OMG! I just found Holley's secret stash..

[Louise]

The girls were out for play time this morning.  Hannah climbed from the floor up onto the dining table three times to visit Mr. Higgins who was in his cage up there.  Holley was here usual busy self and Willow and Bogart were just hanging out.

I went to put everyone back in the cage and Holley was under the small couch, she kept sticking her head out and taunting me.  She wouldn't come out.  So, I picked up the cushions on the couch and there she was, hiding under them.  I put her back in the cage and went back to investigate the couch to make sure she hadn't been chewing anything.  What did I find?

(to be sung to the 12 days of Christmas!)

11 pasta shells,
4 bits of brocolli
3 dried cranberries
2 grape halves (1 eaten)
1 piece of pizza crust
1 bit of bagle
and a crumb of wholewheat bread!!

I know it was her, because she's always hiding under that couch!

[Anmllvr731]

Oh Louise, that's hysterical. They are so comical the way they secretly stash like that.

[SADCAT]

Oooh, we had the same thing happen last week... in the couch cushions too! Foods that had been recently placed there, foods that had been there for a little while, and foods that weren't even recognizable anymore!

[Ali]

LOL ! Naughty little Hannah!

The worst things I've found have been a nasty dried up chicken bone under the BED ! (courtesy of the boys) and a dried, sticky pool of strawberry icecream, also under the bed (courtesy of my old girls). Yum!

I bet I could feed an army for a week with the food that's hiding under the furniture in the house. It really doesn't bear thinking about.....

[Louise]

They really are hilarious!  The scary thing is this stash was in the 'non' ratty couch. It's small enough that I can cover it fairly well with a blanket and was reasonably optimistic that they weren't getting in there!

I'm scared to think what the other couch is like!!  That's the big one that's heading out to the garbage before too long.  It's my ratties playground and I hardly dare think what's going to fall out of it when we drag it outside!!

[pegc]

That is so funny!
When I finally "raided" Daisy's lair, I found:

3 chewed up corks
1 chewed up pic pen
1 AOL cd
The battery  cover from my remote                           About half a box of Kleenex
Drink coasters
Assorted junk food - popcorn, etc.

When I was a teenager, my mother called my bedroom a "rat's nest". Now I know what she meant!

[ckhs]

My girls playground is my bed room and recently i took the liner that covers the bottom of your box springs off because my Hanna and Sara would constantly disappear under the bed for hours,i can't get under there and would watch them gleefully scurry under there carrying god knows what...i was very worried they were stashing food(i feed almost all fresh )and would go back later to eat something that had spoild.The goodies that came tumbling out were unbelievable,VERY busy my girls.Im sure i made a good call.ckhs

[Dan]

WoW  

All these stories makes me scared to look and see what my babies have stashed away ....... but i am wondering what they could possibly have hidden ..... so when i get home from work ( thats where im at now ) im gonna check all their spots ....... This is just way to FUNNY !

[SADCAT]

What's not funny is when you have an infestation of carpet beatles in the house already and now they have a lovely food source to thrive on!

[Eileen]

EEEWWW! Now there's a thought!
BTW, I love your baby's picture! Veryyyy precious

[SADCAT]

EEEWWW! Now there's a thought!
BTW, I love your baby's picture! Veryyyy precious

Yep, we were kind of wondering why they wouldn't go away, and then we find all that food stashed away, gah!

Hehe, I love getting compliments on my baby's pic.

[vx]

Here is the ultimate stash.

http://www.geocities.com/Hollywood/Picture/2674/stash.html

[Ms. Jingles]

Oh Louise, I know what you're talking about. About 2 months ago, I decided to clean under Matthew's bed. Mr. Jingles had built a large beautiful nest out of Matt's hockey cards and comic books (mine from when I was a kid). He had stashed corn, carrots, nutri-blocks, sunflower seeds, grapes (now raisins), pieces of apple, paper from Matt's calendar, you name it. Needless to say there are no more hockey cards or comics under the bed but I still have to check.

I let him keep the dry stuff under the bed but I always check for fresh food.

[Yresim]

I have a simply way of avoiding this: my ratties only get fresh foods AFTER they are put away for the night.  The next day, before coming out, I remove any/all leftovers from the cage.  That way, I know they aren't hiding anything.  

Of course, this doesn't prevent my brother from "losing" his lunch bag (which often includes an apple/orange and a sandwhich or two) under or behind something!    

I always worry that the ratties are going to find and eat something that he left!  That's why the only playtime in the other rooms of the house (aside from the bathroom and art room) is either where I am in close contact with them, or where they are in a container or ball of some kind.  GGMR => GKMY (Gotta Keep My Rats...  Alive)

[Deedles]

Wow... how heavy of things can rats carry??

-Debi

[Ratty Corner]

Wow... how heavy of things can rats carry??

Depends how interesting it smells or how shiny it looks!

[amymckee]

Wow... how heavy of things can rats carry??

-Debi

My girls have run off with entire bagel halves before.

My girls hidling place is in the couch, but I cant get back there. When I first brought Rat home, he found the girls' stash, and pulled a bunch of it out for me! He found an entire pack of gum, and several yogies. They also have a ton of food- stashed piece by piece. I have seen them pull an entire small local newspaper in there, all by themselves. I have found my camera case and little plastic balls as well.

[Louise]

Yes, Willow stole half a bagel off my plate one morning, right under my nose.  It's funny to watch them try and make off with something that is big and awkward!

[emmamay]

next time you get them out leave out nuts (with shells on) and see if she stashes them, in a new place, cause she might move her secret place if she know you've found it!  and then when shes not looking find it, and then you bring the nuts out again , she stashes them and you find them, my boy moley loved this game!