Ratopia

R.I.P. little Pez 1-7-08

2008-01-08T18:52:00.000-08:00

Pez was the cutest rat in the world. The pictures cannot do her justice at all. It was something about the combination of her goofy looks, her low-slung dumbo ears, her silly galloping waddle and her crazy, loving personality. Named Pez because she looked like a little pez dispenser standing up, she inspired love and poetry.

She died suddenly. It was a shock. I found her yesterday evening when I opened the cages to give everyone a string cheese snack. When she didn't run to the door I knew. I don't know what happened, she had been out the previous day and was active and happy... maybe a stroke? I hope it was fast. I think it was, her face looked peaceful and her eyes were closed.

I am going to miss that crazy little rat so much. She reminded me so much of my first heart-rat, Penelope. I remember when she was a baby if you picked her up when she was busy she would give this loud squeak, not mad but just letting you know she had things to do, places to go. She loved people and always wanted to be with her people. She was a busy, busy girl but had to have frequent snuggles to get loves. The older she got the more she loved to snuggle. And she would really snuggle - cuddled up near your neck or in your arms, sometimes resting her chin on your hand. And her big, beady eyes would look up at you with love and curiousity.

Sweet rat, I hope you and Penelly find each other and are great friends. Your uncle Bunny will see you soon. You have a big piece of my heart. I'm glad we took these pics a couple of weeks ago.

Kind Rats

2007-07-19T16:34:00.000-07:00

This article in the New York Times (shared by Jane A. of the ratlist) about kindness in rats will not be a surprise to those of us who have rats but hopefully it will start to change some stereotypes.

I've had to go no-mail on the ratlist this past year because of my job and husband's health but I pop in from time to time and it is good to see some of the old familiar names still there.

Holiday Gifts - PEW rat and Fairy print

2007-11-19T16:26:00.001-08:00

This 8 x 10" print by Jasmine Becket-Griffith reminds me of my first rat, Rattie. There is only one left in stock on her etsy site.

You can also see more of her art on her official website www.strangeling.com.

Holiday Gifts - Rat Card Gift Pack

2007-11-19T16:01:00.000-08:00

In the spirit of buying handmade and supporting rats and ratlovers, I am going to try and showcase an artist/craftsperson each day until December 12.

This $5 gift pack by Voz features a card with one of my favorite images of a mom and baby rat. It really captures the spirit of rats.

The goodie bag description from Voz's Etsy site:

You get one blank card with an illustration of a mommy and baby rat cuddling, one spiffy magnet featuring an enthusiastic flag-waving rat, and four stickers (two of each design) for fancifying surfaces that are glaringly rat-free.

The card is 4x5 inches and comes with a red envelope.

The magnet is a 2" square photo transfer with a a glittery gloss varnish and sturdy 3/4" magnet on the back.

The stickers are self-adhesive, made of paper and printed with waterproof ink.

You can also find more of Voz's wonderful animal-loving art (including aardvarks and guinea pigs) on her website www.fishcakes.net.

Best-selling author talks about his pet rats

2007-05-16T14:01:00.000-07:00

Fresh Air from WHYY, May 14, 2007 · Wondering what your pet is trying to tell you with that bizarre habit or that pleading look? Dodman is the best-selling author of The Dog Who Loved Too Much and The Cat Who Cried for Help. His latest is Puppy's First Steps: The Whole-Dog Approach to Raising a Happy Healthy, Well-Behaved Puppy.

At the end of the interview on NPR (National Public Radio), Terry Gross asks Dodman about the pets he has at home. He mentions a rat (he had two but one died of old age) and Terry asks him "Why a rat"? He gives a wonderful and personal endorsement of why rats make such good pets. You can listen to the interview on the NPR website.

Rat Trick Video

2007-04-22T13:21:00.000-07:00

This link was recently shared by a member of the RatsPacNW group (a great and active group stretching from Northern California to Washington). It shows a very food-motivated rat doing some tricks. I shortened the link to make it easier to get to http://tinyurl.com/ywnedp

Tired of Leaking Water Bottles?

2007-03-26T19:22:00.001-07:00

I've been meaning to post this one for awhile. I thought I would never find a water bottle that didn't leak. I tried several different brands and then I found THE best water bottles.

We moved the rats in the car from California to Portland, Oregon and I kept the bottles in the cages during the move, which you definitely cannot do with regular bottles, and there was absolutely no leakage.

It takes the rats a little while to get used to drinking from it but it is well worth it. The nozzle is brass and the bottle is outside the cage so heavy chewers can't damage it. They can also be refilled from outside the cage which is very convenient at times (definitely when you are travelling!)

They are called Water Buddies and you can get them in various sizes. You can check out the reviews from users and order from here.

First 48

2007-03-05T23:28:00.000-08:00

I knew there was more than one reason to love this show. First off, it somewhat makes up for the loss of Homicide: Life on the Street, one of the best t.v. shows ever made, second, it is real life, done in almost real-time and it brings home the high cost of drugs and thugs without being preachy. And then I find out that one of the Memphis detectives has two pet rats! Can't get much better than that.

Tutorial: Sewing a Cuddle Cup

2007-02-25T13:29:00.000-08:00

Well, its been awhile. My new job (at an alcohol and drug treatment center for adolescent girls) is pretty much taking over my life. The fur kids are doing ok. J takes them out when I can't, but I miss spending time with my babies.

Anyway, I'll try to post when I run across anything extra cool. This tutorial fits that description.

Its a cuddle cup designed for guinea pigs but would work equally well for ratties.

Hope all of you out there are well and happy, eileen

We're BAAA.....AAAACK!

2006-10-18T16:50:00.000-07:00

Well, what a long strange trip. And its not over yet. I never understood why people would try to rehome their rats because they were moving. Well, I still wouldn't do it, but I definitely understand why people do now.

Its been very hard on the rats and us. We lost two kids, Bailey and Luna, and Pickles has a huge tumor. I'm sure the stress and environmental changes affected everyone's immune systems. We have no money until the house closes escrow (fingers crossed) on Friday and then I'm going to rush her in to the vet.

It was so hard finding a place in Portland (Oregon) to rent to us with the two dogs because they are "restricted breed mixes", Chow, Shepard, and Rottweiler. When I finally did I never disclosed the rats for fear of not having a place to live, so we have to keep them hidden and low-profile until we find a home. We got pretty good at doing that during our time at the motel. Smuggling 3 cages in and out and keeping them out of sight (and smell!) was quite an adventure.

I'm back to my weekly-ish publishing schedule on here. I am planning to go to Ratapalooza on November 4 and I will definitely post when I return!

A rat by any other name...

2006-07-15T23:18:00.000-07:00

Well, I'm in the middle of a hellish move and really shouldn't be blogging. However something kinda funny happened during the process. We were going over disclosure papers with our realtor V., who is an animal lover and has met the rats.

One of the disclosure questions is "Are there, or have there been any pets at this location? If yes, how many and what type?" So, I didn't really know what to write, knowing how wierd and prejudiced people are about rats and I put "Yes, two mixed-breed dogs and 9 small caged pocket pets." V. got to that part and understood why I was evasive, but she said she thought it might raise a red flag that I used a euphemistic term like pocket pets. So she's trying to reword it and avoid the word "rats" and she keeps trying different sentences but is stopped every time, rodent doesn't really sound better and so she looks at me a little frustrated and says "Isn't there another name for them?!"

I laughed and told her I personally like the sound of Norwegian Whip-tail Squirrel and she came up with a couple more creative variations. Ultimately we decided to put "9 small caged pets". As she pointed out, why should they care what they are if they are in a cage anyway?

Apologizing in Advance

2006-05-31T16:38:00.000-07:00

I'm moving. If you've ever tried to move a household with two large dogs and nine rats, (or any large animal contingent) I know you will have sympathy with the chaos I am presently in.

Please accept my apology for the irregularity of my posting schedule. I'll still try for once a week but I may not be quite as regular for awhile until I get settled.

Until next time...

Proceed at your own risk!

2006-05-31T15:48:00.000-07:00

Ok, with that cautionary disclaimer in place...

Awhile back I read about a zoo somewhere that has a rat exhibit of Rattus Norvegicus and they noticed that when the water sprinkler was on the rats would congregate underneath it, seemingly enjoying it so they made it a permanent part of the exhibit. If anyone has the link to that article let me know.

I couldn't find that reference, but I did find this: there is a zoo in the Netherlands with a rat "sewer" exhibit that features water. Anyway, the point to all this being that a strange idea was planted in my head after reading that and then subsequently reading about a rat owner who took her rats in the shower with her. When I told my husband I wanted to try it he told me I was crazy and I conceded that he was probably right, that they'd probably freak and I'd get mauled. But I still secretly yearned to try it. I mentioned it again the other day to someone, not a rat person, but sympathetic to rats and she said "that's insane, that is sick".

Maybe that's what finally did it. I have a perverse and obstinate nature and if enough people tell me I can't do something I usually have to try it. Consider me like that dude, George Plimpton, (someone characterized him as a participatory journalist), who checked it out so you don't have to. Or, if you are adventurous, follow my tips for an excellent adventure.

Showering with rats

First of all let me just say that they all LOVED it (well, with the exception of Peaches who jumped onto my head at first). Of course I didn't try Luna, my super-shy girl or Pickles and Bailey, the Rescue Rats. I'm crazy, but not suicidal.

And let me say, I LOVED it. Not because it proved me right, but because it let me share a new and different experience with the kids.

OK, so here's how I did it.
First the preparatory phase:

Move anything out of the shower that might get in the way.
Position the shampoo (I used a mild dog and cat shampoo) up high where it will be easy to reach.
Change the water setting to a spray that is closest to rain
Make the water temperature hotter than you normally use
Put on a t-shirt (long sleeves and high neck would be best, if possible)
Put towels where they are easily accessible
Turn the shower on and leave it running while you go and get test subject

Second phase:

Choose your guinea rat. I chose Buster because he is the most docile in terms of being handled.
Put them on your shoulder (this assumes they are already comfortable shoulder riders)
Step into the shower with them, but not directly into the water at first
Talk "happy talk" to them and pet them
Tell them what an exciting adventure they are on
Slowly back both of you into the water spray, just enough to get them a little wet. They may move away at this point. Just pet them and let them explore, then move back again
Turn to get them wet every so often (at this point several of them were helping me, putting their face into the spray, grooming my wet head, etc...).
When they are pretty thoroughly wet, get a little soap into your hands (you may want to dilute it with water a little so it is easier to rinse)
Scrub-a-dub-dub, but avoid the face
Rinse the same way you got them wet initially (if you have a hand-held shower you can use it to get closer to get the last of the soap off).
Get out of the shower and dry off rat
OR if you are doing multiple rats, call your assistant (yoo-hoo, John...) to come and take your wet rat and replace it with another one.

And if you do try this at home (or you have already tried it), please report back. I'd love to hear your experiences!

Ratvocate: A Poem

2006-05-12T10:58:00.000-07:00

Well, Pez and I took a trip to the outside world yesterday and it was ugly. Ratphobes all around. I came home feeling discouraged and wrote the first 4 stanzas of a poem about people's ignorance.

When I showed it to John he gently reminded me that I used to feel that way, too and that centuries of prejudice couldn't be eradicated overnight. That was a wake-up call. There is alot of work to do to educate people, hence the title and the last 4 stanzas.

Ratvocate
by E. McGarvey
dedicated to Pez and Ratty

I think that they will never see
this rat
as lovely as can be.

Her velvet tail and sparkling eyes
are beauties
they don't recognize.

I think that they will ever be
too blind
and ignorant to see

this innocent and trusting soul,
a love
that they will never know.

And yet, I too, was once like them
so full
of fear and ignorance.

One little rat, with bright pink eyes
taught me
my fear was ancient lies.

So I will try and do the same
to clear
the clouds of human blame;

to teach them of this special pleasure,
a rat,
a gift, a moment's treasure.

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 2.5 License. That means you are welcome to keep it or redistribute it as long as you give credit and don't make changes or use commercially.

Cat Toys for Rats

2006-04-27T15:13:00.000-07:00

I have discovered that all attempts to spoil and dote on my rats by buying them "cool" toys have been met with either total disinterest or mild amusement that quickly turns to total disinterest. I don't know why that hasn't disuaded me from purchasing toys. Maybe it is the challenge.

I recently found one that they love! And not just the little ratlets, but the older ones, too. It is called the Cat-Fisher Mouse Mitt. It is an Edward Scissorhands-like glove with little feather and fur bits stuffed with catnip that are attached to elastic (ok, they are actually fake mice, but I prefer to think of them as something more abstract) . I believe the elastic is the key, allowing the rat to think it can spirit the object away. They also seem to like the catnip (discovered on the dismemberment of a previous rat toy). The company that makes it is Bamboo and you can purchase replacement bits if they get chewed off. My rats especially love that one that is wrapped in string.

UPDATE: 5/3/06: Check out the google video of Pez and Peaches playing!

3GR Bon-Bon 9-7-04 to 6-13-05

2006-04-24T19:07:00.000-07:00

I never really paid tribute to Bon yet.

The little pic is her baby pic and she truly did look like a fat little bon-bon. I never had an adult picture of her but I believe the picture with the dark blue background is very close to how she looked. She was quite a beautiful rat with a tail that was patterned like shifting sand.

Here is something I wrote shortly after she died.

In the little rat kingdom she was Queen. Penelope was her Merlin secretly running things and Dinky, the little Court Jester.

The humans were giant, but benevolent ogres. She had a special fondness for the one called John and even as weak as she was, she still boggled and bruxed when he petted her and fell asleep with him for one final nap. She was fond of me, too, in her way, and every once in awhile she would climb up on my chest and cautiously look me in the eyes like she was trying to bridge the interspecies communication gap.

Always somewhat grumpy, but never mean. A real rat's rat. She liked to be near her humans, but at arm's length. She would come to you when SHE wanted to be petted. She loved being scritched then for long periods of time and would wag her tail and close her eyes in bliss.

She loved her food and until the very last day nothing would keep her away from her Belgian chocolate pudding.

I will miss you my little curmudgeon. I'm glad you are at peace now and Queen of your new surroundings.

My Princess 9-5-03 to 8-23-05

2006-04-24T18:49:00.000-07:00

Penelope, AKA 3GR Lioness, came from 3 Girls Rattery in Washington.

I've been meaning to write this for a long time now. It still hurts for me to think about her and to see her pictures. Penelope was my heart of hearts. She was always Penelope Princess to me and always will be. Even as she was dying she still had a little ratlet's spirit.

I originally thought her breeder name of Lioness didn't suit her. As I grew to know her though, I discovered that she did indeed have qualities of a Lioness. She was totally brave. Scared of nothing, curious about everything. She loved to try new things, explore new places, meet new people. She loved people and was my greatest Rattie Ambassador. I used her to work with girls who had intense rat phobias (at the non-profit afterschool program where I work) and she never failed to win them over with her good nature and charming ways.

She adored me, as I adored her. As a little pup, she climbed up my chest one day and looked me in the eyes for a long time and it was as if one being was looking into the soul of another being. Whenever I was near she wanted to be with me. No matter where she was in the cage, she was always first out and last in. She was extremely affectionate. Even though she was ALWAYS busy and always going, she would check in frequently to give kisses and groom and sometimes to snuggle up in the crook of my arm or to lay on my chest and fall asleep bruxing in contentment.

Penelope was an incredibly smart rat. Although the tiniest girl in the cage, she ran it. Without a fight she somehow ruled.

I will miss her all my days and nights.

The Pez-o-matic 2000

2006-04-24T01:04:00.000-07:00

I cannot describe to you how much I adore these girls. I am babystruck. I love every move they make, every cute look, every sweet kiss. It is too much for words or pictures to adequately convey, but here's a picture, or two. I present for your viewing pleasure my sweet little Pezmerelda, Pezebel, Pez-o-matic 2000...

all ratties deserve heaven

2006-04-18T20:12:00.000-07:00

I love this pic done by Amalia DuBois (and the title!).

The way the rat was incorporated into the knotwork is wonderful. It is happily oblivious to being all wrapped up because it has its hands on the star it wanted.

update: 4-22-06
If you are interested in seeing how this went from sketch to final drawing, Amalia has posted the process here.

Fawn Girl is now Peaches

2006-04-17T10:41:00.000-07:00

Well, I've fallen off schedule a bit again. Been too busy playing with baby rats!

However, I realize I've been remiss and its time to make up for it. Naming, for whatever reason, was much easier this time. I was reading Terry Pratchett's "The Amazing Maurice and His Educated Rodents" when I came across the character of Peaches and I knew immediately that that had to be the name of our little fawn girl. The book is wonderful and the character of Peaches is a charming, intelligent, ethical and sweet rat. The following
review gives a good feel for the book.

update 4-26-06 stumbled across a response byTerry Pratchett to the question of whether or not he has pet rats.

And, of course, I can't leave you without a picture or two of the real thing.

The pic on the left, is Peaches left standing in shock as the cat toy feather snaps back on its elastic. Unfortunately the flash washes out her color.

The picture on the right is much closer to her true color, which has sort of a blue sheen. Linda, her "breeder-mother", thinks she may be a Platinum. Whatever she is, she's beautiful and sweet.

Happy World Rat Day!

2006-04-04T20:43:00.000-07:00

Had to post again cuz its World Rat Day! If you want to send a cute postcard created by a ratlover check these out.

Wonderful World of Rats

2006-04-04T09:47:00.001-07:00

The World Rat Day celebration in San Mateo, CA took place this Sunday and got a nice write-up in the San Jose Mercury.

Check out Stephen Bay's pics of last years event.

If you're in the San Francisco/San Jose area, think about checking it out next year around this same time. There's a website with more information at www.thewonderfulworldofrats.org

Luna's new buddies

2006-03-27T20:09:00.000-08:00

I missed a weekend in here for posting so you are getting a bonus post... with pictures!

Luna, Dink's old cagemate, has been super lonely. She mostly lays around in her hammock. She can't go back in with the "bad girls" (Pickles and Bailey) because they will beat her up. So, John and I checked to see if our local breeder had any baby girls available. She did and we have already had several play dates with them and made our choices (not easy when they are all so cute and lovable).

The two are almost polar opposites in temperment. The fawn girl doesn't have a name yet. She is a super-sweet, mellow little girl. She likes to just find a spot on you and settle down to be petted. She doesn't seem timid, just snugglesome. John and I both fell in love with her instantly. Unfortunately, we didn't get any good pics of her, so the bottome left photo in the group pic at the top is her (i think, or else its one of her siblings) at 2 weeks. I'll upload more next weekend.

The agouti hooded with headspot (actually a little white stripe) seems to have a more complex personality. She is bold, but sweet. She is an adventurer and not afraid of anything. She reminds me alot of my Penelli (Penelope) when she was a baby. Full steam ahead. Her name came from her posture when she's being held in the air, she hangs super straight with her little head and ears kind of tilting forward. L.B. said "She looks just like a Pez dispenser"! Pez is her nickname, her full name is Pezmerelda (because every child needs a full name that parent's can use when they are being naughty and because John thought she needed a diva-ish name to match her temperment).

We get to pick them up this coming Saturday. I can't wait to get them home and introduce them to Luna. I think she is going to be ecstatic to have some nice little friends.

Letter to a Rat

2006-03-25T20:48:00.000-08:00

I found this awhile back on the Virginia Folklore Society website and thought it was pretty delightful. Certainly a more charming approach to wild rodent control than a glue trap.

note: picture is from McGuffey's Eclectic Primer

Communicating With Critters

"In a conversation with an aged mountaineer the subject somehow turned to the destructive nature of rats and the great loss that can be attributed to those rodents. He said, "Nowadays they have chemicals and traps that can help eliminate them, but in earlier times, around our neighborhood, we used special words we called 'giving away the rats'."1

He explained that the procedure required finding a blacksnake which was then killed but kept intact. The snake was then buried near the rat infested house with its head pointed in the direction where the rats should go--a specific residence had to be selected, not a stand of woods, mountain or other uninhabited place. The informant noted, "We done it here, and after awhile people on the farm down the road complained they was being overrun!"

In the same neighborhood, which borders Highland and Rockingham Counties in Virginia and Pendleton County in West Virginia, other elderly residents told of similar practices with minor variants. Some claimed the snake must be buried after sunset or before sunrise, others said special words as part of the process, and still others carried the blacksnake around the homestead three times before burial in its special position.2

As unusual as this practice may appear, it reminded me of an experience recounted by Cornelius Weygandt, Professor of Literature at the University of Pennsylvania, who bought a farm in New England a half century ago and in preparing the place for his summer occupancy found an old letter addressed to rats which asked them to leave the basement of the home.3 Weygandt considered it unique; nevertheless it was a practice known in widely separated places in America and in Virginia too.

One such letter was dated October 31, 1888 in Maine, and addressed to "Mssrs. Rats and Co." The opening paragraph reads: "Having taken quite a deep interest in your welfare in regard to your winter quarters, I thought I would drop you a few lines..." The writer then offered persuasive reasons why the rats should leave, citing the cold winter months, the lack of food, and the planned remodeling of the interior of the home. He told the rats that they would be uncomfortable and perhaps destitute. The writer then recommended an alternative consisting of a specific address of a neighbor to which they could go, adding that "...you will find a splendid cellar well filled with vegetations...a barn with a good supply of grain, where you can live snug and happy." The letter ends with a mild threat, "Shall do you no harm if you heed my advice."

A similar letter written in New Hampshire in 1845 was much less friendly and more demanding (perhaps this was a second or third letter of a sequence), "I have borne with you till my patience is gone...depart from this place with all speed!...Begone, or you are ruined!" The consequences of staying were emphatic, "We are preparing water to drown you; fire to roast you; cats to catch you; and clubs to maul you." Yet the writer offered the rats an alternative by suggesting they "...quit here and go to Ike Nutes!"

In 1882 an elderly Maryland farmer near Cockneyville wrote such a letter which he read aloud to the rats which infested his home. He read it at night in the belief they were perhaps more active and receptive at that time. His occult activities became widely known when his children used the letter as evidence against him in court seeking a legal declaration of his incompetence.

In recent years two specimens of similar letters were made available to this writer. One used in Rockingham County was written on a single sheet and "delivered" to the rodents through a hole in a baseboard of the homestead near rural Tenth Legion. The other was similar in structure and theme and was merely placed in the cellar near food supplies that rats had been eating, on a farm located in western Shenandoah County.

A lifetime resident of the region offered instructions for the procedure, "lf you find rats or mice in your house write them a cordial note saying how bad the facilities are and suggest they leave. Put the note where they will see it. If this doesn't work, write another letter and say it's the second notice and be firm but cool. If this doesn't work, write a third notice but be mean and tell them to "get the hell out!" Warn them you'll use poisons and traps--they'll be gone in just a few days after that!"4

In seeking to reduce the loss of grain caused by rats, John George Hohman's pow-wow booklet (1819) included a method used by many Pennsylvania Germans. This was in a sense a harvest ritual in which the first three sheaves of grain were presented to the rats with an announcement, "Rats these sheaves I give to you, in order that you may not destroy any of my wheat."5. The rest of the harvest was then stored in the barn. This practice assumes the logical and reasonable nature of the rodent. "

Rat Crafters and Artists: Part 1

2006-05-08T10:36:00.000-07:00

In my constant pursuit of all things RAT, I came across several artists and crafsters doing exciting stuff with a rat theme. In fact, I found so many that I am making this a two-part post.

Kim Parkhurst does amazing realistic dollwork, including this fabulous hairless rat, Puddin. Also, check out her rat prints at her Ebay store Toad Briar and her photos of her other dolls and paintings (and her own pet rats!) on her Flickr site.

This next piece was found on crafster.org. I find the idea particularly endearing and the patch itself is very beautifully and sensitively crafted. It is a personal tribute from Miz Persnicket (aka Athanasia).

"I did this large patch last week on a whim instead of studying for a midterm. My camera was out of batteries, so I had to scan it! It is a homage to my Mister Mayo."

You can check out Miz Persnicket's craft blog, crafty olive, to see her other work.

I love the diversity of styles and mediums I found. These next pieces are just a few of a large collection of stained and fused glass rats done by artist and ratlover, Elizabeth Rupert. Her glass studio is called Mischief Glassworks. I especially like the rat with wings and am fascinated by how the pieces glow.

Ultraviolet, another ratlover and craftster.org member, made Pirate Rat from a pattern in Debbie Bliss' book Toy Knits, and then this cute little female rat based on a Fairy Mouse pattern from the same book. I like the fact that it really looks like a rat and not a mouse (altho I have nothing against mieces...I'm just tired of people thinking mice are cute, but rats are ugly)! You can see photos of some of Ultraviolet's former rats and other knitting projects at her www.threegoodrats.com website.

piebirdjosie (aka Josie), another craftster.org member, had this to say about her cool rat hat:

"I just added some ears and ribbon to a basic hat. Now hopefully my rats will let me into their exclusive club."

She also created the wonderful Dear Birthday Rat Bag for the friend who inspired her to adopt her rats. You can find out more about Josie, her creations and her furry friends at her website, piebirdjosie.squarespace.com

Tara's angel rat, another craftster.org find, has such a soulful expression. I love the unusual colors and bead accessories she used.

The first time I saw this cake made by Rach of the Jungle, for her rat-obsessed roomate's birthday, I thought it was a picture of real rats eating a cake. It is a truly inspired idea and the marzipan rats are amazingly realistic. Someone posted the link to the ratlist which is what inspired me to search craftster.org for more rat-related stuff, so I guess Rach is responsible for this post!