Guess what….
Guess what I got today?
A little baby rat!! (and yes they did put her inside a paper bag for me to take her home in! isn’t that terrible?)
I had to stop off at the pet store on the way home from school today to get more bedding for Fro’s cage, and there were all these adorable little rats in aquariums – feeders. Meaning of course they are bred to be food for other animals, as I am so used to seeing now… However, I couldn’t help feeling sorry for all these little cuties and before I knew it, I was asking one of the ladies who worked there if I could just hold the little cream colored one – just for a second. That’s all it took – I held her and I said “I’ll take her” and that was that.
Her name is Bella and she is absolutely adorable! She is as small as a mouse right now so she must be very young, and she is very tame. She had ridden on my shoulder all around the house already. I have to train a rat for a class I’m taking in January so I knew I would have to get a rat eventually.
At school today I got to hold some interesting critters….such as a Madagascar Hissing Cockroach (and it was really big too!), a Tarantula, a California King Snake, a water dragon, and some lizards. Pretty cool!! I was not so thrilled about the cockroach though, as you can see by my face in the photo.
Today is a special day as it would have been my Grandma’s 87th birthday. She loved animals her entire life, and I know she would have been thrilled if she knew where I was right now. I didn’t even find out about the EATM program until about 6 weeks after she died last year.
Happy birthday Grandma, we all miss you and love you very much.
Angus adored Grandma, and the feeling was mutual : )
September 21st, 2009 at 6:31 pm
Is that the cocroach in your hand? Oh my, that gives me the heeby-jeebies REALLY bad! Ick! lol….Congrats on the new pet!
September 22nd, 2009 at 8:24 am
Super cool rat!! Simply adorable. Happy Bday to your Grandma. ((hugs))
September 22nd, 2009 at 12:39 pm
Wow Jess! You are far more adventurous than I am, though I did try frogs legs at Geo’s recent food show. They really do taste like chicken but there isn’t much meat on those scrawy legs.
Bella looks adorable. I look forward to meeting her some day. She is one lucky rat to have you as her saviour/trainer/mistress. It is obviously a match made in Heaven.Hugs to Angus and Zoey.
September 22nd, 2009 at 12:53 pm
PS, the pictures of your grandmother are wonderful. She would be delighted if she saw these, and to know what you are doing with your life right now. Your grandfather would too. He was the one who truly loved all things large and small. His capacity for loving all creatures and his compassion too, are now evident in you. He is the one who passed the torch, well, I guess they both did. No wonder you are so committed to making a career out of your passion for animals. They would both be very proud of you and your career of choice.
September 23rd, 2009 at 10:04 am
Hi Jessica, what a lovely little rat!!! Although i am a bit surprised that no one has told you that rats are very social annimals and therefor it is better to take more than 1. Even if you spent very much time with them it will not be enough because they do each others fur, they love to sleep together etc. etc. You don’t have to be afraid that they are harder to be trained when you have more then one because they will be begging for your attention anyway!! We have two rats of our own and they are really the cutest animals!!! I hope you understand my english (I live in the Netherlands and writing is a lot more difficult then talking ;-)) Anyway, i hope you will buy a friend for her (better a girlfriend :-)). or two or three or…
good luck in the zoo!! PS: i love the book you have been writing (outstanding mini albums) and also your blog.
September 24th, 2009 at 11:40 am
Welcome to your newest family member! OMG he is totally adorable!!!
September 28th, 2009 at 11:31 pm
What a cutie! (The rat.. I’m still not sure about the bugs.) my Mother has a black and white rat as a pet.. named Cecil. Some kid down the street was going to set him free, so Mom took him in. :-) Anna