A Day in the life of a rat owner

[mamarat2]

I've come to realize that my schedule revolves more and more around the furkids.

Weekends are easy, I get up when I get up and they get a.m. meds and breakfast then, playtimes are long on weekends, then dinner when we eat and p.m. meds before bed so its spaced evenly. Weekdays are a bit crazier and if someone wasn't a rat person they would probably think I was nuts.

Weekday: 7am alarm; I attempt to get up usually up at least 15 min after alarm as they start gnawing on the bars.

7:15 am, turn coffee pot on for me

7:20 prep their breakfast - have to give it time to cool if they are getting a mash in the morning

7:25 pre meds - currently have three on a.m. meds - each gets their own little "bowl" (lid) to eat off of

7:30 finger feed at least one of them meds because they are being difficult and it is nasty tasting baytril so can't give it straight

7:35-7:45 hand out breakfast and give Luke his morning rub down, he is very pleasant in the morning and quite affectionate

7:45 wash face/find clothes to wear

7:50 - 8:00 run around like a maniac to make sure I have my lunch together (leftovers from dinner night before) make a coffee to run out the door with me and also get my breakfast for the road.

Must be out the door by 8:10

8:00-8:10 running around doing something

8am-6:00pm commute to work (work) commute home

6:15pm either prepping my dinner/their dinner/or cleaning cages while hubby does dinner

7pm dinner

7:30-7:45 pm starts playtimes and on a weeknight I try to give everyone enough exercise time. Play runs to about ten, somewhere in between I am medicating, warm compressing abscesses, gettting a shower, doing their laundry, or mine.

I am going to bed EARLY tonight. I am tired.

And just a note, I have 8 rats, half of which are aging rats and are up there in age.

 

[LA]

Wowy Zowy... such is life.

 

[jorats]

Sounds pretty normal to me. lol

As for my crew:

wake at 7:30am... give out rat blocks.

8am to 9:30am first out time for the oldies, play with them, clean the cage with them and medicate them.

9:30am to 11am, out time for second crew, play with them, clean the cage with them.

11am... time for Radar and Isabelle to come out, and clean their cage. Put them away at 1pm.

1pm, must fix dinner and refrigerate for the family.
2:30pm, eat my dinner (not refrigerated)
3pm, bananas for the rats.
4pm, work.
9pm to 9:30pm back home from work, try to unwind, medicate the rats and give them a final cuddle before I go off to my computer and spend time on the Shack.
11pm bedtime... but first one final check to make sure everyone's still alive and doing well.

 

[SQ]

Seems pretty normal to me ... except .... how do you manage to finish your day so early?
So much more organized than me!!

 

[mamarat2]

You mean Jo, SQ? I was wondering too!

 

[jorats]

What do you mean? 11pm is pretty late for me.

 

[lilspaz68]

Let's see..

Alarm at 6:15...snooze once or twice with Kamea cuddled up to me

Up and start brewing coffee and then a quick shower

7:00 am - Saffi and Fable are out on the couch

7:10 am - medicate whoever is one meds
7:15 am - quick look-see to make sure all is well with the Crew, change waterbowls if necessary, top up blocks, etc.

7:30 am - sit with Saffi and Fable to drink coffee and think of what to wear to work LOL...cuiddle time
8 am - get dressed, then do hair and makeup
8:20 am - out the door

Home at 6:30-7:00 pm. Looksee at sleepy crew then the meds and then the topping of food, change of waterbowls and fill up of waterbottles, Out times, cage cleanings etc that are required.
My fav tv shows I watch in the bedroom while they are running around.

Bed with Kamea by 11 or so

 

[Melissa]

6:52am - Wake up (My bf will not put things on even numbers)

Between then and about 8:00am - 8:15am I get dressed, sometimes eat, feed the dog, check water for all the critters (dog, bunnies, rats, hedgy), give hay to bunnies, doddle on the net for 10 mins.

If I'm done by 7:45am I will put some makeup on.

8:15am - Leave for work

Home by 4pm - Doddle on net, play with Lady, check on critters

6-8:00pm - Find a time to eat

Feed everyone by 9pm

Every few nights have a nice sea/epsom salt, goats milk, essential oil bath

10:00-11:00pm - Bed

I have no real schedule, a lot of times it's all over the place

 

[mamarat2]

What do you mean? 11pm is pretty late for me.

You only have to go to work from 4-9 (5 hours) and yah I know "only" is a loose term when you have how many rats and kids too.

 

[jorats]

Oh... lol I work part time. :wink:

 

[Melissa's ZOO]

Let's see.. (My Pit Bulls(3) do not get along with one another so they have to be separated at all times or I will have a nasty fight on my hands)

Alarm at 5:45 a.m...BF gets up to get ready for work and lets Dosia(dog) out to potty.

5:50 I get up let Dosia back in and let my 3 dogs(Sammie, Dazie and Manny) out to potty. Let Dosia in living room to eat and let "T" out of her cage to roam her bedroom and I peak in at the ratties to make sure no one escaped.

6:00 let my 3 dogs in the bedroom to go back to sleep

6:45 BF leaves for work.

7:00 am - Get up, switch my 3 dogs out to the living room and Dosia back to the bedroom and put "T" outside, take shower and get dressed.

7:30 am - Switch my 3 dogs and "T" so that my 3 go back outside so "T" can come in and eat.

7:35 put on make-up, blow dry hair, and brush teeth.

7:50 Check on the ratties, give food, water and treats give all eight a scratch.

7:55 I put all of the dogs up, with milk bones, make sure everyone is secure and happy one last time.

8:00 out the door to work.

5:30 (If traffic is not horrible and I am lucky) I get home let my 3 dogs out to potty, let "T" out to eat, feed fish, check on ratties, change clothes and figure out what to make for dinner.

6:30 Switch "T" and Dosia out so Dosia can eat, Eat dinner, and watch a little TV.

7:30 Switch my 3 dogs out with "T" so she can potty and the others can eat. Let the ratties out for free range, give cuddles to whoever will let me, check for injuries or illness, spot clean cage (every other night is new fleece and litter with a quick wipe down).

8:30 Go watch some TV and spend time with my 3 dogs while the ratties run around.

9:30 Switch my 3 dogs out, again with "T" so they can go back out to potty. Check on ratties, give whoever will let me cuddles and begin to put everyone up.

10:30 I have killed an hour cuddling, time sure flies when you are with the little buggers. So I put everyone up. Give fresh water, OxBow and fix some kind of veggie for dinner.

10:50 Sit down to watch a little more TV.

11:00 Go to bed, to watch a little more TV.

11:45-12 ish Dosia decides she wants to go outside now, so I put her out.

12:30 ish Dosia decides she wants to come back in and sounds like a burglar beating down the bedroom door. So I get up and let her in.

1:00 ish fall asleep, just to start all over in the morning.