#they're both so ratty and well-loved and whether they're good or not i love them for that

[femmeleatherface]

okay so this wonderful and INCREDIBLY PATIENT librarian encouraged me to request the other classic who books i wanted since they were all going to be in the same boat in terms of rarity and difficulty. so i did.

cue me spending the next two weeks obsessively checking my library account daily to see if there's any update. one of the books is rejected within a week despite being the only one with a "yeah no problemo we'll get it to you by X date" label on it (this label is a liar). but the other ones are hanging in there, just stuck on the "in process" status, meaning the wonderful librarian is still shuffling them from library to library on my behalf.

OR SO I THINK. because then, next thing i know, today at the end of my shift i get an email saying two of the remaining three books have arrived and are ready for pickup. BECAUSE I FIND OUT. BY SOME MIRACLE. that the librarian managed to get them from NOT overseas and because of this they didn't need the estimated 4-8 weeks.

anyway i have been vomitously stressed all week so this is all very :O :D<!!!! and there's still (potentially) one more on its way!

they're both due in 4 weeks which is a bit tricky since i'm going to have very little opportunity to read next week and we're looking at the next couple weeks after that being VERY stressful after i hopefully switch to a new job(!!!!) BUT I WILL DO IT.

literally feel like i'm floating on air right now! i have felt so horrible the past week, this is such a great surprise. crossing my fingers that that third one comes soon too.

must remember to send a thank you email to the librarian tomorrow!!!! aaaaaaaAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

oh my goddd. i requested a classic who novel through interlibrary loan and of COURSE it's only available at two libraries in my country, one of whom refuses to share it and the other of whom is not responding to my librarian's inquiries about it even after saying that their interlibrary loan was closed but would be reopening sometime this week (this did not happen), meaning that the next step will likely be to request it from an oversees library (which if accepted will take 4-8 weeks to ship). the librarian has been stalking my request for the past two weeks and committing so many hours to pestering other librarians across the country and soon to be globally on my behalf. and all because i wanted to read more exciting adventures about my current favorite silly little genderguys. my god.

[duskkodesh]

I've had rats for years at this point now and finally want to put down the best tips I've learned. This won't work for everyone, some are very conditional to me, but maybe some of these will help someone. Fleece hammocks: Boo. Microplastics and too warming. Canvas hammocks: Yes, please. Highly washable. Far more tough. I wish they were easier to find. Coiled rope baskets are also a godsend. I hang them by the handles in the cage, they love them way more than anything marketed to rats. Bottles are nice but some rats wanna splash and have a place to wash their little hands. Fresh in pod peas are by the pound at my supermarket. I usually spend 70 cents on the amount for several treat sessions. All my frozen peas end up getting freezer burnt by the time I get halfway through the bag. Antibiotics will be needed if you keep rats. Do not give antibiotics with dairy, many classes of antibiotics bond to calcium thereby making them far less effective. Speaking of, antibiotics seem to have the hardest taste to cover up. Ground meat baby food, Hershey simply five syrup (Just a little), peanut powder (No added sugar, oils), fruit compote/jam/jelly, small absorbent bread snacks/cereal, smushed pasta, cream of wheat, are all options to get meds into rats. You can call exotic vets and ask for an estimate on a basic rat exam. Do it, the prices vary WILDLY. We had a vet who charged us 35$ to see three rats at once and one who quoted us 200$ to look at one. You're gonna notice a trend if you call vets in higher class/rich areas. Fuck em'. Also ask your vet if you can keep a supply of meds on hand just in case. If they last at room temp you can buy some preemptively. Things like doxycycline you can get from human pharmacies.

Zip ties are god. All hail zip ties. Same with swivel clasps. Between them both you can cage mount anything your heart desires.

Leave bedding in a hot car or freezing conditions for a night. Warehouses get mites. Mites are a dick to deal with. Kill em' all.

Give them a variety of fresh things while they're young. Not always but sometimes I'd get an older gent rescue who had no idea what to do with berries or tomatoes and would refuse them. They learn better what is safe when young. At some point you will have an emergency. Make sure you know where an emergency vet is and that they keep night/weekend hours. Keep funds on hand for that day.

Rats hide pain well. When they age you may need to start pain management if you notice them moving differently even if they don't show their pain blatantly. Just start with low doses and see if they act like their old selves again. Research your breeders. Get recommendations from other rat people. Check and see if there are rat rescues in your area. Also the Humane Society sometimes takes in rodents.

Controversial take: You will encounter people in ratkeeping who say buying feeders is a sin. It's not. Feeder supply will exist whether or not every rat fancier boycotts them. We are far far fewer in number than snake/lizard people. Wherever you got your rats it's valid so long as you give them healthcare, good nutritious food, love, and mental stimulation. A lot of the 'foods to avoid, foods to include' lists are not researched. I've seen lists that ban chocolate. Rats freaking love chocolate they just need to take it easy on fats and sugars but cocoa powder can be a good mix in and can help ratty blood flow. I've seen people ban mango. if you read the study that led to this they gave rats an obscene amount of D-limonene to trigger cancer and small amounts had no side effects at all. Read the studies, look for sources.