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Shave their names into their fur
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Feb 7, 2017 01:21
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Lunchmeat Larry posted:Shave their names into their fur .
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Feb 7, 2017 04:31
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Is it normal/okay for rats to get "eye boogers" of porphryn? My double rex keeps getting them every other night or so but they clear up/have been groomed away by morning. Also, she's still sneezing a bit but is much more active/friendly with her other rats (every night is a cuddle pile and every morning she's right up at the cage wall to say 'Hello!'  ) It's been over a week now since I've had her. Are her sneezes still just new cage sniffles or should I be more worried?
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Feb 7, 2017 18:04
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Porphyrin is generally a sign of stress and/or illness. Don't panic, though - it doesn't have to be a really serious illness, or really serious stress. If you've only had her for a week, it's probably just stress about her changing environment. Absent any other obvious health issues, just keep an eye on her for a while and if it doesn't clear up after another week or two then you might want to take her to the vet. Otherwise, I wouldn't worry about it.
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Feb 7, 2017 20:20
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I have a double critter nation cage, and a while back I put some lengths of cardboard tube in there. One of the girls (Bee) has taken to picking up a tube by one end and dragging it in circles all around the cage, up and down the ramps, over and over. It must be awfully fun because I can't see any other reason for it, but it's pretty entertaining to watch. I just wish she didn't stop every time I got my camera out.
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Feb 12, 2017 04:02
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Nettles Coterie posted:I have a double critter nation cage, and a while back I put some lengths of cardboard tube in there. One of the girls (Bee) has taken to picking up a tube by one end and dragging it in circles all around the cage, up and down the ramps, over and over. It must be awfully fun because I can't see any other reason for it, but it's pretty entertaining to watch. I just wish she didn't stop every time I got my camera out.
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Feb 12, 2017 14:51
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this site doesn't deserve my cute pet pics
Guy Mann fucked around with this message at 13:29 on Feb 24, 2019 |
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Mar 2, 2017 02:55
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One of my girls somehow managed to injure her eye pretty severely. Really no clue how she did it, because there's nothing sharp in her cage and she doesn't have any other wounds so she wasn't fighting. Because of this, at first I thought her eye might have been infected, but the vet confirmed that it was definitely an injury that did it. She was in a lot of pain for the first day, but she was doing a lot better by day two, and then I got her on painkillers so she's behaving pretty much as normal now - save that she's obviously blind on one side. Holy hell is it ever gross, though. At first it scabbed over, but that only lasted a day. Now her entire eye is clouded over a milky-white. I'll, uh... I'll spare you the pics. Poor thing. I wish I knew how she'd managed to do that to herself. 
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Mar 15, 2017 03:47
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That sucks. I wonder if they sometimes accidentally scratch their own eye while grooming? I accidentally poke myself in the eye all the time, because I am an idiot, so it's possible that your little friend did the same thing. Are they getting any better?
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Apr 28, 2017 02:30
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My double rex dumbo got herself tangled up in a t-shirt I put in their cage (she was fine, nothing actually caught)   One of my friends said it looks like she's in a baptism dress haha
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Apr 28, 2017 02:50
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pesty13480 posted:That sucks. I wonder if they sometimes accidentally scratch their own eye while grooming? I accidentally poke myself in the eye all the time, because I am an idiot, so it's possible that your little friend did the same thing. Are they getting any better? She's about as recovered as she'll ever get - completely blind in the injured eye, which has kind of "deflated" over time so that eye's always mostly-closed (the vet told me to expect this.) She also just came out of surgery... She developed at lump on her abdomen that was growing too fast to ignore. This was her third lump removal, I joked with the vet that they should have punch cards - get nine surgeries, your tenth one is free. (I wasn't completely joking, these two girls are breaking my wallet.) Other than those things, though, she's almost two and a half and behaves like a much younger rat. Still very active and full of energy.
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Apr 28, 2017 03:04
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this site doesn't deserve my cute pet pics
Guy Mann fucked around with this message at 13:29 on Feb 24, 2019 |
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Apr 28, 2017 03:07
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Well that's an uncomfortable picture.
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Apr 28, 2017 07:15
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Ears aren't wiggling, I call bullshit.
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Apr 28, 2017 07:16
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this site doesn't deserve my cute pet pics
Guy Mann fucked around with this message at 13:29 on Feb 24, 2019 |
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May 20, 2017 03:07
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I was torn between that being a dead ratty and a ratty that just passed tf out, happy to know that it ended up being a living ratty that had a bad time but is better now 
man in the eyeball hat fucked around with this message at 03:27 on May 20, 2017 |
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May 20, 2017 03:25
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Guy Mann posted:This is a rat that knows how to fuckin' PARTY Aww. I'm glad the ratty is okay. Jack Trades fucked around with this message at 05:42 on May 20, 2017 |
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May 20, 2017 03:26
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this site doesn't deserve my cute pet pics
Guy Mann fucked around with this message at 13:29 on Feb 24, 2019 |
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May 20, 2017 03:34
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Better picture of that ratty being okay.
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May 20, 2017 05:42
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About what should I expect for the upfront cost for two rats, with all the supplies and stuff?
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May 22, 2017 07:02
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Hiro Protagonist posted:About what should I expect for the upfront cost for two rats, with all the supplies and stuff? I only know prices in CAD, but... For a suitably-sized cage, you're looking at ~$80 at the low end, something like this. You'll want multiple floors and good air flow - DON'T get an aquarium. Basically, you're looking for the larger-sized hamster cages, though if you've got the room big ferret cages like this are lovely for rats. Food is relatively cheap. Pillow bags of Oxbow Regal Rat food or Living World Extrusion hamster food make a good foundation for a rat's diet if you don't feel like mixing your own feed, and have the advantage that if you get a picky eater s/he'll get all the nutrients s/he needs despite his or her pickiness. They run around $15 for a 3.5 pound bag. Rats are also great at eating leftovers if you feel like sharing with them, though that should be more of a supplemental thing. For treats, there's little in this world that rats love more than Living World Honey-Flavoured Yogurt Drops ($4). For two rats, I run through about three bags every two months or so, though obviously it depends on how often you give them treats - I give my girls a treat every night as I put them back in their cage after play time (makes getting them back much easier if they know they get a treat when it happens.) Next, you need to decorate their cage. This can be anywhere from $10-$100 depending on how extravagant you want to get. I highly recommend a hammock, even just a homemade one, though be warned you'll need to repair/replace it every now and again as it gets chewed. Some kind of wooden chew-safe structure is also nice. Rags or towels can make for good nesting material. If you want to litter train them, a small animal litter box will run around $10. Some rats love wheels, others find them useless, but if you want a wheel you need to get a big, solid one - hamster sized wheels are only good for baby rats. Finally, for bedding, avoid wood chips - get paper-based bedding like this stuff. If you want to save money, you can also make your own cage liners out of fleece or a similar material - these need to be cleaned more often, and will eventually be destroyed and need to be replaced, but overall they're less expensive than using store-bought bedding. They also make cleaning the cage easier. Hope that helps!
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May 22, 2017 17:59
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Falstaff posted:
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May 22, 2017 20:46
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Just had one of my girls, Damo, suffer what seemed to be a massive stroke. I held her in my lap while she faded away. It sucks, but honestly she lasted two and a half years. It's better than many of my past rats. Now I've gotta go dig a hole in the backyard.
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May 26, 2017 17:35
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I am very sorry to read that. Poor little Damo. I am glad that you were there for her in the end.
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May 26, 2017 18:34
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Falstaff posted:Just had one of my girls, Damo, suffer what seemed to be a massive stroke. I held her in my lap while she faded away. Happened to my 8 month old a few weeks ago. Having rats really sucks sometimes.
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May 26, 2017 18:52
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this site doesn't deserve my cute pet pics
Guy Mann fucked around with this message at 13:29 on Feb 24, 2019 |
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May 26, 2017 23:54
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Yeah, that definitely sounds like a stroke to me. I've had a few rats suffer from those. Thanks for the condolences, everyone. (8 months is way too young for a stroke... That poor little thing. )
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May 27, 2017 02:34
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First time posting in PI Using this thread and some other resources, I adopted two sweet girls in February. From when they were babies, the one in front is Cream, and the darker one in back is Coffee. Coffee is the sweetest and licks me every chance she gets- Cream is a bit bigger, a little more reserved, and mommies Coffee here and there it seems like. I love each of them to death. Starman Super DX fucked around with this message at 05:51 on Jun 13, 2017 |
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May 30, 2017 07:20
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Starman Super DX posted:First time posting in PI Very cute babies. :3
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May 30, 2017 09:29
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They're adorable! Enjoy the roller coaster ride of rat ownership. 
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May 30, 2017 18:04
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this site doesn't deserve my cute pet pics
Guy Mann fucked around with this message at 13:29 on Feb 24, 2019 |
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May 31, 2017 02:20
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what a smol babby medical emergency help my double rex is melting I guess
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Jun 2, 2017 16:06
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Guy Mann posted:Little baby Yayo is so tiny, I can't get over how small they are when they're young now that I have two big fully-grown boys to compare him to. Look at the little podgy milk belly!
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Jun 2, 2017 16:20
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sometime within the next 2-3 weeks, my husband and I will be getting three or four rats, not quite sure yet. I've been setting stuff up for about two weeks now, and we're really excited. we're able to provide a good environment for them, in a large cage with tons of enrichment and good food and no cigarette smoke! I feel like I'm going overboard with a lot of the preparations and precautions but I really want to provide the best home for our incoming fur friends. I'll post some photos of the cage set-up at some point. it's similar to a two-story critter nation cage but a bit smaller. I've made a bunch of hammocks and toys, and we're using fleece liners with an absorbent layer sewn underneath. so far I have two sets of liners made, and a material for a third. I'm going to attempt litter training and we're using blank newsprint that I've hand-shredded and it's also free so that's always fun. if it doesn't work out, then they'll just have stuff to shred.  just waiting for 20lbs of oxbow to come in, along with other supplies! going to make a custom mix to supplement the oxbow a bit and dehydrate some fruits and vegetables myself. I will be using store-bought water but I was curious, because I have fish who need dechlorinated water: would the dechlorination drops that I use for my aquarium work for drinking water??? I'd rather be safe with store-bought water but I haven't come across any information on that yet. (is this the joy normal couples feel when they have kids because it's amazing WE'RE SO EXCITED)
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Jun 12, 2017 05:40
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Tap water is normally fine for rats, unless you live in an area with gross water. If you really want to treat them, you could get a water filter (it's what I do). Much cheaper than store-bought water. I honestly don't know anything regarding dechlorination drops or the quality of water it would produce, so I can't help you there.
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Jun 12, 2017 05:55
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The other night one of my housemates took Myia out and let her play on the kitchen table, then introduced her to Oreos.
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Jun 22, 2017 20:56
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Smaslug is 2 and a half, just recovered from bacterial pneumonia like it was nothing, and is the most affectionate rat in the world
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Jun 22, 2017 21:26
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Aww, I love all your ratties. 
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Jun 22, 2017 21:38
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we had our two girls for 4 days and one of them 'suddenly' developed a respiratory infection and got bad really loving fast within the past 12 hours. she wasn't eating or drinking and she lost a lot of weight that I suppose I didn't notice because she's smaller to begin with. we were up all night holding her so she could stay warm and tried to get her to drink from a syringe, a spoon, a finger... I left them with a vet about an hour ago, I took them both because the other one was sneezing a lot still and I think they'd be better off together, and I hope they will get better but I've been crying since 1am and haven't slept and I feel so loving bad I've been cleaning the cage daily and changed out the liner and didn't let them wallow in a pee nest and it still wasn't enough and I'm assuming she was just sick before we got her but why. why why why I knew about the new-home sniffles and sneezes so I brushed it off because she wasn't discharging porphyrin, her breathing didn't sound bad until like midnight last night, she wasn't lethargic until yesterday afternoon, goddamn it! gently caress!
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Jun 23, 2017 15:42
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The Snoo posted:we had our two girls for 4 days and one of them 'suddenly' developed a respiratory infection and got bad really loving fast within the past 12 hours. she wasn't eating or drinking and she lost a lot of weight that I suppose I didn't notice because she's smaller to begin with. we were up all night holding her so she could stay warm and tried to get her to drink from a syringe, a spoon, a finger... I left them with a vet about an hour ago, I took them both because the other one was sneezing a lot still and I think they'd be better off together, and I hope they will get better but I've been crying since 1am and haven't slept and I feel so loving bad You've done all you can and they're in the best possible place to be with the best possible chance they have - my old girl in the gif above came down with pneumonia and went from her totally usual, slightly sneezy self to nearly comatose and trying to crawl off to die overnight, and we realistically didn't expect her to pull through, but getting them to the vet in that first <24 hours gives them the best chance possible. It doesn't sound like anything that could possibly have resulted from anything you've done.
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Jun 23, 2017 15:54
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