Tell us more about yourself!

So apart from everyone being rat fanciers and keepers, I don't feel I know much about anyone apart from their rats and I like these chit chatty posts.

I'm Gillian, living in Derry in Northern Ireland, although I was born in Cork and lived there till I was about 3 months or so. I'm 28 and work as a p/t Accounts Administrator whilst studying for my second degree in Social Work. I also have a degree in English.

I'm married with a 4-year-old son! I've always loved animals, and am a vegetarian about 15 years now.

Think I already mentioned that I'm a keen equestrian, I have my own 16.3hh Irish Sport mare. I also show and occasionally breed 4 Cavalier King Charles Spaniels with a view to promoting and restoring the health of the breed through my own line, which is why I only seldom breed as my breeding dogs have to undergo routine health screening and tests and at a certain age ... anyway I digress. I've gotta Jack Russell which I do obedience and agility with. I also have a bit of a Noah's Ark going on with 2 birds, 2 hamsters, 2 cats and of course my 2 rats. And I keep coldwater fish. So quite the farm! But I love each and every one of them!

Anywhoooo that'll do for now! Your turns!

Great thread idea!
Most of you know me already - but for those who don't, my name is Laura and I'm 27. I live with my husband Karl in West Cork, though I'm from Wales originally. I lived in Wales until I was 16, when my parents moved to Ireland (and obviously, I came with them). At the time I had my first two rats, Samoth and Wilhelmina <3. I went back to Wales for university in 2001, and did my degree in Media and English. Unfortunately, financial trouble, and choosing a totally unsuitable module meant I left with exit qualifications. I got an HND basically. Karl and I met in first year, he was studying Marine Biology. Second year was when we started keeping rats. After uni we got really very involved, started showing and breeding - and spent a lot of time with a lot of other ratters, who we miss greatly since our move back here in 2008.

Fast forward to now - we're both currently unemployed, and trying to find work in this terrible climate. Unfortunately we live rurally, which is perfect in 99 ways out of 100, but bad because we're not close enough to a city to find work. Having said that we're also willing to travel if anything comes up! Sooo... while we're out of work we believe in giving as much to the community as we can, and also boosting our CVs. Currently we're both volunteering for The Children's Project in Clonakilty. That takes up a huge amount of our time, as I am the Hon. Sec. and Karl is the Treasurer. We also give up rather a lot of our time on the shop floor actually selling goods, pricing stock, window displays etc. Last work I had was as a charity shop manager, so I am well equipped.

We're also keen birdwatchers, and on the committee for BirdWatch Ireland West Cork branch. I am the web administrator and Karl is Public Relations currently, though he may become Treasurer of that too at some stage! We tend to be very busy helping new birdwatchers get started, showing them how to identify birds, and trying to help with conservation wherever we can.

I'm very keen on photography, and when I'm not doing one of the other very time consuming things - I can usually be found snapping away at some poor unsuspecting bird or plant! Wildlife and nature photography is my personal favourite, but I'll usually point a camera at just about anything, and am always after willing subjects. My goal is eventually to create a business doing photography commissions (have done a few pet and human portrait ones already), and also teaching others camera basics.

Annnd finally (sort of!) in a voluntary capacity, we also foster dogs for any rescue that needs it, with a particular eye to Japanese breeds as they can often be much more complex and need special consideration when looking for homes. This is why currently we have Lola - who is an Akita Inu x Staffordshire Bull Terrier. We also have two of our own dogs, Portia - a Shiba Inu and Dudley - a crossbreed.

I think that's everything!

xx

Nice to hear more about you both!

Well, i'm 21 next month & not wanting to get older.
I'm originally from a little village but moved to Newtownards almost 2 years ago to live with my boyfriend. I pretty much hate living here, it's over an hour drive to my parents and grandad and 40 minutes to uni.
Oh, i'm a finaly year student doing history and international studies. Uni is hard, but I love the structure it gives me. I wanted to join the police but they're not recruiting again until 2015, so i'm at a bit of a loss. I have an offer to a masters in 'violence, terrorism and security' next year, but can't afford it unless they let me change to part-time and I manage to get a job. I'm really terrified of finishing uni and not getting a job.
Despite a lot of trouble in the past, i'm pretty close to all my family now. My grandad is my best friend. My nan died last September and i've been really finding that hard. & my sister is pregnant with my first niece/nephew so that is really exciting.
We have our 8 ratties and 16 fish. I want more pets but it's not right at the minute financially and because we live in an apartment.
We may be moving to Spain for 2-3 months over summer and i'm pretty scared about the thought of it.
And, i'm getting my 3rd tattoo on 9th feb. and am SO excited about it.

Very interesting thread!
My name is Catriona, I'm 21 (22 next week ) and I live in Kilkenny with my boyfriend David. I'm originally from Dublin and lived there until I was 17 before moving to Carlow to be with my mum. I studied Fine Art in Wexford for 3 years (traveling up and back to Carlow every day) but due to financial troubles I left before the end of 3rd year.

I met Dave about 3 years ago in Carlow and we shared a house for a few months before we got together. It was a bit of a "love at first sight" situation with us. Due to a complicated start to our relationship and his mums terminal illness we decided to move to Kilkenny to be together and care for her 2 years ago. It was great at the start but I've quickly grown to hate living here. I find it very difficult to make long-lasting friendships with people and I miss the real friends I had in Dublin and Carlow.

As far as the pets go we have a bit of a farm. Rio my German Shepherd is the princess of the house and admittedly a bit spoilt. We were training in Shutzhund and Agility but it was difficult to find training classes and clubs in our area so that has sadly been put on hold for now. We also have a female ferret called Toki Wartooth, 3 winter white dwarf hamsters and 7 rats (2 female and 5 male).

I have been out of work for about a year but I like to spend my time volunteering for events such as "Out for the Weekend" and "Cat Laughs". I've also started to volunteer for groups like "Bodywise" and "Mood". I am in a "Job Club" with FAS and that has really helped me become involved with these groups. I'd recommend a "Job Club" to anyone who is out of work and need a bit of support. David is a Security Engineer and has just started a new job so things are looking up for us in that sense
I hope to be starting a Degree course in Psychology this coming September (fingers crossed I'm accepted) and I'm very excited about getting back into college life.

My free time is usually spent reading, watching movies, photography and sculpting. I've started to learn Italian and the piano as well. Gotta keep busy these days haha..
I think thats all really... Its very difficult putting your life into words lol..

Hey everyone
Well my name is Grace,im 25 and live with my fiance Eoghan and our ratties im Cork city.Originally from West Cork-Beara if anyone has heard of that.Grew up in a little village there called Eyeries,from a fishing background in a school full of farmers!Moved up here to get my Degree in Early Childhood Studies from UCC,I absolutly loved my course but wish id been more social,just didnt find much in common with the 99 other girls in my course,if i could do my time again id make the oppertunity to join more societies etc to meet people with similar interests.Working in a Montessori for the past three years so kids and animals are my two great passions always have been.We had dogs,and chickens growing up so the ratties were the first experience i had of 'alternative ' pets and it has been one of my better decisions it has to be said i want so many other pets and the Ultimate Dream is to get a house in West Cork with Eoghan,maybe set up something of my own in childcare and have the space,time and knowledge and financial freedom to have a host of animals incl but not limited to ratties,dogs,ferrets,birds(cue amazing aviary),pigs,a donkey or two...
Music,reading,and anything creative has always been really important to me too and ive realised i need to make the effort to make sure i do the things in life that make me happy and not put everything on the backburner..
Well thats me,kind of

Hi, this is indeed a great thread. My name is Katherine (what a shock!) and I'm 25. I'm from England and moved to Cork to live with my boyfriend Dave in 2009. I really missed being home at first but I met some great people and the rat club has been responsible for a lot of the good times I've had in Ireland. I've just moved back to the UK though because I got offered this great job as an animal care lecturer, working with 16 - 18 year olds, which I really love. Now I'm back here though I really miss everything I've left behind in Ireland that's just how it goes though eh, I couldn't stick my last job in Cork and there was very little else out there, and nothing with animals . Dave is still over in Cork though so I'm hoping to pop back fairly regularly.

The 7 rats came with me, we lost our old boy Monty just after Christmas though and our little mousie too . I now have 4 rescues, including Bertie, my nemesis rat and 2 boys that Laura and Karl have very kindly loaned us. Our 2 cats, Esme and Suzie are still with Dave in Cork til he moves over (hopefully) and I have my own cat Sweep over here, who I've had since I was little, he's my baby completely and utterly. It's my aim to finally get myself a dog this year because my job allows staff to bring their dogs to work, but for that I need to get sorted for somewhere to live and a car - boo! One step at a time. Of course I can't wait to have more Bongo Fury babies as well

Wow, you guys all have way more interesting lives than I do, but I'll give it a go anyway.

I'm Barbara, I'm 18 and I live in Dublin with my mam and older sister. I'm finished school and trying to get my CV in at every pet shop and animal related place I can find before I start college, where I'm hoping to do something in English as well as the Veterinary Assistant course. I have aspergers, which is why I tend to focus a lot on certain things and completely disregard others. I own three dogs, a tankful of tropical fish plus a blue crayfish, a pond out back filled with koi and frogs, a bearded dragon, and of course all my rats. In the past I've had rabbits, hamsters, gerbils, a cat and budgies. Being the main animal person in my house, I'm the one who obsessively cares for all the pets, but I don't mind it at all I also used to help out at my friend's house when she bred guinea pigs for the local pet store.

I do horse riding at the local stables, and will often go to Wicklow for Ravensdale Equestrian's mountain treks, or Timahoe for the crazy Western riding they do out there. I'm a movie obsesser, so spend a lot of time at the cinema or adding to my ridiculously large blu-ray/DVD collection, and I'm a really keen reader and writer. And so ends my tale of my life.

And that is all I have to say about me!

okay i think i'll try my hand at this even though i'm only a teenager and there isn't really much to say

my name is siofradh, i'm 16 and currently living in carlow for the past five months, but planning to move back to dublin where i was born and spent most of my life. i also lived in cork city was i was much younger. i live with my mam, baby sister (who's just 3) and our zoo! we have three cats, three rats, one dog and a foster rabbit. i've fostered a few dogs over the years aswell, mainly strays that i've found on the street wandering, or dogs from dunboyne pound - which is where we got our lurcher dilly. i've always been a mad animal lover, and i'm hoping that one day it'll be my career. i only got my first rats before christmas - two blue girls named bee and olive, and since then i've also gotten a hooded girly named whiskey and they all get on great. i'd love to own more rats but as i'm only 16, i don't really have the funds to keep many more than i have, but i'm saving for a critter nation so when i get it, i'll probably become a rat hoarder.

anyway, that's all that i can think of for now!