Well, I went to the Port Orchard Rat Show in September looking, as I have been, for a Cordy like rattie. She was a Dumbo, Velveteen, Rex with a Hairless gene. Her fur was soft and wavy and her whiskers were very curly which always tickled me when we snuggled. But the most important part of her was that she showed love so freely.

I put out the request before the show to see if any of the breeders had a rattie that fit the bill. But all the babies were taken. It almost seems like you have to be on a waiting list for a year or more to even get close to a baby you are looking for.

In the past shows, I have always taken a carrier just in case. But this show, since I didn't hear of any possible ratties, I didn't bring a carrier. Was that why I had happen what happened?

Ok, what happened you say? Well, just this... Instead of not finding a rattie like Cordy - I ended up finding one and then asked for two more as room mates. And what about the carrier - I was fortunate to find someone donating some carrier cages and one of them was big enough for the three of them.

Here is what I initially wrote on my main page -

The Great Bruxini

and his two sidekicks, who are nameless at the moment, have a new home from the Boise rescue via the RatsPacNW show in Port Orchard, WA. on 09/25/2010.
Many of you knew I had been searching for a Cordy look-a-like. She had a great personality and beautifully waivy soft fur with the best curly whiskers. And it seems that The Great Bruxini was meant to fit the bill.
Yes, he will get his own page with his story which will include his two roomies soon. Right now they are in quarantine and my photo ops will be minimal. They cannot run around in my office as it isn't rat-proof or rather chew-proof. But they take turns right now sitting in my lap or on my shoulder while I work getting absent minded scritches. They start out on purpose - but then as I get into working I find my fingers are still scritching them. Funny how that works.
Of course the first thing they did their first night here was to chew off all four straps from their new hammock at the point it connected to the cage. So I cut a slit in the chewed ends of the four corner straps so I could reattach the hooks. I re-hung it and they were happy to see it. They have left the straps alone since. The black capped baby loves to sleep on top of the food bowl next to me. He also loves to take the food from my fingers and tuck it neatly in the far back right corner of the cage. More to come...

Since then they have started to really warm up and are no longer afraid of coming out of their cage for love and Yogis. Amazing how Yogis can break through the barriers of fear isn't it?

So their personalities are as follows -

Mr. Bruxini still bruxes at anything and everything. He gives kisses and loves to explore. He is squishy and loveable and has the same coat characteristics as Cordy did. He is a Dumbo hooded and is just - well - just loveable all over. He is at least 1 year old.

Simon was the next guy I got to keep Mr. Bruxini company. He had been in the same cage as Mr. Bruxini so they were already used to one another. He was born in April and so is very young. But he has the same curly type hair that Mr. Bruxini has. And this little guy is an inside the shirt guy. He loves to crawl into the shirt and sit with me wile I work. Every now and then he sticks his head out and tickles my chin with his whiskers.

After watching the two of them together I realized the age difference. I realized that Mr. Bruxini would most likely go first and that would leave Simon alone and old enough that he may not integrate well with another set of boys or spayed girls. So I asked if it would be possible to get one more boy as I stated above.

In comes a hooded brother of Simon. He was faster and much more posessive of food. They all slept together at the show, but when I offered water in a water bottle lid, this little guy was the first in drinking all the water. Yes, he even pushed Mr. Bruxini away. It took a long time to come up with a name. At the Portland show I asked Lynn if she had an idea. I told her about his little snatch and grab and store and back for more routine of food and she thought about stories she read as a little girl of a gentleman thief named Raffles. I later looked up those stories when I got home on the internet and found them in the Strand Magazine from the UK. Then I held him and asked him if he liked that name - I immediately got kiss on my nose. Ok, that was most likely a coiincidence right? They can't understand what we say, right? Well, whatever the reason for that lick on the nose that sinched the name and he is now Raffles. And to top it off - he does answer to it, so maybe that name was meant to be. Who knows.

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What foods do they like? They like almost everything now. At first they looked at fresh vegetables as something I was going to poison them with. they wouldn't touch carrots, broccoli or any other veggies. They didn't even seem to know what yogis were. They ate the lab blocks and cereals and some dried fruits. It took a while but now they eat EVERYTHING I put in front of their faces and in their bowls. They are very comical.

-----------01/16/2011--------

Happy New Year Boys! Well, they started off in a routine. But unfortunately the routine is a little disruptive. It seems that Mr. Bruxini is a little too forceful on the power grooming at night. They are fine together sleeping in the hammocks or tubes. But when night comes around I hear way too many squeaks that are louder than they should be. And Raffles seems to get the most of the grooming. And yet he always tags around after Mr. Bruxini. So for a few nights I have removed Bruxini and placed him in a smaller cage with of course a hammock, food and water. I hears the two younger ones play while he is away. Then in the morning I reunite the three of them in the big cage. I wonder if that means I will need to neuter Bruxini. Sigh...

He is so big and squishy and lovable. He loves to be held and walk around with me on my shoulder. And the white fur is sooo soft and wavy and his darker fur is also wavy but is courser. And the funny thing is, Raffles is made up the same way.

Simon holds his own. He still snatches food and runs off with it to hide it in the corner and then comes back for more. He is so fast and so cute it is hard to resist that little face asking for more.

03/22/2011 -

I Got Bit!

No, it wasn't from Puppy Jack. It was from Mr. Bruxini! I noticed before he was getting alittle too rough with the two younger boys he was with, Raffles & Simon, and I was waiting for our tax refund (which I can't seem to find the time to finish...) to get him neutered. But... Today made me regret that decision to wait...

So here is the sad news that led to my being bit. A few days ago we finally realized that Armstrong, of the NASA (a.k.a. Moon) boys was too sick to go on. He had been on antibiotics for difficulty breathing/suspected pneumonia. But he did not repond to any. I had mentioned before in the newsgroups I

belong to that these four guys were developing small growths on them. So we helped him on his way as he just could not get a full breath any more.
Last night I checked on his brother, Dangerous Bean (my baby), who was following in his footsteps. Conrad and Aldrin were sleeping quietly on another level. This morning Conrad was up and wanting breakfast. Bean sounded even worse. But Aldrin was forever quiet where he had gone to sleep the night before. He showed absolutely no signs of anything - other than having two more of those odd looking growths than the others - almost wart like. I put Dangerous Bean in a small cage of his own for less stress while I cleaned their cage out. I let Conrad out to play on the bed. Then I turned back to check on Bean and just that quick he was gone. So fast. I didn't even get to say goodbye to Aldrin or Bean.

I have not had this many rats in this short time span develop tumors in my entire rattie ownership. But then, they are all in two sets of litters - one, Willow's children, almost positive there was a lot of in-breeding at a snake person's home. I know nothing of the NASA boy's history. Of Willow's gang there is Topper and of the NASA Boys there is Conrad.

Now for the stupid part - After handling both Aldrin and Bean I heard Bruxini causing a fight in his cage. So I opened the door and broke it up as I usually do. I went to get Mr. Bruxini out after I felt he had calmed enough, as I usually do, but after trying to lift him out - he bit the base of my little finger - hard. I believe he smelled "death" on me and I should have known better. I should have washed my hands and changed my clothes and really need to A. keep a water bottle in the boys room to break up fights and B. Get Mr. Bruxini neutered. So this has been a hard last 6 months for our household. I think we have never run into this before because we never had siblings before other than one set of sisters.

And - as a recipient of two cat bites on my hands I will tell you that a rat bite is waaay more painful. But at least the experience of those cat bites taught me how to wrap up my hand without looking like a professional boxer. haha 03/22/2011

11/13/2011 --------------

So, Mr. Bruxini has been on his own and he seems to be much happier. I don't think he liked being disturbed. He loves to come out and play with me now. No threat of biting as there was for a while after the bite in March. Raffles and Simon are in their own home since they get along well with one another. They have their own tubes and share well. All three are big and have beautiful soft fur. Although, Raffles has a hairless gene since some areas look thin like Cordy's did.

Bruxini is big now and loves all kinds of food. He isn't picky and is gentle taking it from you. If I leave the cage door open he will try to come out and expore. I have to stop him since his cage is on top of another and the fall would really hurt him. I have a ramp I have made that goes from his cage door to the bed letting him come out and walk to the bed safely. I just figure it is less stressful that way for him. I actually do that for all my gang whenever I can for the same reason.

Yes, he still Bruxes up a storm. It brightens my day to hear it. Sometimes when I am in a blue mood, I like to wander in to my bedroom, clear off the bed, make a tunnel like area under our blankets for exploring and let out Bruxini. After he has explored for a while I love to hold him and rub just behind the back of his neck which he loves. Let the Bruxing begin!

02/24/2012 ------------

Raffles passed away today. I came home from picking up my hubby from the airport and checked in on them. That's when I saw the odd behavior first and then noticed his eyes were almost shut. They aren't swollen or red, no discharge. Then when I picked him up I realized he wasn't a good healthy weight, but very skinny with a big belly. His teeth are ok thinking maybe he broke them and couldn't eat and was literally starving. But they are fine. The cyst on his back was over his belly area. In feeling around it is lumpy so I bet he has many internal rumors or cysts or something. What I am feeling is certainly not normal. He is an Idaho boy and was about 6-8 months then. He is just sitting quietly in my lap enjoying rubs from me. He isn't even reacting to the curious cars coming over to sniff him. I'm sad...

Raffles went on to the Bridge to play hard with everyone up there and be healthy again while waiting for us at 12:30 02/24/2012.

03/13/2012 ------------

Mr. Bruxini passed away this morning at 4:15am. He may have had a small stroke making him walk in large circles to the left. Since I noticed that his health started to decline and no matter what we did, he didn't improve. His cagemate, a little spayed girl named Tessa, remained at his side until I took him from her to cradle and love until he passed. He Bruxed for me all the way up to the end. He was an awesome little man who got along with everyone. You will be missed.

Ozma	Baby Born 03/12/2012 and died 03/17/2012

03/17/2012 - a side note. Ozma who was having his children lost the first one and the second lived a day. It was her first pregnancy (and only one) and the delivery was way too weird and most likely either stressed the baby too much or there was something wrong with it too. It just never seemed to want to suckle - from mom or me. Both babies are buried with a baby Alaskan Cedar which should grow strong from the love we had for these two little ones. Ozma is doing fine. It was sadder in that the little one had curly whiskers and big ole Dumbo ears. :-(