Charlie & Moses

So, this morning started normally enough. Get up, fall asleep, go off for my appointment with the "job lady"!

Then I went off to Pets at Home to start to research rats! My intention had been, perhaps, to buy a cage, and to find out how much everything else I would need would cost. I was also going to enquire when the rats arrived in the store, how old they were, and so on.

So, having filled a trolley with catfood and so on, I then went to ask about rats.

I was asked whether I would consider rehoming older rats. "Yes," I said "of course".

And so Charlie (the brown one) and Moses (the albino) were brought out from "the back" to meet me!

And it was love at first sight!

And, since they came with their own cage, travel carrier, and all sorts of other stuff, I didn't need to buy anything at all - the store just requested that I made a donation to their pet rehoming charity - I did, a fraction of what I'd have paid for new stuff, but they seemed very pleased with it.

I did get them some extra food stores - nuggets & muesli, and some treats (sticks that hang on the side of their cage).

Then the three of us drove home, and I was glad I have a car with a high ceiling because the entire cage went on the back seat!

Once home, I unloaded the cage from the car and brought it into the house with an audience of 5 cats! I brought it straight up to my study (and was very glad that I'm 5'9 and very strong for a woman), and then emptied the table on which the cage now sits (the contents of the table are now on my desk and I've been gradually looking for places to put them all afternoon).

Both boys (well, men really, since they're a year and a half old, so well into middle age in rat terms) have been out in my study and clambered all over me, which is WONDERFUL! They both seem very happy and were very lively when we first got home, although they've settled down for a snooze! They seem quite happy with the Shostakovich violin concertos CD which has been playing on repeat this afternoon too!

Charlie seems to be a bit more active than Moses, and Moses is slightly larger! They love to be together, and at one point this afternoon Moses was wearing Charlie's tail like a scarf!

They were already named, and I haven't changed their names. After all, I don't change my name when I move house! I should imagine they'll acquire nicknames after a while, like all the cats have done!

They're SOOOO gorgeous! I'm deeply in love!

As I type this, Moses is grooming himself while sitting half on top of Charlie!

Awwwwwww!