Wednesday, May 25, 2011
Monday, May 23, 2011
Day Five.5
The boys had fun today and BIG SHOCKER. The podcast went from podcast to powerpoint in a matter of minutes! I won Mr. E's challenge though, and now I'm done! Woop!!
(Also, for the record, Ed pooped on Mrs. Oberg today!)
(Also, for the record, Ed pooped on Mrs. Oberg today!)
Day Five
My podcast will be edited today (hopefully) and finished by Wednesday. I'm very excited.
Also, The rats are at school with me.
Chew on that for a while!
Also, The rats are at school with me.
Chew on that for a while!
Saturday, May 21, 2011
Day Four
Honestly I haven't much time to talk tonight. But, My Spanish Teacher is kissing the boys on Monday! Hopefully I can get some background music for the Podcast then. I already have it recorded! Woo!
Thursday, May 19, 2011
Day Three
Success! Today I successfully completed the podcast recording. Now I just need to create the podcast. Due to my lack of inspiration today, I shall not be writing about my boys. Instead I shall quote some information on litter training your rat (Yes it is possible):
Rats are highly intelligent creatures and can be trained to do many simple tasks. Litter training is something that is well worth a little effort on your part, as it can save you lots of time in cleaning up and also money in buying bedding.
The whole training methodology works on the premise that rats are clean creatures and will go to the toilet where they smell that they, or other rats, have already gone. The procedure is as follows:
1. Find the corner of the cage that your rats usually go to the toilet, then place a tray filled with litter there. I use flat tupperware containers available from discount stores for about AUD$2 as a litter tray.
2. Toss in any raisins or wet litter you can find in the cage to make it smell like a rat toilet area.
3. Now this is the most important part... Remove all litter from the rest of the cage, or use a different bedding. It's essential that your rats can distinguish between the toilet area and the living area. e.g. I use Breeders Choice recycled paper pellets in the litter tray, and old towels and fabric strips elsewhere as bedding.
4. Place your rats in the tray to show them it's there. If they go elsewhere in their cage, say "No!" and place the rat (and the raisins) in the litter tray. If they go in the tray, praise them like crazy and give them their favourite treat. They'll soon get the idea.
Often this training method will only work for raisins, not pee... especially with male rats who are determined to keep their cage well scented. You can try removing pee smells by using products like Nilodor or vanilla, but often it just makes them more determined to re-scent it. Of course, there's also those stubborn rats who simply will not use a tray no matter how hard you try. Persist... after all, every raisin in the tray is one less you have to pick up later.
Litter training makes things so much easier on you. It's much simpler to clean out the cage (just scoop out soiled litter and replace as needed) and certainly cheaper. I think the rats much prefer the fabric and towels to live on anyway... it's less dusty, cleaner, softer on ratty feet, more fun to dig in and much quieter during those midnight skirmishes.
It's a good idea to have a litter tray for their use when outside their cage too... either as a separate play area tray, or simply access to their cage. When you get them out to play, place them in the tray so they know where it is. Every half hour or so, place them back in the tray to remind them it's there. If they use it, praise them like crazy and offer them treats.
Good luck!
(Quote from http://www.dapper.com.au/)
Rats are highly intelligent creatures and can be trained to do many simple tasks. Litter training is something that is well worth a little effort on your part, as it can save you lots of time in cleaning up and also money in buying bedding.
The whole training methodology works on the premise that rats are clean creatures and will go to the toilet where they smell that they, or other rats, have already gone. The procedure is as follows:
1. Find the corner of the cage that your rats usually go to the toilet, then place a tray filled with litter there. I use flat tupperware containers available from discount stores for about AUD$2 as a litter tray.
2. Toss in any raisins or wet litter you can find in the cage to make it smell like a rat toilet area.
3. Now this is the most important part... Remove all litter from the rest of the cage, or use a different bedding. It's essential that your rats can distinguish between the toilet area and the living area. e.g. I use Breeders Choice recycled paper pellets in the litter tray, and old towels and fabric strips elsewhere as bedding.
4. Place your rats in the tray to show them it's there. If they go elsewhere in their cage, say "No!" and place the rat (and the raisins) in the litter tray. If they go in the tray, praise them like crazy and give them their favourite treat. They'll soon get the idea.
Often this training method will only work for raisins, not pee... especially with male rats who are determined to keep their cage well scented. You can try removing pee smells by using products like Nilodor or vanilla, but often it just makes them more determined to re-scent it. Of course, there's also those stubborn rats who simply will not use a tray no matter how hard you try. Persist... after all, every raisin in the tray is one less you have to pick up later.
Litter training makes things so much easier on you. It's much simpler to clean out the cage (just scoop out soiled litter and replace as needed) and certainly cheaper. I think the rats much prefer the fabric and towels to live on anyway... it's less dusty, cleaner, softer on ratty feet, more fun to dig in and much quieter during those midnight skirmishes.
It's a good idea to have a litter tray for their use when outside their cage too... either as a separate play area tray, or simply access to their cage. When you get them out to play, place them in the tray so they know where it is. Every half hour or so, place them back in the tray to remind them it's there. If they use it, praise them like crazy and offer them treats.
Good luck!
(Quote from http://www.dapper.com.au/)
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| The Dapper Rat Logo |
Wednesday, May 18, 2011
Day Two
So I've decided how the graphics are going to go on the podcast. Ed helped me with that one. He was really adorable last night. I was really upset due to some things and he was just the sweetest little man. He kept posing for pictures and looking all cute when he posed for a REALLY good one (But the lighting was horrible). I have decided it shall be more than one graphic, one of each of my boys and then the main graphic (Which is the blog graphic). I am very excited about this podcast. And the more I think about it, the more I miss my boys. *Sigh* I guess you have to choose education over all things, but it is still a bad feeling knowing I just leave them everyday. But, they have themselves to keep company, at least. It would be really bad if I only had one and then left him alone all day. You really do think of them as your children. I know it sounds crazy, but the truth is crazy sometimes. If you had rats you would understand more completely, which I know you probably don't. But that's okay. You can go on loving your cucumbers, I'll love my rats. Deal?
<3, Emma
<3, Emma
Tuesday, May 17, 2011
Day One.5
Ahh, it feels good to finish the most frightening part of the final project.
-The Synopsis.
It makes me happy that I'm done with it, and it's pretty much perfect. Well, in my opinion it is. I honestly don't know what Mr. Ellsworth will think about it. But, all the technicalities are there.
I'm sitting in Geography and all day now I've missed my boys. I really want to go home and give them pretzel sticks (They love those) and apple drops. It was a really grand idea of my mother's to buy them new treats, they haven't had any for a while. Rat treats are different than dog treats for mainly one reason.
-They have complex flavors.
One: The flavors of rat treats actually sound like something a human wouldn't mind eating. The newest ones I have for the babies are Apple drops. They are apple filling inside a bread shell that has some garnish on top. All in all it sounds pretty much like an apple turnover. The boys love pastry treats. Their favorite (Which I can hardly ever find the time to go get) are Ratatouille Croissants, or Ratatouille Quiche Lorraine. Pretty fancy stuff for a guy who's about seven inches long, right? It's all good, though, because I enjoy seeing them om nom nom it down in a matter of seconds. Ed could be in a treat eating contest. (Although I would never enter him in one, he's already obese as it is, any other form of encouragement is probably not the best idea.)
Marvin is the one you really love to watch eat. When he eats he is so concentrated on the food that you could pick him up, put him on your shoulder, and he still wouldn't change facial expressions. He eats with such a fury it's almost rat criminal. Even though Ed actually will prohibit the others from getting food until he is done, Marvin and Chilee always seem to get some first. Poor Gus. He's always last to eat. But, when you're the baby of the family, you really have no choice, right?
<3,Emma
-The Synopsis.
It makes me happy that I'm done with it, and it's pretty much perfect. Well, in my opinion it is. I honestly don't know what Mr. Ellsworth will think about it. But, all the technicalities are there.
I'm sitting in Geography and all day now I've missed my boys. I really want to go home and give them pretzel sticks (They love those) and apple drops. It was a really grand idea of my mother's to buy them new treats, they haven't had any for a while. Rat treats are different than dog treats for mainly one reason.
-They have complex flavors.
One: The flavors of rat treats actually sound like something a human wouldn't mind eating. The newest ones I have for the babies are Apple drops. They are apple filling inside a bread shell that has some garnish on top. All in all it sounds pretty much like an apple turnover. The boys love pastry treats. Their favorite (Which I can hardly ever find the time to go get) are Ratatouille Croissants, or Ratatouille Quiche Lorraine. Pretty fancy stuff for a guy who's about seven inches long, right? It's all good, though, because I enjoy seeing them om nom nom it down in a matter of seconds. Ed could be in a treat eating contest. (Although I would never enter him in one, he's already obese as it is, any other form of encouragement is probably not the best idea.)
Marvin is the one you really love to watch eat. When he eats he is so concentrated on the food that you could pick him up, put him on your shoulder, and he still wouldn't change facial expressions. He eats with such a fury it's almost rat criminal. Even though Ed actually will prohibit the others from getting food until he is done, Marvin and Chilee always seem to get some first. Poor Gus. He's always last to eat. But, when you're the baby of the family, you really have no choice, right?
<3,Emma
Day One.
As I sit here and think about what I want to do my podcast on, my mind instantly wanders to my boys at home. I miss them like crazy whilst at school, yet I go every day. I intend to convince, if not just my class, everyone I know, they are sweet, endearing little things. Not these evil little ankle-biters everybody seems to believe they are.
I feel so horrid when I come home and they won't come give me kisses because they feel like I have abandoned them. I constantly have to remind them I love them. I know the stereotype that "Rat's are dirty, gross, unfeeling, uncaring, nasty." Trust me. I've heard them all. But, I do not believe in the slightest that they are unfeeling little creatures. The different personalities of my boys alone convinces me on that. How Gus is so shy, caring, and a buffer. But, Chilee is such an antagonist and a mooch. How Ed is my squishy guy, always going with the flow and really not caring. Yet, Marvin is such a macho man, always needing to be the winner.
Yes, it was quite clear from the time Mr. E said "Anything you want" what I was going to do my podcast on, my babies, my rats.
<3, Emma
I feel so horrid when I come home and they won't come give me kisses because they feel like I have abandoned them. I constantly have to remind them I love them. I know the stereotype that "Rat's are dirty, gross, unfeeling, uncaring, nasty." Trust me. I've heard them all. But, I do not believe in the slightest that they are unfeeling little creatures. The different personalities of my boys alone convinces me on that. How Gus is so shy, caring, and a buffer. But, Chilee is such an antagonist and a mooch. How Ed is my squishy guy, always going with the flow and really not caring. Yet, Marvin is such a macho man, always needing to be the winner.
Yes, it was quite clear from the time Mr. E said "Anything you want" what I was going to do my podcast on, my babies, my rats.
<3, Emma
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