Introducing Simon

Hi Simon!

Simon came to live with us in March this year. We picked him up from the RSPCA Blue Mountains shelter after seeing his ad on their website.



When we first got him home, he was healthy but skinny and surprisingly well-behaved for a rescue rat. He would certainly have been a pet in his previous home, being used to being held and petted, and very generous with licks and cleaning our hands for us. He also liked it very much when we scratched him on his scruff between the ears, probably because he hadn't had any rat company for at least a month that we know of (ratties can't reach that bit themselves, which is why they tend to groom each other on that spot).

I have no idea how it was that he came to be in some stranger's backyard up in the mountains, where he leapt upon a freaked out (but obviously kind) woman who brought him to the RSPCA. Which is where he lost his balls. Poor thing.

So he had his big outdoors adventure, lost his harbls, settled into the shelter, charmed everyone, and then came home to live with us. He seems to like it here.



He seemed very relaxed when we first held him, and would brux contentedly when we told him it was his home for life and we'd take care of him, hot dinners every night, warm bedding, etc etc, all the most comforting things we could think of to say to a lost rattie. I think he decided we were Okay.

Eventually, he made friends with Milo and Beans ("eventually" encompassing a whole month of separate cages, rat wrangling, big pouffy fights and many hilarious incidents), and moved into the big rattie apartment where his beautiful plush fur and big warmness would certainly have been welcome in the cold weather. Simon is the plushest rattie I've ever held - I think desexing might've helped on that account. He has masses of fragrant, soft and very fine golden orange fur, with a cream belly and a cream smear up on one side, an orange creamsicle of a rat!

Anyway that's it for now. More stories of Simon later. Here is a picture of him enjoying some strawberry smoothie with Milo and Beanie. He's not so skinny anymore!

mucosal musings

I have been home sick for a week and a half now.

When it began, I thought, oh well, I'll just rest it out, remembering the need to take lots of afternoon naps from the last time this happened.

Of course I'd forgotten that the reason I'd had to take all those afternoon naps was because I could not get any sleep at night on account of All That Snot. Needing to be ejected, painfully hacked out, or otherwise stubbornly clogging up headspace and all breathing routes.

Green snot is the most satisfying and the transparent stuff just feels like such a waste of time. Panadol helps though, as do hot water bottles, thick socks and sleeping in two layers of pyjamas plus fleecy bathrobe. The husband is also useful for sympathy (albeit wearing thin), extra warmth during the night and for re-fueling the hot water bottle in the morning.

The best thing however, has been the discovery of hot drinks made with lemon, mint, slices of ginger and lovely bluebell honey. Mmmm.

*sniff*