Hello (again)!

[banana]

I was briefly on this forum about a year back but my life became a bit too hectic to keep up over here so I dropped off the face of planet ratshack I couldn't remember any of my old login information (can't figure out which email it was attached to either :emb: ), so here I am giving it the good ol' college try again LOL!

So ... introduction stuff: at the moment I have two ratlings, Luca and Isaac, who unfortunately are both living by themselves because of a few complications At one point Isaac was sharing my critter nation with his brother Armageddon and a shelter rescue, Oliver. Oliver passed away in August, Armageddon in October. I adopted Luca and his brother Jesse in September, and brought them to Dr. Munn mid-October to be neutered ... however while recovering from the anesthetic post-op, Jesse died suddenly and the autopsy showed no obvious cause of death. So now I've got my one-story CN split into two levels, with Luca on the top bunk and Isaac on the bottom. Since Isaac isn't neutered (and pushing three years old, AND dragging around a sizable pituitary tumor) I haven't actually introduced them but they can still hear and smell each other for the time being.

Aside from the rats, I'm sharing my house with four dogs: two Great Pyrenees, an Australian shepherd, and a Pomeranian (my sister's - the thing is a monster). At my boyfriend's house there are also two rabbits adopted from Toronto animal services, a few fish and a blue tongued skink to keep me busy I spend Mondays at the barn, keeping up my 10-year horseback riding habit, and my family owns an independent pet supply store in Vaughan called The Animal Republic. We work closely with quite a few dog/cat rescues, local and otherwise, so if there are any small animal rescues in the GTA we'd love to support them

Isaac (right) and his late brother Armageddon (left):
[img=center:20x96pxl]https://fbcdn-sphotos-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-ash2/38378_408427795058_508955058_5033319_3220991_n.jpg[/img:20x96pxl]

Luca (left) and his late brother Jesse:
[img=center:20x96pxl]https://fbcdn-sphotos-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/321565_10150277248030059_508955058_8222201_387762157_n.jpg[/img:20x96pxl]

And Luca again today, hanging out in my camera bag playing assistant photographer:
[img=center:20x96pxl]https://fbcdn-sphotos-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-snc7/385837_10150387029640059_508955058_8767486_1749099835_n.jpg[/img:20x96pxl]​

 

[hopefloats]

Welcome back! and the photos of your boys are beautiful!

 

[kscanuck785]

hello and welcome back!
love the pics too

 

[mamarat]

Welcome!

 

[jorats]

Welcome! And I think I remember you! Was your family in the process of opening their pet store at the time?

 

[banana]

Yes, we were! It was a bit of a nightmare for the first little while, the guy we were going to buy the business from originally ended up claiming bankruptcy before we purchased, so we had to file for a new business, buy the remaining stock from the store from the bankruptcy trustees, and negotiate with the landlord to keep the same unit - and that's the summarized version :roll: Luckily things are going fairly well these days, in the last year we've completely overhauled the inventory and we have some pretty neat stuff in there now. Not to mention I've been gradually expanding the small animal section, client base permitting ... but no pine shavings will ever sully those shelves! :lol:

 

[jorats]

That's awesome!

 

[Godmother]

:welcome4: back to the Shack!

 

[Maple]

I must say it's a very small world. I know your father well and just love Chico to bits (he's one of the great Pyrenees). I purchase all my carefresh at his store but haven't been in for awhile as my rat numbers are lowering and I don't require the amount I used to.
These people will go to all lenghts to help you, have everything you could imagine in the store, are full of knowledge but are soooooo willing to learn. Your dad now freezes all the carefresh to kill off any mites etc that may be wandering within the bags. I told him about freezing in general conversation but he is so intune to animals and what is best for them, he took it upon himself to take this information and turn it into a routine in his store. Do you know how nice it is to walk into a store to purchase bedding that has been in a deep freezer. So small but so important. I recommend this store to everyone cause if its not in the store.....they WILL find it and bring it in. So ending my note I just want to say.....:hello3: and welcome back to the shack.