 Tammy is the wee one on the bottom, compared to a sibling of the same age, 12 days old  Last picture of Tammy, about 6 hours before she died | SPAZ Tiny Tamara "Tammy" (so named because she was the tiniest baby in the litter. I was hoping that the explanation was that she was a dwarf) aka Tam Born: April 27,2004 Black-eyed? Red-eyed? White Standard-coated Dumbo Doe RIP Tammy May 12,2004 Tammy was born the runt of the family and did not thrive. As her siblings grew and developed, Tammy always seemed to be 5 days behind and remained the the size of a 2 day old pinky. Just as her coat was coming in, and her eyes were starting to open, Tammy passed away, at just 2 weeks of age, an indication that she may have had an under-developed heart and/or lungs. Just 24 hours before her death, Tammy's breathing became labored. I gave her homeopathic Lobelia and Bach's Rescue Remedy to help her on her journey |
 Shown here at 7 months old. What looks like white in her coat is actually her skin showing through. BaaBaa has a very short, sparse coat.  Shown here at 6 weeks old, 98 grams  BaaBaa, at 3 weeks old, is losing her coat | SPAZ BaaBaa Louise "BaaBaa" (pronounced Ba"t"Bu"t" - don't say the "t". The sound that a sheep makes) aka Babbles Born: April 27,2004 Charcoal Veriberk Double Velveteen Dumbo Doe (dark eyes) Her coat was black before the first shedding, now it's more of a lighter charcoal color. Her shedding is indicative to being a Double Rex, but her coat and whiskers are the same as her Velveteen sisters Personality: Very friendly and outgoing. Half the time she seems torn between staying with me and sitting on my arm, or taking off to make the rounds around the Ratroom one more time RIP BaaBaa July 09,2006 Late on-set Myco and Tumors in old age |
 Shown here at 7 months old  Shown here at 6 weeks old, 92 grams | SPAZ Brie Anne "Brie" (just a really pretty name that I've wanted to use for a long time. This little girl suits the name Brie to a "T") aka Cheeze Pleeze Born: April 27.2004 Platinum Merle Bareback Velveteen Dumbo Doe (dark eyes) Look at that Bareback marking. Is that not perfection? Personality: Brie is a non-conformist and continues to defy pinning during the difficult introductions to the big girls' cage. She's gotten the most war wounds during the scuffles. Friendly and outgoing, she is just a sweetheart Brie is mom to the "Cheeze Nips" Litter. Brie was bred to "Shireling's Took" in Saskatoon RIP Brie January 14,2006 I had Brie and her cage mates free-ranging for two days. On the second night, after assuming that all was well during that day, I had checked on the girls at 9:00pm to find Brie circling and in great distress. At first I thought she was in shock from a leg injury, as evidenced by swelling of the thigh and abrasion on top of the foot. The leg dragged limply behind her. On further investigation I realized that Brie had had a massive stroke and the leg injury was due to paralysis, and that she had dragged the leg around all night. Brie's condition deteriorated over the next few hours and she died in my arms at 2:55am |
 Shown here at 7 months old  Shown here at 6 weeks old, 96 grams | SPAZ Dalleh Lamba "Dalleh" (sounds like "Dolly", "b" is silent. Dalleh's hourglass headspot reminded me of time...wisdom...the Dalai Lama, and "Lamba" to get in something else for the sheep theme) aka Dolly Born: April 27,2004 Slate Blue Capped w/headspot Velveteen Dumbo Doe (red eyes) Dalleh's headspot is shaped like an hourglass. Her color was just like that of her sisters Brie and Delta when they were younger but, whereas Brie and Delta retained the Pearl Merle color, Dalleh's color went Slate Blue Personality: Dalleh is sweet and shy and would like nothing more then hanging around me for protection. A friend used the expression, "she's a lover, not a fighter" when referring to one of her dogs, and Dalleh suits this expression to a "T". She avoids confrontation and seems nervous and overly cautious during free-range. If I'm not in the room, Dalleh can be found hiding high up on the leg rungs, out of the way of trouble. As far as Dalleh is concerned, trouble comes in many forms RIP Dalleh February 06,2006 Chronic Myco |
 Shown here at 7 months old  Shown here at 6 weeks old, 102 grams | SPAZ Kiisi Mea "Kiisi" (yes, I decided to change the spelling from Kissi to Kiisi, because my fingers kept typing it that way. Either way it's still pronounced "Kissy". Kiisi is the biggest ratlet of the litter, and named after another big doe rat from the Ratlist, named "Kissy") aka Kiss Me Born: April 27,2004 Pearl Patched Velveteen Dumbo Doe (ruby eyes) Kiisi started out as a Ruby-eyed White, but at 5 weeks of age pearl color started coming into her coat. Right now she has a beautiful point of color on her muzzle and nowhere else. Kiisi never lost her coat like her other pure white siblings did Personality: Kiisi suits her name by being ultra friendly. She's still the biggest of all the girls RIP Kiisi December 14,2005 Massive stroke |
 Shown here at 7 months old Laina has a full coat, but it's so short, and so fine that she looks naked  Shown here at 6 weeks old, 90 grams  Laina, at 3 weeks old, is losing her coat | SPAZ Laina Lynn "Laina" (another name for my sheep theme. Sounds like Lanolin which is the oil found in sheep's wool) aka Wing Nut Born: April 27,2004 Pearl Patched Double Velveteen Dumbo Doe (dark eyes) Update, July 3, Laina is a Pearl Broken-capped with 3 spots of color on her face and behind her ear Laina started out as a Black-eyed White, but at 5 weeks of age pearl color started coming into her coat. She had a cap of color on top of her head which was split in two by a wide, diagonal, lightning blaze of white. Now she has a couple pearl patches on her face and head. Personality: Laina is the loose wing nut, the fruit cake, the Daffy Duck "Whoo-hoo", of this litter. She's quick like the lightning blaze, slippery like the lanolin, and just a wild and crazy gal. She's friendly, bold, adventurous, reckless, and undisciplined. Trouble in the making. During the babies' very first free-range, Laina was racing hither and yon about the room (no fear at all), bowling over her siblings in her wake, pestering her mother (crawling under her and getting in her face when Natty is trying to eat something, following her everywhere), pop-corning in the corners of the room.... And, of all things, Laina is mounting her mom and her sisters! Is this the behavior of an Alpha wanna be????? Or something else???? RIP Laina December 24,2005 I found Laina dead in the cage. She had a tumor but it didn't seem possible that this small tumor would be the death of her. Laina was almost hairless and upon further investigation I found 6 more tumors inside her body. Suspect malignacy. |
 Shown here at 7 months old  Shown here at 6 weeks old, 84 grams | SPAZ Luna Moon "Luna" (with platinum color just on her head, it made her look like "The Man in the Moon") aka Luney, Luney Toon Born: April 27,2004 Platinum Merle Bareback Velveteen Dumbo Doe (dark eyes) Luna started out as a Pearl, but at 5 weeks of age light merling started coming out in the pearl coloring of her coat, then, as she got older, the Merle faded As you can see Luna's coloring is still changing, but take a good look at her face. Do you see what I see? I see a lamb's face and head....and is she really smiling? Personality: Luna likes to have fun, like her sister Laina, but she's no where near as crazy. At least Luna has manners and discipline on her side. Just a sweety RIP Luna February 18,2006 Uterine tumor |
 Shown here at 7 months old Minni's coat is just like her sister Laina's coat, a full coat, but it's so short, and so fine that she looks naked  Shown here at 6 weeks old, 88 grams  Minni, at 3 weeks old, is losing her coat | SPAZ Minni Mee "Minni" (so named because she is the smallest of the "pure white" babies) aka Min Pin, Minny Moo Born: April 27,2004 Pearl Patched Double Velveteen Dumbo Doe (Ruby eyes) Update, July 3, Minni is a Pearl Patched with 2 patches of color, one on her face, and one behind her ear, both on the right side. Same color and marking as her Daddy, only on the opposite side. Minni started out as a Ruby-eyed White, but at 5 weeks of age pearl color started coming into her coat. At first she had a cap of color on her face and head. And she was still bald on top of her head. As an adult Minni's color finished off her facial marking with a mask that looks like a heart around her eyes to the tip of her nose. Her Velveteen coat is short, curly, and course, and her whiskers are very kinky. She looks and feels much different then her Velveteen sisters Personality: Minni has taken the soft, squishy, fluffy, gentleness of her mom and combined it with the beetling habit of her Dad. That is, she puts her nose to the ground and she's just constantly sniffing as she covers ground. RIP Minni July 10,2006 Minni had a Myco flare-up early in life that left her with perminate head-tilt. And then late on-set Myco in old age. |
 Shown here at 7 months old  Shown here at 6 weeks old, 92 grams | SPAZ Misti Blue "Misti" (Misti's pearl color covers the tips of her white coat like a fine blue mist at daybreak) aka Al'right Missy Born: April 27,2004 Pearl Veriberk Velveteen Dumbo Doe (dark eyes) Misti started out as a Pearl, but at 5 weeks of age light merling started coming out in the pearl coloring of her coat, but only on her face. As Misti got older, the Merling faded until her coloring became a fine misty blue all over her body Personality: Friendly and outgoing, just a sweet little girl. RIP Misty May 20,2006 Late on-set Myco in old age |
 Shown here at 7 months old  Shown here at 6 weeks old, 92 grams  Romy, at 3 weeks old, is losing his coat | SPAZ CD Romy "Romy" (named for all the time that I spend at the computer) aka CD, Romulan Born: April 27,2004 Red-eyed White (REW) Double Velveteen Dumbo Buck His Velveteen coat is short, curly, and course, and his whiskers are very kinky. He looks and feels much different then his Velveteen sisters Romy is the one and only boy in the litter. Can you imagine being the only boy in a family of 9 sisters? ...Ugh! At 5.5 weeks old Romy was separated from his mom and sisters and is now living with one of my males who lived alone for a year due to his grouchiness towards other adult male rats. Jett and Romy are getting along famously and after a few days I have found them now cuddling together Personality: Romy is a lovely little boy. Outgoing, friendly, and cheeky. As did his dad, when he was Romy's age, Romy loves the game of running up and down the length of my arm, taking brief pauses to rest on my shoulder Romy fathered Isabelle's litter of Shireling's Rattery RIP Romy June 28,2006 Late on-set Myco in old age |
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SPAZ Delta Dawn "Delta" (Delta was the first baby to open her eyes and see a new dawn. Her eyes were starting to open when she was only 12 days old, 2 days before the rest of her litter) aka Dawny Born: April 24,2004 Platinum Merle Bareback Velveteen Dumbo Doe (dark eyes) I'm glad that Delta's Merle spots are different from her sister's (Brie) spots or I'd never be able to tell these girls apart Personality: Delta, better known as Dawny, is oh so sweet, and friendly, and loves climbing around on me. Her favorite spot is on top of my head. |  |
Delta at 6 weeks old |
