[ration1802]

Alright guys and dolls, this is for those of you who shamelessly spoil your critters;

Christmas is just around the corner, and boy oh boy, amidst present shopping, sorting out who's going to who's for dinner on what day and how the heck you are going to stretch your bank balance to make it to January 1st, it's easy to forget the furballs of your family!

Now, when you consider our lovelies only live 2 to 3 years, that means that they don't get that many christmas'! Therefore! WE need to make an EXTRA special effort for them at this time of year!

What do YOU do for your rats at christmas?

My household is geared up for this time of year, so my furballs (and not-so-furballs) get extra special treatment coming up to christmas! A few rat-orientated ideas to make your rats xmas special;

* Stockings! I make sure all my rats have stockings hung up for Santa to come and give them yummy treats! (If you live in the UK, BHS do a great stocking for cats and dogs - it's small enough for el ratto's to enjoy) I then give the rats their stockings on christmas morning to explore and find their way into!

* Sugar cookies! I make special batches of TINY cookies for the furballs as treats. They seem to love them.

* Mince pies are good treats - I usually cut a mince pie into quarters and let them scoff (as a christmas eve treatie) why should Santa get all the pies? Lol

* The 'Rat Tree' - I have a collection of christmas tree ornaments, bought specifically for the rats. I have bought each of my current rats (and rats that have passed) an ornament each, that I put their name on and hang on the rats very own christmas tree. I think it's a nice way to remember those you love and have lost

* The 'BIG' one - I usually make the effort to buy a big present for free range time (as well as the odd 'maintenance present' e.g. an extra hammock here or tube there). Last year, I bought the Tower of Doom from the Early Learning Centre (it's a castle for kids aged 5+ to play with) and it's lasted the year quite happily! Plenty of rat hidey holes inside, and towers to get stuck on top of! This year, their toy is a remote controlled car (NOT to be used while moving) but more of a cute 'posey' present (ah, I can't wait to get pics of the rats with their ride)

* Wrapping paper! Come christms day, DON'T trash your paper! Shove some screwed up paper in the rats cages, they'll forget all about their presents and run amock for an hour or so hiding and jumping around in the paper

Those are my ideas, I would love some more, darnit!

 

[madeittothemoon]

Awww, those are all good ideas for Christmas! I haven't even started thinking about what I'll be getting my girls yet, but I do definitely want to get them something for free range play... I've been looking around for a cheap used dollhouse (I would let them use my old dollhouse, but it's really nice and has a lot of sentimental value, so I would prefer it not to get chewed!)

 

[glindella]

My friend and I were discussing an air-popped popcorn party, we're going to make garlands of popcorn (no butter or salt) with raisins and cranberries maybe some cheerios to hang out side the cages so the fuzzies (and her bird Hades) can enjoy the holiday cheer! (any idea for green rat/bird friendly items?)

I think our christmas pic this year will include my beardie Bubbles wearing a santa hat

 

[ration1802]

Olives? or grapes? Mine love grapes!

 

[crapola]

my family always goes out for christmas lunch (mum and i both detest cooking and my grandmother is getting on... she's 90), and i take a few ziplock bags with me to smuggle goodies home for my ratties i do this every time i go anywhere for dinner, and if i go to a friends house for a meal, they make up a "ratty bag" for me.

 

[Nightfallspy]

I would love to do things like that, Im getting them a christmas present, a ferret nation And possibly A new cage mate, but anyways, Im probably going to do treat presents like I did for they're 6 month party

 

[jellybeanqueen]

this is going to be my first christmas as a ratty owner, and all those suggestions helped me a lot!
my girls will get a ton of free range time come xmas and of course some tasty treats in their stockings...plus the stockings to use as nests during the holiday season. ;]
and maybe, just maybe, a third ratty friend! that would be the best present i could give them!

 

[rat_ratscal]

i wish i could get a third, but then there is QT so unless you get the fuzzy 3-4 weeks early its not a christmas present is it? and then when the babies can fit right through the bars of the cage your bigger rats are in, its not fun looking for them, and the cage calculator said i can only fit 2 rats : ( i asked for a ferret nation, but doubt that'll happen : (

 

[Nightfallspy]

Rascal save up your money, I'm paying 50$ to get my FN and my parents will pay the rest its on sale now too at ferret.com!

 

[rat_ratscal]

i dont have room for one anyways i only have $110-$120, and that goes toward food

 

[ration1802]

Oh! I also decided that this year I'm going to make them a good ole christmas dinner (well I'm not, I can't cook to save my life, but I'll get my mum to do it for me ) so they'll all get their roasts tatties, yorkshire puds, turkey, gravy, peas, carrots and hey...maybe i'll throw in a brussel sprout for tradition! lol

 

[rat_ratscal]

i save a bit of my dinner for my rats every day, but christmas will be extra special

 

[Star]

We had a big Christmas last year at my house. My kids were spoiled rotten! The rattie dolls got toys, treats, hammies, and holiday babyfood. I wraped things and gave them several stockings on the outside for the cage so they could chew them up (bought cheap )

This year the girls are getting their own furnature, sized down for them . and toys, treats babyfood and bedding sets! And I'm getting ordaments for all 9 of my kids at http://www.orientaltrading.com/ . They are also getting xmas duckies from there

 

[Squeak]

Thank you for all the wonderful ideas Ration 1802. I love the idea of getting an ornament and carving your rats name on them, then hanging them on the rats own Christmas tree!

My boys are gonna have the best Christmas ever! Last years Christmas was quite boring as I didn't have a clue what to do. I guess I'll be making up for it this year!

 

[Squeak]

Thank you for all the wonderful ideas Ration 1802. I love the idea of getting an ornament and carving your rats name on them, then hanging them on the rats own Christmas tree!

My boys are gonna have the best Christmas ever! Last years Christmas was quite boring as I didn't have a clue what to do. I guess I'll be making up for it this year!

 

[Kimmiekins]

We will go shopping for "the kids" (the pets) as we do every year. We buy lots of their favorite things - treats, toys, fun stuff.

As for the rescue, we will, of course, do the same as we do for our own rats, but we were contacted months ago by a woman and her 5 year old daughter who will be brining the rescues a lot of goodies come Christmas. Each year, they pick an animal charity to do this for and we were picked! We're going to have a gift for her from "the ratties", too. The best part of all is they'll be adopting from us in the future.

I think it'll be a quiet year, so everyone will have lots of people-time and goodies to enjoy. My partner will probably cook up a storm, so everyone will get their own part of Christmas Dinner.

 

[toxic_tears1990]

ooo i cant wait to buy my ratties xmas prezzies its our 1st xmas togeather.
i dunno what ill do food wise because i dunno where im spending xmas hopefully with mum coz then i can get them lots yummy stuff, (dont think dad will be keen me saving the ratties some =( ..) but mum will anyway,

what do u guys think of rat harnesses??? because i think there cute the leash is just a bit of ribbon (and it wld make free time easyer) so the leash is light and makes it easy to catch em if they sneak off (lil buggers lol)