Today

Didn't get a ton done today, but did get the basement a tad more organized.  Moved three of the rats out of their regular cages and into the stacked cages, clearing off table 2 and part of table 3.  Moved Keisa's cage onto table 2, clearing off table 1.  Moved the rats from table 3 to table 2 -- clearing off table 3.  So, basically, I cleared off two tables.  And no, they're not really numbered -- for explanation it just was easier.

So then I had a crapload of supplies and stuff I needed to dig through originally on table 1 -- moved that stuff to table 3.

Cleaned out Juno's cage and put in the shredded bedding as well as Jessie's cage, with new bedding and added some toys and stuff.  Gave them their meds, which neither was crazy about.  Though Juno did lick some of the remaining med off of my finger when I was sticking him back in his cage.  Both of those cages are now on the table that's way off to the side, to keep them a bit away from the others.

Juno chowing down after I cleaned his cage and gave him more food -- you can see one of his skin wounds, poor thing (he has a bacterial skin infection with an unknown underlying cause)

My "to clean" pile has grown exponentially so I'll have to get to that eventually.  Plus, I never cleaned or went through the cages/supplies that Jim donated the last time he came here.  Need to do that.  Came to realize today that we have a LOT of stuff down there.  Looks like it's time again to go through everything and figure out what to sell and what to keep.  Cause surely I don't use every last thing we have.  Some stuff can probably be thrown away even.  So that'll be soon (looking through all of that).

So, back to the rat-stand for a moment.  Had a chance to go to Walmart today and bought a lot of rattie things.  Stuff I could live without, no doubt, but bought some things so I could deck out their new cages.  Also, initially, I was going to cable-tie the cages to the stand, but then I thought, well, if someone was here and wanted to see a rat in the bottom cage, I'd like to be able to just pull that cage off the stand and set it on a table..... so I made little wire contraptions that loop around the back corners of the cage and the back posts of the stand and snap together....so that'll be easy enough to unsnap if someone wants to see a lower-caged rat, but at the same time, it'll keep the cages on the stand.

Rat-stand with three cages.  Technically could add a fourth cage if I wanted to buy one, but I think it'd be slightly out of reach.  Cause you know, I'm a bit short.

Top cage.  Donated hammock, cause the rats will destroy it anyways, so I may as well start this cage off with one that I don't absolutely love.  Gravity feeder in the back right, coconut-hanging thing that I made right-front, bowl of lab blocks front left.  Cat-toy-ball is the pink thing in the middle.  The rat is all the way in the back right upper corner -- he's a fawn-hooded white.  Sweet rat.  Last male out of the 14 rats we got from AWL.

So, this cage got one of my actual "chin" hammocks.  Also gave the ratties a little ladder to help them get in the hammock.  Built them a little coconut thingie as well.  Don't have a gravity feeder for this one, so they just have a big bowl in the back with their food.  Got a perch in there, a hanging chew thingie, a hidey log, and their yellow cat-ball.  And, not shown, they now also have a bowl of lab blocks.  These rats are the last two females from the 14 from the AWL -- the one is a black hooded and the other is a light-fawn hooded.

Bottom cage.  Again, got one of my chin-hammocks.  Also got one of the bird perches, this one had never been used.  Made them another coconut thing.  I don't know what I think they're going to do with them, the rats are bigger than the coconuts, but maybe they can climb on them. Gave them a ladder, a little hidey tunnel, and there is a cat ball in there somewhere.  And a gravity feeder in back.  And, not shown, but they now have a bowl of lab blocks.  Have to say, I am thrilled to get these girls into a cage where they don't have access to shavings -- these girls would pile their food dishes and gravity feeder high with shavings -- as if they were trying to "hide" their food from others.  But it was a pain cause it was like they'd hide it and then not be able to "find" it later. Well, that can't happen here.  Oh, and they have one of those birdie foraging boxes (front left) so maybe they'll use their brains with that.  These rats are Spots (white with black hood) and Princess (white with fawn food).  They have been here for awhile, not much interest in them at all.

 Well, that's about it for today.  Not likely to get much done tomorrow cause I'll be out most of the day/night, but maybe something minor will get done.