A new addition to the family

Alright, so despite my decision about taking my time and saving up before I bought myself pet rats; needing a new cage, money in case of health issues, money for supplies, for food, for bedding for.. everything

I went to the pet store and I bought a baby rat today. She's a little tiny thing, hardly any longer than my middle finger, roughly five weeks old and a dumbo rat with adorably large ears.

I was with Stephanie and we were picking up her little sister, Kate, from work. Of course we ran inside to have a look at all the animals, and we were talking about the rats when Kate came up and said she had a rat in the back, and asked us if we wanted to see. I wanted to hold the baby, so I agreed enthusiastically.

Steph had just asked me if I planned to buy rats when I moved out.. My answer was, "No, I'm going to adopt a pair when I have the money to do so and look after them properly,"

Kate vanished into the back and came out again with a little rat in a blue cage...

She'd hidden her in the back because she was supposed to be feeder. I couldn't, in my right mind, leave her there in the store... So I called my mother. Mom was not happy at all, and wound up hanging up on me. I still couldn't leave her behind, so I paid for a hampster starter kit and I paid for the rat baby and brought her home.

Mom was ingnoring me, dad was unhappy, and I have this horrid feeling I'm going to be shanked in my sleep. I instantly had to ask my friend Sarah for help; I am not equipt to handle long term rat care at the moment, and I needed advice on my next move to make.

We've decided we're going to introduce my girl (Swazzle) to her girls (Blimey and Zooks) after we move in together, in just under two weeks. I collected advice on what to feed her, threw away the pine shavings and stole two of our older towels to be used for bedding. I gave her cardboard toilet tubes and crumpled paper, and cotton fuzz, and a hammock and she's now sitting in a very tiny cage beside my bed.

I'm stupidly, ridiculously happy to have a baby again. I was on the verge of tears earlier because it just feels so wonderful to have a rat again-- and I missed my baby Archie so much. I feel bad that for the next two weeks she's in such a tiny little cage and is alone; but she's not going to be eaten by some larger animal now.

I had her out and was letting her run around on my bed, talking to her and just.. feeling wonderful, but she began to slow down and tuckered herself out; so I put her in her cage.

I am.. extremely glad; I feel amazing and I love this girl so much I could and probably will cry over it at some point. I don't regret my purchase at all, and I am excited to introduce her to the girls!

G'night Swaz! I will see you come morning, on my bedside table.

Drawing to the left is a doodle of my character Yukio, which I drew very much of today and will eventually post the finished work.