What Now?

Well 8 in St. Helens and 2 in Portland. They await in foster care for my village to get the bulk of the caging system. Next weekend I'll go pick them up and my new water bottle kits (so I can use recycled Snapple bottles instead of plastic bottles). I am going to add one more customization to my cages. I have 19 cage extensions after I get the rest of my order. This means I need to get 19 drop pans to sit inside the extensions. They'll have a hole for the ramp but be powder coated metal. I will get special metal balcony covers made too. This means the ONLY wire the ratties will walk on are the ramps. Yeah! I am going to have special inserts made for the pans so that when I want to block the hole off so I can separate a rattie if needed. This is so exciting! This also means my need to save milk jugs will be over...thank goodness! This also means wipe downs will be easier.

Payless Shoe Source called today. They are now saving shoe boxes for me. I use the shoe boxes for houses for the little guys. I have 44 and I have 10 waiting to come in. With this many rats, I wanted to limit the amount of stuff I have to wash. Therefore the cardboard houses. (One can ONLY use so much facial tissue. lol)

The Harlan food order dates are somewhat set. I go and pick up my 20 bags the first or second week of June. Yeah! Then my September order will keep me set for the winter. Then I only have to go up twice a year. This works out SOOOO well.

ABM litter. The wood pellet litter is working VERY well. The rats are really good about it and I give them plenty of newspaper for nesting material and they have their hammocks of course. Coastal Farm and Ranch carries the stuff locally for me. I'll be picking up my monthly supply today.

Wobust Wodent Wheels. I hopefully will get to place my order for 15 of these next week so I can pick it up with the food. I'll be getting rid of all of my other wheel types as when I do cage cleanings I do it on a rotation since all of my rats will have exactly the same set up except for number of levels.

That's all for now.

Mr. Beans and Me

He's sitting on my shoulder
Tucking his body tight against my neck

Moving his head from side to side
Taking it all in.

Little, agouti, dumbo boy.
He's laid in partially dried white paint.

Whiskers on my cheek
Bruxxing in my ear.

I know I am home now.
My Mr. Beans is here.