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Hello, everybody. I have had two male rats that are four months old and have been very happy with them. However, I want to add one (or two) more rats and I have some questions. The store near by (I would adopt but there are never any rats for adoption in my area) has a litter of baby rats that will be ready in a few days. The dude at the pet store told me that I shouldn't introduce the baby rats to the big rats because the bigger rats will pick on the little rats. The baby rats will be two months old by then and my rats are pretty small so would it be an issue? My rats are pretty rambunctious, so it makes me a little nervous. I see lots of sites claiming it was okay and a bunch of others saying it was a bad idea. I'm probably not going to get them, but I would like to know for future reference! On the other hand, there is also a pair of six month old rats that even come with a large cage which I'm leaning towards. However, the rats are huge and I'm worried that they will start picking on my rats? However, it does come with a cage so I can keep them separated if they fight. The two large rats are a lot less animated then my current rats, and sleep all the time from what I've seen (I visit them a lot, but I guess rats are always more active at night?). Also, the original cage my rats are currently housed in is huge so I'm not worried about space. I plan on putting the rats in the bathtub to introduce them as this will act as neutral territory and then I will see how things go. If I do end up getting the baby rats, then I have a spare 10 gallon aquarium I can house them in temporarily (but as I said, I don't think I will be).
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May 6, 2013 23:03
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Ghost Party posted:Hello, everybody. I have had two male rats that are four months old and have been very happy with them. However, I want to add one (or two) more rats and I have some questions. The store near by (I would adopt but there are never any rats for adoption in my area) has a litter of baby rats that will be ready in a few days. The dude at the pet store told me that I shouldn't introduce the baby rats to the big rats because the bigger rats will pick on the little rats. The baby rats will be two months old by then and my rats are pretty small so would it be an issue? My rats are pretty rambunctious, so it makes me a little nervous. I see lots of sites claiming it was okay and a bunch of others saying it was a bad idea. I'm probably not going to get them, but I would like to know for future reference! Rats, in general, are better at accepting babies than adults. I wouldn't worry about it. Make sure to clean out the big cage so they have less stuff to fight over (and so it's easier to separate them if something does happen) and separate if they draw blood.
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May 6, 2013 23:21
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E ^^^ Thanks for beating me and being more succinct  The best rats to introduce are baby rats. They are the least likely to have issues, especially with male/male intros. The six month old rats would likely kick your current rats around, at least until a dumb rat social order is established. The quickest and least painful intro would be your current boys to babies, especially since your boys are still quite young. That's up to you though! Remember that the rats might be fine in the bathtub but not elsewhere. The thing about a neutral environment is that it can make rats behave unusually; rats that might sleep together and groom in a tub might fight when confined to a (brand new) cage. Post pics of your rats too unless you want them to explode 
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May 6, 2013 23:22
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I've been out of the country since April 26 and won't get home until May 13 and bf is refusing to take rat pix. Or it might just be because I took the camera and phone cameras aren't the best for squirming rodents. Breeder just moved, so haven't gotten updated pix of ~the babies~ yet either . BUT she posted this picture of some BEW rexes a couple days ago and it is too cute not to share. I miss my ratsies  
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May 6, 2013 23:28
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Invalid Octopus posted:I've been out of the country since April 26 and won't get home until May 13 and bf is refusing to take rat pix. Or it might just be because I took the camera and phone cameras aren't the best for squirming rodents. Breeder just moved, so haven't gotten updated pix of ~the babies~ yet either Okay, I just went EEEEEEE and *grabbyhands* at my screen. The dog lifted his head to glare at me for waking him up from his nap, and my fiancé gave me a O.o look. EEEEEE *grabbyhands* 
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May 7, 2013 00:25
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So uhhh, I found a merle rat at PETSMART the other day and about poo poo myself after I realized what I was looking a     I also scored his cagemate/possible littermate after I realized he was at least a pearl (and not a mink, like I originally thought) if not a merle (obscured by excessive white markings) himself. Pearl is US mink based and merle is linked to pearl so it's (sort of, depending on context) all the same anyway. I am just flipping out at how cool he was to find at a PETSMART. In light of this, and in light of the two spergily bred DR girls I got a couple days/weeks ago, I decided to just go buck and buy a critter nation                             I have it split into two cages, boys on bottom girls on top. The two double rexes (the girls) I have had for day/weeks and they STILL do not have names. The two merle brothers and the cinnamon (boys- the cinnamon was a feeder that was handed to me but I kept him bcause he has high-white markings) in the bottom also lack names. Gonna use these guys to do my usual black-eyed-white (the cinnamon is a collared, and both the merles have headspots and white chins, and the dumbo double rex female's skin shows a variegated or at least vari-berk pattern so she may be genetically high-white herself) thing, but MORE EXCITINGLY I can now play with merle and play with the whole pearl/merle/lethal HZ pearl thing and I am just excited as all heck to have the opportunity to go buck with rat genetics again. GONNA LEARN THINGS.
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May 7, 2013 06:11
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^^^ Awesome find! And awesome cage, of course. I still live in seething anger that my rats (Pandora) destroy fleece within a couple of days at most. Hemp bedding or cardboard looks way messier and gets everywhere.Invalid Octopus posted:I've been out of the country since April 26 and won't get home until May 13 and bf is refusing to take rat pix. Or it might just be because I took the camera and phone cameras aren't the best for squirming rodents. Breeder just moved, so haven't gotten updated pix of ~the babies~ yet either Please mail me BEWs. Please.
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May 7, 2013 06:27
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Fraction posted:^^^ Awesome find! And awesome cage, of course. I still live in seething anger that my rats (Pandora) destroy fleece within a couple of days at most. Hemp bedding or cardboard looks way messier and gets everywhere. Haha I am actually pretty dumb. Remember how I said those weren't mine? I'm pretty sure one is  . I hadn't spoken to her about the litter in...several weeks, before their eyes had opened or their coloring was obvious.
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May 7, 2013 06:53
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Oh boo to you IO. Five rats is my limit ~~unless~~ I found a BEW (or a variegated or masked) in a pet shop. Pale rats with dark eyes best rats. Not that I need more rats  If you get BEWs you better post all of the pictures.
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May 7, 2013 07:01
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Fraction posted:Oh boo to you IO. Five rats is my limit ~~unless~~ I found a BEW (or a variegated or masked) in a pet shop. Pale rats with dark eyes best rats. One will be the BEW (I'm pretty sure, I haven't confirmed with the breeder!) and the other will be one of the dumbo rexes from this litter. Uh, I also had to promise my partner that IF there is an unreserved rat with a wonderful personality when we pick the other two up, we can get her. IF. Which puts us at 6-7...gotta fill that double CN up...
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May 7, 2013 07:14
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Trimese? Is that A Breeder Thing? I have had five for months and I want more rats. Stop feeding my addiction. 
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May 7, 2013 07:21
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Fraction posted:Trimese? Is that A Breeder Thing? It's like siamese with a hood I guess? I guess some people breed especially for them, some people consider them mismarked. I didn't pick the guys based on color at all, and don't really care that much about it (though I prefer rats that look different from each other), though I am quite excited about the BEW! PS get more rats
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May 7, 2013 07:35
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My daughter and I bought a pair of male rats a couple of weeks ago, they're called Pinky and The Brain. Please excuse the dreadful cellphone pictures, they're still quite young and skittish and I didn't want to freak them out with a big noisy camera just yet. They're from a small petshop so they're semi socialised and don't bite but they still need a lot more handling to get them used to us, I'm currently buying their love with rice cakes and yoghurt and it seems to be working pretty well.  This is Brain, I think he's the alpha rat although his brother seems to be slightly braver/greedier. I've seen him literally push Pinky out of their little blanket nest to go and get food which he then steals.  This is Pinky, he's a dumbo which makes him look really worried all the time, although he's turning out to be more adventurous than his brother. They're currently in one of these cages, it's big enough for me to fit into without the shelves!  I'll try getting some decent photos of them when I can actually get them to sit still in a well lighted spot for more than three seconds.  Any advice on how to wrangle teenage rats would be much appreciated, I've had rats before but that was 15 years ago.
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May 9, 2013 08:20
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Cute rats! I hope you love to really deep scrub cages though; the wire squares in that cage make it a bitch to clean (I know from experience unfortunately). How are you finding the door access? One thing I've heard suggested for those cages is to modify the doors so they open outward rather than inward. It makes it much easier!
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May 9, 2013 08:25
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Fraction posted:Cute rats! I hope you love to really deep scrub cages though; the wire squares in that cage make it a bitch to clean (I know from experience unfortunately). How are you finding the door access? One thing I've heard suggested for those cages is to modify the doors so they open outward rather than inward. It makes it much easier! They are adorable, and getting more confident every day which is nice to see. I've laid cardboard over the mesh flooring to mitigate the worst of the ground in goop, I'm thinking of trying fleece as they seem to mostly use the bottom floor as a toilet and it falls straight through the mesh onto newspaper.  The cage doors are kind of a pain, I may well get the pliers and wire out and switch them round, although luckily they spend most of their time in the top section and the whole cage roof opens so I can get at them pretty easily (rice cakes help here, I've noticed).
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May 9, 2013 09:32
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Extra Smooth Balls posted:My daughter and I bought a pair of male rats a couple of weeks ago, they're called Pinky and The Brain. My first pair were named Pinky and the Brain too. Be prepared for absolutely everyone you meet to tell you with a snooty attitude that the original Pinky and the Brain were mice, don't you even WATCH the show?  Fraction posted:I hope you love to really deep scrub cages though; the wire squares in that cage make it a bitch to clean (I know from experience unfortunately). If at all possible, use a pressure washer on cages like this. Absolutely no scrubbing, tubs, or touching of icky things required.
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May 9, 2013 17:11
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My cage suddenly seems much shorter. It cuts my several-times-daily cleanup around the cage time down massively, since I don't have to get the hoover under the cage. I'm also using hemp bedding - cardboard doesn't get tossed out quite as easily but a poo poo ton still comes out, and the hemp bedding is much easier/quicker to clean up since I can just vacuum it. Looks slightly messier when I haven't cleaned but the required  is way down.
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May 9, 2013 17:24
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daggerdragon posted:My first pair were named Pinky and the Brain too. Be prepared for absolutely everyone you meet to tell you with a snooty attitude that the original Pinky and the Brain were mice, don't you even WATCH the show? Eh, I live in Wales, I can just leave the cage outside for five minutes and the bloody rain will do the job.
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May 9, 2013 18:27
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So I brought home a baby rat and dumped him in the cage today. For the first few hours, things were okay. He was even following around my bigger rat (Wishbone) and it was super cute. Both the rats were nuzzling him even though they did knock him down a couple of times. However, at one point he was in the corner eating food and Wishbone came over and knocked him over a bunch of times and Rocket started screeching louder then I ever heard a rat screech before. I got really worried so I took him out and moved him into a giant aquarium (I'm using a cardboard box as a lid, it's very nice looking). I know it's generally recommended to keep them separated at first, so later today I plan on getting a small cage to put next to the big cage. My question is how long should I keep them separated? I'm really worried for Rocket's safety because he is so much smaller then the other rats but I don't want him to be lonely. For now I'm just going to let them be together on the couch, but put them in separate cages the rest of the time. Also, a picture of Rocket! At some point I have to take nice pictures of my rats for you guys.  E: Noted, I'm going to stop freaking out and keep them together from now on. I forget that rats are actually pretty resilient creatures. Ghost Party fucked around with this message at 23:04 on May 11, 2013 |
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May 11, 2013 09:11
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Ghost Party posted:So I brought home a baby rat and dumped him in the cage today. For the first few hours, things were okay. He was even following around my bigger rat (Wishbone) and it was super cute. Both the rats were nuzzling him even though they did knock him down a couple of times. However, at one point he was in the corner eating food and Wishbone came over and knocked him over a bunch of times and Rocket started screeching louder then I ever heard a rat screech before. I got really worried so I took him out and moved him into a giant aquarium (I'm using a cardboard box as a lid, it's very nice looking). Break up fights if you have to (but generally only if blood is drawn should you really bother). Let them sort out their poo poo.
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May 11, 2013 20:27
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As for the squeak volume, remember that little rats are generally much bigger drama queens. I mean, indignant squeaks are par for the course, but the real couch draping tends to come from the babies.
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May 12, 2013 07:22
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Stupid rat newbie questions abound. Hello, my name is Panzer Attack and I've just become the proud owner of two rats. Long story short, I work in a vet clinic, and one of the nurses got these two ratties dumped on her and asked if I could take care of them. Being a bleeding heart animal hoarder, I said yes. They had no names and are both girls and are apparently 3 years old. They are SOOOO cute and really quite friendly for little critters that have been neglected! I try and get them out every day for a cuddle and walk around the house with them on my shoulders. What do I need to know? One of my friends told me that 3 is pretty old and not to expect too much, especially considering they're female(?), but they're so active and inquisitive! They don't seem unhealthy. I've named them Fionna (she's kinda blonde) and Cake (brown and white). Cake makes this weird chittering noise when I get her out sometimes, but apart from that they're fine. They get along really well, sleep together, eat well (I give them a rat mix with cereals and stuff in it as well as dried fruit, and chop up carrots and apples for them every couple of days) and seem like they'll kick on for a long time. They're a hell of a lot healthier than most of the mice I've owned! So I guess my questions are; - do females tend not to live as long as males? - they're living in a fairly small cage but I get them out a fair bit - is this OK? I can't afford new digs for them at the moment, unfortunately, and as horrible as it sounds... if they're not going to live very long and they've had this cage their entire lives, will they really be missing out? - is 3 pretty old? - what's the deal with the funny little guinea pig type noise that Cake makes? - should I adjust their diet at all? - right now they've got 2 beds, a big bird toy made of wood and rope, I've put a puppy Kong in there for them and they always have access to fresh water and some kind of chewy fruit or veggie. Should I be giving them more environmental enrichment?
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May 12, 2013 07:29
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If they really are 3, you should keep your eye on them for sudden tumours sprouting. Female rats are very prone to getting them. Check the rats every day, and if they suddenly get lumps they'll need to be vetted. How big is this small cage? You could look on Craigslist for something cheap but a little bigger. If the cage isn't adequate size for them it won't really be pleasant unless you're getting them out 23 hours a day. What do you mean by guinea pig sounds? For diet, what's in the rat mix? It wouldn't hurt to give them more vegetables. You could hang some hammocks if you have the space (cheapest way to this is get an old pillowcase, fold it in half and sew around the edges, and hang that). Most of my rats' lives are spent in the wheel or playing with the others. E: VVV You snooze you lose 
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May 12, 2013 07:47
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e: ^^THANKS ^^Panzer Attack posted:- do females tend not to live as long as males? Females generally don't live as long, as they get more tumors. That's okay, probably. Older rats are less active and are often content to sleep the day away, and the time outside of the cage is probably enriching enough. How small are we talking? Are there levels to the cage? It's pretty old! The chittering noise that Cake makes is probably bruxing. It's sort of like the rat equivalent of purring – they do it when they're happy or stressed! Is the rat mix a formulated rat food, or a grain mix you're making? They probably need more protein if it's the latter; check the OP. That sounds just fine. Do they have anywhere to hide? Hideaways are generally a good idea. PS post pix!!
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May 12, 2013 07:49
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Panzer- Unless the cage is really tiny I wouldn't worry too much. Especially if they're older, slower rats. How active are they? Is 3 years an estimate or info from the previous owner? (If its a guess it could be way off.) 3 years is geriatric for a rat. I would hang a hammock, as suggested. Rats loooove hammocks. Fleece can be bought cheap if you want another suggestion for materials. Just hang a big square with safety pins or something. Rats are awesome, and you are awesome for adopting them!
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May 12, 2013 11:24
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I really want to get a pair of rats but I'm currently unemployed and staying with my folks, so I think it's probably not a good idea at the moment. How much cash outlay is it generally to obtain and keep a pair of rats in comfort?
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May 12, 2013 13:43
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Tollymain posted:I really want to get a pair of rats but I'm currently unemployed and staying with my folks, so I think it's probably not a good idea at the moment. How much cash outlay is it generally to obtain and keep a pair of rats in comfort? Rats are cheap to keep - once the initial cage is purchased they need very little... until they start having health problems. Which they will. Rats are susceptible to respiratory issues and tumors. Over the years keeping rats has cost me far more in vet bills than keeping my cats. I wouldn't say they're expensive, but they cost money like any other pet. I recommend having a couple hundred put aside for vet stuff. Edit - for a quick breakdown, over 4 or so years, I've spent money on: One neuter (for hormonal aggression) $100 Two euthanasias - $100ish Many consultations - $50 - 70 each. My rats tend to go for 2 years without needing a vet, and then they'll start having health issues. I've kept 7 rats so it adds up! Antibiotics - $30 a pop, I had to buy it every few months when I had an elderly rat with a tumor. This is something you will probably need a few times if you choose to treat ill rats. Other medicines - $50 or so on occasion, I have a boy who gets an allergic conjunctivitis type thing. I'm sure there's more. Girl rats often need operations for tumors, though if you get them neutered (also costs money) the risk is less. Its not too terrible looking at it spread out over years. But you see what I'm getting at. They're not a throwaway or cheap pet if you have enough to set a little aside, go for it!(Also I'm in Australia, no idea how much vet stuff costs where you are) Edit 2: Also they are totally worth every cent
Big Bug Hug fucked around with this message at 14:59 on May 12, 2013 |
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May 12, 2013 14:45
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Any tricks to rat potty training?
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May 13, 2013 03:34
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Thanks for the responses guys! I'm finally home so took a couple of happy snaps while cleaning up their poopy litter. This is their current cage. It's small... but they don't really do much. It doesn't even have a wheel Like I said previously, I'm happy to upgrade it but it will have to be once I move as I'm po as hell right now (a couple of weeks time). That's Cake in the shot, she's adorable but the more skittish of the two. ]Cake eating a puffed corn kernel on my shoulder dawwwwww  Fionna popping her head out to say hello! She was more interested in eating than coming out for a wander. Now, to answer the questions. Big Bug Hug - hello fellow Aussie! They are kinda active, I've never had rats before so don't have a comparison point, but they're alert and generally happy to come out of the cage. The previous owner said 3 years old and she's had them since they were babies, so I guess they are. I'll look into hammocks, I've got some material at work I can possibly fashion into one! Thanks, I think they're pretty awesome! Every animal deserves a retirement home and I loving hate people that dump their old animals. Invalid Octopus - there's a few levels to the cage, as you can see. I've looked up bruxing on the interwebs and that seems to be what she's doing! She won't do it unless she's out of the cage and snuggled up around my head (I love her). The food was some normal rat food from a store with some cheerios mixed in to it - I've since looked up an Australian rat breeder's website and made them a Rattie Megamix with all sorts of fun stuff in it (it's the 28rats mix here http://28rats.com/diet). They LOOOVE it. The orange box is like a rat kennel and Fionna is always hiding in there. There's also a big igloo in the bottom tray. Thanks for the advice! Fraction - thank you! I will definitely start checking them over every day. They both seem perfectly healthy at the moment. Fionna has a little bit of tear staining around her eyes, but it might just be cos it's pretty warm in here at the moment. If it hasn't cleared up in a couple of days I'll take her to the vet at work and see what he has to say. RATS ARE THE BEST HOW DID I NOT DISCOVER THEM SOONER?! Just wish my dog would stop barking at them... when they're up close he grooms them, but when they're in the cage he yaps all the drat time!
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May 13, 2013 10:57
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They're cute! I like Cake's little nose blaze thingy. If they've never used a wheel before, they might not take to it as adults. I had two boys in a cage about that size, and as long as they get plenty of time out and about there's no urgency about upgrading.
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May 13, 2013 11:08
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Panzer Attack posted:. Cool! As soon as I saw that cage I knew you were Aussie, I had one the same. I had my first two boys in it and they were perfectly happy. I've never had a rat that liked wheels, as long as they get out to play you're good. Incidentally are you in NSW? There are lots of rat people here (and in Australia in general) and they're pretty great. If you check out australianratforum.com we often organise social gatherings where we take our rats, play with other peoples rats and breeders exchange etc. Obviously only if you're interested in meeting people obsessed with rats P.S your rats are cute Big Bug Hug fucked around with this message at 15:59 on May 13, 2013 |
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May 13, 2013 15:56
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Mr.Drf posted:Any tricks to rat potty training? Consistency. Move all the stray poops to the litterbox at least once a day. Put food bowls in the other corners (this makes a huge difference).
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May 13, 2013 17:17
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Mr.Drf posted:Any tricks to rat potty training? I'm still working on getting mine to stop pooping all over me, they're young and nervous and I'm still at the "towel over lap" stage of handling them. Shoulders are right out of the question.
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May 13, 2013 20:09
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So I went to take my rats out today and my baby is completely gone. I don't know when he escaped because the last time I opened the cage he was still in there when I closed it. It's really bizarre and I'm afraid that somebody else accidentally let him loose while I was out. But we've checked under everything and I don't see him anywhere. The problem is he could have easily gotten outside and he got out in the biggest area of the house. I'm moving the entire cage down to the basement (my room) so this can't happen again but I don't know if I'll get him back Is there anything I can do? I'm going to buy an ethical rat trap and put some food on the floor and try to bait him. I only got him a few days ago, so I don't know if he'll come back to the cage if I leave it open. He is such an awesome little dude and I'll be heartbroken if he's gone forever.
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May 13, 2013 23:13
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If he's still inside the house, he will probably try to find his cage when he gets hungry. Leave it open and somewhere he can get to it. Definitely try a humane trap if you can, too.
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May 14, 2013 00:07
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Today I remembered that I have a jumper with a nice big hood and a big front pouch thing so I decided to take the rats for a ride while I hung out the washing. They settled down after five minutes or so and seemed to enjoy their ride, they didn't even poop in the hood for which I was intensely grateful. Why are rats so hard to photograph?  King of the world!  Hey, can I eat this?
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May 14, 2013 14:00
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 Just a pic of Mooms.
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May 14, 2013 19:40
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Time to make a decision on which of these girls I'm taking home! Agouti and bigger white both appear to be velveteen. 
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May 14, 2013 22:41
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Get them all.
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May 14, 2013 22:42
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Fraction posted:Get them all. Well fine
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May 14, 2013 22:56
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