We're Not Pregnant...

...but we are expecting.

Specifically we are expecting a pair of rat babies. Rat babies that are not actually babies, they are fully mature female Rattus norvegici (is that how you make "norvegicus" plural? Anyone?), but it is more fun to call them "rat babies", and so I do. (Also, "ratkins".)

Now, those of you who know that we are already the proud parents to a pair of most excellent felines (Milktiger Kink and Krumpet Mon-Mothra) may be puzzled at this development. I don't blame you. Puzzle on, my friends. Truly, as much as I love rats (and I do- I really do love rats. It's a thing...), I probably would not, of my own volition, have adopted a pair while the kitties were still in perpetual-indoor residence. It could just lead to too many hilarious tragedies. But this is a special case, and so we make an exception.

The special case, you ask? Well, let's go back to the origin of the species. No, wait, too far- let's just go back to the origin of those rats into our lives. See, a while ago Nathan's brother Ben and his wife Heather decided that the time had come to teach their children (specifically their oldest daughter- we shall call her Thing One) responsibility towards a pet. Rats being social creatures, they got two, the other one supposedly property of Thing One's little brother, Thing Two (who is, in fact, two, and thus not really responsible for his rat).

Things were going along quite well until Ben and Heather noticed that Thing One had a truly horrific cough that never seemed to go away- except when she was at her grandparents' house, away from the rats. Yup, it looks like my poor little niece is quite allergic to her beloved pet. Much sadness all around. Ben mentions to Nathan that they are trying to find a new home for the rats (Zelda and Camilla by name) and I say, oh-so-casually, something to the effect of "Rat babies! Gimme!"

The way I see it, this is a totally do-able thing- half of our house is closed off to the kittens, so the rat babies can have their (really rather plush) cage in there. Plus they don't live more than about two years, so it's not like getting another cat. Plus, you know... rat babies.

To be completely honest, what I actually said was more along the lines of, "Hmm. It's feasible that we could take them. Let me do some research and think about it," which Nathan took to mean "Rat babies! Gimme!" and then the next thing I know Thing One is being all extra snuggly with Nathan and myself, which her mom says is probably due to "her relief that the rats are being taken by someone who will love them rather than going back to the pet shop."

And that's how I found out that we are expecting rat-babies.