Writing Pilates
This week you should be slightly concerned. My lovely sister-in-law foolishly declared that I should choose the topic for our writing exercise. She is busy gazing in gooey-eyed wonder at her new mini computer and could not be bothered to come up with a safe alternative to my tumultuous and treacherous topic selections. You can view her version of this exercise here: mamagriffith.blogspot.com Well, here goes nothin…. If you would like to participate this week, our writing exercise topic is: Misunderstood Pets
Misunderstood Pets
I am fairly certain that the most misunderstood pet I owned as a child was Angel. Angel was a beautiful white rat with sweet red eyes and a charming disposition. She would often sit at the base of my neck nibbling at my hair and making happy rat noises about how life was good and the rodent pellets were plentiful. She even did tricks. If I managed to acquire one of my Mom’s long wooden kitchen spoons, I could put her out on the end of it like she was walking the plank of a pirate ship and turn the spoon slowly while she balanced delicately on the end.
Despite her many talents my Mom and our dog were not fond of Angel. In fact they were not ford of Star Track, my brother’s tan rat, either. Yes yes his name was Star Track not Star Trek, but my brother did name him after all. My mother lived in constant fear that one of our beloved rodents would escape and attack her as she slumbered. And when they made the momentous decision to reproduce, her love for them began to grow cold. Eventually Angel and Star Track were forced to take up residence in the woodshed and slowly the sitings of them began to diminish. I try to convince myself that this had nothing to do with our rat-hating Scottish terrier mix doggy, but one never really knows where Scotties are concerned.
Remember how they used to vibrate? The rats never actually sat still. They always felt like they were vibrating when you held them. When they were little, I didn’t mind holding them because their claws were soft enough to not feel creepy. When they got older their claws hardened and were very scratchy and felt creepy on my hand. The tails never bothered me but the claws sure did!
Remember their distinctive “ratty” odor? No matter how clean we kept the cage it always stunk. They had a major “rat B.O.” problem. I think that was one of the factors that caused their banishment to the garage.
Remember when they got big enough to be interested in “reproductive activity”? What an embarrassment it was to have this awakening happen when we had company and the cage was out in the living room, ARGGGG!
Such a lot of wonderful “Angel” memories. I do have to say that she was a very gentle rat with no “bag vices” like biting, etc. She did bring you a lot of enjoyment, for which I was always thankful.
Love to you.
You let a boy rat and a girl rat commune in the same cage??? wow I love your description. domesticated rats are so nice (the girls at least) I miss rizzo
I guess we could only afford one cage? Who knows. As a 7 yr. old you don’t remember those little details. We did get two cages eventually, but it only forestalled their banishment for a short time.
They were so small and young and innocent. At least they appeared that way. And then, WHAM, they weren’t. At first, I think the $ was an issue but it definitely was coughed up quickly when the reproductive activities began. It was a long time ago, and my memory fails me (in many ways, at odd times, in embarrassing moments like when I address my wonderful grandboy’s BD package with the wrong middle name-how COULD I have done that!) Any how, I really don’t remember why the rats were co-habitating.