Programming note: I still cannot get the e-mail link that is
supposed to be in the banner above to appear. Until I can find either someone
who can fix it or a service that works, feel free to e-mail me at
pendragonsloft@yahoo.com

Escape!

Among the species represented in the Loft's menagerie is Rattus norvegicus,
the common rat. As far as caged animals go, you cannot beat a rat. They are
extremely intelligent and, unlike dimwitted hamsters forever running in circles,
they actually interact with you. They run to the side of the cage when you enter
the room. They respond to their names. Mine even bang the water bottle against
the side of the cage if my son forgets to fill it.

Brer rat is an interesting fellow but, unfortunately, his time on this Earth
is limited. We lost one of our rats about a week ago and, after the somber
ceremony in the woods we know all to well, we went to buy another rat. When I
buy my rats, I don't go to Petco or Petland where they are seen as someone's
cuddly pet. I go to the snake store where these wonderful creatures are actually
kept in bins because they are only thought of as food. In buying my rats there,
I get the warm feeling that I have saved a life and can beam at my magnanimity
every time it is my turn to clean the cage. 

The new rat is a very young gray, just a few weeks old. He is about three
inches long at looks more like a super sized mouse than a rat. We like to
socialize our young rats so we can play with them rather than get bitten when
they are older. In line with this effort, my wife was doing some work in the
kitchen with young Rand (she named him after Ayn Rand) riding on her shoulder.
Our oldest ferret often accompanies her in this manner, wrapping around her neck
and lazily observing her efforts as she cleans or does the laundry.
Unfortunately, she forgot the brer rat is not laid back. He is both
amazingly athletic and undauntedly fearless. From the comparative height of a 20
story building, he leapt.

My first indication was a blood curdling scream. I leapt to the kitchen
thinking I would discover some part of her anatomy had been hacked off in the
food processor. She explained to me what had happened and pointed to where young
Rand had taken refuge. Out of all the furniture in the house, he had to pick the
one piece that he could get under yet that could not be lifted or easily moved-
our sold wood china cabinet. Sucker must weigh 400 pounds.

I lay on the floor at one end while my wife laid at the other. I could see
his beady black eyes peering at me from just outside of my reach. As I crooned
and sweetly tried to coax him out, I weighed my options. I could try to grab him
but, he was so tiny that one miscalculation could end up with him getting badly
hurt. Did I want dead baby innards all over my hand burning an indelible
traumatic memory into my mind?

I decided to wait.