How To Treat Bumblefoot

*Brodie*

Bumblefoot is usually caused by prolonged exposure and pressure from walking on a wire cage floor and can be very painful for your pet rat. You can tell if your pet rat has Bumblefoot by looking at the bottom of their feet. If you see small bumps, sores or what look like calluses on the bottom of their feet, they most likely have bumblefoot. These bumps can get large and can bleed, leaving the door open for infection.

How To Prevent Bumblefoot in Pet Rats
The easiest thing you can do to prevent bumblefoot from ever happening is when you go to buy the cage. Buying a cage without a wire bottom will help keep bumblefoot away from your pet rats. The best cages are large ferret cages or large cages made specifically for rats where they have plenty of room to walk, hide, sleep, eat, and play.

How to Treat Bumblefoot in Pet Rats
If you have nothing but a wire bottom cage and cannot remove the wire bottom. Don't worry, you can make it more comfortable for your pet rat to walk on by using baby blankets, fleece blankets that cover the entire wire bottom or by adding a shallow plastic tray that fits the entire bottom.

Using a large piece of fleece or a fleece blanket that is at least an inch thick will work best because it can be folded and secured to the bottom of the cage and taken out to be washed every few days. Getting several fleece blankets and having them in hand will help keep the laundry down to once a week.

If your pet rat already had bumblefoot, the best thing you can do is take them to a veterinarian's office right away. The area can easily get infected and your vet may need to give you antibiotics to treat your rat with. If the bumblefoot is very big the vet may have to cut a small portion of it out before sending your pet at home to heal.

Hiring A Pet Sitter

*Flower*

No matter what kind of pet or pets you have, it's important to get someone who will know how to take care of the type of animals you have. While it might be easier to leave your pets with the next door neighbor or the kid down the street, you should think about your animals well being and make sure you find someone who will be able to handle an emergency situation if one arises.

For animals like dogs, cats and birds there are kennels that have very good services and well trained people to look after your pets. If you don't know the best kennels to take your pets to, you can always ask the local humane society or if you are involved in online forums for your particular pet, you could ask there. Or you can hire a family member or family friend to take care of your pet while you are gone.

For exotic animals like, rats, hamsters, guinea pigs, and gerbils there are local and online rescue sites that cater to individual animal species. A rat rescue would be the ideal place to get information on rat sitters just as a hamster rescue would be to find ideal hamster sitters and so on.

If you decide to have neighbors or family members watching your animals, always make sure to have a check list with veterinarians phone numbers, an emergency phone number to contact you as well as any important information such as medications, allergies, foods to avoid etc. Ask the pet sitter if they are willing to take the pet to a veterinarians office if they become sick and if the answer is no, find another sitter.

Make sure to go over the check list with the pet sitter before you leave and ask questions to make sure they understand what to do in case of an emergency or how to give medications and how to feed and care for the animal.

You should make sure to provide all necessary supplies such as food, treats, leashes, bedding, medicine, toys, extra water bottles (in case your rat or hamster chews through one) and any other supplies you want the sitter to use.

In the case of dogs, make sure to tell them how often they should be walking them and feeding them. For cats, let them know how often to clean the litter box and for small animals such as rats, hamsters and gerbils let the sitter know how often to clean the cage, supply food and change the water.

If you cannot find someone who is knowledgeable about your particular type of pet and are going to be leaving your animal with someone inexperienced with your animals, be sure to show them the basics before you leave. How to care for your pet including things like cleaning up after dogs on a walk, cleaning cages, preparing food, giving medicine, how to handle small animals and refill a water bottle and put it back in the right place.

Finding someone who isn't afraid of your animals is a very necessary part of finding a great pet sitter as well. You wouldn't want someone who is afraid of cats watching your kitty for a week while you are gone or someone afraid to handle your rats or hamsters while they are in their care. Always have them pet, pick up or handle the pet they are going to watch. If it looks like they are afraid or wanting to avoid contact you should find someone else.

When you do find a good pet sitter, you can leave them in their care with out being stressed out or having your animals stressed out.

Freebie Friday!

*click picture to enlarge*

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.

This week was a slow one for freebies but I did manage to cash out my Springboard America account for a $50 Amazon gift card. 

Ailments in Older Male Rats

*Jasper and Hades*

The older a pet rat gets, the more ailments they can have and the more help they may need from you. Unfortunately with age comes reduced mobility, reduced energy and muscle weakness.

Grooming

Male rats are fastidious groomers and if you watch them they will sit up and bend completely over so they can groom their genital area and tail. When rats start to age, they may not groom as well as they had been which can lead to problems that you the owner may have to intervene and help with.

If you watch your older male rat trying to bend over and clean his genital area and he's having a hard time doing it, he may develop something called Sheath Plugs. Sheath Plugs are a build up of oils, urine and a waxy substance that your rat would usually clean himself. It can clog the sheath and cause pain, bladder infections and problems urinating.

You should check your rat each week for abnormal lumps and bumps all over his body. You should also check your male rats genital area to see if there are any lumps where the penile sheath is, you will need to remove the sheath plug for your rat if you find he has one. To do this you may need someone to help you hold your rat on his back. I found giving my rat a small treat to eat helps him ignore what I'm doing down there.

The easiest way to remove a sheath plug is to have someone else help hold your rat on his back. You should be down by his tail, put both your hands underneath him and use your thumbs to gently press down on either side of his sheath. You will need to roll the sheath down until you see the sheath plug which will look like a milky white piece of wax, and remove it.

If you don't feel like you can do this yourself, you can take your pet rat to a veterinarian who can show you how to do it correctly.

Hind Leg Paralysis
Some rats will become paralyzed in their back legs as they get older. I've had several male rats with this condition. They can still live very happy lives but you will have to help them groom themselves each day by wiping their bellies with a damp cloth several times a day so they don't get a rash from any urine they get on their belly.

How To Prepare The Cage For An Older Rat
Older rats have a harder time getting around so all ladders and upper levels should be take out of the cage so they don't fall and hurt themselves. Lower the water bottle and make sure any food dishes are lower to the ground so he can reach them.

Older rats become more cuddly and want to spend more time with their humans outside the cage. This is usually the time that rat owners bond even more closely with their pets because they become big squishy cuddle rats who love to be held and petted. They also have no problems sharing your food while they are out with you.

Why Gerbils Are So Jumpy

*My past Gerbils, Honey and Spirit*

Gerbils are curious, friendly and active rodents. They are social and quite affectionate and should be housed as pairs. They are quite entertaining to watch run and jump from one end of their cage to another. They are also very jumpy, nervous and don't like to be handled much. Very rarely will a gerbil let you sit and hold them long enough to be petted.

Socializing

The first step to a less jumpy gerbil is socializing them. Starting from a very early age, they should be handled often so they are used to being picked up and are not afraid of a human hand.

Older gerbils can also be socialized, but it will take time and patience. Start by putting your hand inside the gerbils' cage and letting the gerbil smell and jump on your hand without moving.

Then you can try to feed him different food from your hand, like sunflower seeds, pieces of fruit or dry cereal. Eventually the gerbil will see your hand as a treat bringer and will look forward to it coming inside the cage. The gerbil may even sit in your hand and eat his treat. You can try to pick the gerbil up at this point, but if he runs off start over again.

I found it easier to pick the whole cage up and place it on the couch and open the door to the cage. Gerbils are inquisitive and curious and won't be able to stop themselves from coming out of their cage for a few minutes. Do this for several days and give them treats while they are out jumping around on the couch and they will come to know that it's time to come out and play when you move their cage to the couch.

Gerbil noises

You may hear several different noises from your gerbils. Gerbils will thump their hind legs when they are happy, angry, or scared. It's hard to tell what they are feeling but if you hear them thumping their hind legs in the middle of the night and there were no loud noises around to scare them, they are probably telling you and their cage mate they are happy.

If you have a male and a female in the same cage and hear thumping coming from the cage, this usually means the one thumping is sexually excited.

Gerbils love to dig tunnels in their bedding and dig in the corners. You may hear the gerbil's nails scratching the corners as they dig. As long as you give them an exercise wheel, toys and a big cage with enough bedding to burrow into, they will be happy.

Baby gerbils will make high pitched squeals and chirping noises, this is how they call their mother's to them.

You may hear squeaking coming from the gerbil cage if the pair of gerbils are fighting for dominance or just having a squabble. Most times these squabbles are nothing to worry about, but if they fight and you find blood or bites on the gerbils, it might be time to move one to another cage.

While your gerbil may not let you hold them for very long, they do enjoy coming out to run around on the couch and if you sit still on the couch they might even jump all over you as well. The two gerbils I had would run from one end of the couch to the other and if I sat on one end of the couch they would come and sit on my shoulder.

Review: On Wicked Ground by Sharon Kay

The lost memories of a thief…

The first twelve years of Alina’s life are a black void. An accomplished thief, she uses her cloaking ability to pick pockets as well as stage elaborate heists. Digging deeper into her past sets off a chain of events that puts her, and the family she has just discovered, in the sights of their worst enemy.

…and the scarred heart of a guardian…

In secret, Lash Watcher Caine plots vengeance for the destruction of everything he loved. Branded by loss, he longs to find his one true mate, knowing that only with her will his heart fully heal. When his brief meeting with Alina is interrupted by her elaborate evade-and-escape plan, he knows there is more to her than meets his watchful eyes. But nothing can prepare him for the lethal power of her mind.

…collide at the fault line of destiny.

A brilliant villain with a vicious and loyal army behind her can only be stopped by one force: the combined power of four women who command the elements. Alina, with her newly-discovered affinity to the earth, becomes the linchpin to halting the desecration of their world. Thrown into a battle plan and a new family, she finds joy in in the quiet strength of Caine’s arms. But when the secrets to her past are revealed, she learns a terrible price has been paid in advance. The very magic that allowed her to live to fulfill a prophecy will forever deny her heart’s deepest wish.

I am a guest reviewer over at I Smell Sheep today, where you can find my review of this book. I would love it if you took a minute and read my review and let me know what you think. Thanks for stopping by. 

Why Does My Rat Smell like Warm Corn Tortillas

*Brodie*

All animals have a distinct scent associated with them. While some are nice and others like skunks are not, rats have mainly just a natural scent. But on occasion rats will have a different scent you may not be ready for.

Male Rats
Male rats will have a nice earthy scent to them if their cage is cleaned at least once a week. But sometimes you may have a rat that smells like warm corn tortillas or corn chips. You may think he got out of his cage and raided the chip bags but this is perfectly normal for him to have a warm tortilla scent.

I had 2 male rats that smelled like warm corn tortillas all the time. The warm tortilla smell seems to happen a lot more often after they have all been curled up together and are warmed by each others bodies or after they have given themselves a good grooming.

Female Rats
Believe it or not female rats do not smell like corn tortillas, I had a female rat that smelled slightly like grape soda. I know it seems wholly unlikely that a rodent could smell like grape soda but mine did. A friend of mine had a female rat and she said her rat also smelled like grape soda. When it came time for a check up, my veterinarian told me that yes indeed rats sometimes will have the scent of corn tortillas, corn chips or grape soda and it's totally normal.

I like both male and female rats and even though males tend to get larger and lazier and a bit more laid back than females, both are great pets. That stereotyping doesn't always ring true either, I had a female rat that was every bit as lazy, laid back and friendly as all the other males I've had so it really just depends on the rat since they all have their own little personalities.

If your rats smell bad, then that is a good indication that you need to clean their cage more often. Rats will pick one corner of their cage to use as a toilet and you can keep the cage smelling better in between cleanings by spot cleaning the 'toilet' everyday. Some rats will urine mark or scent mark their territory, so be sure to watch your rats when they are out of their cage at play time.

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*

*Yes, that's Ken and Scribbles. I made a meme" lol 

Which Hamster Breed is Right for Me?

*Chance* Roborovski Hamster

I've had several different breeds of hamsters and they all have different personalities and needs. What type of hamster to get depends greatly on what type of personality, size and how many you want to keep at a time.

Syrian aka Teddy Bear Hamsters- They are the most popular of the hamster breeds and are the largest. They can get anywhere from 4-6 inches long and live anywhere from 2-4 years. They are nocturnal so they make good pets for night owls since they will sleep all day and only come out at night. They are also solitary animals, meaning after they are weaned around 10 weeks of age, they should be kept in a cage by themselves. Syrian hamsters have been known to fight to the death if kept in the same cage together. These hamsters come in a variety of colors and hair lengths.

Roborovski Hamsters- These are the smallest breed of hamster measuring only 2-2 1/2 inches long. While they are nocturnal they will also come out and play during the day when they are young because they have so much energy and are always running around, which makes them a lot of fun to watch. They are small, active and fast and don't like being handled all that much. They don't sit still to be petted so if you are looking for a lap hamster that you want to cuddle and pet, this is not the hamster for you. This hamster is mostly for watching and playing with in a very controlled environment. If you take this hamster out of its cage, you should do so in a room that has been completely hamster proofed and has no or very little furniture that the hamster can hide under or in because once they run, they are very hard to catch. They are social animals meaning you can keep them in pairs or if your cage is big enough, a group as long as they have been introduced at a young age and don't fight. These tiny hamsters have a life span of 3-4 years which is longer than most other hamsters. These hamsters are sandy brown with white stomachs.

Chinese Dwarf Hamsters- These hamsters are also known as striped hamsters because of the black stripe of fur down their spines. Some people say they should be kept as solitary animals but I've had 7 of these hamsters and kept all the males in one cage and females in another without any major problems. The two girls did fight a bit but no blood was shed so it wasn't bad fighting. I watched them all cuddle together, sleep together and eat together. So it depends on the hamsters as to whether they will be happy in a group setting or alone. They are mostly social with people but sometimes they can be bitey. I had one that bit me to matter what I did. They generally live to be around 2 years old and are about 4 inches long.

I've had all three of these breeds of hamster and like all of them. The Roborovski are hard to handle but fun to watch. The Chinese Dwarf hamsters are fun to handle but rarely settle down long enough to be petted or cuddled and the Syrian hamsters are bigger, more social, cuddly and are easier to handle. No matter what hamster you decide to get, they should have a large enough cage to burrow in, have a separate place to sleep, eat, potty and play. They should have a wheel, tubes and space pod to sleep in. Hamster cages are a lot of fun because you can get so many add ons for them including locking tubes, add on pods, tubes that let you hook more than one cage together and play areas. The more space you give your hamster, the happier they will be.

Caring For An Older Rat

*Lucky*

Rats are great pets to have, but because of their short life span anyone thinking of adopting a pet rat should know how to care for an elderly or sick rat.

Life Span
Most rats will live anywhere between 2-3 years although I have had the occasional pet rat that lived for 4 years with extra care. But because they have such short life spans you need to keep in mind when they get to be 2 years old they are middle aged and might slow down. At age 3 they are getting to be senior citizens and may need some extra care and more TLC. I've found that older rats like to be around their humans a lot more and just cuddle, they really like to be next to you or just sit in your lap and nap.

Adjustments to the Cage
As your rat gets older you may have to make a few adjustments to their cage so they can more easily get to things like their food dish and water bottle. Covering any slippery surfaces with fleece and taking out any upper levels when they start having a hard time walking around will make it easier for your aging rat and will minimize any falls they could have on a second shelf or stairs. Providing extra ground level beds and places to hide out will make it more comfortable for your rat.

When to talk to a Veterinarian
As with any older animal, there may be health reasons that they need to be taken to a vet's office. If they seem to be in pain, cannot walk on their own, stop eating or drinking or grooming themselves, it may be time to take your elderly rat to the vet's office and see what the vet can do to help your pet have a happy few more days or make the choice to humanely euthanize them.

What Illnesses to Look For
Rats can have certain illnesses just like humans can. Some to be on the look out for are Tumors, mites, upper respiratory infection and broken bones.

Tumors can usually be felt on your rat and as soon as you spot one you should make an appointment with your vet. They can sometimes be taken out if caught early and your rat may live a long healthy life, but rats can get very sick very quickly, so waiting is not a good idea.

If you hear or see your rat sneezing a lot, having trouble breathing or making wheezing noises while breathing that is a good sign that your rat may have an upper respiratory infection which if caught early can usually be cleared up with antibiotics.

Mites can sometimes get on your pets and there are sprays and baths that you can buy in most pet stores or you can take your rats to a vet and get something from them, but make sure if you spot small bugs on your rat that you do something or else they may loose all their hair from all the scratching they will do because of the mites.

Broken bones can result from falls, even short falls from upper shelves in their cage. If your rat looks like its having a hard time walking or is squeaking when you pick him up, you should take him to a Vet's office right away because he could be in pain.

As a rat owner you will face these choices as well others that may be very hard to make at the time, but I can tell you whole heart-idly that they are well worth it and you will not find a more loving animal to have as a pet.

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.
Did you know you can sign up at Tomoson and Crowdtap and get free products too?

This week I received a bag of Brookside Crunchy Clusters from Crowdtap
A sample or Loreal shampoo and Conditioner
And I won a book  Home is Where The Heat Is by Amelia James

Did you win anything or get anything free this week?

Review: Brookside Dark Chocolate Crunchy Clusters

I received a free bag of these for testing purposes from crowdtap and I have to say they really are quite tasty. This is what the bag looked like when I opened the box. 

I've only tried one of the other flavors of this candy/snack and I really liked it. These are little crunchy clusters with a mix of berries in them. 

I think these would go good on ice cream, yogurt or just by themselves as a snack. 

Disclaimer: I received this item for free in exchange for an honest review. 

Review: Owned by M. Never *Review May Contain Some Spoilers*

Book Description taken from Amazon:

"I like you collared, baby. I like you naked, I like you mine.” 

Ellie Stevens has lusted over Kayne Roberts since he first walked into the import/export company she works for a little over a year ago. As Expo’s most important client, Ellie has always kept a safe distance from the man with the majestic blue eyes - until temptation finally gets the better of her. Impulsively, Ellie invites Kayne to one of Expo's infamous company parties her flamboyant boss is notorious for throwing. Unbeknownst to Ellie, the god in the Armani suit isn’t just the suave entrepreneur he portrays himself to be. Underneath the professional exterior is a man with a secret life, dark desires, and nefarious contacts. 

In a hidden corner of a trendy New York City lounge, the spark kindling between the two of them ignites. Unable to resist the sinful attraction, Ellie agrees to leave with Kayne, believing she is finally bedding the man of her dreams. Little does she know when she walks out the door, she’s about to be Owned. 

Owned is a dark erotic romance. Please pay close attention to the use of the words dark, erotic, and romance. It has intense sexual situations, a Master/slave relationship, mild abuse, and some violence. Reader discretion is advised.

My Review: 

I usually like dark, erotic romance and even like the use of BDSM sometimes when it's done right. I like plot twists that I don't see all the time in books. I even like it when things get taken right to the edge of being too much but there has to be a reason for all these things and it has to make sense. 

Ellie is a naive, sweet woman who thinks she's met the man of her dreams and after talking with him for just a bit, decides to leave with him. She has no idea that Kanye has set in motion things that will forever change her life. 

Kanye is more than meets the eye but deep down the man is very alpha, very dominant and most likely a sadist. 

Ellie is kidnapped and made to live the life of a sex slave but there are things that Kanye is keeping from her that would make her predicament make more sense if he had just told her. He says that there's a reason he didn't tell her but for me this reason just doesn't ring true because he could have showed her how to act, how to make it convincing. Plus the fact that he took so much enjoyment from causing her pain when he knew that he really didn't need to take things as far as he did, made him look like a jerk. He was extremely hard on a girl he knew to be a novice to the BDSM world and he didn't seem to care that he was freaking her out. He kept saying that he was doing all of these things to 'protect her' but there were so many other routes he could have taken that wouldn't have been so extreme on her. I just found some plot holes where they shouldn't have been and that made the book fall very flat for me. 

Making a story believable so that a reader isn't thinking, "Heh, yeah that just doesn't make sense or ring true at all." is a big thing for me. When I'm shaking my head while reading and trying to figure out why the story isn't flowing for me, then I know that something is wrong. 

I can totally see where the author wanted to go with this story and how the author thought this twist in the story would make sense to the reader but for me it just didn't. There were too many other things that could have been done and I was thinking of all of them after I finished the book. 

Kanye starts out looking like a bad guy then we find out that he's supposed to be the good guy or hero of the story but can he really be called a hero when he took enjoyment from keeping Ellie *the girl he's trying to protect* captive and taking her against her will? Doesn't that kinda make him the bad guy? He even says that having sex with her is better because she's not a willing participant. 

Then after all is done, the fact that Kanye thinks that Ellie is going to forgive him because he tells her the truth of what was going on....made absolutely no sense at all. I mean, really? I could have told you that wasn't going to go well. Kidnap a woman, make her family believe she's dead, hurt or never going to be seen again and torture, hurt and degrade her and think she's going to say, "Oh you had a good reason? Well okay then, all is forgiven." Yeah, not gonna happen. 

This is described as an "erotic romance" in the description. Well for me personally I like my romance books to end with an HEA *Happily Ever After* if a romance book doesn't have an HEA, can it really be called a romance? Not by me. 

If all of the reasons I listed aren't enough to stop you from reading this book...there's one more. It has a cliffhanger ending! There's really nothing I despise more than a cliffhanger ending in a book. Not that it would have made much difference in my rating but I really need authors to know that they need to stop doing that, readers don't like it. We want a beginning, middle and an ending...not a cliffhanger. Thankfully I got this book when it was free on Amazon because I would have been really mad if I had paid for this one.

I regretfully give this book 2 out of 5 stars

Using Fleece as Bedding in Rat Cages

If you've had small animals as pets, you've probably seen different types of materials sold as bedding in pet stores. With so many different choices, it can be hard to make an informed decision but more and more people who keep rats as pets are using fleece blankets or materials to use as liners and bedding in their rat cages.

Why Fleece
I used to use cedar or pine bedding for my gerbils, mice, hamsters and rats until a veterinarian told me that the dust from that type of bedding can cause allergies, upper respiratory problems and the phenols found in some wood shavings, especially pine can cause respiratory distress.

Fleece cuts down on the dust, is soft for rats to walk on and lay on and it saves you money because it's reusable. It's also absorbent and can easily be changed out for clean fleece when it starts to smell, which depending on the number of rats you have would be once a week. Fleece also comes in a variety of colors and patterns that make the cage look nice and you can pick patterns to match the different seasons and holidays.

I also use cotton baby blankets for the shelves and different smaller levels in my rats cages and use binder clips to fasten the baby blankets to the shelves. I also use the cotton baby blankets inside the rat houses and beds so they have something to burrow under and into and snuggle with when they are sleeping.

Care and Maintenance of Fleece
I buy fleece throws that I find in most stores for around $3 a piece so they are cheap enough to throw away if my rats chew holes in them, which they do quite often. I use scent free liquid laundry detergent when washing my fleece blankets because strong smells can cause rats to sneeze and create excess porphyrin and they can also be allergic to some of the chemicals used to make laundry detergent smell good. I started using scent free detergent after my own rats showed signs of allergies to the strong odors in the laundry detergent I was using.

If the fleece still has a urine smell after washing you can use 1 cup of distilled white vinegar in with the detergent and that will cut down the urine smell if detergent and washing alone doesn't work.

People in the rat community are very knowledgeable and when I asked how to get the urine smell out of fleece. Sandra Sneed from Dunedin, Florida said, "Vinegar is so acidic that it destroys organic molecules, including the ones responsible for pee smell (in everything! It's GREAT). Strong enough to react with lots of them without losing strength, but weak enough that it doesn't damage fabric, carpet and such."

My rats, especially my younger rats will chew holes in the fleece quite often and if this happens to you, I don't recommend sewing the hole up because they will probably chew that as well and can choke on the thread. Just replace the fleece or cut it to fit the smaller shelves and levels.

Review: Unbound by Sara Humphreys

Blurb taken from Amazon:

The forces that bind them can also tear them apart...

Zachary McKenna is a warrior shapeshifter from the Lion Clan, trying to catch a break in the sun and surf of Mexico. Mai Tais and scantily clad beach beauties are just what he needs after his last battle. But the fun doesn't last long before a beautiful young woman is mugged on his doorstep and Zach is pulled right back into the fray.

Zach has no idea of the danger Annabelle has unwittingly brought to his doorstep, until he discovers that losing her will almost certainly destroy him...

My Review: 

Zachary is a lion shapeshifter and is in real need of a bit of a vacation after the last battle against the Caedo where he got shot and injured and still has the pain in his shoulder to prove it. He knows he only has 5 years to find his mate before he loses his Amoveo abilities forever and will live as a normal human being but he doesn't know how to go about finding his mate. 

Annabelle sometimes had visions when she touched something of a person's, visions that totally horrified her at times. Annabelle has a secret, one that could hurt Zachary and neither one of them understand how her family and her secret could bring so much danger to him and his family. 

I've loved the Amoveo books since reading the first one and this one just adds to that love. It's all about Zachary and Annabelle in this one. While a couple of the other Amoveo from previous books do make a short appearance we aren't besieged by other characters or many secondary characters that take us away from the main story and  I really liked that. 

Like most Amoveo, Zachary is pretty much an alpha through and through, he is a swoon worthy male and that's for sure. I mean the man can shift into a lion! How is that not awesome? I loved this novella and the entire series and cannot wait to see what else Sara Humphreys brings to us. 

This novella will be released on January 6th 2015.

If you have liked the other books in the Amoveo Legend series then you'll want to get this one also. You can find it at Amazon. 

Disclaimer: I was given a free copy by the author in exchange for my honest review.

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: Ice Ball Maker by DenadaDenada

When I first saw these ice ball molds, I was so interested in having a set for myself and I'm really glad that I did. I found these ice ball molds really easy to use. Just put the two halves together and fill with distilled or boiled water because if you use regular tap water the ice balls will come out cloudy, not that it mattered to me I still loved them.

One thing I do recommend is to not fill all the way to the top because ice expands and some will leak out of the holes in the top. So leave about 1/2 an inch of space at the top with no water and the ice will expand to fill the molds.

I read the recipes that came with the box and plan on trying a few of them. I think colored ice balls sounds really fun and plan on trying to do some of those as well.

I don't drink alcohol but I love to make iced coffee at home. So I brewed up a little extra and poured my coffee into the ice ball molds and used that as the ice in my iced coffee. It's great because it looks fabulous and when it melts it won't water down my iced coffee because it is iced coffee!

The first time I made the ice balls, I filled the molds too much which is why my ice balls look like they have nipples. lol 

Disclaimer: I received this product for free or at a discount in exchange for my honest review.

Review: For One Night by Kitt Crescendo

Book description taken from Amazon: 

Life is all about taking chances. You’ll never know how far you can go unless you try. Well, that’s my philosophy, anyway. My name is Danielle Monroe, but everyone calls me Dani. I’m the kind of girl that doesn’t just pay lip service to living life to the fullest. I reach out and grab it! 

After a brutal day at work, unwinding by taking one of my best girl friends to a club for drinks and dancing was just what I needed. It also gave me the opportunity to make a shared fantasy with my boyfriend, Michael, come true. All it took was a quick phone call, a few friends, and the stage was set. Now, if I could just get everyone to take a walk on the Wild Side with me… 

There’s no harm in asking, right?

My Review: 

I picked this book up last week when it was on sale for just .99 and I'm sure glad that I did. I've read threesome stories before and even a few foursome stories but this foursome was so much fun. 

Not only do they all agree to have a little naughty fun but one person get to have their deepest, darkest fantasy come to life, which was nice to watch unfold as I turned the pages. The chemistry between these four is amazing, they were so comfortable with each other and that made the story flow so easily. 

I loved how things start out nice and flirty and start to get serious on the dance floor and the entire time it's one of the women that has taken control of the situation and is giving direction to everyone as what they should do next. It was nice to see a woman taking charge even with two big strong men in the picture doing what they are told to do. 

The sex scenes were great but I had no doubt about that because if it's one thing I've learned, it's that Kitt Crescendo knows how to write a fantastically hot sex scene. 

I loved this book but I'm really not surprised since I've loved everything I've read by this author so far. So if you're in the mood for a quick, hot, read, do yourself a favor and pick this one up. 

I give this book 5 out of 5 stars. 

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.
Did you know you can sign up at Tomoson and get free products too.

This week I received:
A Hot Guys and Baby Animals Calendar I won from a blog contest.
Naturalico Vitamin C Serum
Sensodyne Toothpaste

I also won 6 books in a blog giveaway at Delighted Reader.

And I got 2 Ice Ball Molds with a 99% off coupon code from No Kidding Coupons.

And 2 sample packs of Truvia Sweetener.

Did you get any free samples or anything free this week?

What Should Be in a Pet Rat's First Aid Kit

*Flower*

I'm betting that most everyone has some sort of first aid kit for themselves and their children but do you have one for your pets? Do you know what should be in a first aid kit for your specific pet? Here are a basic list of things that you should have on hand for a rat first aid kit.

Neosporin- To be used on small cuts, scrapes and infections.

Baby Nail Clippers- Used for clipping rats claws, always be careful not to clip to much or it will bleed. Only cut the very tip, just the sharp white point.

Cotton Balls and Q-Tips- both used to apply antibiotic ointment, peroxide or water to wash off cuts and scrapes and small wounds.

Peroxide- To clean wounds.

Pedialyte- Can be used to help a dehydrated rat when they don't want to drink water, they might drink this.

Boost or Ensure- Good for older rats who don't eat as much food and might start to lose weight. This has vitamins and calories that will keep a rat from losing weight and getting sicker.

Infant or Baby Motrin- Can be given to a rat for minor pain. You should ask your vet for dosage instructions and whether or not your rat needs prescription pain medicine instead.

Stage 1 Baby Food- When a rat gets sick they will sometimes eat this when they won't eat anything else.

Scissors- For cutting gauze, compression wrapping, tape, ect.

A Small Plastic Tupperware Box- This needs to be large enough for your rat but not too large. Used as a temporary medical home while an injured rat is being treated by you or to watch for signs of shock or until injuries stop bleeding. There should be a cotton baby blanket inside the box so they have something soft to lay on and snuggle into to keep warm if they go into shock from an injury. The blanket should be white so you can see any blood, urine or feces.

Plastic syringe *without the needle*- For giving medicine, water and other fluids.

Insulin Syringe with Needle- Used in emergency cases where sterile saline needs to be injected under the skin if a rat is dehydrated and won't drink.

Self Adhesive Cohesive Bandage- Used to keep small pieces of gauze in place on small areas like feet, legs, paws, and sometimes around the body of the rat.

Gauze and Non Stick Melolin Dressing- Gauze will sometimes work while holding pressure on a wound or for cleaning a cut or scrape but if you are going to be wrapping a wound you should use a non sticking sterile dressing like Melolin so it doesn't hurt your rat when you have to change the bandage.

For major injuries and wounds your rat needs to be taken right away to a veterinarian to be looked at. But for small scrapes and cuts you can clean them and apply antibiotic ointment to them. If the cut or wound is larger or deeper but manageable you can apply a Melolin dressing and antibiotic ointment to it and wrap a cohesive bandage around it and wait a day to see if if will start to heal on its own. Very deep wounds, breaks, and emergencies should all warrant a trip to the vets office, where you can ask about how much Infant Motrin to give and also about Metacam which is a prescription pain medicine given to rats.

Things to Consider Before Adopting a Pet Rat

*Lucky*

After having over a dozen rats as pets over the past 20 years, I know there are expenses that I never thought would pop up for them, things I never thought of before bringing my first rat home. For such a small, relatively inexpensive pet to adopt, they can be a healthy expense once you get them home. Are you willing to pay the money to take care of them and keep them healthy?

Cages
Did you know that rats need a lot of space to run, play, sleep, eat and even need a bathroom corner? A small $20 hamster cage is not suitable for rats because they grow to be much bigger than hamsters and will not fit into the tubes, bubbles, wheels and houses. There are cages made specifically for rats and they will run you about $140 each. The cage I bought is a Ferret Nation cage which is close to a Critter Nation cage, the only real differences between the two is the Critter Nation cage has smaller bar spacing so baby rats can't fit through the bars. But I didn't have babies so this was fine with me. The Dimensions of the Critter Nation cage are: 36L x 24W x 39H inches. So you can see this is a large cage and I easily had 4 rats in this cage together. Even if you only have two rats, you need a cage this big so they have enough room to play, hide, sleep and have places to climb.

Cage Accessories
Rats needs toys, beds, houses, ladders, ropes, food bowls, water bottles, hammocks, bedding, and sometimes wheels. The thing is, you aren't going to be buying these things once, you are going to be buying these things many times over because rats like to chew and just about everything you put in their cage gets chewed up and destroyed. So it has to be replaced.

Food
Rats not only need a good bagged rat food like Oxbow rat food, but they also need treats, and fresh fruits and vegetables. I have 2 rats right now and I spend about $60 a month on the bagged dry Oxbow rat food, yogie treats, other rat treats like Gerber Graduates banana cookies as well as fresh fruits and vegetables that I give to my rats every day. It all adds up to a lot of food and money each month.

Laundry
You wouldn't think that laundry would be a big part of having a pet rat, but it is for me because I found out that using fleece blankets and cotton baby blankets as liners for the bottom and the shelves of my rat cages is the best thing I could use for them. They are not dusty like some of the bagged bedding and dust can cause allergic reactions as well as upper respiratory infections. So when I clean out the cages each week, I have to take all of the fleece blankets, baby blankets and hammocks out of the cage and throw them into the washer and dryer. This is also cheaper than buying the bagged bedding at the pet store and it's reusable.

Medicine
Rats can get sick and need medicine for different things just like we do. Are you willing to pay for things like antibiotics if they get an upper respiratory infection, medicine to get rid of mites or other parasites, antibiotic ointment and bandages for cuts, scrapes and illnesses like bumblefoot?

Veterinary Visits
If your rat gets sick are you willing to take them to the vets office and have them looked at and treated? If they get old or sick and need to be humanely put to sleep, are you willing to take them to the vet and pay for that? If you bring home a pet, you have a responsibility to make sure that they don't suffer if they get sick. If you cannot or will not take your rat to the veterinarian then you should not adopt a pet rat.

Who Are You Buying The Rat For?
Are you bringing home the rat for yourself or your kids? Children should always be supervised around animals and can quickly become bored with pets where they don't want to take care of them and if this happens are you willing to take responsibility for the animal and care for it? If you are thinking of buying a rat as a gift for a birthday or Christmas present for a niece, nephew or neighbor...don't. Did you ask the parents if they want a rat? Are the parents willing to care for the animal if their child doesn't?

Caring for An Older Rat
Are you willing to take the time to care for an older rat if they can't walk, won't drink from the water bottle and need special soft human foods? I had an elderly rat who was 4 years old and I had to syringe feed him water and food every 2-4 hours *for almost 4 months*, feed him soft foods like pudding, eggs, rice, noodles and other soft foods several times a day because he only ate a little at a time and fresh foods go bad so I had to clean out the old and put new food in all the time. He had hind leg degeneration so I had to buy another smaller one level cage so that he stayed on the ground floor and didn't fall off any high platforms or shelves. He didn't clean himself too much so I had to change his blanket which is in his bed, because he urinated on it since he couldn't walk around so well anymore. I sometimes had to bathe him in the sink if he had diarrhea or if he got wet from urine. When he stopped eating and drinking and slows down to where I know it's time to help him rest, I was going to take him to the vet and have him humanely put to sleep *he passed away in his sleep* , are you willing to do that? It's not right to let them suffer.

So before you adopt a pet think about what you are willing to do if that pet gets sick or needs to see a vet. If the answer is nothing, then reconsider getting any pet.

Review: Home Is Where The Heat Is by Amelia James

Book Description taken from Author's Blog:

The Twisted Mosaic’s reader favorite, Claire, has some twisted fun of her own.

Dependable paralegal Claire O’Connor knows the man of her dreams is out there waiting for her, and she’s ready for him. Imagine her surprise—and delight—when she discovers not one but two men who lust for her. One adores her; the other challenges her. One makes sense; the other is a gamble.

Despite the family tragedy that shaped his past, JT Luck has only known professional success. His personal life, however, is a failure. He doesn’t want a relationship, and while his ‘let it ride’ attitude keeps most women at a distance, Claire is eager to roll with him.

But when she finds out Kurt Langston, the office’s resident computer geek, harbors a secret crush for her, she wonders if he’s the safer bet. Kurt doesn’t get close to people, and his feelings for Claire make no sense in his carefully ordered life. His unexpected bond with JT pushes him to take chances he never imagined.

Go all-in or go home? Either way, the heat could be more than they can handle.

My Review: 

Claire isn't sure she wants to get involved with someone just yet after ending a relationship with someone who really didn't know her as well as she had hoped he did. But you just never know when the perfect guy for you is going to walk right into your life. But when she finds out that two guys want her, she faces a dilemma. Go for the exciting one or the dependable one?

JT might have some trust issues but he's got that bad boy swagger and sexy air about him that women love. He obviously likes to take chances and that's ok if he's only taking chances with his own life, career ect. But when he's pushing Claire into doing something that could potentially get her into trouble or even fired, I liked him a lot less. 

Kurt the IT guy has a secret crush on Claire and even makes it a point to be the one who fixes her computer, printer or whatever when she has a problem just so he can be close to her. I found it so cute that he would go to such lengths just to be around her. 

There's a mystery as to who is setting fires and while JT is trying to figure that out, things heat up in the bedroom. I loved how JT didn't get jealous when he found out that Kurt had the hots for Claire and instead does something I wasn't expecting but loved and found the whole idea quite exciting. 

Want to know what happens? You'll just have to read the book! I am very happy to have jumped on this book when it was free on Amazon. 

I give this book 5 out of 5 stars. 

Review: Naturalico Vitamin C Serum

Description taken from Amazon:

REVIVES DULL SKIN & REDUCES DISCOLORATION

SOFTENS LINES AND WRINKLES

PROTECTS AND FIRMS

THE BEST VITAMIN C SERUM ON THE MARKET 

THE PURE, GENTLE WAY TO FIGHT WRINKLES

Ingredients:

KEY INGREDIENTS - 1 OZ -MADE IN USA // 20% VITAMIN C, ORGANIC ROSEHIP OIL, ORGANIC SEA BUCKTHORN OIL, RESISTEM (PLANT STEM CELLS), HYALURONIC ACID(BOTANICAL), GREEN TEA EXTRACT All of our products including our Vitamin C serum are totally natural and organic. We do not use alcohol or parabens. Our Hyaluronic Acid Serum is 98% natural and 72% organic (whole foods). All of our products are created in a state of the art, FDA certified facility here in the US.

My review: 

A few of my online friends use Vitamin C Serums and have been raving about the products like this one. So I was excited to be able to try this one out when given the opportunity. Upon getting the bottle, I was a little surprised that the bottle was smaller than I had initially expected it to be but a little goes a long way so there's really nothing to worry about there. 

It has a nice pleasant scent and isn't greasy. It absorbs really fast into my skin and after using for almost a week I've noticed that my skin is softer and the scar on the left side of my face has faded just a little bit. Now I wasn't expecting to really see any noticeable changes this early if at all so I am really amazed to see any changes at all. I've had a 3 inch scar on the left side of my face since I was 5 years old and had a cyst removed three times by the time I was 10 years old. It bothers me that it's so pronounced on my face and everyone looks at it when they see me. While I doubt that this or any serum will get rid of this scar, it is definitely making it less pronounced, less noticeable.

The Vitamin C Serum is clear and has a very light scent, hardly noticeable at all. 

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

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*