward off evil influences over the wearer, or bring them good luck. A spell is considered to be a spoken incantation intended to either help one self or others. Wiccans are prohibited from doing harm to others. Spells that seek to harm, dominate, manipulate, or control another person are prohibited. Before casting a spell the caster should think about the repercussions, what they do during their magical casting's are not to be dealt with lightly.

Most Wiccan's will keep their spells in a personal Journal, or Book Of Shadows. Spells are usually copied by hand into a Book Of Shadows and may be passed down to family members. Spells may also be copied by people the original owner is teaching the craft to. A Book Of Shadows may also contain feelings, experiences and thoughts on Wicca.

There are indeed many paths and many ways newcomers to Wicca can learn about Witchcraft. By reading books on the subject a person can find different thoughts and views as well as many paths. It doesn't take very long to discover that each author has a different slant on the subject. Many differing views may confuse a newcomer and make them stop looking all together. What you need to know is there are many paths and many ways of Wicca and it's up to you to find the right path for you. The first and most important thing to remember is to read. Read as many books on the subject as you can, in this way you will find you may like one path more than another or you may want to be a Solitary Witch instead of joining a coven. Doing as much research on your own is a very good way to approach learning Wicca.

As you read many different books, with many differing thoughts on the subject, some things may appeal to you right away and some things may not. That is fine, but keep an open mind and keep reading. Acting as if this is a research paper and gathering all the information you can will help to form the path that is right for you. A solid foundation is needed to build upon and the more you read the stronger your foundation will be.

There will never be one way of practicing witchcraft, no one has the one true answer and any good teacher of the craft will tell you that. Being a Solitary Witch means practicing Wicca by yourself. Often times Solitary Witches get together and exchange information or just talk about the craft and then go back to their solitary practice. So you can do a little bit of both, you don't have to join a coven or stay alone 100% of the time.

A few of the different Wiccan paths are:

Alexandrian Wicca- which is similar to Gardnerian wicca but tends to be more eclectic and liberal.

Celtic- this path is extremely earth based and sometimes uses runes. They get most of their practices from pre-Christian Celtic traditiions as well from Ireland, Scotland Wales, as well as Druid practices.

Ceremonial- emphasis on the art and science of magic. Ceremonies are generally complex and meant to be done with a coven.

Dianic-know as the feminist Wicca. It's a mix of many different traditions but focuses on the Goddess, especially Diana.

Eclectic- An eclectic Wiccan does not follow ant strict guidelines, instead practices the beliefs that suit them best. An eclectic Wiccan will mix traditions to find their own path, using the magic that fits with their beliefs and studying the parts of the religion that they are most interested in.

Faerie Wicca- is also referred to as Fae, Fey, Faery, Fairy or Faerie, this tradition is based around Faery Lore and beliefs.

Gardnerian- is the tradition founded by Gerald Gardner. He was one of the first to go public with information about the craft. Most modern Wicca has been derived from his books and teachings. This is an extremely tradional path that requires nudity during ceremonies and has a hierarchy structure.

Hereditary- this is a where a person can trace the craft back on their family tree and was also taught the craft by a relative.

Kitchen Witch- is a type of Wicca one may practice in the home for the home and work place. This form of Wicca focuses on practicality, convenient ritual writings, and spells that include ingredients that are readily available in the home or workplace. This is ideal for someone short on time and having a tight budget.

Pictish- Scottish Witchcraft with a very strong connection to nature in all it's forms. A mostly magical practice with little emphasis on religious aspects. This is practiced by Solitary Witches.

Shamanism- this path is generally connected with contact with the spirit world and all it has to offer. Through communication with Spirits the shaman can practice healing, divination, magic and talk with spirits to see the deeper meanings of life.

Solitary- are individuals preferring to work in private rather than with a Coven or other Wiccans. Solitary Wiccans can pick any number of traditions that fit well into their life and their path.

Cyber Wicca- uses the Internet to learn from and communicate with other Witch's.

While this is not a full list of the different paths there are, with this list you can see there is much information out there.