Cleaning day

The procedure should be more or less like this:

1. Chase all vermin to their nest.
2. Remove wire cage
3. Pick up Nest and empty contents into box.
4. Scoop out cage
5. Add new lining of cat litter
6. Replace rats.

Actually it goes more like this:

1. Rattle tube. Trudy looks out and goes “Yyyyyyyyes?”.
1. Rattle tube some more. Rat clings on for dear life.
2. Blow into tube. Rat moves and begins to wash her ears.
3. Various blowing rattling and tapping activities to no avail.
4. Start pondering some sort of rat poking activity.
5. Rat leaves and heads to nest under her own steam.
2. Examine cage. Unclip our retaining latches, and remove wire half.
3. Pick up nest and…
• Two rattie pink noses stick out from different holes.
• Start juggling nest around to try and keep them in until box is ready.
• Tip nest.
• Shake gently.
• Shake firmly
• Rat leaps out of top of nest.
• Try and catch rat one handed and guide her into box while attempting to evict other rodent
• Try and catch other rodent as she tries to escape, while holding nest and trying to prevent first rat from exiting box which she is levering open.
• Think “Airholes, knew I’d forgotten something.”
• Put one huge airhole in box lid, because it’s so funny to see the Vermin sticking their noses out.
4. Scoop cage.
5. New cat litter
6. Open box, have conversation with rats:

Me: All cleaned!
Oreo: You have defiled the sacred land of our ancestors!
Trudy: The spirits of our ancestors who were buried there will curse you!
Me: Actually guys, I think you’ll find the only thing buried in there was about 8Kg of rat poo.
Trudy: I’m still cursing you.
Me: The only curse you know is “Squeak”.
Oreo: He’s got you there.
Me: Surprise rat snuggles!
Oreo: AHRG! Jings!
Trudy: BEGORRAH! AIEE!

Thirty seconds later, Oreo was curled up washing her whiskers and getting pets and Trudy was laid on my arm bruxing. After ten minutes of playing and petting I put Oreo and Trudy back in the cage. Trudy immediately climbed back out so I picked her up, and she came and sat on my shoulder and stuck her nose in my ear.

In fact I put her back a few times and she seemed so eager to come out and play I ended up letting her out several times, and yes, she really does seem OK with being petted and even handled now.

Actually I put in a new swinging treat stick and she practically climbed on my hand to see what was up. A good sign, I think. Oreo’s still pretty sulky though but eh.