My Testimonial Page

A special commentary from me, written on 01/25/09:

I had an interesting conversation with a loyal customer of mine the other day. It appears that she liked my pet rat hammocks so much that she posted a statement about them on a Goosemoose Pet Rat Forum, letting the world know I made them and how great they were. Her thoughtfulness actually generated a sale for me, which I was extremely grateful for.

Below is my reply to her email:

This whole thing about donating to the rescues is very misleading to people. It's very honorable the people who are sewing hammocks and donating the proceeds, such as DEARPIE'S, but they aren't doing it for free. That is a misconception.

That is the end of the email I sent her back, but it explained my perspective over this topic very clearly. I feel donating to both causes; both the rescues and the quality ratteries operations, through the purchasing of their products or just a kind hearted general donation for their time and efforts is an honorable thing to do. If quality breeders are forced to go out of business because they can't afford all the out of pocket expenses that go along with their hobby, then no one will have a good source to get a quality pet rats from, where they are being specifically breed for superior health and temperament, making them excellent pets.

"Hi Kat,
I was wondering if it would be ok to tell people about your hammocks. (I'm guessing it's ok, but just wanted to check.) I have joined a rat forum and I wanted to tell people how great your hammocks are.
Thanks,"
Sara

"Yes, I did go to a rat show in October...I bought a fleece rat hammock that was maybe 2" bigger on each side than your small size hammock. It was $10 or $12, can't remember. It was really cute. It was enclosed all the way except for a slit in the middle that let the rats go inside. I was so excited to put it up, and the rats loved it, but the next morning, there were more holes than fabric left. Not worth the money.

I'm not exactly sure how long your hammocks last, I put a clean one in their cage every few days and I still haven't thrown one away. I think I have 6-8 of your hammocks. They do have some small holes in them (peep holes)..."

I was referred to your site from the forums at GooseMoose.com. I'd like to order 1 small hammock (003), 1 Bonding Pouch (005), and an extra set of Double Ended Latching Devices (009). My top color choices for the hammock would be pink, blue, or patchwork. I'd like to pay using Paypal.

"Hi,

I LOVE your hammocks so do my ratties. I just ordered 4 more can you combine the shipping and send me an invoice? I will pay right away. Thanks for making these, they are GREAT!"

Dyane G.
West Linn, OR

Okay, would it work for you to put me on your reservation list; and I'll keep working on Dad to let me get some more boys, in the hopes that he will have changed his mind by the time they are born--or Mom will be able to convince him once she sees how cute the babies are? Dad thinks I should wait until next year, when these 5 are old boys, but by that time I will probably be pretty busy with college and wouldn't be able to enjoy them as babies! :) So, as crazy as it probably is; I would like 5 more boys (a couple masked or fancy markings guys) --and then I'll be done! :) I'm thinking I might need to join "Rats Anonymous" haha

No, I didn't get to meet Robin; but he sure is cute--and if he's squishy, that's always good! And I also hadn't seen the pics I sent you on your website! I'm glad you thought they were sort of good--but I never realized how tough it is for rats to stay in one spot!

I forgot to tell you in my earlier email that I weighed Dewey and Rylee the other day and Dewey is 1lb 5/8 oz and Rylee is 15 and 5/8 oz. Can you beleive how much Rylee weighs?! He's growing twice as fast as Dewey. I think he's gonna be a big boy. Also Rylee is becoming more kissy. He's still very curious and on the go but he'll stop to give kisses on his way to his next destination.

Dewey isn't as cuddly as he was before Rylee came but he's still my little lover boy. I keep the carrier that I bought from you on the couch and both the boys go in it whenever they have to go potty. So I guess they're potty trained to some degree. Too bad I can't get them to go in one spot in their cage. Oh well.....At least they go in the right spot when they're out and about.

I check out your website from time to time and am very sorry to hear that Dewey's Mom/Rylee's Grandma passed. Are you still going to offer to drive ratties down here? I'm thinking of adding another rattie to my family. Still just a thought though. Have a great New Years!!!!

"hey kat, i hope your xmas was good. the boys have settled in nicely. my kids absolutely adore them. joseph-12 has aragorn who is now named strider. alycia-9 has legolas and dravin-6.5 has gandalf. they all picked the ones they wanted. and it has worked out great. today we finally got a large wheel for the cage and they have been non-stop since we got it in the cage! even gandalf who has been very quiet and shy is running as im writing this. he was also the first to come see me when i was taking them out to play. normally its strider whos first but gandalf was this time. its funny to see how my kids react to these guys. dravin is normally interested in only video games, not that its changed but he comes to tell everything with the ratties. especially his. i know when gandalf nibbles his fingers or sniffs his hand and how he plays tug of war with crackers or grapes. i never thought dravin would be so excited about this. thanks again! by the way, we havnt tried a bath yet, or swimming. is washing them possible or do we just let them do it themselfs. if it is something we can do, what kind of soap/shampoo should we use!

It's Lauren in California, we just got a new addition to the family. An adorable hairless dumbo, she's 9 weeks, and just as sweet as can be! So, I would love to get her a hammock! I will also be needing 2 sets of the single latch attachments, and I'm going to get another hammock for the big girls! I saw your adorable dwarf ratties, soooooooo cute! As soon as I get some good pics of my girls, I'll send them to you! Thank you for your beautiful art, my girls love it!

The rats are very sweet! Thank you for the time you took with my daughters. My granddaughter is thrilled with them. When she came to visit my house today, she wanted to bring them with her.

Thank you again for your care and attention."

Sincerely, Marilynn T.
Holland, MI

I thought I'd update you with a name for the female rattie that I purchased last Saturday, in addition to Maisy. We've named her Missy and she belongs to my daughter, Katherine. They are settling in nicely and their personalities compliment each other nicely...one being shy/reserved (Maisy) and the other being curious/outgoing (Missy). Both are very friendly. We love ALL of our rats. Our original rex rat (female)is monkey minded and active. Therefore, it's nice to have three different rats, but all very people friendly.

All of the ratties are enjoying their hammocks very much!

Thanks again. It was nice meeting you and your mother. I appreciated being able to pick up the ratties locally."

It took some work, and a couple of photo shoots with treats of baby food--but here are some of the Christmas pictures of your boys! They are absolutely wonderful and such little dears! It is so sweet to go into my room, and be singing a song, and they suddenly perk up and start sniffing between the cage squares--they look like the typical old-time movie prisoners! :)

Hope you enjoy the pictures, and I look forward to seeing what you have for kids this year--hopefully, there won't be any that I really "need", as I don't have any more space, I don't think! :)

Thanks again for the precious kiddos--and Aaron, my best boy!

~Rachel D.

Thank you for the information and I will let you know if I have any further problems. The vet gave me something called avian sunshine factor and it is oils that they eat and it helps with dry skin. One of the boys actually loves it while the other is a little harder to feed it to.

Thanks for being there when I needed and the boys are doing great. My mom absolutely adores them. I will be leaving for vacation this week and my brother is taking care of them and he will be sure to give them plenty of playtime since he loves them as well.

"Hi Kat,
I just wanted to let you know that Sapphire is doing well. She runs to the door of her cage as soon as we come in the room. She loves everyone! Her favorite thing to do now is go fishing for dried macaroni. She loves the water. She is very spoiled and happy. Also thanks for putting me in touch with Deer Creek. We have a rat reserved for Christian for Christmas, although she's not quite as pretty as Pip LOL. Have a great holiday!"
Cathie T

"Hey,

Thought I would update you on the boys since it has been a little over a week since I got them. :D I have to say they are really the most friendly ratties I have met and they are certainly very outgoing. It didn`t take long for both Arvin and Tarquin to start to lick me to death. Tarquin is almost more of a licker than Arvin is now. :D Both of them love to pounce on my hand and lick it as soon as I set it into their cage. When they are out they seem to take turns trying to kiss my hand and fingers and face the most like some little brotherly competition. LOL.

I kept your advice and kept them in the small travel carrier for the first week. After that and they showed marked signs of wanting to be out of the cage more than in the cage, so we upgraded them to the bigger cage. But instead of allowing them full run of the cage, we blocked the bottom level off and they only have run of half the cage. We also were sure to only add in a minimum of toys and hides for now and will periodically be adding new things for them every week. The week before we add Gilbert in we will open the bottom level and let them explore that. :D

Each time I have them out is a new learning experience for them as they seem to learn something new every time I play with them. Just recently they discovered my pantlegs and that they were fun to climb up into while I am sitting on my bed with them. LOL. The other day they also found out they could burrow between my sweatshirt and my shirt and have a game of burrow through the shirt. When they aren`t exploring they are bounding around the bed and chasing eachother with lots of fun.

I also am happy to note that they have started to get the hang of litter training very well. In the first week they showed inclination to only poop in a single corner of their travel carrier and they would return into the carrier to poop there during free range. Now that they are in the bigger cage they have their own litterpan which they are using most of the time. I think they should catch onto it sooner or later.

The boys love food as well and we aptly got them a foodbowl that reads `feed me`on the bottom when it is empty. ;) They enjoy the modified Suebee`s mix and Nutro high quality low protein Senior dog food mix they get as their regular diet. We`ve tried dunking for peas as an outside the cage activity and they thoroughly enjoyed it once they figured out the peas were in the water. We attempted yogurt with them and it resulted in a giant mess so we may have to wait until they are older. LOL. They still enjoy those wheat crackers and are testing out new fresh veggies and fruit while they are outside the cage.

I can say again how I am pleased with their personalities. They are both turning out to be lovely squishy licky boys that capture the hearts of even the person most untrusting of rats. I must have had hundreds of lovely rattie kisses on the chin, neck, fingers and lips ever since I got them.

As a side note, Gilbert is coming along well too. We found a new way to remove him from the cage with little stress or fuss to him that lets him free range well enough. He seems very interested and much happier now that he is able to get out quite a bit more. I am hoping to be able to try to handle him without the gloves soon and it looks like it might be soon. He ought to be much happier once he has his new friends to roll around with in the cage I am sure. :)

Rylee and Dewey are in the same cage now and seem to get along for the most part. Rylee likes to really irritate Dewey almost every chance he gets. He's always messing with Dewey no matter what he's trying to do, drinking, sleeping, peeing. It seems like Dewey is chronically pushing Rylee out of his way. It's kinda funny to watch. They really enjoy playing together though and even snuggle from time to time throughout the day. Dewey doesn't get jealous of Rylee getting attention from me but he does complain alot if Rylee tries to mess with him when he's on my lap getting mama love. He doesn't like to be interrupted when he's getting his "rattie massage"!

Rylee now has about 4 little "smudges" of dark hair on his head and chronically looks like he has a dirty head. His right eye is also getting lighter each day and is now a dark pink while his left eye is black. He's becoming very interesting looking! Even though he's a very on the go guy, he stops every now and then to give me some quick kisses before he's off again. I love my little ratties soooooo much!

I'm gonna try to include some pics of them now. I hope it works. I don't have any recent ones on my computer of Rylee so I'll have to get you some soon (if this works). I hope you and yours has a great holiday!!!

"Kat,
Just a short note to tell you the boys are doing amazingly well. Both the little ones and the big guys are adorable and adoring of attention. I will most likely be dealing with you next summer for a couple of new additions to our home. Thanks so much for the joy you've brought to my life...
Barnabas
Ashton
Kimba
Tobias (my love muffin)"

Debi Y.
Bellaire, MI

"...By the way, my daughter and I love your rattery website. We've admired all your babies. What a job...lots of love and work!..."

"Mo is doing much better. He is still not as outgoing or laid back as Charlie, but he is better. Yesterday I took him out and when I put him back, he was at the door wanting out again. He also loves to be rubbed and scratched behind the ears.They get more outgoing every day. They are both very cute, and I can tell they will keep getting friendlier every day.

Thanks for raising such nice rats."

Pam E.
Alma, Michigan

"Hello,
...I tried a hammock that I bought at a rat show in October, but they chewed through it in a couple hours. Yours are so much better!...
Thank you so much,"
Sara

"...The girls are forever wanting out and instantly run to us now, we can't even walk past their cage without them racing to the sides and doing that "MOMMA LET ME OUT!!!" face, and shoot, they know that works everytime :D

We are getting to the point now of being able to call back certain girls, they know they are free to explore on the couch and stuff. I've even sat on the floor whilst doing things and had Aaliyah running around freely, she always races back to me, which is simply brilliant.

I have a funny story for you, the other day, I had a nice hot chocolate fresh on the side table, oh yum!!! Anastasia agreed, she promptly ran over there, as there was whipped cream on the top, and as l look to the side, she had cream all over her face and was most happy with herself for discovery that awesome drink!

I was like ANASTASIAAAAAAAAAAAAAA THATS MINE, of course, she looked at me, and continued licking it off from around her mouth. I must admit, she has good taste, it was a very delicious drink :D

Oh and coffee, I set the coffee machine to go off each morning, the girls little noses go CRAZY on smelling it brewing, lol.
They do not get any of that though as we do not have any decaf, I need to get some for them as they definitely are coffee addicts.

I must get pics for you, oh my. our girls are not spoilt. we have 4 plastic tubs for them.
1. Treats of all kinds.
2. Hammocks, baby blankets, tubes made out of leg pants etc....
3. playtime accessories (out of cage items)
4. accessories for me to make them treat hangers and toys etc....

Plus, I bought a small cupboard for all their other stuff. Extra cage beds, mineral licks, lava blocks, more treats, extra food (we have containers for their food but buy it in larger bags) etc.

Yes we love our girlies :) We simply seem to never stop getting them things. Anytime we go near a store now, its ooooh the girls would LOVE this or that or this or that :D

Honestly though, no matter what toys or treats we give them, their favorite thing of all, being with us.

"Got the hammocks today, thanks! I love them! The girls have already started chewing the fleecy stuff. Silly girls! LOL"

...The girls are all doing fine. Meeko, Lucy, Ko-Ko and Nahni are all bonded and close. We never did get to seperate Lola, Boo-Boo and Elsa. The older gilrs never took to them. We put one of them with them and it never lasts long before there is a tussle. No real reason to keep them together anyway. The three girls are bonded and they do fine together...

Ko-Ko is fat now. She is Brian's favorite and he has spoiled her and she loves to eat. It shows. Both his girls are the biggest. Ko-Ko is so bonded to Brian. If he leaves the room, she knows it and she runs to the edge of the couch and waits for him and runs to him as soon as he returns, he loves it! Lucy is pretty much my favorite. It is neat how they all have different personalities...Boo is adorable and a cuddler, as is Meeko. Lola is the shy one, but so sweet. Elsa is the all around perfect rat, just loves everyone and is always ready for fun. Nahni is the neck warmer.

Anyway, you have a nice Christmas..I have to go and put the decorations on our tree this afternoon..."

"OH MY GOD!!!!! They are so cute!!!! That little Ozzy is the most curious little guy. The other two are still quite scared (understandably). I didn't tell the kids I picked them up today and surprised them when they got home. They are totally in love!!

Your mom and step-dad are the nicest people. So sweet. Your mom is so cute the way she talks about rats.

When the babes get more settled in and calmed down, I'll send you some pics. Thank you so much for everything.

"Hello, just letting you know that Thissle and Baby are now settled in, relaxing and munching on some more grapes. Thank you so much, it was great getting these two from you, and your parents are very nice!

Like you had said, Baby is just a lover and even Thissle is coming around really quick- she's not as willing to just climb up on me, but she'll come up to me and play with my hand lol. Thank you very much, and I will keep you updated on how they are doing!"

It's been a while! We've been very, VERY busy here lately - and we've another busy day today, so I'm afraid I'll have to keep this short.

The boys are doing wonderfully. We seemed to have greatly reduced their squabbles by creating a scavenger hunt in the Rattie Playground for their dinners. I've created some neat ways to make them work for their food; it's really fun to watch! We're also just about finished making some new equipment for the Playground to keep them entertained. I'll have to send you a photo when it's all done. It's going to be really cool!

You won't believe how big those boys are now! DiNozzo is just shy of one pound, and Rodney... he's a whopping 18 ounces!! I could hardly believe it when I weighed him this morning. They're not even 5 months old yet, and still growing every week! I love my big, squishy boys. :)

Anyway, I've gotta run! I've attached a photo of each of the boys for you. They were taken about 2 months ago; I haven't had time to take many recently.

Hope you're well! Talk to you later!"

I have been meaning to send you an e-mail long before now, but have had to force myself to get it done now...as it is Thanksgiving time and what I am most thankful for this year are the five kids from you!

Aaron, Teardrop, and Mirage are still as sweet as ever! And I have been really working with Twink and Dancer over the past couple months, and am very happy with how they are turning out! Twinkle is full of mischief and trouble and loves hiding from me, when it is time to put them away; but he is a lot more cuddly than when I last wrote you! Dancer lets me hold him now, which is great! He feels a lot more safe when Aaron is with him, but is doing quite well, so he is a lot better too! I can have him out and he'll be shy and nervous, but will still have mock fights with the others and come up to me for treats.

I just thought I would let you know that all five of them turned out just perfect--and I guess it just took the other two a little longer to grow up and get used to me. But thanks again for the wonderful boys! They are so great, and I can't believe how wonderful Aaron is--maybe it's just because I'm partial to him. *grin*

I still go to your website, and of course get tempted by all the cute kiddos you have. And I would get more, if we didn't live so far away! Though I think I might be able to talk Dad into making another trip to MI in a couple of years, as he would like to see the bridge when it's not foggy and raining! :)

I'll send you pictures at Christmas, when I have taken the "Christmas pictures" of them!

I finally had time to play with my new camera and figure out how to transfer pics onto my computer. Dewey and Rylee are doing just fine. I introduced them and they really enjoy playing together. Although, Dewey is such a lover boy that he needs to stop playing to gaze deep in my eyes and get lots of lovin's, rubbin's and kisses often. = )

On the other hand, Rylee is so on the go that the only time I really get to pet him is if Dewey is holding him down and grooming him. It's the only way you can get him to sit still for any length of time! They are both so silly and I love them greatly. Dewey is my licky, squishy, lover boy and Rylee is my adventurous, fun loving, occasional run by kisser.

I haven't put them in the same cage yet but plan on doing so soon. Right now they're neighbors so they can at least look at each other and talk to each other. I tried to get some nice close ups of Dewey's coat so you can see how pretty his salt and pepper look is. I'll take more pics soon and send them to you. Have a great Thanksgiving!!!

I got the hammocks yesterday, Thank you very much. They are great.

The girls are so funny. Last night they were all over the cage. Hanging from the sides. I told my daughter that they are "Girl Ratties Gone Wild". LOL

This morning I got up and gave each one of them some loving. I took each one out separate. Hope was the first one, then Joy. When I went to get Sweetie, she ran to the back of the cage and turned her back on me. I think she got jealous because I took the other two out first. She was pouting. I took her out and held her. She snuggled right in the crook of my arm and stayed there. I kept rubbing her head and back and talked soothingly to her. Then she was ok. My husband said that she needed reassurance that she was loved too. Its really neat that they each have their own personality. My daughter thinks that the baby(Pie) is sooo cute. They are so much fun.

"Thank You! You are wonderful!!!! The 4 girls are in seperate cages cuz it freaked Mileea out that the big girls were so aggressive to the little ones. We tried to put them together when the little girls were really little and it didn't seem like a fair argument! We will try again. Really thank you! We so appreciate you insight and advice!!!!"

"We transitioned the girls all into one cage. They all seem to be doing very well. We do have a few dominance injuries, but nothing major. Cheese seems to be doing a little better. She is still a little less social with us than normal....but is coming around. I think you are totally right about it being a hormone thing!!!! I still giggle that hormones effect rats they way they effect us!!! What a crack up! Any how thanks for everything and I will talk to you soon!"

Just wanted to write to let you know that I picked up little Rafe yesterday - he's so playful and curious! He's starting to "taste" things with his mouth, but he's really gentle and doesn't bite! He's already started accepting treats from me, he seems to like Multi Grain Cheerios :-D

We got home a little while ago with our girls and are thrilled beyond belief. We've already determined that Aaliyah is our acrobat (climbing the cage wires to get where she wants to go), Sierra is our little she-devil (rambunctious, exploratory), and Adriana is our laid-back girl. Michelle had them in their socialization pouch for part of the car ride, feeding them one of those crackers each and giving them water. She was excited, as they all individually licked her fingers of water as well. Sierra kept stealing the other girls' food (starting the she-devil trend). When it got dark, we put them in their cage for the rest of the ride.

When we got home, we let them climb inside our shirts for a while. They all were very gentle and loving and even fell asleep on us for a while. They also each took a yogie treat from us while on us, and Adriana was purring a bit as she fell asleep in my shirt. We now have them in their cage to wander around. Seems they've all fallen asleep except Adriana, as she slept a bit in the car.

Thank you so much for our new family members. We absolutely adore our baby girls! Thank you for all your information as well. It's been helpful. Meg was charming and shared some information with us also. The birth certificates were cute and a nice touch. Michelle's a bit bummed that she wasn't included. :) Meg did give us a copy of our contract, so we're all good. BTW: The hammocks are really cute and fit perfectly across the larger cage. Though the girls are too little for the big cage just yet, we'll probably put them in there to play at times, when we can supervise them adequately, until they're a bit bigger.

We have a feeling that rats are going to be in our blood and we're going to want more before long. :) In fact, we can foresee us wanting to take up breeding some day down the line. If that happens, we'll be sure to contact you first. :)

We had the girls out, giving them cuddles and thought we would take some pics of them. We thought you might enjoy to see how they are doing on their first night.

We must say, they do not seem to be nervous at all with us, they have quite happily sat on our shoulders, investigated our ears and run all thru our tops, heh..

Here are some lovely pictures attached of our girls :) We included one of our spoiled Chinchilla, Saffron, simply because, well, she insisted and we must obey ^.^

Again, thank-you so much, these girls have so much character and we are totally owned by them :)

We have just now got home, Sierra, Aaliyah and Adriana are going nuts, wanting cuddles as theyve missed us :)

Anastasia, Syddorra and Sara are doing awesomely. They slept part of the way, played around in their travelling cage and had fun. No signs of being nervous at all, they are getting cuddles and a run around now :D

Well, where do I start?

Okies, Little Miss Sara shall soon be known as Amys hump, LOL She sits on her shoulder for hours, LOVES her to pieces, seriously, those two are so joined. She sat on Amys bed after Amy had showered, just awaiting her to get dressed and then was up on her shoulder. How intense is that for her only being here 24 hours?

Adriana, whom we told you was our quiet girl has totally come out of her shell now. Shes racing on the wheel, shes coming out of the cage with confidence, shes really hyped up quite a bit with the other girls. Sierra and Aaliyah are still just as crazy, heh, nothing will ever change there.

Aaliyah is definately my little lady, she races out to me and she loves to play, I get her extremely hyper by tickling her and she races around and then comes back to me for more. Sierra, Adriana and Syddorra all joined in on that game too.

Anastasia is Miss Curious now, she loves to run around looking looking looking. Syddorra went from being miss calm and quiet to meeting the other girls and deciding life was so much more fun as a hyper crazy girl :D

They are truly hysterical crew to watch as they play like maniacs at times.

We get loads of kisses and licking and cuddles though and so truly adore our babies.

Thankies again :) We so hope Saras siblings find their forever homes, truly her temperment is priceless, so cuddly.

Great to hear from you. Yes Amy is VERY much so bonded to Sara. All the girls came out before Amy went to work, crawling onto me, Amy was standing me beside me and Sara quickly ran over to her, had to give her momma her morning kiss :)

We worry about her sometimes as she truly sits with Amy for HOURS, and we worry about her not drinking or eating. Course there are some treats and she licks some water off Amys fingers but we tend to put her back in the cage occassionally to interact with the other girls, get a play in, have some yummy food and drink :)

Shes quite the contrast from the other girls, shes just so incredibly cuddly which is lovely to see that side of the ratties also.

The others are all characters. I adore all the girls but Aaliyah is the one whom will race to me when I call her, course, shes crazy but I adore that about her :)

I had all the girls, except Sara (whom was with Amy) going nuts last night. I was sitting infront of the large cage, the girls would jump up and hang infront of the door, look at me and sort of wait, then ld go "BOO!" and theyd race off and run around then come running back awaiting me to do it again. Amy was sitting on the couch going omg you are making them insane. I had to laugh, they so enjoyed it. We did that for ages, inbetween ld be tickling the girls and was just a real heap of fun.

They all eventually decided it was cuddle time and one by one dove onto my top and crawled around my neck, I must admit, that is the weirdest feeling to have 5 rats racing over you then all sitting on your neck or shoulders cleaning and bruxing.

They are truly awesome, very interactive girls we have. We truly and whole heartedly adore them :)

Sure thing, post them away on your testimonals page, lm more than happy to spread the word, as our girls are truly delightful, we love them so so much.

I actually went out today to buy more supplies for them. The other day I made them tunnels for their cage and they SO love them and I also made this treat hanger that they truly adore. Really has inspired me alot more to make them more fun things so lm going to make them some more treats and also some obstacle type stuff for outside of cage playtime ^.^

I just wanted to let you know that the boys I got from you are doing great. we have bonded and I really enjoy watching their personalities develop. I was so surprised how friendly they were from day one, and even my roommate who was not sure about rats at first is in love with them. Thank you so much for the wonderful pets and they have been so sweet and wonderful. Many people who have met them changed their minds about rats because these two are so sweet and cute."

I just wanted to update you on the rats...

They traveled home well, watching movies with my son in the car. :) They were very scared the first night with all the new smells and sights. Now they are warming up to us, and taking food from our hands. If we put our hand in the cage they will run up our arms onto our shoulders. Last night they sat in their hammock and watched movies with Aidan at bedtime. They were curled up watching the movie. This morning Otter was sitting by the door waiting to come out. :)

Here are some pictures of them taken yesterday. They are very pretty rats! Aidan couldn't be happier! Thanks so much for taking so much time with them.

"Thanks, you’re a good person. Keep of the work. Rats are wonderful pets and I understand your devotion to them. Most people do not understand that aspect of them. They only think of the plague caused by the flea. Take care of your rats."

Got the hammocks today, they look fabulous!! Thank you very much~~!! Left you a comment on ebay for both the hooks and bedding :) Extra positive stars for your account!! Thank you very much xoxo

Today is Thanksgiving Day here in Canada, but my family had the celebration yesterday instead. Today I have the day off work, so I actually have a smidgeon of spare time to say "hi". I've been sooo busy lately, I just haven't had time for much of anything!

We decided to keep the ratties that I rescued from the vet clinic. We've changed George's name to "O'Malley" and Cali to "Callie". They're both doing very well. Callie's skin has cleared up, and her fur is nice and soft again. She's active and inquisitive, but just a teeny bit shy. O'Malley is a sweetie. He's not very active, but is quite content to sit in my lap and give kisses. A very outgoing boy. They're both taking treats outside of their cage and learning to climb into my hands and let me handle their feet and examine their teeth. I took the pair of them to the vet last Saturday and they received medicine to kill any internal parasites (just in case) and antibiotics to fight off the respiratory infection. They're still in quarantine right now, but next weekend will be three weeks and if everything looks and sounds okay, I hope to bring them out of isolation and perhaps introduce them to Pipkin to be cagemates. The boys were clearly too much for her, but I am hoping that she will be more amicable to this sweet old couple.

Rodney and DiNozzo are fabulous. And big - wow! I weighed them this Friday and Rodney is already 408g (about 14 1/2 oz)! DiNozzo is smaller at 373g (I didn't get his weight in ounces, sorry!). I had no idea they'd grow so fast! I've never had such big ratties before, since mine were all girls in the past.

Nozzo is such a squishy boy. I want to pick him up and give him a "hug" every time I see him. :) He has the cutest face. I think his eyes and ears must be much larger than most rats' lol. He's a bit shier than Rodney, but he's such a sweetheart. Quite the snugglebug. :)

Rodders is a little monkey. He makes me laugh so much. My mom has one of those "grabby tools" - a long, metal bar about 1/2 inch wide with "pinchers" at one end for grabbing things that she's dropped. It's about 22" long. Anyway, Rodney can actually climb across that metal bar - from the Ratty Playground to Mom's easy chair. I have video of him climbing it, but unfortunately it's too large to attach to an email. I'll have to snail mail it to you this winter. It's so amazing. Rodney also seems to enjoy pulling off my glasses lol. And giving ratty kisses. I love my boys so much. :)

Well, I'd better sign off! Here's a photo of each of the boys for you, as well as one of Callie and O'Malley. I hope you like them.

Buzz and Woody are loving their new home! They are always trying to get out and climb up our arms! Even when it's not time to come out and I'm just giving them some fresh water on my way out for work!"

You did a wonderful job! I would love to have you back every fall!! The kids love it and are working hard on letters to you. Wasn't that squeak cute, I couldn't resist. I have gotten alot of positive responses from the other two teachers and parents! Hopefully we changed a few minds about ratties. Thank you again and I will be sending out a packet full of letters, poems and the pictures we took.

Niki is currently sleeping like a baby in his black hammock. He seems to love both of them equally! I can't thank you enough for helping all the precious little rats to a bed that is the right size and meets their needs in every way. I told you, I especially think it is so cute that he pulls in his little 'scrap rags' into the hammock and makes 'pillow' areas for his head! It is SO interesting how very smart they are!

How are you? Just wanted to let you know how Dewey is. He almost has all his big boy hair in. He still has some baby hair left on the top of his head and a little on his bum. He seems to have grown to be almost twice as big as he was two weeks ago. Dewey has decided that he is not going to be a lap rat. He prefers to lounge and sleep right next to my lap rather than on it. He wakes up every so often and climbs on my lap to get kisses, hugs and lovin's and then back down he goes to fall asleep leaning up against my lap. He also refuses to use his hammock or his wheel. He just doesn't like either one. Dewey doesn't like to hide in things to sleep. He's content to be out in the open which I find a little odd.

Dewey also greatly dislikes the rattie purse. He absolutely will not stay in it. He's more of a shoulder rat and prefers to see what's going on at all times. This is just fine with me but it does put a damper on being able to take him into places that I normally would not be able to. I've been thinking about getting a rattie scarf to see if he likes that better and maybe save myself some scratches. =)

I've already taught Dewey to come when called using rice crispies. These are a great training tool as he doesn't get filled by them and we can practice alot. I'd say he comes when called 99% of the time. I tried using a litter box in his cage but he doesn't like that either. But, he doesn't go potty on me and I can generally tell when he has to go so I just take him to his room throughout the day and he goes potty and then comes right back out.

Dewey loves to play wrestle with me. He gives me lots of kisses all the time. He loves to run as fast as he can up and down the couch. So far his two favorite veggies are broccoli and collard greans. His least favorite is green beans but he still eats them. He doesn't like bananas or apples (I've tried a few different kinds). He really likes uncooked oatmeal and yogurt. He doesn't like pickles, olives or radishes and I didn't think he would but, he wanted to try some of what I was eating. Dewey loves the rattie massages I give him and also loves for me to rub his belly. He just lays there on his side all stretched out with his mouth hanging open. It's funny.

I just love Dewey to pieces. I can't wait to see him in the morning when I wake up and he's with me basically all day until I go to sleep at night. He's my best little furry face buddy and I don't know how I ever lived without him. He truely brightens my every day and fills my heart with joy. Thank you so much for letting me adopt him so we can be a part of each others life.

Thanks for the wonderful hammock :) I got it last week, but with ohio's major power outages, I wasn't able to email you until now. I am hoping to send you a picture soon :) Irene is in there every time I look in the cage, and has already broken the 'no eating in bed' rule lol.

"I got it today! You have truly made the Rat Ladies very, very happy indeed!!! They are lovin' their new Hammock!! And their mother is very pleased with the design, materials and function!

I've got the day off work today, so I'm actually able to write more than just a paragraph and actually tell you how the boys are doing! :)

The babies are HUGE now! When I weighed them last week, Rodney was exactly the same weight as Miss Pipkin, and he was only ten weeks old. DiNozzo was just a few grams lighter. I think I'm gonna have a couple of BIG boys, wow! It's definitely time to move them into an "adult" cage. My Dad just hasn't had the time lately to build the stand for it. I might try and improvise something temporary so that I can set up their Martin's cage this weekend. In the meantime, the boys have been getting lots of exercise in the Ratty Playground; probably 1 1/2 to 2 hours every day. I've taught them to walk a tight rope! I'll have to take photos of that tonight. It's so cute. I've also been teaching the boys a few commands like "Get in the Pouch" to get them to climb into the bonding pouch, and "Shoulder" to get them to climb up to my shoulder. In addition, if I say "Kissy kissies!" to Rodders while he's on my shoulder, he'll usually give me ratty kisses right on the lips. :)

Rodney's quite the character. He has a habit of giving me lots and lots of kisses, and then peeing on me. He used to pee on me about half a dozen times a day, or more! Mom refuses to hold him, for fear of being peed on lol. But he does it a LOT less now, usually only once or twice a day. Sometimes he doesn't even pee on me at all. And he is such a silly boy. Still very much an explorer, almost always the first to try everything. He's actually a bit of a picky eater, though - not nearly as food-oriented as DiNozzo, that's for sure lol. And I just love Rodders' gorgeous speckles. He's got lots of blue speckles on his back now, and a few on his belly. I wonder if he'll let me take a photo of those. That boy hates to be restrained. Trimming his nails is a very tricky task! And you should have seen the vet trying to look at his teeth lol. Yep, the boys have had their first vet visit (and first bath, too). Just routine, they were both given a clean bill of health. :)

DiNozzo is very unlike his "brother". He's a big suck. One of his very favourite activities is snuggling in the bonding pouch while being petted. He loves attention. And he has the sweetest little face. Not to mention the biggest eyes and ears I've ever seen on a ratty lol. Looking at 'Nozzo, I just don't understand how people can't adore these little guys. DiNozzo is such a good boy, too. He almost never pees on me - maybe only three or four times since I brought him home. He's pretty tolerant of having his nails trimmed, and did okay with his bath. He even let the vet get a good look at his little teeth. He's not much for giving ratty kisses, but he definitely a squishy boy. :) He is VERY food-oriented lol. If there's food nearby, he must have it. He hardly turns anything down. It's funny though, how much he hates the weighing scale. No matter what I'm using as treats to lure him on it, he won't go for it. I've actually started weighing the ratties in a little cage, because DiNozzo won't stay on the scale. He won't eat treats while he's on it, either, not even while I'm weighing him in the cage. It seems to strange, since the cage I use is a smaller version of their travel cage, and he doesn't mind that cage at all. I guess he's just sensitive about his weight lol.

Well, I think that's about it for now! By the way, Little Doll's babies are just TOO cute! Mom wants the first two girls on the page. ;)

Hope to hear from you soon! (No worries though; I can only imagine how busy you must be.)"

Dewey fell asleep on my shoulder today and rolled over on his back. He looked so funny that we had to take pictures of him. Enjoy!!!"

"p.s. I took Dewey to the vets today just to make sure he was okay and he is just fine. Dr. Beasly said that he's a real sweety. I love Dewey so much! He and I are together constantly and I love it."

Recieved Rattie Hammocks! They are beautiful, thank you so much, they and I love them!

"Oh yeah I am thrilled about the babies. I find the boys are so sweet, the only rats I have ever had that nippy are girls. What do you find is the norm.

Yet I have never experienced rats from a breeder like yourself. I have either gotten rescue feel sorry for ratties from pet stores or from Pet Smart. I am down to 10 rats including the boys *s* and am finding quality is so different. Health wise and personality wise I am so in love with them.

Really Kat it shows so much that what you do is a labor of love. I just can't tell you how much joy they bring to me. Either let me know asap who I can choose from, color is never as much of a priority for me as personality and health. I love Rex and different coats and dumbo.s but really you see the sweet personality's more than most people do.

You are a rat mommy's angel! I now feel much more empowered by your suggestions and plan to get her some of the products you mentioned tomorrow. Thank you so much for your quick response and advice. Since I have never owned one of these little darlings before...I was completely unaware of things. I bought a basic care and feeding book the same day which is where I discovered the info on mycoplasma pulmonis. Of course, it only went into enough detail to leave me scared rather than arming me with many solutions. We did change her bedding immediately from cedar to soft-sorbent..the bedding product made from wood not suitable for making paper. It's almost like paper. I read early on that the aromatic woods are not good for them as bedding and cage liner. I did see an improvement for the first couple of days. I also give her a bath once a week..being careful she doesn't get a draft while drying. Lizzie is a joy and she has taught me the age old lesson of not judging a book by its cover...all over again! Just yesterday, at the store...I walked past a Halloween display that featured a mean, red eyed, rat..ready to pounce on someone. I just snickered..and thought, oh how misunderstood most people are. Lizzie gives us kisses daily and she certainly does not ever look mean!!!! I have to admit....I never envisioned owning one...but, now that I do...she's my girl! I just have one other question. We have a 4 year old, indoor, black and white dutch rabbit. Can Lizzie pass this disease to our rabbit? We had not introduced them yet..because I was afraid of the danger and stress both. Our rabbit Rosie, is very social, was best buddies with our little rat terrier dog before she passed last year..and I think they will do very well when the time comes to introduce them. Right now, I'm just too scared to let them meet.

Lastly, Thank you so much for responding to my letter. I have been in tears the last two nights over what to do. We really can't afford a Vet bill right now...so, I was trying to Nurse her myself. I've done a lot of animal rescue and rehab myself and have had some great success stories. I've been determined to make sure she has the best chance possible. Thanks again for your advice. It was so kind of you to write and try and help me. Of course, she will see a Vet if need be...but, I can be pro-active in her care until then. Kat, you're a doll for caring enough to write back so quickly...hugs!

They look BEAUTIFUL!!! We are so excited to recieve your carefully crafted works of art. I have sent the payment via PayPal for $26.80, and I look forward to doing business with you in the future. Just for the future, I would like to maybe get one in a few months, something with a warm material because our house can get so cold in the winter! Just for future, they love their fleece one that we have, but it's now to small, and they are too big!!! Thanks again for all your work,

Just wanted to let you know, that we are a week into having our new girlies and we just love them. We can't believe how tame they are. They are still a little shy, and then once we get them to come out, they are just fine. We learn something new about them every day and they get different treats. Yogurt, fruit and today was cooked spaghetti. They really love that. Flower sneezes when she gets excited. I was worried about it, but she was eating and seemed perfectly healthy. I called Nancy last night and she said Meeko also has sneezing episodes.

Anyway, it's been a very busy week and I meant to write you sooner. It's getting late and we've had them out for about two hours now. Time for nite nite for them an us.

Niki just loves his hammock! Thanks so much. You were correct... the small size is just perfect for him.

The first night he just smelled it (don't they always!) and tried to nibble on it a second or two. I went to bed and saw that he must have gone "exploring "during the night because I could see a big 'puff' where he obviously had crawled between the two layers. BUT he was still sleeping on his little rag pile.

Then when I got home from work... there was my little buddy... all snuggly and fast asleep right in the middle of his hammock!

Thanks again! Niki sends little rat kisses to the lady who helped make his home so very comfortable!

Thank you again for your support. It is greatly appreciated; I am slowly healing. Pipkin is still by herself at this time, but I may introduce her to they boys this weekend. I do think she is missing the company of other ratties; Pipkin was never as people-oriented as her sister.

Rodney and DiNozzo are outstanding. My schedule is quite busy now that I'm back to work, but I'm squeezing in as much time with the boys as possible. They get about half an hour in the Playground together every morning before I leave, then I spend about half an hour with them one-on-one in the evening when I come home. In between I'm stopping by the cage frequently to talk to them, stick my fingers in the bars, or coax them out for a brief visit. Often they also get a second run in the Playground before bed. Already these boys do not require treats to convince them to climb into my outstretched hand. Indeed, when I'm moving things around in their cage or the Playground, they are climbing all over me quite voluntarily lol.

I am absolutely adoring these boys. I think Mom is, too. The other day she went out shopping, and tells me that she made an extra stop just to look for presents for the little guys. She came home with a new Playground accessory and a couple of other little things for them. :)

These guys have so much personality. Rodney's expression seems to be always full of mischief. He loves the Comfort Wheels, and racing through the "Ferret Tube" in the Playground at top speed. He gives me kisses all the time, and seems to enjoy grooming my knuckles. For the first few days, he kept trying to put my left thumb in his mouth. Like, all the way in there lol. It was so funny. He will settle down in my lap or in my arms after a while and just enjoy being petted. Did you notice that he has three little freckles on his belly? I don't think I've ever seen rats with spots on their bellies like that. They are so cute! I only wish that he would quit peeing on me so much. He usually pees on me about half a dozen times while I've got him out. But as I recall, Pipkin & Teyla were like this as babies as well, and they grew out of it. I'm sure he'll get better too.

DiNozzo on the other hand, is always wide-eyed and cautious. He's very reactive; even me just walking passively past the cage or the Playground sends him running for cover. But once he's in my lap or in the bonding pouch, he is the sweetest little boy. He'll relax, sometimes laying on his side, and just enjoy being petted and talked to. I think he'd stay like that for hours if I had the time to spare. Sometimes he gives kisses or grooms my fingers. A couple of times I think that he nearly fell asleep while I was stroking him. He is such a cutie. Oh yeah, I was wondering about the white spot on DiNozzo's head. Would this not be considered a headspot? I notice it's not on his pedigree. I'm just curious; if there's a difference between headspots and his markings I would like to know. I have so much to learn about ratties yet. So far the boys have taught me just how much sweeter ratties can be when they don’t come from a pet store, and also that baby rat noses can fit quite a ways into a human ear lol.

Well, here I go writing novels again! I hope you don't mind. I guess I get a bit carried away sometimes!

Yes, I've been meaning to let you know. They're adorable! And if they're half as durable as that packaging job you did (I could hardly open it!), we're in good shape. My daughter's been camping, so she won't see them until tomorrow, but I know she'll think they're really cool!

Please know I have not forgot about you for a moment. The boys have been here just a week and I am so in love. Tobias is a shy Mama's boy. Not scared at all, just clings to me and if anyone moves too fast or makes a sudden noise he is cuddled in my neck. Kimba is an adventurer and a heath throb......he wrestles with my hands and will let me put him on his back.....I just am so impressed with the job you have done with these babies. thanks for being there and introducing me to a whole new level of Ratties. I am excited about our friendship and looking forward to watching it grow.

I did get my contract and will get the dress off to you this week. I am quite a happy rattie momma.

I just thought I would drop a line and tell you how much I love her already!! She has been such a great girl! She drank some water off my finger and she started eating shortly after I put her in her new cage. She keeps grooming herself so I think that she is really relaxed. I just wanted to let you know how she was doing already! She is so sweet. have a great night and I will keep you informed how she is doing."

We just had another bonding session and my Husband just made a run to the store to buy banana's and crackers...lol. He is already getting attached! The big softy! Well thank you so much for selling me such a wonderful pet! She is so sweet I just can't stand it! I feel like her and I are meant to be together. :o) Have a wonderful night."

I just thought I would write you and tell you how much a LOVE Kailea! She is such a sweetheart. I think that we had a big break through today. She chattered while I was holding her and she ate banana's out of my hand and she feel asleep while I was petting her today!! I couldn't believe it! She is such a great girl! I just love her. We have really bonded! Thank you again for letting me have this wonderful animal!"

I got the hammock 2 days ago (Monday) and am very pleased, I like the materials and the colors and can't wait to let Miss Ivy try it out. The hammock came more quickly than I had expected too. Thanks for prompt service!

Just wanted to let you know how much I also enjoyed our visit. Played with the boys all night and am in love. Kimba has just a dusting of dark color on the edges of his ears, could he be a pointed? He is more outgoing, even nibbles and jumps all over my hand. Tobias is a little reserved but very calm in hand. They are the most social and easy going babies I have ever run into. Thanks so much......

Thanks so much for getting the hammocks done so quickly. I just sent a paypal payment a few minutes ago.

Oh, and thank you for the advice on my rats. It never occurred to me that they could be marking their territory. I thought that was strictly a male thing. I will definitely look further into that.

"I am writing in the hope that i reach a lady called Kat, who recently posted on the Ratforum with regards to my half wild babies.

The information you posted has been the most helpful yet :o) I've actually printed copies of what you said to present to the people who will hopefully adopt some of the babies.

I have noticed that they are quite jumpy and have done a lot of bottle feeding to get them used to me as well as letting them lick Soya porridge off my fingers to get them used to my smell. Because there is 9 of them (5 boys and 4 girls) my partner has been helping me and he's taken responsibilty for the boys although he did almost lose one and so has lost confidence in picking them up. They are curious and have started approaching me in the hope of treats and are a lot less reluctant to be picked up. I haven't done the layers of clothing method as of yet because i've been too nervous of them jumping off but like i said they've calmed quite a bit and i'll be starting that this week. Also anyone who adopts them and finds them not to be the pet they expected i have asked to return to me and i am more than willing to give them the life they deserve.

Once again thank you for taking the time to post the much needed advice. I'm now off to check out your website (o:"

"Kat,

I just received your email and paid you thru paypal. Thanks for taking care of all this so quickly -- I greatly appreciate all your help! Can't wait to get the new hammocks, I'm sure the girls will love them. They had quit sleeping in the hammock after chewing almost the entire bottom layer off. I just turned it upside down the other day and they got right back into it cramming their bodies under the last 2 inches of the red bottom material. Shows how much they were missing the cozy little sleeping place between the two layers.

Here are some updated pictures of the boys. They are just way too sweet and too much fun! :) Aaron is so inquisitive and always looking for something to get into! Mirage still gives kisses. Teardrop is becoming a "real" Dalmatian: he has several blackish spots, which make him look like he had a sprinkling of soot dumped on him! :) Dancer uses the Wodent wheel at night and loves it. And Twinkle is just that--a twinkle in the midst of all the other boys. He does his own thing when he feels like it, but will also follow Teardrop and Aaron on their mischief runs! :)

Dancer is still the most shy and scared. The other 4 took up exploring my bed room; and I had a terrible time trying to "capture" them to put them away at bedtime. The little scallywags! They are so much fun and oh, so sweet! Aaron is more than certainly the favorite. But Teardrop and Mirage are close seconds! I know I could never have lived without them. They are the absolute best!

Right now, my college rat "Drizzle" is nearing the end of his life; and even though that will be a sad day soon, it helps to have the babies that can still make me smile. Drizzle celebrated his 2.5 year birthday on the 11th; and he has gone downhill from there. He is so old, but has been alive for a part of all my rats' lives. He had just been born 7 weeks ago when my first boy died; and was a big comfort then as he looked just like Dazzle. And I was able to adopt him that November after my other two had also died that year. He was around for Question and Kasper (Question is gone now, too); and now he has been a part of these 5 new kids. He hasn't and probably never will meet them, though; as he is so week now and no longer likes other rats. I think it must be because he lived my himself at college and now he is just too old to play anymore. But at least Twink looks a ton like Driz and Daz...those black heads! :)

Anyway, here are the latest pictures of the kids! They sure are little sweethearts. And Aaron looks/acts so much like Zorro, he has taken his place in my heart. You were so right about finding the "almost the same" rat. He is just so wonderful and beautiful in every way! Thank you again so much for him and the other guys!!"

"Moon Shadow is doing Swell! He's still the calm sweet boy you raised him as. =3

I'll have pictures of him as soon as I have regular access to the internet again. He came with me on his first adventure today: The trip from Mackinaw down to Holland.

It started with loading him into the back of the Impalla, cage and all. He was so confused that he fell asleep UNDER his hammock. We stopped at a gas station. he kept an eye on my car and my grandmother while I went in for a snack for us.

While in there, I rescued a small bird who was confused and trapped in the store. after releasing the bird, I shared my sun chips with him, which calmed him down a little bit. He slept.

I took him for a walk at a rest area, he appreciated being able to stretch his paws and enjoyed the fresh air and slight breeze.

He played the rest of the way home, until it started raining around grand rapids. This caused him to run into his Grand Hotel box, he rode the rest of the way home with only his nose sticking out.

When we got home he sat on my shoulder and watched the Red Wings win the Stanley Cup.

pumpkin now has a nickname of pumpking. Thanks for the advice! ill go try it as soon as im done writing to you. i think pumpking is a diva with his shiny pretty coat and personality, in a good way though! We had company yesterday and kinz was curious but not as curious as puddy. Both said hi and puddles sat on their shoulders. kinz on the otherhand just gave a sniff.
Thanks for giving me the best rats in the world!"

I was just emailing to tell you that I introduced my babies to my big girls and it went great! My oldest girl, Velma, had become rather sedentary and over weight. But Pru and Piper have been keeping her very active the past few days and she is loving it! My other older girl, Phoebe, had gotten a bit aggressive with me, but once again the little girls have a been a great influence on her! She no longer tries to attack my hand when it goes in the cage! The babies have also taught the other how the hammock works and they all love it! I am so happy that it has all worked out!

I also wanted to tell you that Pru and Piper are already practicing being rattie ambassadors! We had a family get together and all the little kids wanted to meet them and they all thought they were super neat! And then a few of their parents decided that maybe they weren't so bad and petted them (a big step for people in my family!)

So to sum it all up Pru and Piper are doing great and they love their big sisters! Thanks so much for these little girls I love them a lot!"

Hi Kat,

I bought hammocks from you in Feb. & never got back to you to tell you how great they are!!! By far, the most durable ones I've found. Thanks so much for such a great product! Rats have been chewing and it's finally time to buy more. These are adorable...are these the toughest ones you have? If not, could you please direct me to the right ones. Also, the last ones I got had an opening in the middle which my rats love. Do you do these anymore?

Thank you again for the best hammocks ever!

Lisa

"Kat,
It was so great meeting you and some of your other darling ratties. We made it home just fine. We had our kids in their bonding pouches with us for most of the night last night at the hotel while we were watching T.V. They are just amazing. They are getting settled into their new cage now exploring and what not. Thanks again for the great socialization you do with your guys, they are so sweet!"
Tori
Layfayette, IN

"Hi Kat,
I just wanted to let you know that we are all home and the girls are doing really well. They slept most of the way home. We have them in their new cages and they seem pretty content. Eating and doing what little rittens should be doing! Brian and I are letting them relax and get used to their new surroundings and we are planning on getting them out of the cages a bit later tonight.

It was nice meeting you and seeing Sterling..(what a doll he is, WOW!) and seeing all of your babies! It was a pleasure. We will be back up for more babies eventually, and I will be in touch and send you some pictures, soon, too! Don't worry, these girls are going to be totally adored! They are just beautiful!

You have a nice night and TTYS!
HUGZ:)"
Nancy

"HI again, Kat..
Yes, the girls are making Brian and I smile. I had Meeko and Lucy in their pouch for a good 2 hours and they were all snuggled up and cozy. They were so laid back and completely comfortable with me. No fear, it was so obvious they felt warm and safe! Brian had Nahni and Koko out at the same time and Nahni was pretty much like my girls, just wanting to snuggle and sleep, but Koko was more of the adventurous one, checking things out around her.

I think it is going to be really fun, Brian and I sharing our evenings together with the girls. I see many wonderful days to come with our kids! You looked so close to tears when we left. I know how you felt. I know how I felt when I had to give up my guinea pig's babies, and years ago my cat's litter of kittens. It is hard, they are so cute, you want to keep them and you get attached even though you know you just can't keep them all.

I give you our word that these girls will be very loved, and well taken care of! I will have Brian take some pix of them soon and I will send them to you, promise!

BIG hugz:)"
Nancy

"Hi Kat, well the girlies are home and seem to be doing well. They were pretty quiet last night - I think it being their first night without their mom or you, put them in a bit of a melancholy mood. This morning they were out and about, running their wheel, eating and drinking well, and generally exploring their domains. Nanc is quite smitten - she had Lucy and Meeko in her pouch on her lap for a couple of hours last night...they seemed quite contented and so did she. Thanks so much for brightening our lives with these four darlings. Brian"

"Hi Kat,
I am getting closer and closer to the girls. They love me, of this I am positive. Lucy has really taken a shine to me. She is like a little dog, she licks me every chance she gets. My fingers, lips, anything. She loves to lick my mouth, and will get inside of my mouth and clean my teeth. I had a cockatiel that also did that, LOL. Brian watches me and smiles. He understands completely. Brian is doing great with his girls, too. We take them out at least twice a day, usually in the afternoon and again in the evening. I spent an hour and a half watching the soaps with mine today, and when Brian came home and saw me, he got his babies. Mine will be watching A I with us tonight, LOL!

I wanted to tell you that I looked over Light's new pix. Beauties, no doubt. Phantom, now that is the perfect name for that little rattie. Those babies are so cute and pretty! Brian and I will be reserving more babies in a couple years from you..no doubt about that. Such perfect tempermants, who can ask for more?

"Dear Kat,
I just received the hammocks and latches. They are awesome! The design is wonderful and the material both soft and durable. I am impressed by the workmanship."

"I have your site bookmarked and will use it for my rats hammock needs as they arise. Thank you for your wonderful hammocks and latches, take care and be well."

Meg

"I love the new hammock! It was love at first sight for Miss Pipkin! I showed her the opening in the side and she crawled right in. She spent hours in there last night trying it out. Teyla was more apprehensive and wouldn't go inside. She played around on top for a while, then left it to do other things. However, both ratties were snuggled inside the hammock together this morning. So cute! I'm really glad I found my way to your site and decided to inquire.

Thank you so much!"
- Holly.

"Hi Kat, I am wondering if anyone has reseved the two remaining girls from Abby's litter? I am thinking if not, I may get them for ME..Brian would have his pair and I could have my own. If someone else has reseved them, then I may just get on the waiting list for another litter and make the drive back. Let me know...I have rattie-greed, they are so gorgeous! Everyone of them!"

Nancy

"I just wanted to let you know that we received the hammock and carrying case and I can’t tell you how much they LOVE the hammock!! Rocky was sleeping inside it this morning and stuck his nose out to say hi before curling right back up! They are very happy and I really appreciate it."

I love the hammock and so do my little friends. I have been telling all my other friends with small pets about your items and how cheap they are, so expect some more orders.

Thanks for responding so quick,"

A.Saffert,
Collegeville, MN

"hi kat!
It was very nice meeting with you yesterday! Ive been playing with Rusty nonstop, so i will tell you a bit about him :)

He is actually very calm. Once i got him home, and I went to say hi to jethro, I noticed how quickly Jethro moves compared to him. jethro is much more active and skittish. Rusty moves very slowly and deliberately and never shows fear of humans. He really really does like to perch on my shoulder :) Jay liked him immediately - actually as soon as i walked in the door with Rusty's crate, jay snatched him out and fawned over him (he looooves the red fur color, because Jay is a redhead :) ) and he put him on his shoulder and said "He'll be MY rat!" (!!!)

He rested in the hood of Jays sweatshirt but doesnt hide! He lays there with his head out, watching everything, and doesnt shy away when someone walks up to pet him. he REALLY enjoys being stroked on the head, and always closes his eyes and moves his mouth when Im petting him :)

I really like him, he is a great rat. i think you picked out a perfect one for me. Thanks a lot Kat!!"

"Pumpkin is in his new home, getting used to his new surroundings, but still inside his own cage and separated from Puddles. Puddles became incredibly excited by the smell of another rattie, and has been more bold and frisky since the arrival of his new brother and roommate. Right away, Pumpkin's personality is showing as so different from Puddles. He is sleeping on top of the bedding, and is taking food from us and eating it without signs of much fear. They are the perfect match of personalities. I'll let you know how the friendship develops when we do introduce them.

We'll definitely keep in touch. Kayla and I loved seeing you again, and we are so happy to have the boys. Thanks again for everything!"


Love,
Sheila and Kayla
Pumpkin and Puddles

"Thought I'd send you a quick note and a couple of pictures of our sweet little ratties. We just love them.
thank you,"

Pam L.

"Hi Kat~

It was nice to meet you too. We got home about an hour ago and the girls slept almost the whole way home. I put them in their quarantine cage and it is in a different area of our home, away from the other ratties. Can't wait until I can get them together in a few weeks.
Thank you again!! I'll be in touch!"

Amy

"Hi Kat,

Just wanted to give you a quick update....The girls are doing GREAT! They are well adjusted and happy. Chewing non-stop! Strawberry and Cheese are chatter boxes! Constantly talking to us and each other. They love Mileea and are always up to greet her in the morning. We love them! Hope all is well with you!"

~Meredith~

"Hi Kat!!!

I wanted to touch base with you and let you know the Ratties are doing wonderfully. Izzo and Zeke really seem to love their new home. They are so loving and sweet. The first night I let them relax and get used to their home and then the next night, I let em rome around on my bed which they just loved they were playing in the blankets for hours. I am still teaching them to jump in my hand when I open up the cage, I think they think it a game to run from mom. :) HA HA. I do have pics but haven't been able to download them as of yet. My mom and dad are the ones with the computer so I don't have access everyday. I will keep you posted. Thanks again for everything."

Dana B.

"Kathryn-
Made it back! Everything is going great. They *love* their new cage. They genuinely seemed to have a blast exploring it when I first put them in... running to all the levels, finding everything, sampling everything. The only thing that concerned me was that they immediately seemed to decide their litter -- "s'wheat scoop" brand cat litter, which is supposed to be rat-safe -- was some kind of food. I'm not sure if that's the norm or not.

After having a little time in his new home exploring and finding hidden treats, Mr. Nibbles immediately warmed up to me. I greeted him at the cage top which he likes to climb right out of and he immediately began kissing my mouth and grooming my goatee. Then he joined me at the computer for a bit and set about grooming my hand and nestling in my shirt. He's very friendly now that he's home.

Muffy right now is back in the cage still, discovering the water bottles finally.

Anyhow, I'll keep in touch. Thanks Kathryn! I'm already in love w/ my boys!"

Bryan

"I love my ratys soooooo much, their doing great. Thank you so much for such cool and fun and cute rats!"

from, mileea

"Dear Kathryn, This morning we finally found Pet Smart in Traverse City. We bought a three level cage for Penelope which she liked right away-climbing up all the levels and finding her way into the little bed we placed in the middle where we hid some treats to surprise her. We also got a wheel that she knew how to run without much training! She is very smart and curious! She seems very happy cuddled under Zoe's coat jacket or in a blanket fold. Her nose knows everything! Thank you for letting us come to visit you in your marvelous Rat Dippity Rattery! It was fascinating learning so much about breeding and the care of these wonderful animals. You taught us so much! Zoe is busy learning all about Penelope and having fun in the process. Thanks for everything!"

Jaema and Zoe

"Your customer service was superb. Your rattery was very well kept and impressive. My wife and I are very pleased with our new ratties. It's obvious how much you love your ratties and it shows in the quality of them. Thank you and I'll keep you updated on our ratties progress." J.G. Cadillac, MI

Hey there. :)

The drive home was long, but we all made it alright. Gilbert and Barclay are settling into their new cage just fine. They've recently discovered the different levels of it, but have yet to try out the hammock. They do enjoy the igloo, though. :D Gil is quite sweet - he's a bit calmer than Barclay and enjoys sitting on my shoulder. Barclay likes to wander around a bit more and isn't as keen on sitting still. ;) They've both been great, though. I've been making sure they have some alone-time so they are able to settle in a bit better.
Mom thinks they're both quite cute, even if she isn't that fond of rodents. :)

Is there any sort of special bonding technique to help them adjust better or is it best to just try to spend time with them and let them sit with you daily? :)
Oh, and I'll be sure to keep you posted with any future events. :)
Thanks again! :D They're wonderful!
- Kristen

"...I love your rattery and I believe that you are a down to earth person who genuinely cares for rats. I really enjoyed meeting you today." Thanks for the info on mite care and for fleas..." C.B. Copemish, MI

"Hey kat, My boys are doing awesome! They love their new house. These boys are the sweetest things ever! They are licky and squishy I just love them to death. Ricky loves his girls lol he has been playing w/ them non stop since he got them. We thank you so much for our ratties and everything you've done to help us out with our new babies."

A.M. Woodhaven, MI

"Kat, you did such an amazing job with these babies. I ADORE them! They are so SO sweet and gentle..."

N.T. Ann Arbor, MI

"...Pooh and Patrick are doing excellent also. Pooh is quite attached to me and won't let anyone else get her out, she is such a sweetie! Patrick grew HUGE! I don't remember how big his dad was, but I remember Rusty and he looks a lot like him! He also is a lover. They are such good rats, you sure can tell they came from a caring and loving home!! I'm so glad we met, you have inspired me to start a rattery and make rats my life!! Thank you for your support and all the great tips! I hope we can continue to share stories and rats for years to come!!! Thank you for everything!!!"

A.G. Lansing, MI

"Wow! You've got a cool rattery! I love the set up you have with the ramps and such in the girls' room. What do you make your hammocks out of?"
A.J. Chicago, IL

"I really wished we could have stayed longer. I really loved your setup and food mix. The girls and boys rooms were awesome . I wish I had the setup you have. All your Ratties were so friendly and healthy. If I have a response to one of my ads, and they were closer to you or want something I don't have, but you do, I would be more than happy to refer you. The cages were very clean, well kept, and lots of toys to play with. Everyone had food and water. I was more than pleased with your Rattery and I really want to visit again.

S.A. Clarkston, MI

"I think you had a lovely home and a GREAT rat set-up, not only hammocks in EVERY cage but wheels, toys and hiding spots, your girls room with it's multi-level, plenty of fun free-roam area was fantastic!!! Well anyways, it was nice meeting you, and I was very impressed with your setup and love the girls I got from you!! "

C.N., Chicago, IL

"Thanks so much for having me out to see your wonderful ratties. I truly enjoyed myself. I was very excited to meet all the sweeties on your website and to learn all about them. You have some gorgeous rats, especially that big blue boy and Rustoleum (what a squishy guy!).

I really like the way you have them all set up. It looks like they are spoiled rotten! I'm definitely going to have to get some of those great hammocks you make. That design is a really good idea. I never thought to use those kind of cages before, but I'm going to have to try them out. They definitely rival the Martins R-695 for size and it's even better that they are lighter and have a pull-out tray.

Everyone has so much room to play. I'm glad to see that you have wheels, and so many toys for your ratties to play with. I think you have done a wonderful job keeping your ratties and I can tell that they are well loved. Keep up the good work and thanks again for having me out to see your fur kids!"

R.M., Lansing, MI

"I thought everything was perfect! It was obvious to me that you truly love your ratties, and that is so wonderful. I got my first rat when I was a teenager and he was the best pet I've ever had.

Everything seemed very clean. Your ratties definitely seem happy and healthy. I was really impressed with the size and set up of your cages. I love the hammock idea--in fact I had been wondering if ratties would like hammocks after seeing them used for ferrets. I think your food blend is perfect--far more interesting and healthy than the commercially prepared and overpriced stuff that is offered in pet stores.

I think you have a great setup since you can devote entire rooms to your ratties. The other thing that makes it above average is the way you truly love your ratties. A lot of people exploit pets to make money and you certainly don't do that.

We had a great experience coming to visit you--other than the weather, and you certainly can't control that!"

C.M., Williamston, MI

"DO I THINK YOUR RATTIES WERE WELL CARED FOR AND LOVED? Are you kidding? You have so much love in that house, it is amazing. I thought I was a lover, but you are someone to admire! Your dedication and knowledge is incredible. I went out and bought the shredded corrigated cardboard this morning for the weekly cleaning. I also attempted to make my own treats. Here is my inexact recipe kinda based on yours, THEY LOVE IT!

I haven't gotten a chance to make it to the website (work) but I can't wait too. I really want to say THANK YOU for all your help and advice. I know there have been some glitches in this transport, but I am glad that I had the opprotunity to meet you."

L.M., Fenton, MI

"Wanted to let you know that the new babies are doing great. Our kids absolutely love them, but Shannon is being greedy (they think she is their Mom) and the rest of us are waiting for her to go somewhere else so we can have them for a while!!! Even the Husband, (non- rodent lover) had them sleeping with him this evening while he was watching tv. We should have snapped some pictures for you. The Siamese female is being called "Shy" for Shy Girl but this may not stick. Might just call the other one Blue or Peek-a-boo because she peeks out of your shirt when she is snuggling down. Well, anyway, thanks for everything and we are enjoying our new family members."

S.M., Olivet, MI

"...Anyway, I have bought all my rats from Kathryn and she is an amazing woman and a good breeder, very committed to the safety, temperament and health of her ratties first and foremost to beauty or specialized breeding. She even began her own association because she loves ratties that much and is committed to educating the public and getting ratties into the limelight as wonderful pets.

At first when I browsed her website, the rattery room did looked packed. But did you notice that it is a compilation of several pictures? Obviously this doesn't provide an adequate nor accurate depiction. The room itself is quite large, I've been in it. For as many ratties as she has, it is remarkably clean (even my cages aren't that clean, and I only have 9!) and scentless..."

"Keeping rats in cages meant for other animals is perfectly fine, I'm not sure why you would think this would be wrong. Lots of people prefer bird cages because the bars are tighter together than lots of cages you can find in a store, as well as having different doors, etc. People keep larger rats in ferret cages, I have even known people to use chinchilla cages. Other people adapt cabinets, old wooden cabinets and bookshelves into beautiful cages, is this wrong? I build my own out of wood and wire mesh, in some respects, I think it is better than any Martin's cage.

Regardless of how large the living conditions are, as long as rats get adequate attention and free-roam time, where they sleep, poop and eat really doesn't matter as long as it is kept clean and stocked of all the proper necessities. It doesn't take a Martin's to have good living conditions, it takes a certain amount of creativity to give your rats the best life they can have, which is something I think Kathryn has fulfilled extremely well and her rats are something spoiled to envy..."

"Your rattery was REALLY CLEAN! I just can't imagine a place where rats could be happier than at your house. Well, the way I see it, if they're happy, they're well cared for. They all looked really healthy. Heck yeah, they have enough room! I don't have any negative remarks about your rattery."

C.M., Williamston, MI

The following exurb is from one of my customers, in response to me being banned for life, from the Ratster listing, because I selected a mailing option they didn't approve of, but were offering everyone as a viable option, leading you to believe they were good choices. They were using deceptive practices as a means of "screening" applicants and I got caught up in their web of deceit.

"...She would never had even thought to ship that way however, if she had not seen it as an 'option' on your breeder listings. She had the utmost respect for your site as it is held in such regards by the rat-loving community. So she naively thought if it was listed as an option on your breeder listing then it must be a safe way to transport animals.

I do realize there are people out there who do not care what happens to their animals once they leave their custody but I assure you Kat is not like that, and never will be. She got started in the rat hobby by coming across 2 wild baby rats and nursed them back to health. She'd never even known rats were kept as pets until she started researching how to help these poor lil babies. I was lucky enough to meet one of these rats this past spring and I've been to her rattery a few times and I always see happy, affectionate, healthy, well-kept rats, one happy pet mouse, as well as her dogs & horses who are also well taken care of..."

B.L., Imlay City, MI

Here is an email I received after helping someone raise a wild baby Norwegian rat she found.

"Hi Kathryn,
This is Kikki from Sweden. I sent you an e-mail last winter about my wild baby-rat. Just wanted to tell you that he has grown up to be a wonderful rat. He is now 8 months and he is one of the most gentle bucks I have had. He lives with 5 other bucks and they all get along well. In the evenings I open the cagedoor so that they can go outside and play. He is also fine with the bucks in the other cages if they meet outside. He is absolutely not aggressive and he is very curious and agile. I have named him Vide. Swedish for osier. He looked like the small furry things they carry in the spring, when he was a baby. Thank you so much for your advice. I am so happy that I kept him!"