How to make yoghurt drops

Ingredients/Equipment:

• a small bowl of yoghurt
• two summer berries
• baking paper
• scissors
• a sandwich bag
• plastic container
• spoon
• fork

Step 1:

 Cut the baking paper into an A4 sized rectangle.

Step 2:

Cut a corner of the sandwich bag.

Step 3:

Place two berries into the plastic container and crush them with the fork. Put them to the side.

Step 4:

Pour 5/8 of the yoghurt into the plastic bag, holding the corner closed.

Step 5:

Squeeze the yoghurt out, in drops, onto the baking paper. Repeat this until you have 10-15 small drops.

Step 6:

Pour the crushed berries into the remaining yoghurt and stir well.

Step 7:

Pour your berry/yoghurt solution into the plastic bag and squeeze onto the baking paper.

Step 8:

Put your yogurt drops on a tray and put it in the freezer. Leave for 5 hours. Then, take them out and peel them off of the baking paper. Now, place them into a small closed container and put them back in the freezer so you can take them out whenever you need them!

Darwin and Galileo sure love them!

I hope your rats love them too!

Ratty Birthday!

Happy Birthday, Darwin and Galileo!

Hello rat-lovers! Today, my rats Darwin and Galileo, are one year old!

Here are some pictures of them eating their birthday carrot cupcakes:

Here is a cute picture of Darwin sleeping:

They don't fit! Ha ha! But strangely, they don't care!

Tell me how old YOUR rats are in the comment section bellow!

GOODBYE!

Famous rats in books, films and tv series

Hello everybody!

In this post, I shall list a few popular rats featured in books, TV shows and movies which are represented in a positive way. Unfortunately, there are too many books and movies which represent rats as aggressive, dangerous and disgusting characters. Which is a real shame!

Books

Ratty from The Wind in The Willows by Kenneth Grahame

He is cultured, relaxed and friendly. He enjoys a life of leisure; when not spending time on the river, he composes doggerel (poetry). 

Templeton from Charlotte's Web by E.B White                                                

Templeton is the big barn rat. He is mean and selfish but is not bad. He is just a little self-centered.

The Rats of Nimh from Mrs. Frisby and The Rats of Nimh by Robert C. O'Brien    

The rats of Nimh are trained rats who have escaped from the lab at the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH). They are highly intelligent rats, as scientists have injected prototype medicines into them. As well as being intelligent, they are also kind, as they help Mrs Frisby move her house away from danger.

Bobo from Truckers by Terry Pratchet                                                          

Bobo is Angalo de Haberdasheri's trained pet rat. He becomes the leader of the quarry rats in Diggers, the second book in the Bromeliad trilogy (with Truckers being the first and Wings being the last).

TV shows and movies

Rattus P. Rattus from The Ferals TV show                                            

He is a puppet rat with a mischievous sense of humor and is the leader of the Ferals.

Splinter from Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 

Splinter is a mutant: half human, half rat. He is an expert in most martial arts too!

Rizzo the rat from The Muppet Show

He likes making fun of other Muppets. Although he still has a few friends! His best friend is Gonzo

Roland Rat from Roland Rat Show                                        

He is a popular British TV puppet character and has his own show.

Remmy from Ratatouille

He is a common sewer rat who lives in Paris and has a dream of becoming a chef.

Roddy St. James from Flushed Away

He is a pampered pet rat who gets flushed down the toilet by Sid (a sewer rat).

                                                                                                                                                                           

Stay tuned for my next post!

Perfect Cage 3: How to clean your rat's cage

Hello Everybody!

Welcome to Perfect Cage 3!

In this Perfect Cage, I shall be teaching you how to Deep Clean your rat's cage!
Deep cleaning is what you should do at least once a month to keep your ratty cage healthy and smelling fresh!

You will need:

1. A spray bottle filled with one part vinegar and three parts water
2. A roll of blue paper towel (or normal kitchen towel)
3. An animal friendly anti-bacterial spray (found in any good shop)
4. Rubber gloves (but don't handle your rats while wearing them, because they will bite your fingers!!!)
5. Brush and pan (to keep specifically for Rat housekeeping)
6. Sponge
7. A piece of cloth
8. Bag of rat/small animal litter
9. A medium sized plastic bag (bin) 
10. A large sheet of plastic to put on the floor so you don't stain the carpet
11. Your ratty cage!

Step 1:

Take out all your rat's belongings (everything inside the cage, even the toilets!) Put the dirty hammocks to the side and empty all the dirty rat litter from their toilets and into your bin (plastic bag).

Step 2:

Take the floors/layers/trays out and spray them with your vinegar-water spray. Then leave them to one side.

Step 3:

Spray your V-W spray on your sponge and start cleaning the inside and outside of your cage. Then dry the inside and outside of your cage with a piece of old cloth.

Step 4:

Now, get your trays/floors/layers and scrub them with a sponge, then wipe away your V-W spray with a cloth.

Step 5:

Use your brush and pan to clean up any mess behind and to the side of where you put your cage. Empty this in your plastic bag (bin).

Step 6: 

Put your trays back in the cage. Line the bottom tray with a cloth, towel or fleece.

Step 7:

Spray the ratty toilets with the anti-bacterial spray and wipe it off. Then, place new litter inside the ratty toilets.

Step 8:

Now place everything back inside the cage together with clean hammocks!
TIP: Move things around in your cage at least once a month to stimulate your rats intelligence.

Now watch Darwin and Galileo play in their newly refurbished house!!!! 

See you in the next post!!!

Breaking myths and stereotypes about rats

MYTH 1: Rats are very dirty!!!

Well, sewer rats may be a tinge dirty, but you would be like that if you lived in the sewers for your whole life! However, pet rats are extremely clean and spend most of their time washing (and eating and sleeping...)! Some people say that rats stink. Sewer rats may stink, but, then again, they've been living in the gross sewer all their life! Pet rats only have a musty smell, and it's not that bad! But this you can't wash away. Rat owners just have to get used to it, I guess. If your rat stenches, then it's your fault! It means you've been letting them walk around and even sleep in their own urine (pee) and faeces (poop) and not cleaning their cage and their litter boxes when you sould!

MYTH 2: Rats can't love!!!

This is the silliest myth EVER!!! Rats will cuddle up with you, groom you and lick you showing so much love towards you! Rats love to show affection to you and their roommate. Rats need at least one roommate to keep them company and at least 1-2 hours playtime, 5-7 days a week. They love to play!

MYTH 3: Rat's favorite food is cheese!!!

Rats LIKE eating cheese, but cheese is not a rat's favorite food. Too much cheese will even give rats diarrhea! Each rat has it's own favorite food.
Galileo's favorite food is carrots!
Darwin's favorite food is green beans!
And they both love peas and occasional biscuits!

MYTH 4: Rats are very aggressive!!!

It is very rare for a domestic rat to bite. They will only bite when they are scared or annoyed. Wild rats will bite when you enter their territory. Do you know why? It's because they're terrified! They think that they are the prey and you are the predator!

My rats (and most others) are extremely friendly, sociable and love to play! But, they are nervous around sudden loud noises!

MYTH 5: Rat urine is real toxic!!!

Only in one situation is a rat's urine toxic. That situation is if the rat has an infection.
OK, you have to admit that their pee is smelly and not something to talk about at dinner time (along with some other things about rats), but it is definitely nontoxic. But always remember to wash your hands properly after handling rats! 

How to make a Lego rat play-house

You don't need to spend lots of money buying a play-house for your rats. You can easily make your own using recycled materials. In this blog I'll show you how to make a colourful play-house using Lego bricks. You can create this if you have the same or similar connecting blocks at home.

What you will need:

• Lego
• Lego
• Lego
• Lots and lots of lego!!!

This is what the finished design should look like:

Step 1:

Acquire all of the Lego you have and start building a base (22cm x 22cm). Interlock your bricks to make the structure sturdier.

Step 2:

Continue building up. Once you have built 2 layers, start leaving a 16-stud space at the front of your rat play-house to make the entrance.

Step 3:

As you build up, leave some space for one window on each side and one on the back.

Step 4:

Once you've built 11 bricks up, start using flat pieces to build a roof. Only build half of the roof though, because it enables your rat to have one area where light come through and one in the dark.

Step 5:

Add slanting pieces along the roof to make it look more like a house!

Now you are done!!!

Look at Darwin and Galileo exploring their new play-house!