{"id":3013,"date":"2021-12-27T17:50:26","date_gmt":"2021-12-27T23:50:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lafeber.com\/mammals\/?p=3013"},"modified":"2023-03-17T13:04:07","modified_gmt":"2023-03-17T18:04:07","slug":"discussing-new-years-ratsolutions-with-my-rats","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lafeber.com\/mammals\/discussing-new-years-ratsolutions-with-my-rats\/","title":{"rendered":"Discussing New Year’s “Ratsolutions” With My Rats"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"two
What “ratsolutions” would your rats make? Brandi Saxton<\/a> of It’s A Rat’s World<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

I\u2019m not one to consciously make New Year\u2019s resolutions, but I\u2019m discovering that the end of every year comes with a bit of self-judgement on what I have and have not accomplished. In some respects, I\u2019ve achieved more this year than I thought I would, but in other areas \u2026 well, let\u2019s just say I\u2019m not patting myself on the back.<\/p>\n

With January around the corner I\u2019m debating, in all seriousness, whether it\u2019s time to truly set a list of goals\/resolutions for myself. Perhaps my life would feel more organized if I could check off a few boxes this time next year?<\/p>\n

While I procrastinate this philosophical debate, I think it will be much more entertaining to learn what New Year\u2019s resolutions my rattie boys might have. So, I\u2019ve decided to sit down with them and offer some help as they make their own lists.<\/p>\n

Introductions To The Rats<\/h3>\n

My rats live in two separate groups and each group is in distinct stages of life: youngsters and seniors. I\u2019m guessing these opposite phases will ultimately affect any pledge they make for next year. But we\u2019ll see.<\/p>\n

Group One<\/h3>\n

The Young Boys consist of twin brothers Moffett and Brinley, along with Kelton their litter mate, who may be from the same mother or a cagemate of their mother, we are not entirely sure. I adopted these boys in August from Any Rat Rescue<\/a>, and they are roughly 6 months old now. They are rather naughty, but always funny, loving boys, full of endless energy and curiosity.<\/p>\n

Group Two<\/h3>\n

The Old Men consist of brothers Camden, Regent, and Gatwick. I adopted these boys back in November 2019 when I fostered their mother and her litter of 12 for Any Rat Rescue. As a self-professed foster failure, I couldn\u2019t help but keep four of the babies for myself (their brother, Paddington, has since passed on). These three GIANT squishes are now a little over 2 years old and tend to spend their days eating, sleeping, and pooping. Oh, and more eating and sleeping. But they make amazing little cuddlers!<\/p>\n

The New Year\u2019s Resolution Discussion<\/h3>\n
\"rat
Gatwick dives under the blanket whenever he’s scared. Brandi Saxton<\/a> of It’s A Rat’s World<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The seven of us sat down on my couch to brainstorm.<\/p>\n

Me:<\/strong> Hello boys! I appreciate you letting me help out with your upcoming New Year\u2019s resolutions list. But first, won\u2019t you please say hello to our reading audience?<\/p>\n

Young Boys:<\/strong> Hello! Hi, we\u2019re so excited to meet you!<\/p>\n

Camden:<\/strong> Huh? Were you talking to us?<\/p>\n

Gatwick (diving under a blanket<\/em>):<\/strong> Oh my god are there strangers nearby? I\u2019ve got to hide!<\/p>\n

Me:<\/strong> Gatwick they can\u2019t actually see you, you\u2019re fine.<\/p>\n

To get started, I looked up some of the most common New Year\u2019s resolution that humans make. The top choices seem to be exercising more, saving money, eating healthier, traveling more, learning something new, spending more time with friends and family, and reducing stress. Any of this sound appealing to you?<\/p>\n

Moffett:<\/strong> What is money, and can I eat it?<\/p>\n

Me:<\/strong> Please don\u2019t.<\/p>\n

Gatwick:<\/strong> That\u2019s the stuff that Mom says she needs more of for that scary place.<\/p>\n

Me:<\/strong> The vet\u2019s office? Dr. Moffett (yes, I named a rat after my vet) takes loving care of you there. But we\u2019re getting off track.<\/p>\n

How about I help each group make their own list? And I was thinking we could call them New Year\u2019s \u201cRatsolutions\u201d instead!<\/p>\n

Regent:<\/strong> Seems a bit on the nose, but OK.<\/p>\n

The Joy Of Exercise<\/h3>\n
\"three
Gatwick, Camden, and Regent (left to right) are proud of their bellies. Brandi Saxton<\/a> of It’s A Rat’s World<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Me:<\/strong> I think a few of the resolutions from the human list should stay. Like exercising. Camden, Regent, Gatwick, what about adding \u201cexercise\u201d to your list?<\/p>\n

Regent:<\/strong> What are you implying?<\/p>\n

Me:<\/strong> Um \u2026 well, I have noticed that you\u2019re a bit less active than you once were.<\/p>\n

Camden:<\/strong> Yeah. And?<\/p>\n

Me:<\/strong> It\u2019s just that I\u2019ve noticed that you older boys are all rather \u2026 hmm how do I put it \u2026 round?<\/p>\n

Camden:<\/strong> But we\u2019ve worked so hard on these bellies.<\/p>\n

Regent:<\/strong> Yeah, you\u2019re ALWAYS kissing them!<\/p>\n

Me:<\/strong> True, they are very kissable. But I also compare you to pears, potatoes, and pancakes.<\/p>\n

Gatwick:<\/strong> Wait. Those aren\u2019t compliments?<\/p>\n

Me (not making eye contact<\/em>):<\/strong> Uh\u2026<\/p>\n

Camden:<\/strong> So, you\u2019re body shaming us?<\/p>\n

Me:<\/strong> We\u2019re getting off track again. For now, let\u2019s put \u201cexercise\u201d as a maybe.<\/p>\n

Open Those Ears!<\/h3>\n
\"rat
Some rats don’t care about off-limits areas no matter how often they’re told. Brandi Saxton<\/a> of It’s A Rat’s World<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Me:<\/strong> Brinley, Moffett, Kelton, what about adding \u201cListen to Mom more\u201d to your list?<\/p>\n

Kelton:<\/strong> I can\u2019t hear you from over here.<\/p>\n

Me (turning to follow the voice<\/em>):<\/strong> Well Kelton, if you had stayed on the designated rat blanket like you\u2019re supposed to, rather than being on the other side of the couch where you were specifically told not to go (five times already today), then you\u2019d be able to hear me better.<\/p>\n

Kelton (yelling<\/em>):<\/strong> Still can\u2019t hear you!<\/p>\n

Brinley (sounding a bit muffled<\/em>):<\/strong> I don\u2019t know what you\u2019re talking about, we\u2019re great listeners!<\/p>\n

Me:<\/strong> Are you chewing on the phone charger cord right now?<\/p>\n

Brinley:<\/strong> Moffett dared me to!<\/p>\n

Moffett:<\/strong> No I didn\u2019t! (whispers to Brinley<\/em>) Bro, don\u2019t get me in trouble.<\/p>\n

Me (with one raised eyebrow<\/em>):<\/strong> So yes, \u201cListen to Mom more\u201d is definitely going at the top of your list.<\/p>\n

The Clean Routine<\/h3>\n
\"three
The young rats have a slightly cleaner cage, but they like to nibble just like the older rats. Brandi Saxton<\/a> of It’s A Rat’s World<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Me (again):<\/strong> You oldies, what do we think of adding \u201cbetter hygiene\u201d to the list?<\/p>\n

Regent:<\/strong> Why aren\u2019t you asking those annoying, hyper boys the same question?<\/p>\n

Me:<\/strong> They could use a little work, but to their credit, they actually use their litter box, and their cage is way less gross than yours.<\/p>\n

Brinley:<\/strong> You hear that boomer? Mom thinks you\u2019re gross!<\/p>\n

Me:<\/strong> Both cages stink, so I wouldn\u2019t be so smug there Brinnels (a nickname).<\/p>\n

Camden:<\/strong> Ha, owned!<\/p>\n

Minimize Redecorating<\/h3>\n

Me:<\/strong> Moving on. This is for both groups. What about adding \u201cless nibbling?\u201d<\/p>\n

Moffett:<\/strong> You want us to swallow our food whole? That\u2019s a choking hazard.<\/p>\n

Me:<\/strong> I was talking more about the holes and chew marks in your hammocks, blankets, space pod, AND my couch and clothing.<\/p>\n

Regent:<\/strong> It\u2019s called \u201credecorating.\u201d<\/p>\n

Gatwick (peeking out from under a blanket<\/em>):<\/strong> Plus, how else do you expect me to hide if I can\u2019t get under the layers of fleece?<\/p>\n

Kelton:<\/strong> Agreed. I mean, you expect us to sleep in fluffy piles of blankets rather than on the cold plastic pan underneath them all? Pft, I think not! That\u2019s why I had to tear giant holes in the brand-new liner you put in the cage; it\u2019s the only way I could get underneath it.<\/p>\n

The Rats Speak Their Mind<\/h3>\n
\"three
When the older rats were done talking, it was nap time. Brandi Saxton<\/a> of It’s A Rat’s World<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Me (staring blankly at all the boys<\/em>):<\/strong> Moving on. What about\u2026<\/p>\n

Camden (interrupting me<\/em>):<\/strong> Hold up. It seems like your ideas are cloaked critiques on our habits.<\/p>\n

Me (glancing away<\/em>):<\/strong> Well, I mean, um\u2026<\/p>\n

Regent:<\/strong> I think we\u2019ll make our own list, thank you very much.<\/p>\n

Brinley:<\/strong> Us too!<\/p>\n

Me:<\/strong> OK then.<\/p>\n

Sounds of whispering and murmuring among the two groups.<\/em>
\nI drum my fingers as I wait.<\/em><\/p>\n

Camden:<\/strong> My brothers and I have discussed it, and we unanimously agree that we all want to spend the next year really savoring every meal, focusing on quality rest, and redecorating more.<\/p>\n

Regent and Gatwick nodding.<\/em><\/p>\n

Me:<\/strong> So, let me get this straight. Your \u201cratsolutions\u201d are to eat, sleep, and chew more holes?<\/p>\n

Gatwick:<\/strong> I think you\u2019re missing the nuance of what we said.<\/p>\n

Me:<\/strong> Yeah, sure.<\/p>\n

Camden:<\/strong> Well, this has been great. But we\u2019re going to go get started on our \u201cratsolutions\u201d now with a good long nap.<\/p>\n

Me:<\/strong> I see. OK then, it was good talking to you three \u2026 I guess.<\/p>\n

The three tubby boys saunter into a hut and pile on top of one another.<\/em><\/p>\n

Me (turning my attention on the other three<\/em>):<\/strong> What about you guys? What\u2019s on your list?<\/p>\n

Moffett:<\/strong> We\u2019ve decided that we want to focus on exploring the world more AND not letting things get in the way of our goals.<\/p>\n

Me:<\/strong> Hmm \u2026 so, I interpret this to mean that you plan on going places that are off limits to you?<\/p>\n

Kelton:<\/strong> I mean you can\u2019t exactly discover new things if you stay put, now can you?<\/p>\n

Me:<\/strong> True. But again, it sounds like you\u2019re talking about off-limit places. And I\u2019m assuming your goals, as Moffett put it, are to continue getting under and through the multiple layers of blankets I put on the couch to keep you from \u2026 let\u2019s just be honest \u2026 from peeing on and chewing up my couch.<\/p>\n

Brinley:<\/strong> We kind of get the feeling that you\u2019re selfishly keeping the couch all to yourself.<\/p>\n

Moffett:<\/strong> Exactly! What are hiding under those blankets?<\/p>\n

Me (giving them another blank stare<\/em>):<\/strong> Alrighty then. Thank you, boys, for taking the time out of your \u201cbusy\u201d schedules to discuss your \u201cratsolutions\u201d with me.<\/p>\n

Brinley to Moffett:<\/strong> I think she\u2019s being sarcastic.<\/p>\n

Wrapping Up<\/h3>\n

Well, it seems the boys have some differing ideas than I do for their New Year\u2019s resolutions list. For better or for worse, however, I sincerely hope they have a great year and stay healthy enough to fulfill their promises. But it is my resolution to continue covering my couch.<\/p>\n

Happy New Year everyone from me and my mischief!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Ever wonder what resolutions rats might make for New Year’s? One rat owner “discussed” resolutions, or ratsolutions, with her rats, and it’s enlightening.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":11,"featured_media":3020,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[36,40],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3013","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-rat","category-rat-fun"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lafeber.com\/mammals\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3013","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/lafeber.com\/mammals\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/lafeber.com\/mammals\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lafeber.com\/mammals\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/11"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lafeber.com\/mammals\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3013"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/lafeber.com\/mammals\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3013\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lafeber.com\/mammals\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/3020"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lafeber.com\/mammals\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3013"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lafeber.com\/mammals\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3013"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lafeber.com\/mammals\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3013"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}