Rat Hunter Diaries

2008: Year of the Rat

2008-02-27T01:34:00.002-05:00

Year of the Rat Design available in the Better Holes and Garbage Store

It is an unfortunate fact that rats are rarely celebrated. Sure, there's World Rat Day, a holiday created by rat lovers (although celebrated, in turn, by mostly rat lovers). Plus, every year Kentucky there is the Running of the Rats, although it is hardly as big as the Kentucky Derby. And yet, of one thing I am certain; Chinese New Year is a big deal. And in 2008, the Rat has their year.

The rat is the first sign of the Chinese Zodiac, and those born under the sign are said to be intelligent, charming, and industrial (among other things). Chinese New Year fell on February 7th this year, but the celebrations continued for weeks after.

I was lucky enough to find myself in Honolulu's Chinatown this year for my first ever Chinese New Year festival. It was a celebration like nothing I'd experienced. Dragons danced and drums played and firecrackers sizzled. And the rats! There were rats everywhere to be found. T-shirts, greeting cards, jewelry, plush toys, ornaments, banks, the list goes on and on. Everyone was celebrating the rat.

But the fun didn't end when I left Chinatown. A simple search on ebay (I don't know what compelled me) brought up a multitude of rat goodies, from commemorative coins to sneakers and everything else in between. My will was strong for the most part, but I did break and buy a Year of the Rat USB Drive. How could I resist?

The year has only just started -- I'm sure there's plenty of rat fun to come, so head on down to your nearest Chinatown or Asian Market and celebrate the Year of the Rat.

Rats for Christmas

2007-12-11T23:55:00.000-05:00

My name is Sophie, I'm 22 and I still sleep with a stuffed animal. What can I say? I love them. They're cute. They're cuddly. They don't hurt when they fall off the overloaded bookshelf onto my head (unlike those dreaded hardcover books). But I've been trying to cut back. I'm gradually rehoming my animals in hopes that some child may find the same joy that I do.

All except the rats. I love my little stuffed rats. Besides, it wasn't as if I have so many. Or, so I thought..

Suddenly, I'm seeing stuffed rats left and right. I thought Christmas would be a safe holiday -- who wants rats for Christmas? But no, they're everywhere, hiding behind the innocent "mouse" label, but I know better. They're rats.

I've been trying to resist.

Waldenbooks

I'd just popped in to do some Christmas searching, and to locate a present for my best friend, whose birthday, the first week of December, always seems to slip my mind. And there it was. Sitting on the shelf amid the Young Adult paperbacks. The cutest little stuffed rat beanie, a gingerbread man clutched in his paws. The little tag on his ear dubbed him "Stirring".

While wandering so late at night
I came upon a shocking sight
A jolly man, right by our tree
Who left some treats for you and me !

And he was calling to me. It would be okay to buy him as a gift, wouldn't it? Surely no harm could come of that?

But that was only the start..

Borders

I should have known better than to enter another bookstore, this time in search of a present for my father. Suddenly I was surrounded by rats, all of them calling to me.

The first to accost me was a hand puppet. I'd been aware of the Folkmanis company for quite a while -- their adorable rat puppets have been passed around the Ratlist for probably as long as I've been a member -- but I'd never before seen one in person. Sure, this one called himself "White Mouse", but anyone could see by his eager expression that he was a rat. I danced around the store for a bit, waving the little puppet paws in glee, before I remembered that I was supposed to be shopping for my father, not myself, and reluctantly returned the puppet to his rack.

Really, it was my fault for wandering into the children's section in the first place. Barely had I turned around when I found another creature, looking quite ratlike indeed! The name and brand I've already forgotten, but this one I'm sure was a rat -- look at the narrow snout, the thick whiskers, the... corderoy? I quickly replaced the mysterious rodent and fled. Everything would be ok. My will power was quite in tact, thank you very much.

But then I ran into the Beanies. Curse Ty and their adorable Christmas Mice! And here were two of them, each soft and cuddly and oh-so-cute.

Jinglemouse was the first, donning a red Santa hat, a striped package in his paws, and his tag, too, told a story.

Swiftly I'll creep through the house
'Cause after all, I am a mouse
Bringing crumbs of Christmas cheer
To all of those that you hold dear !

The second, a fluffy white dear clutching a wreath, was named Garlands.

While I was helping mom and dad
Something for which they were quite glad
I took a little break, you see
And someone decorated me!

That was just too much to bear. Just one little rat couldn't hurt, could it? And he was only $6.99.. Garlands came home with me.

Surely, now, I was safe from the rats. I bought my father some books (see, I'd done what I came to do!), took my purchases, and left.

Kroger

Just one final stop before I headed home. Just a few groceries and then I'd call it a night.

Oh, if only I hadn't stepped down Aisle 10.. I should have known there would be rodents lurking in the Holiday Aisle! Another Beanie, I should have known, and this one marked down to $4.99! How could I say no, really, how could I? Janglemouse was her name, and her tag read the same as Jinglemouse, who I suppose is her brother.. or spouse (if mouses have spouses).

Well surely, that was it. I was done with my rat plush extravaganza. My wallet was crying for mercy. And yet, as I turned once again, I saw a bin of stuffed animals, all labled $1.. and in that bin, looking lonely and forelorn, a raggedy little grey rat, his whiskers all askew. Take me, he cried, take me! Really, I have no will power. Into the shopping cart he went.

Finally I headed home, swimming in rats. Once an addict, always an addict.

City of Rats

2007-10-22T08:52:00.000-04:00

New York City. The City that Never Sleeps. Famous for Times Square, Central Park, bagels and lox, rude drivers, and -- perhaps to the city's disdain -- rats. It is difficult to think of the Big Apple and not think of rats. A simple search of the phrase "new york city rats" turns up over a dozen pages worth of links, and they're not just "Buy New York City Rats!" advertisements. One of my favorite rat books (and, in fact, a big influence in the creation of the Rat Hunter Diaries) is Robert Sullivan's Rats: Observations on the History and Habitat of the City's Most Unwanted Inhabitants, in which the author details the combined histories of New York City and the rattus norvegicus. Truth be told, I wish I'd had this book when I ventured forth into the city, but even without this Rat-seeker's Guidebook, I managed to fare pretty well in my solo hunt.

The Subway

I had heard stories of the New York City subway, of giant rats that scurried amid the tracks, but I did not expect them to be so easy to find! Surely, as soon as the sun began to set above, below the rats came out. I was so thrilled at my first rat sighting that I squealed "Ratties!" and chased him along the track, eliciting many odd stares from passerbys and my fellow travelers. At the second rat I fumbled to get a blurry, indistinct photo. Once I realized that the rats were indeed plentiful, I relaxed and was able to get better, albeit poorly lit and grainy, photographs. Despite my exuberance and my cooing words ("come here little ratty, hello little guy") the rats paid the people no mind, and the people treated them likewise. Proper new yorkers, nobody made eye contact, and indeed, they seemed more disturbed by the strange little tourist leaning precariously close to the track. Despite the monster rat stories, all of the ones I saw were cute little things.

Chinatown

Cincinnati is hardly a rat friendly city; so it is that whenever I see anything ratty, I'm compelled to snatch it up to add to my collection. Chinatown, on the other hand, has such a wealth of rat merchandise that I have to exercise discretion with my rat purchases, else I'll be left with an empty bank account and more items than will fit in my suitcase. I found myself at Pearl River Asian Market, a veritable gold mine of rat stuff, but with considerable will power I left with only four items.

Central Park

I was determined to spend at least one day in Central Park during my short trip. I was excited. I had it all planned out. I had not planned on rain, unfortunately, nor did I have an umbrella. I toughed it out for half an hour before, soaked to the bone, I decided to head back to my hotel, but not before I stumbled across a pleasing little sculpture of Alice in Wonderland. I thought the little dormouse looked more ratty than mousey.

St. Mark's Place

My trip to St. Mark's Place was unplanned, but quite pleasing, especially when I happened to run into a rat of the domestic kind. As we were working our way through the crowd, my rat-radar kicked in and I looked over to spot a young punk kid with a little white rat on his shoulder. I immediately squealed and rushed over, asking to pet the rodent. The boy seemed a bit put-off by my cooing and coddling of what he surely thought was a properly punk pet, and thus I declined to take his photo, but it was a nice little end to the entire trip.

I was only in New York City for less than five days, but found myself overwhelmed by the rattiness of the city. Given the time/money/means, I'd love to return and make a project out of photographing rats in the subway. Maybe after I graduate.

Rat News Round-Up

2007-07-06T13:33:00.000-04:00

Rats have been getting a lot of good press the past month!

Hail to the Rat
Gallery Dog, in Eureka, California, is featuring a month long showing of rat-themed art

'Ratatouille': A portrait of an artist as a culinary rat
Praise for the new Disney movie starring rats.

Filthy rat, or perfect pet?
Focuses on rat ownership, with a mention of University of Minnesota Bell Museum's Rat Fest on July 14th.

Robot with simulated rat brain thinks it's a rodent

Righteous rats: Rescue group touts rodents as pets

Tanzania: Hero Rats
Includes video of Gambian Rats being trained to sniff out land mines.

In Pursuit of Rattyness

2007-06-05T18:37:00.000-04:00

I cannot go anywhere without seeking out rats. It's my nature. The entire two weeks I spent in Hawaii I kept my eyes peeled for rats. Alas, I did not see any of the living kind, although I did stock up on some ratty souvenirs.

Painted Rat Keychain
Woven thread and painted glass bead
Acquired from Aloha Stadium Swap Meet, Aiea
Price: $4
8 1/2" long

Brass Rat Keychain
Brass with bell
Acquired from Ala Moana Shopping Center, Honolulu
Price: $5
3" long

Zodiac Rat Statue
Carved wood
Acquired from Chinatown
Price: $8
3" tall

Wooden Rat Comb
Carved wooden comb
Acquired from Chinatown
Price: $8.50
6 1/2" tall

Glass Rats
Hand sculpted glass
Acquired from Chinatown
Price: $5
1/2" tall

Clay Rat
Painted clay
Acquired from Pricebusters, Pearl Ridge Shopping Center
Price: $2
1" tall

Zodiac Rat Pen
Ballpoint pen with hula rat
Acquired from Pricebusters, Pearl Ridge Shopping Center
Price: $2
5" tall

This blog entry was featured in the Carnival of Aloha, a wonderful collection of blogs from and about Hawaii. Thanks goes to the Homespun Honolulu crew for putting this together and including the Rat Hunter Diaries.

How-to draw a rat

2007-05-16T15:19:00.000-04:00

I love when completely random internet searches lead me back to rats. It must be destiny. Anyway, I stumbled across this How to draw a rat page completely by accident, and was immensely pleased with how cute he was. Of course, this lead me to more web searching.

Drawfluffy.com gives a short tutorial on how to draw Scabbers from the Harry Potter books while How to Draw with Slylock Fox gives instructions on drawing an evil drooling rat.

If you prefer your lessons in book form rather than web, check out these books at your local bookstore or library:
How to Draw Cartoon Rodents by Curt Visca
How to Draw Animals by Jack Hamm has a page on rats

Happy drawing!

Ratatouille

2007-05-02T18:06:00.000-04:00

I've been keeping track of Ratatouille since I first heard about it about a year ago. I love rat movies, and this one looks like a winner. Disney has a nine minute preview on their main site, as well as a few trailers on the Ratatouille website, which also has some other really great things.

I have to say it right now, I love the main character, Remy. Watching the trailers, I was squealing in delight at how incredibly rat-like he is in actions and motions. I really, really hope there are plush toys to accompany the movie.

Don't forget to mark your calendars for June 29, the Ratatouille premiere.

I am not a Disney advocate. I am a rat advocate.

The Running of the Rats

2007-04-19T22:31:00.000-04:00

Kentucky is practically my own backyard, but I don't pay much attention to it. Occasionally I'll venture across the Ohio River to visit the mall or the movie theater, but for the most part I'll stick to my state. There's a strange rivalry between Ohio and Kentucky, like neighboring schools, but what really do I know about it? I know about Kentucky blue grass, the Kentucky Derby, and a few less savory rumors.

Had I known about the rats, I might have ventured there more often. As it turns out, Spalding University, in Louisville Kentucky, hosts an annual Rat Week, including a parade, contests, and the Running of the Rodents, a sort of parody/homage to the Kentucky Derby. Unfortunately, I've missed the event for this year, but I'm definitely marking it on my calendar for next year.

Running of the Rodents
Lining up for the Rat Race in Louisville, Kentucky (1997)
The Running of the Rodents (2005)

The Rare Purple-Tailed Easter Rat

2007-04-16T20:07:00.000-04:00

The rare Purple-Tailed Easter Rat

Purple Tailed Easter Rat
Rattus Eastersaleus

Physical Description
The Purple-Tailed Easter Rat is a plump rodent with an egg-shaped body, small, beady black eyes and a long, pointed snout with a bulbous black nose. It has a short, purple striped tail and matching stripes on the legs, and a pink flower-marking on one side. The Purple-Tailed Easter Rat has short, soft velvet fur.

Habitat
Kroger's after-holiday sale aisle, nestled in the "half-off" bin

Characteristics
Purple-tailed Easter Rats are quite, calm animals that sleep most of the day but have been known to become active at night when everyone is asleep.

Happy World Rat Day!

2007-04-04T18:09:00.000-04:00

Every year on April 4th, Rat Lovers around the world celebrate World Rat Day. Some gather together for food and fun, others send cards, still others plan elaborate festivals complete with games and prizes.

I baked cookies. Armed with a card proclaiming "Happy World Rat Day!" I made my way to school and wandered the halls greeting everyone I saw and tempting them with cookies. Most were intrigued; a few thought I'd created the holiday myself, but I assured them, I did not.

World Rat Day was created five years ago by the Ratlist mailing list as a way to both celebrate rats and inform others of their great attributes. The holiday has become very popular among rat fanciers and even made the news back in 2006. To read more about World Rat Day, visit the official website or join the mailing list.

If anyone has any photos or stories to share, e-mail me at sophielynette@yahoo.com and I'll post them on the next entry in the Rat Hunter Diaries!

The Wide World of Rat Sports

2007-02-15T17:23:00.000-05:00

The topic today in my General Psychology was operant conditioning, which reminded me of a wonderful thing I discovered a while back -- rat basketball.

Yes, you can train a rat to play basketball, much like you can train a dog to play basketball (remember Air Bud?). It all has to do with operant conditioning, sometimes known as shaping or conditioning. It's exactly like clicker training in dogs, in that you reward a specific action and build upon that action. A very nice article about clicker training in small mammals can be found here.

The COSI Science Center in Columbus, Ohio features daily rat basketball games. You can watch a miniature clip of the rats playing basketball and get a detailed description of how they were trained here. (There used to be another video about rat basketball floating around the web but all the links I find seem to be broken -- if anyone can direct me to this I would surely appreciate it!)

At Nebraska Wesleyan University, students in the Basic Learning Principles class learn about operant conditioning first hand by training rats to perform stunts in preparation for the Xtreme Rat Challenge (originally known as the Rat Olympics until a trademark dispute) at the end of the semester. The events the rats must participate in are jumping hurdles, climbing a vertical rope, walking a tightrope, lifting weights, and a long jump. At the university website you can view a detailed journal of the process of training the rats. A photographic journal of the 2002 event can be seen here, and photos and video of the 2005 event can be seen here.This site also has videos, although the images seem to be broken.

On a somewhat unrelated note, my scouring of the web for information caused me to stumble upon Rat Olympics, a very cute and entertaining web game.

Pet rat owners are getting into the game as well with a fairly new sport known as rat agility. Rat agility is much like dog agility, only miniaturized and a bit more relaxed. There are a number of wonderful websites out there that include rules and training tips as well as instructions on making obstacles.

The Agile Rat
Tips for Agility Training
Rat Health Care Information: Agility and Obedience
Eva's Rat Agility Page

Ratku!

2007-02-04T17:30:00.000-05:00

Surely you've heard of the ancient poetry form of Haiku? Now witness the not-quite-as-ancient but surely as beautiful Ratku.

Rats will pee on you
But it is all just to show
How much they love you

If they bite your toes
Just remind yourself that
Your toes started it

Try not to wear socks
This will cut down on attacks
Socks are threatening

Oh, and one more thing
The rats would like you to know
They chewed up your blouse

More ratkus can be found here, or you can try your hand at writing one of your own.

Five beats in the first line
Seven beats are in the second
And five in the third.

Rhyme is optional
Rats are required!

So try a ratku and post it here!

Rats: In the News!

2007-01-28T23:03:00.000-05:00

A few weeks ago I posted about Gambian Rats and just recently they've been featured in a news article.

Giant rats smell out buried landmines

The concept of training rats to sniff out landmines isn't a new one, but I love this article because it has a great photo of a beautiful Gambian being lead on a leash. Once again proof that rats aren't pests; they're intelligent, useful creatures.

And so darn cute!

Travelin' Rat

2007-01-26T09:04:00.000-05:00

I created this blog with the purpose of 'seeking out rats across the globe', whether that be my own back courtyard, or the subways of Chicago, or anything in between. Lately I haven't gotten up to much traveling, so I have to settle for rat hunting via internet, and unfortunately the pickings have been fairly slim.

Until today, when I randomly stumbled across the blog of Ramblin' Woody Rat. Woody Rat is an adorable stuffed rat that travels across the world, posting photos and accounts of his travels. It's a fun and entertaining blog, and the little rat is absolutely adorable!

It really gives the term 'seeking out rats across the globe' a whole new meaning.

The Sad Truth About Poison

2006-12-30T10:15:00.000-05:00

I realize that not everybody likes rats. Most people don't want wild rodents in their yards or their houses. They can be a nuisance and a danger, and I don't blame people for wanting to be rid of them. However, I am a firm advocate against rat poison.

Rat poison is nasty stuff. A rat ingesting poison doesn't die instantly. It can take days. Slowly his body shuts down. Internal bleeding occurs. In a weak state, the poisoned rat becomes easy prey for other animals, including pets, who can in turn be poisoned. When the rat dies, his body remains for other animals to feed on, animals that are poisoned in turn. Alternately, the rat dies inside the walls of a home, spreading the stench of death.

Rat poison doesn't just kill rats!

Two days ago, my dog Mandy slipped out the front door and took off. She returned an hour later, covered in mud and burrs and happily panting. But that night she began vomiting blood. When we rushed her to the vet, he diagnosed poison. She hung on all that day as we sat with her in the clinic, poised on the edge of life and death. When the clinic closed we kissed her and patted her and told her everything would be alright. That night she died.

Rat poison doesn't just kill rats. For Mandy and all the other pets that have died, remember that.

Dealing with Wild Rats
Rodenticide Poisoning in Dogs
Anticoagulant Rodenticide Toxicosis in the Dog and Cat

Rats of Florida

2006-12-18T13:38:00.000-05:00

School is out, it's the holiday season, and I'm here visiting family in Florida. I've left my beloved pets and trash rats behind, but there are still plenty of rodents to keep me amused.

Having dinner last night on the patio of a restaurant overlooking the beach, I was thrilled to see a cute little mouse scamper across the deck. He looked different than the mice I'm used to, bigger ears and a longer tail, almost like a kangaroo rat, though I know those aren't native to Florida. Or were they? Not knowing anything about Floridian rodents, I did some research.

The first thing I discovered was that the rattus rattus, or roof rat, is the predominant rat species in Florida, unlike rattus norvegicus, which is the main rat in Ohio. Rattus rattus is an arboreal species, meaning they live in trees, much like squirrels. I can't think of anything that would thrill me more than the sight of a rattus rattus scurrying nimbly across a tree branch.

Actually, the one thing that would thrill me more would be to spot an African Gambian Rat. For those who are familiar with the 2004 remake Willard, the rat that played Ben was an African Gambian Rat. Gambians can grow to the size of a raccoon and have a lifespan of 6-8 years. Unfortunantly, because of the monkey pox scare a few years back, they're illegal to buy in the United States. Which hasn't stopped me from wanting one. As it turns out, Gambian Rats have infiltrated the Florida Keys. A long way from the Gulf Coast where I currently am, but it's still fun to think out.

I never did find out what that little mouse was..

Control of Roof Rats in Fruit Trees
Rat Traps in the Mangroves(cute pictures!)
Large Gambian Rats Worry Florida Officials
Gambian Rat Pet Care

Rat the Movies

2006-11-23T10:58:00.000-05:00

I'm not a big moviegoer, much prefering to watch movies int he comfort and cheapness of my own home. However, when I heard Dreamworks was putting out a movie about rats, I was determined to see it in theaters and give my support. Because of my busy schedule, I didn't get to see it when it opened, nor for a few weeks after, but this gave me a chance to read reviews, and I was quite pleased to see it was getting high ratings. Victory for the rats!

A fellow rat lover and I paired up to see Flushed Away and arrived in the theater just as the end credits for the previous showing were running. Apparantly our presence scared off the cleaning crew. They did only a preliminary sweep, leaving a good deal of food in the theater, including a hot dog bun in the seat next to me.

I didn't expect to see rats before the feature, but was pleasantly surprised. A new, live-action version of the book Charlotte's Web is coming out on December 15, and prominent in the preview was the rat Templeton. I was squealing with delight. He was positively adorable, very rat-like without coming off ugly or evil. I'm definitely going to have to see that movie.

Flushed Away was a wonderful movie, hilarious from the start, and definitely enjoyable for people of all ages. I particularly enjoyed all the detail put into things-- what would a rat use as a sleeping bag, or a jet ski? There were added bonuses as a rat lover of course-- Roddy's magnificent cage, for a start, or the presence of a PEW, or the fact that one of the rats bruxxed! And of course, the slugs were fantastic. A great film, lots of laughs, and a nice message if you're into that. I highly recommend it.

Of course, I must admit that I didn't get the full benefit of the movie, because I was mildly distracted by the presence of mice.

Halfway through the movie, I saw something move from the corner of my eye. Just a piece of paper, I though, caught in the breeze. But when I glanced over I saw something, not wafting, but running. A little tiny thing running across the floor. MICE! I squealed, nudged my friend, and pointed it out to her. She squealed in reply, then asked if I had any popcorn left. I shook my head, but then she remembered the hot dog bun. We threw it down on the floor for the mice.

Two of them, two tiny little mice in the theater. Every time there was a lull in the movie action, I'd glance over. At one point the tiny little mouse managed to grab the huge hot dog bun and started dragging it across the floor. I had to cover my mouth to keep from laughing.

So all in all, it was a very rodent-oriented night. I hear that Pixar is coming out with another movie about rats, Ratatouille, so with that and Charlotte's Web I have a nice line-up of rat movies to plan on seeing. It's nice, because in the past all the movies with rats have portrayed them as evil or scary. Finally we're seeing rats in a funny, possibly cute light. Victory!

Chicago Rat City

2006-11-08T23:23:00.000-05:00

A week in Chicago is hard to recover from. My head is still spinning from all the sights and sounds, but it's not that I have nothing to show for it! Yes, I made it my mission in Chicago to seek out rats.

All big cities have rats, it's a given. I was certain that I'd see them scurrying everywhere, in alleyways, along the subway tracks. Unfortunantly, Chicago is a surprisingly clean, well kept city, and my rat sightings were restricted to a brief glimpse while I was wandering somewhat lost at about five in the morning. I'm sure if I were braver and had dared to go into the dirtier parts of Chicago at a later time I may have seen more, but as it was I made do with rats of the inanimate kind.

One of my favorite aspects of Chicago is Chinatown. Not only will you find great food and unique souveniers, but the role of Rat in the Chinese Zodiac makes it certain that you'll find something ratty in their stores. I was not dissapointed, although it wasn't as easy as it first appeared. All the stores I entered were so packed with toys and trinkets that it was like finding a needle in a haystack-- but I finally asked a clerk for assistance, and was presented with a beautiful carved wooden rat statue.

The next store I entered had some beautiful jade rat necklaces, but they were a little out of my price range, so I settled with a cute little rat charm with a bell.

My final rat discovery was completely unexpected and not in Chinatown at all. Having visited the Art Institue of Chicago's museum, I casually browsed the gift store and, to my surprise, found an adorable rat print baby bib! Having no children of my own, I couldn't justify the high price tag, though I did get a photo.

Rat Hunter Diaries: searching out rats across the globe.

Special Halloween Edition

2006-10-31T01:18:00.000-05:00

As Easter is to bunnies, so is Halloween to rats, except for the most part they aren't portrayed as cute or cuddly. Ever openminded, I enjoy seeking out the cheesiest of Halloween rat decor (pardon the pun). Wanna have a Ratty Halloween? Check this stuff out.

Decorations

I'd had every intention of trolling the city for the cheesiest, most ridiculous rat halloween decorations, but unfortunatly I had a bad habit of forgetting my camera when I went out. Shame on me! However, I did find this ridiculous rat at CVS.

It looks like a big ball of lint with claws.

Also view this beautiful rat pumpkin, carved by comic artist Jin Wicked.

Costumes

Love a rat in costume? Check out the awesome Costume Gallery at RatRaisins, Inc.

My own rats have suffered through the indignity of costumes. Witness Morgenstern modeling a top hat:

And a lion's mane:

And finally a kilt:

Movies

Poor rats, they always seem to bring about the corniest of low budget horror movies. Pop some popcorn and prepare for a good laugh with these flicks. (An asterick denotes films I've actually seen).

Rats (2003)
A hospital for the criminally insane, mad scientists, and supernatural rats, what more could you want?

Rats - Notte di terrore (1984)
A futuristic flick featuring bikers and flesh eating rats.

*Willard (2003)
This is one of my personal favorites, about a socially awkward man who befriends a hoarde of rats and trains them to kill. There are actually a few touching moments, but also plenty of gore for those who aren't into sentiment.

Willard (1971)
The original version, based on the novel The Ratman Diaries. The sequel was Ben (1972), made famous by the Michael Jackson song.

The Rats (2002)
I'm rather humored by the cover image, which shows a snarling, fanged rat. Rats don't have fangs!

*Altered Species (2001)
It's listed as Altered Species, but when I rented it, the movie was Rodentz. Another instance of lab experimentation gone wrong, coupled with a crew of idiotic high school kids. I was only able to watch half before I had to switch it off due to sheer cheesiness.

*The Princess Bride (1987)
Neither a horror movie nor a movie specifically about rats, I had to include this sheerly for the Rodents of Unusual Size!

That's all for this Halloween Special. Have a very Ratty Halloween!

Rats and Beer

2006-10-18T23:09:00.000-04:00

Just when I think I've seen all the internet has to offer for rats, I'll stumble across something new and simply wonderful. In a search for rat exterminators (fear not, the Trash Rats are safe-- it's for an art project) I stumbled across the Vermin Brewing website. At first I thought it was just a spoof, but some further exploration has shown that this really is a website devoted to rats and beer. Bizarre.. but a lot of fun!

Enter the Cold

2006-10-13T08:53:00.000-04:00

I can't say I'm getting better at wild rat photography. Still grainy and mostly ratbutts. But those are cute little rat butts.

Earlier I had been debating whether or not I should catch and rehome the trash rats. Over the past few days, however, the temperature has dropped considerably. I've read cautions about rehoming wild rats in low temperatures-- not just out of compassion, but for the fact that rats dig burrows, but will be unable to if the ground is frozen. Since I have no desire (ok, some desire) to keep a cageful of wild rats in my apartment while I wait for the weather to break, I'm going to abandon the plan for the time being. However, Cincinnati has quirky weather, so we could have another warm patch before long. You never know. Either way, I still need to get some humane traps. And if the rehoming is indeed to be successful, my neighbors need to learn how to actually put their trash in the trash can with a lid on. It's a simple concept, but some people just don't get it.

Rats Gone Wild

2006-10-06T20:10:00.000-04:00

I've yet to get any quality pictures, as most have to be cropped a good deal to focus on the actual rat (I never have time to zoom). The Trash Rats are fast, but I've noticed the babies are a bit slower than the adults.

This little guy had something in his mouth

Dissapearing into "the mysterious hole"

Running across the trash cans

Trash Rats Live!

2006-10-06T00:22:00.000-04:00

No, that's not trash rats, Live! as in Saturday Night Live or Live! In Concert! Rather, the Trash Rats are alive, and I'm happy about it. Once again, it just took me letting down my guard and not looking for the rats.

I went to take my trash earlier, not even expecting them anymore-- but as I rounded the wall to the trash nook, a fat rat scuttled out from under a trash can into the mysterious hole. Grinning, I called a greeting, then casually glanced into the trash can, and there was a baby rat, sitting on the narrow end of a pizza box, mere inches from me. He just sat there staring, and I stared back, half tempted to reach for him regardless of what he might be carrying, but then he dissapeared down into the debris, leaving me to deposit my trash and be on my merry way with a big smile on my face.

Just a reminder that I need to carry my camera with me at all times.

Rats in the News

2006-10-04T22:30:00.000-04:00

I haven't seen or heard a peep from the Trash Rats in five days; ironic, being that my last post was worrying about their overpresence. I'm partially relieved, but more than a little concerned. I'm not sure if they've taken my advice (which would be simultenously astonishing and creepy) or if my landlord has taken steps against them. Do baby rats leave the nest like baby birds? Perhaps they've just moved on. Either way, it's lonely in the courtyard now.

I needed a rat fix, so I did a search for "rats" on Yahoo! News. A lot of political articles were brought up (what an insult to rats) but I did manage to find this cute little article about a rat show in Washington.

The Problem With Rats

2006-09-30T21:21:00.000-04:00

Wild rat in the trash, 9-29-06

I must admit some concern at the fact that my trash rat sightings are so frequent. Like a good rat hunter should, I've done my research, and know that the fact that I'm seeing rats during the day means that the apartment is properly infested. It is said that when the population is so great that not enough food can go around, the weaker members of the rat colony are forced to forage during the day. Truthfully though, I don't see how the food supply could be low, being that the people in my building are so careless with their trash. If anything, the food supply is abundant.

I'm lead to believe that the rats feel safe in our little trash nook and aren't scared into foraging only at night. As well, the rats I've been seeing are all bvabies, so maybe the mother is teaching them to scavenge. I'm not sure, but either way it has me concerned that the landlord may eventually decide to take action against them. Once again I'm toying with the idea of buying a live trap and catching them myself-- though I'd want to be sure I relocated the entire family. This then brings up the question of where I would keep the other rats while I tried to capture them all. Granted, I do have two nice sized cages in storage right now, but I'm not sure if it would be safe to put them all together in the same cage, or even if those cages would be appropriate for wild rats. I certainly could never open the cage doors for fear of them jumping out or biting me, so I'd have to devise a way of feeding them without opening the doors. Then there's the fear that they may have some disease or parasite that they'd spread to my rats, which means I couldn't bring the cages into my apartment-- but I certainly couldn't leave them outside. It's a connundrum, indeed.

For now I have to hope the landlord leaves them be. Much as the boldness of the rats thrills me, they need to learn more discretion. And the people in my building need to learn to put their trash in the trash cans and close the lid.