To Rebecca and all!
Thought you might be interested to know that I used the information on
the Photographic Exhibition of Vivisection as the main focus of a
point-of-view piece in an English SAC for Yr 12 English. I wasn't
going to write about such a grizzly subject at first, but then I
realised that one of the reasons the issue hasn't been dealt with
publicly is becoz people don't want to see or hear about such barbaric
practices simply becoz they are upsetting and so the issue
inadvertently gets swept under the rug. So I've written it and am
waiting with interest to see what the panel of english teachers at my
school has to say about it as it's a very contraversial issue!

Also, I just read your article on male rats and would like to say that
it is very well written! I absolutely love male rats - sorry girls,
but when it comes to the rat world, I'm sexist! Don't get me wrong, I
like females, I have three girls and 1 boy, but the males are just so
fun-loving and giving and less heart breaking, because they don't get
much wrong with them medically. When you buy a female rat, you expect
mammary tumours, but when you get a male rat, you accept the
possibility that maybe, just maybe, he might get an aggression problem
and need to be neutered (hey presto! all fixed!) or he may get back
leg paralysis as an old guy, but nothing too heart wrenching. Oh, and
the other thing is that a male rat smells GREAT! Some days they smell
slightly pepperminty, other days they smell like warm toast. Their
personalities are less mature than females too. A female rat may be
playful while she's young, but they tend to wise up once they're full
grown, whereas a male rat never loses his playfulness. Right up until
old age he's still playing tag with you and getting the silly's when
you tickle him. He respects your property more than a female - if you
give him things to chew in his cage and give him a little nudge when
he investigates your clothes a bit too much, he gets the point and
rarely destroys anything. A female on the other hand might appear to
get the point when your watching her, but leave the room and you'll
come back to find your bedspread suddenly has some attractive
ventilation holes in it and that $500 bonus cheque from work is
sitting in neat little pieces on your desk.
Also, isn't it nice to have your affectionate little bloke tucked
lovingly under your chin bruxing while you're watching TV instead of
hopping around the loungeroom yelling because Madam Claws is
scrabbling her way down the flesh of your back with glee in between
romping around the couch having a great time?!

Ahh...I love male rats :)

Megan