Batman stuff & rl woes

[whiskyrunner]

Holy crap you guys. I have 429 followers now, not including subscribers. 429!

So it's been awhile! I hope everyone had a lovely holiday. Mine could have been better.

Comments

[vilkasdaina]

I'm sorry to hear about your rat, Boomer. What a gorgeous guy he was! I've had several pet rats, and they are phenomenal pets, and it looks like Boomer was very well taken care of! (Was he neutered? If so, that's real dedication on your part! All my boys were) Looks like he was on carefresh and everything! Good rat owner! Sadly, rats have such a short lifespan, I mean, once you get to two years, you're counting by months. All of my boys died around that time, two with heart failure, and two with myco-related problems, and it's possible that that's what happened with Boomer. Rats are so prone to just about every illness, but if it's not cancer, it's that blasted myco, etc. I haven't owned a rat in ages, despite working in a vet office where I could easily care for one, because it's so damn difficult to accept that they're so prone to health issues. But what wonderful babies they are <3 Nothing like dogs or cats, even though I have both, the rats are something else. Brought a smile to my face daily, they did.

I'm also going to gush about your fanfics for a moment, because I've spent many a nights forgoing sleep in order to read. Pavlov's bell is one of my favorites, but No Hold's Barred is my TDKR canon, mmkay? I find myself yelling at other fics when they contradict that fic, because in my mind, that's what it is, and that's that. :P

[whiskyrunner]

Yeah, rats are great. Boom made me laugh every day. He had a (smarter, better-looking) brother named Badger who was plagued by myco from babyhood, the poor guy. I'm fortunate enough to work at a vet clinic as well, so at least I could just walk in and say "I need this much Doxycycline at this strength" and get it for a reduced rate (chicken-flavoured, since we're a cat/dog clinic - the boys went nutty for it), but Badger's 'lifelong cold' really took a toll on his health. He lived to be a year and 9 months. His death was very easy to see coming - he aged very rapidly over the course of a few weeks and was a little scarecrow by the end. I gave him treats and lovin's and he went quite peacefully. I think I'm having a harder time with Boomer because his death was so much more sudden, I had no time to prepare for it. And Badge was always a little more aloof. Different relationship, because he was so clever and funny, but Boog was a big doof who just loved to be loved. :)

He was neutered, yes (another reason I expected him to live longer). At eight months of age my boys hit puberty and went from this to this. Boomer was the aggressor, so when he started ripping Badger's fur out I whisked him to an exotics clinic to get snipped. Most nervewracking decision of my life. XD I was really glad I did it in the end, but it was one of those freak situations where a neuter didn't help. If a rat can be mentally challenged, Boomer was. I think he was just too dumb to know how to interact socially with other rats. When reintroduction with Badger failed - after many, many repeated attempts - I took Boom on a playdate to meet my friend's female rats and he just went Chris Brown on them.

So that was my rats. XD Badger's opinion of Boomer forevermore was pretty much that Boomer was a life-ruiner who ruins people's lives (I also had to throw out poor Badgey's beloved toys and house when stupid Boomer got fur mites somehow). I miss them both - they were hilarious in such different ways.

[vilkasdaina]

Preaching to the choir about medication! I went through four vets before I finally had the diagnosis of a pneumonia for my biggest boy, Rosencrantz. During that process, I had him on Doxy and Baytril and Amoxil and Zithro before finally a Convenia injection cleared it. He was my heart rat! Never met a friendlier, lovelier, more kisseyface rat in my entire life! Always, ALWAYS bruxing! Guildenstern (I don't have any good adult pictures of him, he was my zoomer rat) was Rose's buddy. And I messed up about Guild's illness, we had taken him to the vet because we assumed he had another myco flare-up, but found out it was lung cancer.These two boys, Loki and Freyr, were the two kids who passed away from heart failure, so we had trips down the diuretic, etc road with them. Great bunch, all of them, but I know what you mean about loving them differently. Not less, just different. Loki and Freyr were so bonded to each other they never really came around to me, whereas Rose and Guild were obtained separately, and while they bonded well together, they were very people affectionate.

Again, sorry to hear about your little guys. :( They were gorgeous boys!

[whiskyrunner]

omg. ROSENCRANTZ. Those boogly eyes. He is adorable!! I know what you mean by heart rat. Boog was the same - lovey, kissy, just a total lump of adoration (except with his brother).

I laughed when I saw your rats' names. For you, a snippet from my PBell future!fic:

He'd always begged for years for a pet, and both their dads had always said no, because neither wanted a dog or a cat in the house and Arthur didn't like rodents. They'd finally caved when Will turned fourteen. Thomas had gotten new ice skates for their birthday: Will had picked Puck out of a litter of baby rats at the local pet shop.

“This one's Bottom, then.” Bottom nibbles his finger curiously, as if checking to see whether it might be edible. Thomas can't remember the third rat's name. Banquo, maybe? Lamely, he jokes, “You could name the next two Rosencrantz and Guildenstern.”

He doesn't have to see Will's face to know that he's rolling his eyes.

[vilkasdaina]

OMGSNIPPETISAWESOME!!!! XD *rolls over snippet* I lurve that 'verse!

And yes, Rosencrantz. I thought I was getting a female rat, and you know that sneaky little trick that rats have of drawing their balls up? Yeah... I was fooled. A WEEK later, Rose wasn't a girl anymore. So, Rosencrantz.

[vilkasdaina]

OH! I saw this and giggled, you're internet famous for these two!