Tuesday, October 19, 2010

Raw Chocolate, Goody Gumdrops & No Ratlets

Yes, that's right. NO RATLETS!

*Cough* Cat believes that Zuko may have some trouble with his little swimmers....In other words, he may have low sperm count because MARI IS NOT PREGNANT. Zuko is an older gent, you know. Try 83 in human years!! He's going to be 3 years old in December...

In fact, the anticipated day came, and while Cat was cleaning out the cage, what does she see?? Zuko chasing after Mari for some fun mating action! And, boy, was she having NONE of it! Mind you, his courting behavior could use a tad tweaking. He'd just grab her and start that thrusting action without noticing if everything was---uh---placed correctly. She turned around and BALKED at him. Cat never heard such high chirps coming from a rat before! Unfortunately, clueless, Zuko looked down and began to groom his private part, as if to say, "Ok, dear, better luck next time."  OH ZUKO! 83 years old and you're still full of panache!

Monster Fingers
Speaking of which, Zuko has been his usual self, bugging after Cat to appease his sweet cravings. With all the smells in the kitchen (just look at those goody drops, called Monster fingers) Zuko and Mari have been enjoying many a- Halloween treat. Think they look creepy? Daddy thought so! He made a face but was delighted with the taste! Pumpkin cookies and raw chocolate webs have also been on the treat menu and Cat is hoping to attempt a bobbin' for apples recipe.


RAW Chocolate Spider Web Candy

In fact, Cat has been working on her website, Katz Qzine as of late. Soon, she will be offering raw and vegan classes in the Montreal area, as well as life coaching/psychotherapy and even raw and vegan e-books (some will be free!). Cat has been in the veggy movement of things for over 8 years now and has over 10 years working in the field of mental health & disability. If you would like to be informed of the launch of Katz Qzine, please write to katzqzine@gmail.com. The website should be up and running by the end of October (latest early November). Cat is also available for freelance writing in raw, vegan, health or psychology. Email for details.

Well, the good news about Mari not being pregnant is that she can now go on a much needed diet! The other day, the two of them were having a "move-out-of-my-way" kind of fight. They were both wedged in the door of the dining room, each one with food in their mouths and each one wanting to eat by themselves in the box. Mari just had enough, puffed herself up to three times her size, and shoved poor Zuko right over!! Cat laughed, oh how she laughed!! She scooped Zuko up and told him that justice has been served for all the times he had pounced on his brother Millefeuille and been mean to him. Beaten up by a female, Zuks! remember that!!

Ah, but Zuks is alright. He doesn't have any hard feelings. In fact, although he's gotten tired of Mari stealing his food (even right from him!), he's come up with other strategies to be nice to her, like eating by himself, finding a good hideout in the kitchen where he can eat alone, and even (nicely) pushing her aside to give her a message to leave him alone. Then, too, today Cat caught him grooming her, and so often they snuggle together in the same bedroom. AH, rattie love?! Cat estimated that at 1.5 years old, Mari is around 40 about in human years...and it may be even less (say 1 year, putting her more at 30)...Sleeping around with Zuks, it's like being with her grandpa!! No wonder she's a-bound with energy while Zuks sleeps his days away!

Yes, Cat has noticed that Zuko has gotten les agile and is less mobile. He tends to rest more and he hasn't climbed the barrier to the living room in ages. He's also very careful when he goes into the recycling bin, and Cat has noticed that she has to keep a watchful eye on him when he goes onto her shoulder. Just last week, he bounded down from her shoulder onto the floor, thinking he was still his old, springy self. What happened? He sprained his foot and seemed stunned by the shock of gravity on his older body. Cat, naturally, nurtured him tons of love.
"You'll always be my special little guy," Cat told him.
 As for Mari, she LOVES to zip around the kitchen, and she climbs the living room barrier at least 10 times a day. Cat brings both of them into the bathroom when she takes a shower. She has found them kind of stuffy, as of late...Hm, perhaps too many raw treats!! Dr. Daddy advised no more nuts for a while, and Cat has been giving them plenty of raw veggies and seaweed and even a little bit of cooked brown rice. Mari was nipping at Cat's finger and checking for food in Cat's mouth just last night, definitely signs indicating she's feelin' the new lighter diet!! All in time for Xmas, Mari ;)                                                                                 
Flower Power Salad
 For now, beautiful salads made of veggies and edible flowers will have to suffice!! Autumn is a time for harvesting the bounty after the summer, and Cat has been growing some baby tomatoes, herbs and edible flowers on her balcony! Just the other day, Mari ate herself---no, not literally. She ate some Marigold flowers. They have a peppery taste and their orange hues are just perfect for Halloween. 

Stay tuned for more news and adventures with the REAL RAW RATTIES & the REAL RAW RATTIE FAMILY.

Thursday, October 7, 2010

PRINCE CHARMING & SWEET PRINCESS MARI

What can Cat say about these two beautiful little creatures??

For starters, Zuko is SUCH a gentleman/rattie! Here's proof:
Who Me, a GentleRattie?!
  • He'll let  Mari steal food from him (unless it's something really good, like a cookie, then he wants his own!). 
  • He has helped her to step down-> one time, Cat hadn't yet put in the ladders in the cage after cleaning it and Mari wanted to come down to the first level. It's a bit of a jump down and what with her being pregnant, she didn't want to risk it. So, Zuko used his body as if it was a ladder and she put her paw on him to help herself get down. OH, ZUKO, HOW SWEET!
  • Just tonight, Cat waved a paper in front of their room and Zuko used a paw to keep Mari from springing out of her cage to check it out. What a protector!! 
I got TONS of E_N_E_R_G_Y!
Princess Mari, of course, is such an adventuress!! She teases him, snuggles with him and checks out what adventures he's up to. Lately, Zuks has become such a grandpa, sleeping away the hours and hiding under the warm sleeping bag. Not so Mari! She abounds with energy!! She's scaled the barrier between the kitchen and living room many a-time, considering it a puzzle to be solved, despite Cat's attempts at rearranging the barrier. She's run all over the apartment, sniffed the shoes on the stairs, checked out the workout/office room, the living room and solarium. She's hidden and played tag with Zuko in the bathroom, hiding behind the broom. She's scaled the kitchen cart on which Cat had placed some kiwis AND managed to snag and eat HALF a kiwi to herself! The little minx threw down the kiwi and brought it to her cage!! She's a pregnant mama and boy will she need all that energy when the ratlets come!!
Speaking of which, it has been 21 days and the ratlets should be on their way anytime soon now. Cat will prepare an aquarium so that Mari can be alone to nurse them....Let's see how Zuko responds when his brood arrives!! 
Mari with Cat is just amazing. She always comes when Cat calls to her. She's groomed Cat's face and hair, and just tonight, she stayed on Cat's shoulder while Cat stroked her soft and ultra-silky fur, kissing Cat on the cheek. AH, MARI, YOU'RE SUCH A SWEETIE!
More pics will be forthcoming when the ratlets arrive (maybe even a video???). Stay tuned!