It's interesting to note that the #1 item on my To-Do list today was "Put down your pet rat".

I know its pretty funny to note that I even have a pet rat at 20 years of age, but I do. I bought Herman when I was 18 on impulse at the mall and didn't think much about the long run of owning a rat at the time of purchase.

Rats are actually pretty cool pets. They are much more intelligent than other rodents. Mice, gerbils, hamsters are relatively incapable of forming bonds with humans, whereas rats can. Rats also can be trained to do things, kind of in the way dogs can, but to a lesser extent due to brain size limitations.

That being said, if you are over the age of 12 I wouldn't recommend buying one. They aren't all that entertaining after a month or 2. While they do keep themselves clean, you would need to clean out the cage multiple times per week and occasionally give him baths or it will get pretty smelly. They also need some room to run around and some things in their environment that they can do that will challenge them somewhat. I know people that have had pet rats that were trained to freely run around the house and come to the owner when called. Herman didn't get this training and whenever I let him run loose he would chew on clothes, wires, and other important stuff that you dont usually like to have bitten.

So after 2 years, he will be put down today because he has cancerous tumors that are making him pretty sick and I am moving away on Sunday. I figure it would be best to put him down rather than take him with me.

I brainstormed with some friends the methods in which I could dispose of him. Some pretty violent ideas were thrown around that would be painless but after a few seconds of thought I am just going to pay the $10 for the vet to inject him for obvious reasons.

So, if anyone in the world is still reading up to this point: I haven't played too much in the way of poker lately. Working on LeggoPoker, packing, and getting things done around the house in order to move have been more of a priority for me. I start school next Wednesday after I move in on Sunday/Monday to my new Bachelor Apartment in downtown Halifax. It's going to be a good year. I plan on playing SOME poker when I have time, but school, leggo, and social activities will probably not leave much time. I will make a post after I make the move!