Every crib needs one! Hammocks.

This is a must!  All rats need to have their soft bed, their favourite spot, the most cuddly and most coveted nest in the cage: the hammock.

Now there are several types of hammocks. The normal flat comfy hammock, it's good for one rat but will take several. Personally, I prefer my buddies in there with me. But I don't like when a few chew their blocks in the hammock, you get crumbs everywhere, have you ever tried sleeping with crumbs? Sure you get a small midnight snack when you happen to roll over, but really, you get it all over your hair. Then it's groom groom groom. You just can't get it all out off your back. Then you got a buddy constantly jumping you to try and eat the stuff out. It's really annoying.

Then, there are specialty hammocks: cubes. Aww... now that's luxury. We can climb inside or lay on top. If you lie on top, well, it's like your typical hammock. But inside... it's magical! You can sleep, play, groom and even  stash your food in there. Oh, the most fun thing to do, go around your cage and gather up all the paper towels and drag them inside your cube. So much fun! Now there is one thing that irritates me to no end. Poops. Why oh why some of us have a need to poop in our wonderful cubes? It's impossible to clean those out. But I have a suspicion that Radar does this on purpose. He thinks no one else is gonna want to stay in there with his poops lying all over the place. What a sneaky slob!

About stashing, now yes, it's a good place to hide your food but really, it's not hidden cause since we all love the cube, well, that means the food will get found and fast, so best to find another place. Trust me, I learned this the hard way.

Newness!

There are new smells about. I can't quite figure it out and it's driving me mad. I can sense a change. Even Ma is busier these last few days. There has been talk of new rat smells but I just can't put a paw on it. Seb says he knows this smell, a young ratgirl smell. He said it's a smell he'll never forget and he gets that dreamy look in his eyes.

And it's not just smell either. I hear lots of new sounds, little eeps, little  squeaks, laughter and play. I hear lots of block nibbling. What could be eating our blocks way across the room? I wish I could see what is doing all this change.

Ma told me to be patient, that we all will meet the newcomers soon enough. She said something about them being too young yet. I'm not sure what she means. Nessie is quite worried and has been going around pulling her hair out yelling: it better not be more vermin! I for one would love to have new buddies. Since meeting Isa and Radar, it's been so much fun. I love to cuddle up to Radar.

Ma says that rescuing rats brings a lot of warmth to her heart, lots of love. I tried telling her that broccoli can do the same thing but she shrugged me off. Silly Ma!