There are a clever new duo in Pets Corner. Have you met Elsa and Anna? These two adorable youngsters are our Dumbo Rats, a breed of fancy rat known named for their large, low-set ears. The two sisters are settling in well to Pets Corner and can often be seen greeting visitors (between naps!). Despite a reputation to the contrary, rats are extremely clean animals and have been domesticated for hundreds of years. Clever, curious and extremely sociable, rats make wonderful pets and a group of rats is called a mischief! You can find out more about Dumbo Rats and other fancy varieties from the National Fancy Rat Society.
Today, the fields are bathed in warm sunshine and you could be forgiven for thinking it was still summer. As we begin October, we’re holding onto the mild weather, but there’s an autumnal feel creeping in. Shadows grow longer (as do those fleeces!) and the summer’s glut of flowers and early fruit have given way to the last of the bright red rose hips and rowan berries. Our deciduous trees are just starting to lose their leaves in bold displays of golds and reds. There’s a chill to the air in the mornings and evenings and forecasters tell us colder, blusterier and wetter weather is on its way. But for now, the early days of Autumn are looking beautiful. Get outdoors and make the most of them!