I haven't eaten at all today!

As soon as I got up, I headed into Earlestown with Dad to do some shopping for the rats - they needed more food and I also wanted to see if I could pick up some rodent shampoo, but Wilkinson's doesn't sell any. I'll have to pick some up on Tuesday instead, when I go to St Helens.

When I got back, I cleaned out both cages, which took me a little while. Boffin and Barnaby were easy enough; I just had to hand-wash their quilt because we're low on electric, and then put in some of the usual bedding in the meantime. Thelma took a little while longer because her cage is bigger and she has this annoying habit of winding strands of bedding around the bars of her cage. They hang down like shredded drapes; like some scene from a horror film. I don't know how the hell she manages it.

So I had to rat-proof the kitchen and let her scurry about on the floor while I handpicked these strands and scrubbed her cage clean - a fidgety task when you have to navigate your wrists around two tiers and a couple of ramps. But she was surprisingly well-behaved about the whole thing! Seriously, she just wandered about, in and out of her rustle tunnel, standing on my feet... I was quite chuffed. Normally I'm really paranoid that they'll get into some crevice somewhere and never come out but Thelma put me right at ease.

I think she confuses housekeeping times with cuddle times though. When I was knelt on the kitchen floor, picking the strands from her cage, she was sniffing at my face, licking me, climbing all over me. It was adorable C: She's such a good girl. And Boffin and Barnaby have gotten much better since I first got them!

So I may be starving because I've been 100% focused on my babies today, but it's totally worth it! Now, I shall go eat. Afterwards, I'll tidy up the living room and get Boffin and Barnaby out.