Weekly Rat Facts: Rat Nibbles

Rats will use their teeth on you in strange ways and you may not realize that they know exactly how hard they are biting you, but they do. Some rats will 'tooth' you to make you back away if they don't feel like being bothered. My Marbles dis this to me. He would grab my finger in his mouth and hold onto it with his teeth while backing my hand out of his space and then he'll let me go and push me away with his nose. Pretty much telling me to leave him alone. 

If your rat is nibbling you, seemingly grooming you like he does his cage mates, you should not stop him from doing this. This is their way of bonding with you and making you part of their pack. My rat Lucky, would Faux bite me while playing. It's not a real bite, he just grabs my fingers and presses me with his teeth, much like a human would with their fingers if they were touching you. Rats feel through touching things with their teeth so these play bites are normal and should be encouraged. 

Rats have incredible micro control over the pressure they bite down with, when a rat bites down they know exactly how much pressure they are exerting. So if a rat bites you out of aggression...they meant to do it. 

Most domesticated rats do not bite. Let me say this again...most rats people keep as pets...do not bite. 

The only time a rat will bite a human is if they have been mishandled by humans and are afraid or if they have had very little interaction with humans and aren't used to being handled. In some cases if an otherwise happy rat bites you for no reason, it might be a sign they are in pain or sick. 

If a rat is sniffing your fingers and starts to bite down and then stops suddenly, they usually are saying, "Oh hey, sorry about that. I thought this was a yummy carrot. But your finger isn't a carrot and now I know that. Oh and by the way, can I have a carrot?" 

Rats feel the world around them by checking things out with their teeth, then they smell and taste. My rat Lucky likes to try and steal my rings. He'll be playing with me and grab the ring on my finger and try to run away with it. Sometimes he'll accidentally grab a little skin along with my ring and that is an accidental bite. All he knows is that there's something hard and interesting on the human hands that are playing with him and he wants to check it out, so he 'tooths' it. 

If you have dead skin on your hands or fingers, your rat will become your doctor and get rid f it for you. My rats have been extremely careful as they remove scabs, bits of skin, broken cuticles and check out scratches as well as other problem skin areas. Most times they will gently pull off dead skin and scabs...and eat them. If this grosses you out, don't let them do it but sometimes they are so fast at it you might not even know they've done it until you see them munching away at a bit of a dead skin scab morsel and come back sniffing for more. 

Rats are very smart and I am comfortable enough with mine to smear little bits of food on my fingers and let them lick it off without fear of being bitten. That's why it's good to let your rats nibble your fingers so they get an idea of what fingers feel like in their teeth and find out that their humans fingers are not food. Rats are smart and after nibbling something can assess whether it is food or not and will know the next time they encounter it. So if you put a little pudding on your finger and they bite down to get the pudding and find out with their teeth and tongue that there are two different textures there they will lick the pudding off and stop biting your finger.

When my rat Brodie got sick and refused to eat or take his medicine that I mixed with baby food, I would smear a little on my finger and put it up to him and he would lick it off my finger. I did this 5 times a day for about 3 weeks until he felt better and started eating off the spoon and then felt good enough to go down and eat off the plate and out of the food bowl. 

I had one rat, Fang that did bite Ken 4 times after we brought him and his brothers home. Fang and his cage mates were scared and he and Patches both had upper respiratory infections which when I got them I started them on antibiotics right away and it helped but they hadn't had much human interaction and were afraid of human hands so Fang lashed out. Ken made the mistake of trying to say hello by putting his fingers through the bars of the cage and Fang saw this as an act of aggression and bit him. 

I on the other hand opened the cage doors and let Fang come to me, pet his head when he came to the front of the cage and gave him treats that he slowly took from my fingers and made friends with him over a period of a week. When he tried climbing out of the cage onto my hands I let him, I let him set the pace and let him figure out if he wanted to be held, petted or come out of the cage. I never once got bit. Ken thought that because I had Fang out and he was sitting on my shoulder he could come over and say hello, even though I told him to be careful because Fang was still scared and he was bonding with me right now not just anyone. All Ken did was put his face up next to Fang while the little guy was on my shoulder and Fang got scared and bit him on the eye brow...drawing blood once again. 

It took about a month but Ken made friends with Fang and the little guy even let Ken hold him, pet him and cuddle with him. Ken never gave up on our little biter and even though he didn't listen to me when I said be careful...lol they did finally make friends and fang stopped biting him. Ken was even able to put his fingers through the bars of the cage and give him a few scritches (strokes on the head or back) until he'd had enough and would walk away. 

Rats that bite, do so for a reason, you just have to figure out what the reason is. In Fangs case, he came to us with an upper respiratory infection which made him feel bad and he wasn't used to human hands or being petted. With a lot of patience, love and attention Fang was able to stop biting and get lots of love and attention. 

Fang, my little bitey boy became a complete cuddler that always wanted to be held. I mean all the time. lol 

Fang, being his silly self. He would hang like this over the hammock to sleep. 

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.

This week I thought I would do something a little different because I didn't receive any free samples but I did get something else for free...money and gift cards. My sister in law asked me what the best survey places were to make money and get points that can be cashed out for gift cards, so I sent her a link to my blog post that has all of them listed. 

This week I've taken screen shots of my accounts on a few of the places I've cashed out my points for gift cards. As well as Inbox Dollars where when you reach $30 you can have a check sent to you...this will be my 4th check from them. 

Let's start with My Survey. As you can see *Click the picture to make it bigger* I have cashed my points out several times over the past few months and have been saving the Amazon gift cards I got, for Christmas. On their site a $10 Amazon gift certificate will cost you 1100 points, a $15 Amazon gift certificate is 1650 points and a $25 Amazon gift certificate is 2750 points. I've cashed out several times in the past and have gotten $65 just this year from them. And all I had to do was fill out surveys. I have 2742 points right now and I should be able to cash out another $25 Amazon gift card in the next couple of days.

Next is Swagbucks, and on this site I've cashed out about $100 just this year so far as you can see from the screen shot I took of the Amazon gift cards I've redeemed. I have enough points right now to cash out another $5 Amazon gift card. Some people might not think it's really worth their time to do searches and watch videos on Swagbucks just to cash out a $5 gift card every couple of weeks, but as you can see...they do add up. You can also keep your points and wait until you have enough to cash out a $25 or $15 amazon gift card or spend your points in their rewards store and buy an actual product, I've done that too. 

The next site I wanted to tell you about this week is Inbox Dollars. If you click on the picture and look at the top right purple box where it says 'earnings' you can see that I'm just $4 away from reaching $30. On this site, once you reach the $30 mark you can cash out for an actual check sent to you in the mail. This will be my 4th check from them, so I know it works. 

So there you go, if that's not proof enough that you really can make some free money and get free gift cards from some of these places...I don't know what is. 

I've already started some Christmas shopping and so far it hasn't cost me anything because I'm using the Amazon gift cards I've gotten for FREE!

Yes, as some people have pointed out, it takes a while to get enough points to cash out on some of these sites. I'm on the computer a lot already playing on fb and writing articles, so why not take a 15 minute survey every couple of days or use Swagbucks to do a search and maybe win a few swagbucks that can be used for a free gift card? The great thing about this is you get to use these sites as little or as much as you want and if you're like me and save most of your gift cards for the end of the year...you get to go a good amount of shopping *for free* with them. 

Rat Humor

The Verminator! Dishwasher Tired of hours spent slaving away at the kitchen sink or enduring ugly dishpan hands? Annoyed at the inefficiency and complicated use of those other dishwashers?  Then this is the product for you! Designed by a team of world class biologists, The Verminator! is the cutting edge in kitchen cleaning technology.  Just place your dirty dishes in the specially designed rodent cage and within minutes The Verminator!'s biological cleaning agents will produce sparkling clean dishes.  No need to add any of those nasty chemical detergents and with no electricity use you'll be saving money and the environment! The Verminator! Dishwasher - for squeaky clean dishes! But wait... there's more!!  Buy today and you'll receive not one, but two hungry rats!  Yes, that's right... this wonderful new product complete with two hungry rats.  Double the cleaning power - perfect for dinner parties and other high speed cleaning applications. And as a special to our credit card customers who phone in the next 30 minutes, a free introductory offer of a pair of baby mice, perfect for cleaning delicate glassware. Yes, that's right, you get The Verminator!, not one, but two hungry rats PLUS a pair of baby mice... everything you'll ever want for your kitchen cleaning needs, all at this amazingly low price!!! Call now on 555-CleanRat, our operators are standing by. --------------------- Rat self help courses The Rodent Education Centre offers the following courses, available to all ratties: "Gnaw your way to sharper teeth" "To stash or not to stash" "Begging for dummies" "Getting your way with squeaks and squirms" "You CAN be alpha!" "The lazy buck's guide to tail grooming" "Humping your cagemates for fun and dominance" "Marking:  It makes scents!" "The art of T-shirt lace making" "Free ranging: 101 ways to avoid capture" "DIY Claw sharpening" "The world is your toilet: de-programming litter training" "Beginners Bruxing" "Toss a raisin and 101 other ways to get attention" ---------------------- Signs your rat has learned your internet password - by ?? and with additions from me You find email flames in your inbox from some guy named "Templeton" You discover flecks of aspen bedding in your keyboard You've been subscribed to strange newsgroups like alt.recreational.yogurtdrops Your web browser has a new home page: www.hotrats.com Your mouse is resting in a hammock in its very own deluxe cage Your keyboard has a strong territorial scent to it On IRC you're known as KingRat (or QueenRat) There are tiny carpal tunnel braces near your rat's cage Your rat suddenly develops the need to sway to focus on things You find the tools and materials required to construct a home-made bomb in your rat's stash Your desktop image has been changed to a photograph of some girl rat called Camille Someone has run up your credit card with purchases from www.vitakraft.com The stickers have all been stripped from your computer casing ----------------------- The EpiRatty Tired of shaving your legs?  Fed up with razor nicks and rashes?  Can't afford the expense of professional waxing? Then this is the product for you!  The EpiRatty(TM)! The EpiRatty(TM) is a large cute agouti rat.  No batteries required, just rub his butt and he will barber your skin, delicately ripping out those unwanted hairs in seconds!  He even has a built in lick mode that soothes the skin afterwards. Phone 555 EPI RAT.  Our operators are standing by.

Birth Of A Hamster

*Here's one of those funnies you just have to share with others* Birth of a hamster I had to take my son's hamster to the vet. Here's what happened: Just after dinner one night, my son came up to tell me there was "something wrong" with one of the two hamsters he holds prisoner in his room. "He's just lying there looking sick," he told me. "Oldest trick in the book," I informed him. "You go in to see what's wrong with the sick one and the other one sneaks up behind you and bonks you on the head. Then they change into your clothes and escape." "I'm serious, Dad. Can you help?" I put a hamster-healer expression on my face and followed him into his bedroom. One of the little rodents was indeed lying on his back, looking distressed. I immediately knew what to do. "Honey," I called, "come look at the hamster!" "Oh, my gosh," my wife diagnosed after a minute. "She's having babies." "What?" my son demanded. "But their names are Bert and Ernie!" I was equally outraged. "Hey, how can that be? I thought we said we didn't want them to reproduce," I accused my wife. "Well, what did you want me to do, post a sign in their cage?" she inquired sarcastically. "No, but you were supposed to get two boys!" I reminded her. "Yeah, Bert and Ernie!" my son agreed. "Well, it was a little hard to tell," she informed me. By now the rest of the family had gathered to see what was going on. I shrugged, deciding to make the best of it. "Kids, this is going to be a wondrous experience," I announced. "We're about to witness the miracle of birth." "Gross!" they shrieked. "Great, what are we going to do with a litter of tiny little hamster babies?" my wife wanted to know. "Well, when my parents' dog had puppies, I took them up to the grocery store in a cardboard box and gave them away," I recalled. "So what are you going to do, go up with a pair of tweezers so people can pick out their hamster?" she asked. We peered at the patient. After much struggling, what looked like a tiny foot would appear briefly, vanishing a scant second later. "We don't appear to be making much progress," I noted. "A breech birth," my wife whispered, horrified. "Do something, Dad!" my son urged. "Okay, okay." Squeamishly, I reached in and grabbed the foot when it next appeared, giving it a gingerly tug. It disappeared. I tried again, with the same results. "Should I dial 911?" my daughter wanted to know. "Maybe they could talk us through it." "Let's get Ernie to the vet," I said grimly. We drove to the vet with my son holding the cage in his lap. "Breathe, Ernie, breathe," he urged. "I don't think hamsters do Lamaze," I told him. The vet took Ernie back to the examining room and peered at the little animal through a magnifying glass. "What do you think, Doc, an epidural?" I suggested scientifically. "Oh, very interesting," he murmured. "Mr. and Mrs. Cameron, may I speak to you privately for a moment?" I gulped, nodding for my son to step outside. "Is Ernie going to be okay?" my wife asked. "Oh, perfectly," the vet assured us. "This hamster is not in labor. In fact, that isn't EVER going to happen....Ernie is a boy." "What?" "You see, Ernie is a young male. And occasionally, as they come into maturity, male hamsters will, ah..." He blushed, glancing at my wife. "Well, you know what I'm saying, Mr. Cameron." We were silent, absorbing this. "So Ernie's just...just..." "Excited?" my wife offered. "Exactly," the vet replied, relieved that we understood. More silence. Then my wife started to giggle. "What's so funny?" I demanded. Tears were now running down her face. "Just...that...I'm picturing you pulling on its...its..." she gasped. "That's enough," I warned. We thanked the veterinarian and hurriedly bundled the hamsters and our son back into the car. He was glad everything was going to be okay. "I know Ernie's really thankful for what you've done, Dad," he told me. "Oh, you have no idea," my wife agreed, collapsing into laughter as I gave her a dirty look

Nookiestar.com Stole My Work!

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How To Burn Powder Incense Without A Self Lighting Charcoal Briquette

Some of you may not know what I'm talking about here, so let me explain. 

You've probably seen incense cones and sticks but it also comes in a powder form that you sprinkle on top of a special self lighting charcoal briquette. But I ran out of the charcoal briquettes and wondered if there was a way to still burn my powder incense, so through trial and error *and a lot of smoke* I found that you can indeed burn powder incense without charcoal. That is what the powder incense looks like in the canister.

I buy Anna Rivas Powder incense because I like the way it smells. I also have a small brass cauldron that I usually burn the charcoal briquettes or cones in but this time I just placed a small piece of aluminum foil on top to hold the incense while it burned.

I was able to light it and it burned.

This is what it looked like. 

If you'd like to know how I figured out how to burn powder incense without charcoal then just read my newest article. 

How To Burn Powder Incense Without Charcoal

Weekly Rat Facts: Personalities

Anyone who has rats as pets knows that they each have their own little personalities. But for someone who has never been around rats they might not realize that rats, just like other animals as well as humans...have their own distinct personalities. 

Take for instance Lucky, in the above picture. He was born with only three legs *one of his front paws is missing* but that doesn't stop him from climbing, running, jumping and having a lot of fun. He's my rat with the most energy I've ever seen in a rat. He starts licking anyone that gets their hands or face close enough for him to give kisses and he will play with you. Every morning when I do a spot cleaning in the cages he runs over to me and tugs on my rings, then hops around, comes back and play fights with my hand and popcorns around his cage. He'll play tug of war and after he's done playing will lay down for me to pet him. 

Marbles is my standoffish rat. He doesn't like to be picked up but if I move the cage over to the couch he'll climb out onto the couch and run around on the couch with me. He really doesn't like to be petted and will back away from you if you try to but if you lay down on the couch or the bed he'll come lay next to you. 

He always come to the front of the cage to see me when I do a morning spot cleaning in the cages and I put my hand in front of him for him to sniff he will nibble all of my fingers and then stare at me until he gets his morning treat. Nibbling my fingers is his way of saying "hi" I think. The cage is right next to the couch in the living room and when Marbles wants a treat he will go to the corner he's at in the picture and stare at Ken who sits on that side of the couch. 

When Marbles sees Ken get up and go in the kitchen you can see him getting all excited bouncing back and forth at the front of the cage until Ken comes back with a piece of apple, carrot, cereal, cheese or yogie. Marbles usually snatches it and runs over to his bed. He had Ken trained very well. LOL 

Bandit is my food hoarder/stealer/bully. 

When I first got him and his three brothers this one was stealing all the good foods put in the cage and would fight the other rats if they tried to get anything other than the lab blocks. 

I put them in a bigger cage which did help and would set up three spots where the fresh foods were in the cage, so everyone could get some. At first he would run to all of the fresh food spots and carry them all back to his hoarding spot and guard it. So I started hand feeding them all a little bit at a time and that would stop him from taking food from the others. 

In the past year 2 of his brothers have passed away and he and Marbles are now 3 years old which in his old age has mellowed him out a bit. 

Now I just have to set out fresh foods in two spots in the cage, one by Marbles and one by Bandit and Bandit will usually sit and eat from his spot while Marbles is eating his. Sometimes though Bandit will push Marbles up against the back of the cage with his butt and lay on him, keeping him away from the food. That's when I have to separate them and put one upstairs and one downstairs where they will eat and then go cuddle together to sleep. 

So as you can see, 3 rats with three distinct personalities. 

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. 

This week I received samples of:

Kirkland surface wipes

Kirkland baby wipes

Kirkland daily facial towelettes

Nordic Naturals Omega-3 Pet vitamins for dogs and cats

Advil pain reliever

I found the links to all of these great samples at Freebie Shark and Hey It's Free

So, did you get any free samples this week?

Books!

I got my books in the mail today. I'm so excited to start reading them. Two of my all time favorite series and Kerrelyn Sparks book that I just started reading not too long ago and really do love it too. But the other two series I've been reading for years...like 20 years..I love it when they have new books come out in these series. 

Now...if I can just get hubby to maybe sleep for a few days so I can read in peace. Or maybe I'll have to leave him chained in the dungeon for a few days. *if I only had a dungeon* LOL 

Guess I'll just have to put on my stern face and tell him no talking until I'm done reading. lol 

Three Days Grace Has A New Lead Singer

So I found out recently that the lead singer for Three Days Grace (Adam Gontier), one of my favorite bands has left and a new lead singer (Matt Walsh) has taken over. So I thought since I like their music I would give the new guy a try...no, no and no. Damn, they should have found someone else because this guy just doesn't do it for me at all.

So if you want to hear the new guy (Matt Walsh) just listen to the video above.




If you want to hear (Adam Gontier) the lead singer that I actually liked...listen to this video. It's the same song, but Adam in my opinion does a damn site better job of it.

How disappointing...I really liked them. But it happened not too long ago with another band that I liked when their lead singer left too...Nightwish isn't at all what it used to be.

The Marijuana Myth

When speaking out on marijuana the one thing I hear most is, "Marijuana has never killed anyone!" 

Well just because no one has ever overdosed on Marijuana doesn't mean it's not harmful. Just read this article:

Marijuana causes many deaths reported as "accidents"

One quote from that article I'd like to share is... ""Cannabis is as dangerous as any other drug and people must understand that it kills," said Mr Turner. "From my long experience I can say that it is a very dangerous substance. Increasingly it is mentioned not only as the first drug taken by people who overdose, but also in suicides and accidental deaths."

Or how about this article:

Marijuana Use Does Kill People

Here's a quote from that article I found enlightening..." The researchers note that this increased mortality might be the result of a higher rate of car crashes among marijuana users, intentional or violent injuries or homicides, and other kinds of accidents or injuries associated with marijuana use. Patients’ secondary use of other drugs could also explain some of the excess mortality among those treated for cannabis use disorder."

While no one has ever died as a result of overdosing on marijuana that does NOT mean that marijuana is not the cause of people dying..that is the biggest lie of them all. People die all the time because others are high on marijuana and kill them in car accidents or other accidents. Here's an article that has more than 6 different reports of people high on marijuana being the cause of another persons death. 

Marijuana is dangerous and it kills: it is a leading cause of injury crashes

I think the most telling article is the one that reads, "Woman Kills Self and 7 others While High on Marijuana" 

or 

‘Psychotic Pothead’ Shoots Pentagon Police

“…John Patrick Bedell liked it (marijuana) too; in fact, he was a marijuana addict. But he inflicted a lot of pain on other people, including the two guards he shot at the Pentagon.”

and one of the worst ones... 

"Hunter Kills 14, Injures 104 Firefighters, Burns 422 Square Miles After Setting ‘Accidental’ Fire
 The California Cedar fire was the second largest wildfire in the history of California. 14 people lost their lives in that fire. 104 firefighters were injured, one died. Countless wildlife were cremated; 90% of Cuyamaca Rancho State Park was incinerated; 280,278 acres; 422 square miles were ravaged; the fire took a month to put out and cost $27 million. The hunter “admitted that the night before his foray into the forest, he had smoked marijuana by himself and slipped the pipe and lighter in the pocket of his hunting vest. He said he had not smoked marijuana on the day of the trip. Investigators looking into the fire later found Martinez’s glass marijuana pipe about 30 feet from the spot where the fire had started.” (NC TIMES)"

So the next time you want to try and use the argument, "marijuana use has never killed anyone" I will point out that you have had your head stuck so far down in the sand that you can't see the truth when it is standing right in front of you. Because the fact is...marijuana has killed people, maybe not from an overdose, maybe no one has over dosed, maybe no one has ever died from a fatal overdose amount in their own system from smoking it but people sure as hell have died in accidents after 'pot heads' have gotten behind the wheel after lighting up and driving. 

Oh and one more little tidbit for you to think about. According to this article,  "The drug can cause cancer, lung disease and abnormalities associated with serious mental illness. Users are up to six times more likely to develop schizophrenia."

So maybe the mental problem you have...are caused by the "medicine" you are smoking. Just a thought. But I'm sure you'll come up with some statistics from proponents of marijuana that counters everything I've proven here. The truth is in front of you, you just don't want to see it. 

Who's the sheeple now?

23rd Anniversary

Yep, it's been 23 years since this picture was taken and Ken and I are still going strong. A lot of things have happened in the last 23 years..we had a daughter and now we are grandparents. 

We'd had our ups and downs but the one thing we've learned is you have to be able to talk with your partner if you want your relationship to last. 

So many couples don't make it this long so I'm super proud and happy that we have. 

Happy Anniversary, Honey

My Mom Would Have Been 66 Years Old Today

As you can see my mom was quite the character. 

She passed away 2 years ago, which was much too early for us to lose her. I still sometimes will think, "Oh I have to call mom and tell her this." and then remember that I can't. I miss her like crazy and I know others do too. 

Happy Birthday, Mom

Do You Want Something?

The Something Store

According to the something store for a mere $10 they will send you...something. 

Your Something May Be Anything

It may be something you need, something you want or something you desire. Your something may be a cool shiny gadget, rare book, party game, handmade necklace, reverse clock, box of gourmet chocolates, popular video game, portable table tennis set, pashmina scarf, set of kitchen knives, pair of handmade earrings, garden tool, kitchen appliance, unique home decor item, electronic equipment, fine crafting tool or an office supply item... Your something will be a brand new item; not used or refurbished.

When you order...something. They will randomly pick an item from their inventory and send you..something. It will be a surprise until you open the box. 

So would you ever do this? Do you know someone who would?

I've actually been temped but I have a feeling I would probably get something I didn't need. 

Weekly Rat Facts: Play Time

*Hades sleeping with a rubber ducky*

Even thought rats may live in cages they also need time out of their cages to play and bond with their human. I take my boys out at least 30 minutes 3 times a day. Sometimes more especially when others are taking them out to play. Ken loves to take them out and when my daughter comes over she'll sometimes take them out and let them run around too. They love coming out to play. You can tell they want to because they'll be running back and forth or hopping on the bars at the front of the cage and will crawl right onto your hands when you open the cage. 

Sometimes when they get older they'll still want to come out but instead of running around playing, they just want to be held and cuddled. I had a few rats that would fall asleep on my shoulder, my lap or even in my shirt. 

That was Romi and she slept like that on me all the time. A few of the others liked that place to sleep as well and I never minded. 

I always tell people who are adopting rats for the first time that if you don't have the time they need for play time you should really think about getting an animal that doesn't require your time, like a gold fish. 

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.

This week I found links to these freebies on Freebie Shark and Hey It's Free. 

So what did I get?

Puffs Fresh Faces sample

Boogie Wipes Sample

Centrum flavor bursts sample

Frizzease shampoo and conditioner sample

Strange Time Of Year For Me

This is always a strange time of year for me because back on this date when I was 12 years old...my mom's boyfriend Larry Falzone killed himself in front of me in my kitchen.

After my mom and dad divorced when I was 12, she started dating this guy and he turned out to be a real winner let me tell you. He hit her all the time and was an incredibly mean drunk.

That day however we were all at my grandfather's weld shop and he had started yelling at me for some little stupid reason and I yelled back at him this time. * I didn't do that often because he took it out on my mom* My grandpa came outside and told me to get in his truck that he would take me home *We lived with him at the time* and my mom, little brother and Larry all went in my mom's van. They left a few minutes before us.

My grandpa talked to me on the way home and told me to just try and ignore him as much as possible so I was going to and when we pulled up at his apartment I got the door keys from grandpa and ran up the stairs *he was older and slower so he always gave me the keys to open the door*

When I got inside, the tv and radio were turned up really loud and Larry was sitting at the kitchen table with a bottle of peppermint schnapps and my moms gun in his hand. He held the gun up and for a few moments I thought he was going to shoot me and I couldn't move or talk but he just downed the liquor and pointed the gun at me and said, "This is all your fault" then he turned the gun on himself and shot himself in the head.

I was shocked, completely and utterly shocked and didn't move for what seemed like hours. But my grandpa came up the stairs, grabbed me and pushed me outside. I ran down the stairs and over to my mom's van where my mom and little brother were at and told her that Larry had hurt himself. She ran up the stairs and started pounding on the door but my grandpa wouldn't let her in and he yelled at me to get her down stairs so I went back up and tried but she turned around and pushed me down the stairs.

The police came and so did my grandmother *I'm guessing that grandpa called them* a little while later my grandparents took me to a corner and asked me what happened when I went upstairs. I told them and they both told me not to tell anyone what I saw. I was told to tell police and everyone else that when I got upstairs he had already shot himself and I didn't see anything.

I didn't understand why they wanted me to say that but I did what I was told and we never spoke of it again... my grandpa died a year later from cancer and my grandmother had a a heart attack after open heart surgery which caused her to have brain damage and she died a year later when I was 19.

When I was 18 I had a bit of a mental break down and tried to commit suicide by taking several handfulls of my grandmothers medications. I died for 3 minutes and was unconscious for 7 days. That's when it came out to my psychiatrists that I'd been living with what happened when I was 12 for so long. I never told anyone for 6 years and couldn't ask my grandparents anything because they weren't around anymore.

I was diagnosed with PTSD and a slew of other things including depression. I think that what Larry did and what I saw really had an impact on me, more than I even realized at the time.

The things that happen to us as kids really do impact how we will be and react once we are adults, I know it has for me.

So that's why today is a strange sort of day for me.

You Know It's Time To Leave A FB Group When...

*I posted this on my personal fb page but wanted to share it here as well*

I'm sad, aggravated and upset after learning that a woman I looked up to, that a lot of my fellow ratty lovers have looked up to admitted that she does surgery on her rats herself using Isoflurane as the anesthesia, which only a licensed vet is supposed to be using. Now this in itself is not the big deal..the big deal is she is not a veterinarian, has had no veterinarian schooling and sees nothing wrong in performing surgeries on her own rats as well as other people's rat when they bring them to her.

What really upset me and made my mind up to leave her group, The Rat Fan Club is the fact she said as long as the rat wasn't feeling any pain she saw nothing wrong with operating on a rat without pain meds. Now tell me, how can you tell if a rat is in pain? Just by them squeaking, moving ect..? Rats are hearty animals and hide their pain so this does not always show and anyone with as much experience as she says she has, would know that.

The last straw for me was when Debbie Ducommon (The Rat Lady) gave advice to a lady who had a rat with a broken leg and the advice she gave her was to let the broken leg heal on its own..with no pain meds. I'm appalled.. Subsequently, the next day the poor rat passed away. I'm not sure that would have been the outcome had the lady taken the rat to an emergency vet the night before.

Yes, we ratty parents can do minor cut care, minor health inspections and even administer medications to our rats but that's after seeing a certified veterinarian and finding out what medications and at what doses we should be giving them.

The problem I've found with the rat lady and her group is that if you question her abilities, what she's admitted to doing (ie..surgery on her own rats) the posts get deleted right away and you face getting banned just for questioning her methods.

I've even seen Debbie give people advise that goes against what their own vet has told them to do with regards to clearing up UTI's and URI's. She might have years of experience raising rats but she's NOT a trained veterinarian and I now consider a lot of what she's told others to do and what she does herself...to be unethical. Frankly, it's downright abusive to tell a rat owner to just let a rats broken leg 'heal on its own with no pain meds and no vet visit'

The bottom line is if your rat needs surgery to have a tumor removed, you take them to a licensed veterinarian...not someone who operates in her home under who knows what kind of conditions and doesn't have any schooling to do so. A person who thinks "I've seen surgeries performed so therefore I think I am qualified to do them now" is deluding herself if she thinks this is ok.

Just because you CAN do something, doesn't mean you SHOULD!

-End of rant

Here are screen shots of the conversation as proof... *If you can't read them, just click on them to make the pictures larger*

Now I don't know if it's legal for anyone to be getting anesthesia from their vet and using it at home for surgeries on their animals, but even with the more than 15 years of experience I have with small animals I would not do this without getting schooling for it. I don't understand how anyone would. 

I've written many articles about small animal care and most of the things I've written about are things you learn by having rats, hamsters and other small animals that you pass along to people who are just starting out with those animals. 

I don't care how many surgeries I have or haven't seen, just watching the surgery does not qualify you to perform them, it's ridiculous to think it does. 

My last thought on this subject is if you are looking for a rat group to join on Facebook, try Rats Are Awesome or Network For All Rat Lovers... before you join Rat Fan Club. 

Dark Lycan and Dark Wolf by Christine Feehan and Styxx By Sherrilyn Kenyon

My two all time favorite series both have books coming out soon. If you haven't read either of these series and you like PNR (Paranormal Romance) you are really missing out on two seriously great series. While I was looking into Dark Lycan I saw that another book in the series, Dark Wolf is coming out in January! I could not be happier.

Book Description
“The erotic, gripping series that has defined an entire genre” (J. R. Ward) continues as #1 New York Times bestselling author Christine Feehan links the fates of two strangers bound by a secret in the shadows of the Carpathian Mountains…

Tatijana of the Dragonseekers spent centuries encased in ice with her sister, trapped in limbo between life and death, never speaking to a soul other than those who tormented her. Now, she has been freed from her frozen prison by an unknown descendent. Awakened in human form, Tatijana yearns to explore the modern world in which she now lives—a world with more mysteries than she is prepared for.

Fenris Dalka has returned to the Carpathian Mountains after a long absence to be with his brother. He is scarred by centuries of battle, and every hard-won victory. But the real reason for his return home could prove deadly if discovered by the wrong man—or woman. Upon his arrival, he is compelled by a beautiful and enigmatic stranger who carries the scent of fresh earth, of forest, of the night itself.

In time Tatijana and Fenris will discover all that unites them—their secrets and pasts, their predators, and the hot flush of passion that stirs their souls. Yet just as surely, seduced into the silvery darkness of a full-moon night, they’ll also discover everything ancient and evil that exists to destroy them.

Book Description

Sherrilyn Kenyon's most highly-anticipated novel in the Dark-Hunter series since Acheron is here—the unforgettable story of Styxx, Acheron's twin brother and one of the most powerful beings on earth

Just when you thought doomsday was over . . .

Centuries ago Acheron saved the human race by imprisoning an ancient evil bent on absolute destruction. Now that evil has been unleashed and it is out for revenge.

As the twin to Acheron, Styxx hasn’t always been on his brother’s side. They’ve spent more centuries going at each other’s throats than protecting their backs. Now Styxx has a chance to prove his loyalty to his brother, but only if he’s willing to trade his life and future for Acheron’s.

The Atlantean goddess of Wrath and Misery, Bethany was born to right wrongs. But it was never a task she relished. Until now.

She owes Acheron a debt that she vows to repay, no matter what it takes. He will join their fellow gods in hell and nothing is going to stop her. But things are never what they seem, and Acheron is no longer the last of his line. Styxx and Acheron must put aside their past and learn to trust each other or more will suffer.

Yet it’s hard to risk your own life for someone who once tried to take yours, even when it's your own twin, and when loyalties are skewed and no one can be trusted, not even yourself, how do you find a way back from the darkness that wants to consume the entire world? One that wants to start by devouring your very soul?

Book Description

WHERE DARK LYCAN ENDED, DARK WOLF BEGINS...

BOOK NUMBER 25 IN CHRISTINE FEEHAN'S ACCLAIMED CARPATHIAN SERIES

#1 New York Times bestselling author Christine Feehan now delivers her most eagerly awaited novel of all—ten years in the making—in the “the erotic, gripping series that has defined an entire genre” (J. R. Ward).

In Dark Lycan, Christine Feehan journeyed into the heart of the Carpathians, and into the souls of two lifemates stirred by the flush of passion and the threat of annihilation. In Dark Wolf, the breathtaking story continues as the bonds of family are imperiled, and the fate of two lovers lies hidden in the seductive shadows between life and death.

Skyler Daratrazanoff always recognized the miracle that was Dimitri Tirunul, a man beyond any dream that had ever engaged her nights. But she was human. Vulnerable. He was Carpathian. Nearly immortal. She was nineteen. He was an ancient. Yet she held half his soul, the light to his darkness. Without her, he would not survive. Caught between the two warring species, Dimitri has spent centuries hunting the undead to keep his people free, and humans safe. He had survived honorably when others had chosen to give up their souls. But now, marked for extermination by the Lycans, Dimitri found himself alone, and fearing for his life. But salvation was coming…

No Lycan would ever suspect someone like Skyler to dare mount a secret rescue operation. A teenage girl. A human of untested abilities. But she had something no one else had. She was predestined for Dimitri—as he was for her. And there was nothing stronger for Skyler than her desire to see her life-dream come true. Whatever the risk.

Printing Pictures with Shutterfly

I have a printer, a pretty good printer but I didn't really want to spend the $20 a piece for a cartridge of black and a cartridge of color ink just so I could print out a few pictures. So I asked my family and friends what they use to print out pictures on the internet if they want just a few prints and two people told me about Shutterfly.

So I made an account, uploaded a couple of digital pictures and had them printed for just a couple of dollars, as a test run. They came out really good, were fast to ship and I had no problem at all with their service.

Then I got a coupon for 101 free 4x6 prints and all I had to do was pay for shipping which was less than $8, now that's pretty good.

So I received my pictures in the mail the other day and was happy with the service they provided for me. So if you're looking for a place to have digital pictures printed for you, visit Shutterfly.