About twice a day, my ladies get some free ranging time. How they spend this time is always quite different, but very predictable. Ruma still likes climbing on everything, mostly my kitchen area, which I have to clean every time I want to use it, but also the top cage (as it is currently not attached to the bottom cage because they once again gnawed through the tube), me, the bathroom or she will see if she can steal some goodies out of my hands or mouth.
Koko on the other hand has one favorite hang-out. Behind my bed, in the cupboard, there is a picnic-basket that I decided to use for storing purses. Well, after 8 months of rats, there is only one purse left in there, because it was already so torn to
A picnic-basket filled with paper shreddings!
pieces when I found it that I decided they could keep it like that. Lately this spot has once again become Koko’s favorite hide-out. She drags all the paper bags, envelops, receipts and other pieces of paper (like dried-up used teabags) into the picnic-basket to well… to what really?
Very often I hear sounds coming from the basket so today I figured it was once again time to go and check it out. This is what I found:
Today she was making more noise than usual and well, the sight of this kind of explains why. She does nothing other than shred the papers that she has collected in the basket. Luckily, all she has dragged in so far are scraps, receipts and old bags. Just imagine her taking my bills!! I need to put my mail away!
She was also quite protective over her loot. She instantly came out to see what I was doing with her carefully selected collection.
Is all my paper still here? Don’t take my paper human!
And soon enough, Ruma came to check out what was going on. Obviously, she couldn’t sit still for three seconds for the camera to snap her…
Ruma’s left paw, in the right corner of the shot
Yeah, protective Koko really came out. It was obvious she has spent many an hour on this careful shredding job.
WHAT are you doing with that light?
So, I think if Koko ever gets tired of being my pet, she could apply for a job as a shredder. She’d be a star at it really!
Oh, and P.S. the good habits post is coming, I just really wanted to post this as it happened just now.
WHAT are you looking at? GO AWAY. It’s ALL MINE.
Rattus Norvegicus 