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The Ratty Fun Pages |
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The Ratty Fun Pages |
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| RiffRaff
(Roofie) Black hooded 1.5.2001 - 30.9.2003 |
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RiffRaff was adopted from bRatpack and RatmanDU Rattery to be friends for Motley and Bokeh. Officially named RiffRaff, he was quickly nicknamed RiffRaff RoofRat due to his penchant for leaping onto The Grotto roof every time the door was open. He soon became known as just Roofie, or Roof, or sometimes Roofus.
Roofie was one funny rat! He looked funny... with his overly large furry muzzle and squishy jowls, and his soft rexy butt where all the black guard hairs disappeared in his old age. He even walked funny... a kind of loping hoppy waddle that was distinctly Roof. His nature was all innocence and simple lovable devotion... he was happy to just park himself on my lap to groom while I read my book. And he loved to have his rexy butt scritched and he'd madly lick my hand, and then groom me gently with his teeth. He endured rampant drive-by groomings from Bokeh with dignity (and barbered fur on his neck) and even at the age of 2 1/2 they would still pounce and wrestle together like ratlets.
He was also known, somewhat
notoriously, as Roof The Tooth. After he turned 2 years old, he suddenly
decided he was going to shred the world. He chewed on everything,
and as I look around the house I see little reminders of The Tooth everywhere...
on the wine rack, my new bookshelf, the skirting boards, the CD shelf,
the wardrobe door. I remember all the exasperated yells of "Bad
Baaaad Roof!" as he worked,
but now seeing all his toothy efforts just makes me smile.
Even in old age, Roofie remained a cheerful, active, boisterous, healthy and playful rat. He was taken from us suddenly and unexpectedly by a stroke, which despite his efforts at recovery, was just too much for him in the end.
Roofie gave us so much joy and enthusiasm and soft fuzzy cuddles and humour and love. We will miss his unique Roofiness.
RiffRaff at 6 weeks of age
His unusual striped butt
markings
"The Little Fuzz" - Bokeh,
Motley and RiffRaff
Roofaccino
Roofie's starved waif look
Roofie's adorable whiskery
grimace
Bokeh and Roofie beg to
be let out to run
Just one...
Please cuddle me
A charming old fuzz
I had the unenviable fun of having two moles surgically removed yesterday... one off my fore arm, one off the lower part of my calf. Of course, this involved local anaesthetic and the areas were numb and covered in a waterproof dressing.
Walking into the rat room was like being tossed to the lions. Every whiskery nose in the place was immediately and desperately drawn to the dressings. They all wanted to be UNDER the dressings and I spent a good deal of time removing power sniffing rodents from my arm and leg. I finally decided that distraction was my only option and tossed them a book I was reading (they love to sniff and nibble my books).
Finally I had removed enough attached fuzz to go about my work. i.e. cleaning The Grotto. I was cleaning the top shelf and feeling quite pleased with my ability to distract the boys, when something in my peripheral vision caught my eye. I looked down in horror to find that Roof was leaning up against my calf and delicately peeling off the dressing!! Of course, with my leg being numb, I didn't feel him there! Who knows how long he'd been at his task! If I hadn't noticed him until later he may well have removed the stitches and all! So beware! Rats enjoy performing surgery.
This rhyme is sung to "Rockabye baby" and inspired by the adventures of a beastly RiffRaff RoofRat.
Chew away Roofie on the fleece
soft
Chew on the thing that holds
you aloft
When the hooks break the
hammock will fall
Down will come Roofie, Mote,
Boke and all.
Roofie (RiffRaff) has the funniest walk... he's always hopped rather than swaggered like a normal buck. He has this very graceful way about him... all fluid movements combined with comical joyful leaps.
We were watching him run about the loungeroom floor last night and realised he'd walk normally for awhile and then suddenly hop once before walking normally again. It looked so much like he was cruising along and hit a speed bump on the floor. None of the other rats seem to hit these invisible speed bumps though. I guess this is just another one of Roofie's infinite charms.
I bought a new pine bookshelf for the living room. I laboriously sanded it smooth, stained it lovingly to a nice dark cedar, and gave it several coats of a clear matte sealant. It looked spectacular when I moved it into place. I admired it. I smiled proudly at my handiwork.
That night, Roofie also noticed the new bookshelf. He admired it. He took a few chunks out of it with his itchy teeth. Then he too smiled proudly at his handiwork.
I picked him up and scolded him "Arrggghhhh!!! You BEAST!". He cowered and gave me that adorably innocent and completely irrestistible "Don't you love me?" expression. I crumbed. I felt horrible. I cuddled him.
Why is it that *I* should feel bad when Roofie does something naughty?
More tales of RiffRaff and his friends on the Ratty Ramblings page.
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All photographs, graphics and text on this website are Copyright © The Dapper Rat, 2000-2012. All rights reserved.