It’s So Hard to Say Good-bye to Pet Rats and Tony Stark (7-19-19 #35)

Liz and Matt say a lot of good-byes to members of the rat pack, so get your tissues handy! We also talk about our favorite frog who’s splashing our way this weekend and we review Spider-man: Far From Home.

Ratty Topics – We have lost a lot of rats in the last two months, and Braveheart was the hardest. He died at a super young age of only about 4 months due to a strange neurological disorder. That was one of the hardest losses we have had to face since he was so young and it was so unexpected, plus he was one of our favorites.

We also talk about adopting new rat Tula and her challenges in recovering from surgery for mammary tumors. A few of our babies who we just got spayed also had some complications and we give you some tips on what to watch for after surgeries.

Liz updated the rat cages with some fun wooden ladders and perches – be careful to never buy pine wood toys or non-identified woods as pine is toxic to rats. Here are some links to some safe wood toys (they can be surprisingly hard to find as many manufacturers don’t disclose the type of wood.) Also, be sure to never leave rats unsupervised with new toys or any toys you are worried they could get stuck on or get strangled on.

Local Animal News – Our favorite frog is back! Kermit is singing his way into theaters this weekend in a FathomEvents special showing of the original Muppet Movie. That’s the one made before you were born, children.

And, don’t forget to brake for opossums this summer! They eat ticks by the hundreds and it is tick season, so welcome the possums to your yard and tell your neighbors to be kind to them.

Nerdy News – We review Spider-man: Far From Home and talk about our favorite moments. We also discuss the current seasons of Supergirl and Agents of SHIELD.

Liz shares some news about popular gardening games and you’ll want to be sure to keep your eye out for the release of Peace Island, a game where you play as cats on an island where humans have disappeared. Liz also talks the heart-wrenching horrors of the unfolding story on her iPhone game Love Nikki and she reviews her new PC game House Flipper (which also has a gardening aspect.)

Matt talks the pending re-release of classic vanilla World of Warcraft which has WOW fans pretty excited.

If you enjoy our podcast, please consider supporting our two favorite charities.

Small Angels Rescue, Inc., is a Frederick County, MD based 501(c)(3) non-profit, no-kill, all-volunteer organization dedicated to rescuing and re-homing gerbils, guinea pigs, hamsters, mice, and rats.

Extra Life unites thousands of players around the world in a 24 hour gaming marathon to support Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals.

Also, check out our Etsy shop if you would like to buy a rat bonding pouch handmade by Liz and visit us on Instagram (thenerdyratpodcast)

Email us questions and feedback at thenerdyrat@gmail.com !