Show Results

It was the Scottish Rat Club’s September show on Saturday. I only took four rats with me to show as I had quite a few to be delivered to their new owners and I got a bit stressed working out how many carriers I needed and who would travel together!

I took my gorgeous Aquarius british blue boy, Stan, Fratton and two home bred agouti kittens, Ellie and Bonnie.

Stan got best british blue and was 4th in the Self Challenge, Fratton was 2nd Ivory and 3rd in the Self Challenge.

I was particularly pleased with myself with the two agouti kittens. I took two of their siblings (one buck & one doe) with me to go to their new owner and she had them in the show. I was very pleased that the two I kept beat the two I’d given away – I obviously have a bit of an idea of what I’m looking at in a keeper! They came 1st and 2nd in Agouti, getting the agouti rosette and then came 2nd and 3rd in the AOV kitten class (out of 10) and Ellie came 4th in the AOV all ages challenge (out of 20) which bodes well for the future.

I have some slightly more up to date photos to share of Evie’s babies as well. They are so gorgeous and full of mischief, four weeks old yesterday – time is just flying by! I will get them up shortly and hopefully there will be a mating in the next few weeks to make some marked babies.

Coastboat Fratton

I said yesterday that I took on Fratton as she was ‘spare’. She is absoloutely beautiful. She is an Ivory, so off white with beautiful black eyes which is such a stunning combination.

She came from Coastboat Rattery and was collected on a trip to NFRS Portsmouth show, along with the RCT Rattery girlies and the Aquarius Rattery boys.

When I got home with them it was quite late and I was tired, so I left them in their carriers they’d travelled up the road in. When I went to see them the next day I was mortified to find Fratton and sister Ashton out of the carrier, blood everywhere where they’d caught their feet breaking out of the mesh on the carrier. Ashton was sat on top of the girls’ cage, Fratton I couldn’t see. I soon found her, sitting happily in the boys’ cage!

Just over three weeks later, on 18th May, she gave birth to 14 babies. 12 have survived and are doing well. She is also doing fine. I will post some pictures tomorrow of the little ones, but here is Fratton:

A post a day

Right, I really need to get back into the habit of blogging so there is going to be a post a day (most days!) for the next month. I am going away so some days I won’t be at a PC, but the days that I am, the blog will be updated.

Today is a very quick general update, and more detail will follow.

We have said goodbye to Cheese, I found her passed away on 21st April in her cage. Her breathing had been bad since I got her and despite trying antibiotics, nothing seemed to help, I’m just pleased she went peacefully at home.

I have managed to successfully integrate two cages of girls so I now have 10 in the aviary. It took a while and poor Bella ended up being bitten again, but they do eventually seem to have settled down.

My first litter was one of only one baby – the gorgeous Angus, who is turning into a lovely boy.

We have 7 new arrivals. I have got two more boys from Aquarius Rattery – Mackenzie, a British Blue Agouti, and Dewar, an Agouti. One of these two will be used to sire a litter with one of Evie’s offspring, when she has her litter (if all goes to plan!!). There are also two Agouti Berkshires from RCT Rattery, Leigh and Blair. One of these girls will be paired up with Angus to continue creating the British Blue Varies. Along with Leigh and Blair, I collected Ashton (black) and Fratton (Ivory) from Coastboat Rattery. Ashton was part of the ‘package’ with the two agouti girls and Fratton was ‘spare’. She has proved to be an interesting ‘spare’ – details to come tomorrow! And finally, there is Douglas, a Pets at Home adoptee with a head tilt. He is a little black hoody and is very tilty. Hopefully he will be going in with Newcy and Smirnoff but he’s a wee bit nervous at the moment.

So, that’s most of the news. As I said, more will follow soon….