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Kenneth got a buddy! Here's a few photos I just took of them with my iPhone. I thought they looked better in black and white Jack is the new guy at the bottom. He's all cream with a white tummy and dark red eyes. It's a real kick rear end color combo! Looks just like his daddy! 
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Dec 23, 2010 00:47
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Agh, any tips on clipping their razor nails? I'm finding myself covered in itchy scratches and my hands/around my neck from them climbing around my shoulders. I can't get them to sit still for nail clipping time though 
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Dec 23, 2010 22:45
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redjenova posted:Agh, any tips on clipping their razor nails? I'm finding myself covered in itchy scratches and my hands/around my neck from them climbing around my shoulders. I can't get them to sit still for nail clipping time though Get a second pair of hands to help out, I never quite got the hang of doing it by myself with wriggly rats but always had success with someone to help me.
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Dec 23, 2010 23:07
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Edit: Ignore me, my rat is fine.
Nuggan fucked around with this message at 17:50 on Dec 28, 2010 |
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Dec 24, 2010 19:05
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Sounds like he's in some pain, I would get him looked at asap.
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Dec 24, 2010 19:50
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Christmas Wrinkles and the Mystery of the Holiday Toy Purse
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Dec 24, 2010 19:52
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redjenova posted:Agh, any tips on clipping their razor nails? When holding like this and talking to them I use a nail file to scrape a few times. A stroke or two is enough to wear them down to acceptable levels.
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Dec 25, 2010 18:41
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My black female has been showing for a few days now. Yesterday I put her in her own tank and today, she had her litter. Christmas babies, omg       There are 9 males and 5 females (huge litter for a first time mom- females are on the left, males are on the right in the pics) and most have black eyes. There are a couple of rubies thrown in, but still mostly black. We're definitely looking at almost exclusively VERY minimally marked high-whites in this litter, and I absolutely can't wait to see how their markings turn out. I've wanted a RB based black eyed white for over half of my life, never managed to get one, and if I get one (or something so minimally marked it might as well be BEW) I'm keeping it as a pet. For some reason safe BEW's have always been my absolute dream rats, and I am so hoping I get one in this litter, and from the way I've planned it, I really should. Mom tried to bite the heck out of me and is being an awesome mom. Everyone's a bit small, which is normal for a first litter of this size, but everyone has huge milk bands and is very well fed, so they all should do great.  christmas babies
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Dec 26, 2010 03:24
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I absolutely would NEVER do it because I will never have the time or true dedication to commit to it or be responsible enough, but goodness these pictures make me want to breed rats! Can't wait to see more pictures. They are adorable!
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Dec 26, 2010 19:16
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Oh wow new babies!!!!! I can't wait to see how they grow up! I hope you get your BEW!
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Dec 27, 2010 23:49
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Welp, they're still only 3 days old so it's a bit early to be positive, but I'm as sure as I can be at this point that I got my BEW's. Two of them, a boy and a girl. Here they are next to one of their capped bro's:  And here's the whole lot:     Aside from my two probable BEW's, they're masked, split caps, and caps with large headspots. The two I think are BEW's could still develop some light markings (like I said, it's very early to tell) but judging from the rest of the litter whatever they end up with is going to be close enough to BEW that I'll probably be happy with it. Also, my mink female is starting to show and nest so I'll be moving her to a maternity tank soon. Expecting a similar outcome with her litter.
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Dec 29, 2010 01:57
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Stupid question but how on earth do you tell the color of their eyes when they are so little? A BEW would be so cute!
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Dec 29, 2010 02:29
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Big Bug Hug posted:Stupid question but how on earth do you tell the color of their eyes when they are so little? Like this:   Pink eyed babies eyes are practically invisible; the eyes themselves are pretty much the same color as their skin. Red eyed babies eyes will be sliiiiightly darker than pink. Ruby eyes appear black with a lighter center, and black eyes are, well, black. The difference between pink and black are obviously easy to tell; red and ruby just takes a little experience and practice. All of this litter has black or ruby eyes, so those pics are from a prior litter.
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Dec 29, 2010 02:41
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I hope you get your BEWs! I'm super jealous! =D they are too sweet!
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Dec 29, 2010 02:44
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Superconsndar posted:And here's the whole lot: How the gently caress did all of that fit inside one little rat? CONCLUSION: RATS ARE MAGIC
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Dec 29, 2010 05:25
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Serella posted:How the gently caress did all of that fit inside one little rat? Rat of Holding?
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Dec 30, 2010 00:47
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Hey ratladies. Coming in to get your opinions on elderly rat care.  Abigail will be (around) 30 months old in January.  She's got a pretty huge mammary tumor up between her front legs, and has recently begun showing signs of hind limb paralysis. I'm going to start her on some children's advil for that, I think. She's not showing any signs of pain, and we've been working hard to keep her weight from dropping. The tumor seems to have stopped growing, it's probably about almond-sized but rounder. At her age, I really don't want to put her through surgery for the tumor. If she starts to show pain signs we'll just take her in and say goodbye, but even that will be really stressful for her. She's not much for being handled, especially by strangers.Basically I'm asking... what would you do? Should I bother with the advil at all? Her weight is maintaining pretty well and she climbs up into the hammocks just fine. What about glucosamine-chondroitin or a b-vitamin supplement? I hesitate to cram stuff into her mouth, especially since she still gets around very well, just awkwardly. On a brighter note, Curly Brace from the same litter (we think anyway) is still spry and agile, no palpable tumors, and leaps over the babygate with ease. 
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Dec 30, 2010 05:58
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I gave my last old lady rat the glucosamine-chondroitin and she didn't seem to hate it. I got one of those pill grinders and mixed up the pill powder in some baby food. But then again, she passed away shortly after from a brain tumor so I can't really say how effective it was :/
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Dec 30, 2010 07:41
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I got my girls! They are so sweet and I am enjoying them a lot! It's exciting having rats again. Mishka (black variegated girl) is a little curiosity monster who has to be in everything you are doing, has loads of confidence and energy and has decided that her favourite thing to do is climb all over me. I've been making elaborate free-range set ups with logs and boxes and fun things to do and they don't seem to care too much - me and my dressing gown are the most fun thing to explore. Evie (black berkshire I think) is a bit less confident than her sister and I'm working on that, she seems a lot more nervous with the change in her environment and isn't so keen on being picked up. She squirms away a lot and sometimes tries to hide when I put my hand in the cage, but sometimes she's absolutely fine and very chill when I pick her up so I guess it will come with time. I think part of it is that she's more independent than her sister and so doesn't like being disturbed when she's doing something - it's not always fear. Can independent ratties ever be totally okay with being picked up against their will? I really want both of them to be very handleable. Anyway, thought I'd post some pictures! Sorry for the lovely cage they are in - they were only in there for a few days whilst I picked them up from the breeder and had loads of free range time every day to make up for it. They're now at home in a massive cage with loads of fun things to do and climb.  Mishka, climbing the bars.  Evie!  Evie being sleepy - they spend more time sleeping than I thought they would.  Not a great photo of the two of them cuddling up. Hope these photos are not too big - I'll change it if they are. I'm away for New Years so my mum is looking after them - can't wait to get home and take them to my flat and their permanent home! I love my little girlies. 
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Dec 30, 2010 14:45
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What pretty babies! My 2 boys got a Martin's cage today. I've been working really hard on getting them to chill but currently the last place they want to be is out of their cage. I've made a little play area right next to their cage but all they wanna do is climb to the outer back side of their cage and hide. any tips on getting them to enjoy the good outdoors?! Maybe it's the cats giving them issue with it?
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Dec 30, 2010 20:43
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Candy, have they only been timid since getting the new cage? It sounds like they just need some time to get used to it. I guess it could be the cats making them feel vulnerable, but aren't they used to the cats being around already? edit: I just read over your last couple of posts and seems your ratties are relatively new? They probably just need ongoing forced socialisation with you to build up their confidence. Do they seem frightened of the cats as well? I let mine interact with my cat (when he was younger) so they all got used to each other but obviously thats very dependant on the situation. My fat lazy guys got more confident with age and handling
Big Bug Hug fucked around with this message at 00:49 on Jan 2, 2011 |
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Jan 2, 2011 00:42
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Well, my two "BEW"s HAVE developed some light markings, like I figured they might. They are minimally marked enough that they can be considered poor BEWs, and if I wanted, I could breed them together and get something closer to a correct BEW, but you know what, I've been handling these guys for a week now to socialize them and I'm attached. They're close enough to what I wanted, technically BEWs, and I'm happy. Their markings will fade a bit with age anyway.    No dogs these rats are not food gently caress off  The female is the one with more prominent markings. All my pet rats are male, so I will either have the male neutered and leave them as a pair or have the female spayed and move her in with my males. Not sure yet, but probably the former because a neuter costs about half as much as a spay. Like I said, I could breed these and get even more scantily marked BEWs but these are still BEWs, and anyway that's what I get for handling them constantly and getting attached before their markings are all the way in. Guess I need to name them now.
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Jan 2, 2011 05:11
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Kovacs has been lethargic and moody on and off for a couple weeks. Sometimes he just doesn't seem to like being touched, and isn't super responsive when we scritch and cuddle, just kind of generally cranky-looking. I noticed, though, when running my hand down his body, that he'd tense up and twitch a little when my fingers hit his flanks, and once he even squeaked. (This could easily just be an unrelated response, though, since he's often the aggressor in fights, and might take flank pokes as fightin' pokes. I haven't felt any lumps, bumps, or swelling around his flanks or stomach, so..?) Usually super alert, squirmy, and trouble-making, sometimes recently he'd just sort of blandly let me pick him up and poke at him without any real response. His kisses seemed kind of "meh", too, nothing compared to the aggressive MUST KISS NOW GRABGRABGRAB of his brother Casper. Then I noticed that his poops are either small and really compact-looking, or ginormous, and I thought, oh hey-- constipation? They've mostly been just stuck with their usual kibble (Oxbow Regal Rat) for a few weeks straight, since every time we give them any sort of treat, it ends in vicious fighting. Seems logical that if they're not getting as much variety and fresh fibers, then constipation might result. Gross part: his anus seems a little distended (from straining?), and I can feel a poop backed up just inside when I probe around externally. He put up a heroic fight when I gently tried to press it out, so I guess it's pretty uncomfortable up there right now. He did poop a little bit earlier, and now seems MUCH more energetic and alert (squirming around when I pick him up, dashing for the special food I gave him-- two high-fiber Quaker Oat Squares mushed up in water and three raisins). Does it make sense that he's just constipated, or might there be something more going on? My usual vet is closed til Monday, so I won't be able to call until then. E: He pooped some more after eating the mush and raisins, so there's no more backup that I can feel. (I feel gross just typing that.) Kovacs is also crazy dandruffy right now (it's seriously disgusting), and he's been on Ivermectin for about a month to see if it's mite-related, but there's been no change. Should I maybe try some olive oil on a bit of bread, or is that mostly just good for buck grease? Does anyone have any similar experience with dandruff? He'll be going back to the vet at the end of the Ivermectin if he's still this snow-showery (and I suspect he will be), but I'm wondering what else it could be. Amiss fucked around with this message at 06:06 on Jan 2, 2011 |
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Jan 2, 2011 06:00
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My first contribution to this thread! First lets start off with PIXTURES! Click here for the full 720x540 image. These are our girlies. On the left is Kobe and the right is Pau (boyfriend named them, he is a huge Lakers fan). This is when we first brought them home from the pet store and saved them from being snake food!  Click here for the full 720x540 image. We brought them home 9/11/10, and as you can see, Kobe had already established dominance!  Click here for the full 720x540 image. This is Pau, probably about 2-3 months old at the time of the picture being taken. Her blonde fur is already fading and her snout is already getting darker, much like a Himalayan. Her favorite activity is burrowing in my ponytails.  Click here for the full 1680x1260 image. This is Pau, Christmas morning. I noticed a lump on her left side and immediately took her to the vet as soon as they opened to get it checked out. Sure enough, 4mo old Pau developed a mammary tumor. Her operation was today and she got it removed. Boy was it a nerve wracking day for the both of us.  Click here for the full 1680x1260 image. She was energetic when we picked her up, but now she is so exhausted and currently sleeping. Thankfully she hasn't attempted to pull out her staples, but I'm still keeping a close watch on her. Kobe was mopey all day because she misses her sister, and she too is sleeping, but out of boredom. Pau took her meds at 8:50 today and will take them at the same time tomorrow morning and for the next 7 days. I know this procedure is fairly simple and has a quick healing process, I am still a worried mother and I hope Pau is able to get back on her feet stealing treasures from mommy and daddy soon. I've never dealt with a rattie surgery before, so any tips on how to nurse her during recovery would be greatly appreciated!  Click here for the full 1680x1260 image. That's a good rattie! I'm so proud of you!
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Jan 4, 2011 07:21
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quote:On January 10th at 10:00 PM, tune in to the A&E Network to see the season finale episode of "Hoarders" where they will show the story of the rat hoarder and the begin of the rescue process for the over 1,000 rats who have been moved to our rescue to be put up for adoption. You can also see video trailers showing a preview of the show on Entertainment Weekly's Website.
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Jan 4, 2011 23:49
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I saw the preview of that last night. While they were showing the rats swarming around a man in an attempt to evoke horror, all I could think is how cuddly that rat pile must be.
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Jan 5, 2011 00:26
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squidtarts posted:I saw the preview of that last night. While they were showing the rats swarming around a man in an attempt to evoke horror, all I could think is how cuddly that rat pile must be. It's like the scene in Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade where they're down in the sewer with all the rats - any inkling of horror I might have had watching that was blown away when I watched a behind-the-scenes interview where they mentioned all the rats were hand-raised and totally tame. There's even some footage of Harrison Ford playing with one
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Jan 5, 2011 00:38
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Mongoloid Joe posted:That's a good rattie! I'm so proud of you! Your rats are gorgeous.
Big Bug Hug fucked around with this message at 01:44 on Jan 5, 2011 |
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Jan 5, 2011 01:42
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RazorBunny posted:There's even some footage of Harrison Ford playing with one MUST FIND.
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Jan 6, 2011 21:28
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RATS EVERYWHERE This is actually pretty disgusting.
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Jan 7, 2011 03:07
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Nice place to visit. Wouldn't want to live there....
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Jan 7, 2011 19:38
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Magic Hate Ball posted:RATS EVERYWHERE When I was really depressed I got my first rats from a pet shop. 2 females, one was pregnant. Must have ended up with about 30 in my small room. I did my best to care for them and a local rescue helped me out. I kept 16 of them in the end, it was hard but I managed. When one of them gets sick, you gotta treat them all. It gets very expensive very fast. I didnt do it on purpose like this guy. Hes seriously mentally ill
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Jan 7, 2011 20:57
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Amiss posted:MUST FIND. It's on the special features disc that came with the box set of the first three films. I think at one point he starts telling the rat what its motivation is for the scene.
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Jan 8, 2011 00:06
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I'm getting these two little beauties on the 17th, first time owning rats, I actually can't wait! 
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Jan 8, 2011 02:22
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I just got two little rats yesterday. They're part hairless, part fancy, and part rex. Their names are Harry and Marv (yep, from Home Alone 2). I got very lucky and found a local breeder. She had children that have been playing with them since they were born so they're very socialized. They're currently asleep in my lap haha. I'll get some pictures later today! Harry was the more timid of the two. He was laying in my lap a bit ago and I was gently petting him. I noticed him yawning a bit and then he started to grind his teeth quite a bit. I had a chinchilla in the past that would do this when he was scared. Harry, on the other hand, didn't appear to be scared... he was laying there letting me pet him and eventually started to fall asleep. Is this something that rats do while they're relaxed?
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Jan 8, 2011 17:55
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Zash posted:I just got two little rats yesterday. They're part hairless, part fancy, and part rex. That isn't how it works and if that's what the breeder told you she has no clue what she's doing. Congrats on the rats though.
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Jan 8, 2011 17:57
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Superconsndar posted:That isn't how it works and if that's what the breeder told you she has no clue what she's doing. Congrats on the rats though. In her ad, she said "They are Hairless, dumbo , Rex fancy Mix". Does that make a bit more sense? I'm new to the whole rat thing =P
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Jan 8, 2011 18:17
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^What Super is saying is that your breeder doesn't really know what those terms mean. ALL rats are 'Fancy'; that's not a breed term, 'Dumbo' refers to the shape of the ears and again, not a breed term, and 'half hairless half rex' isn't correct either. It sounds like your breeder doesn't really know her stuff. Zash posted:Harry was the more timid of the two. He was laying in my lap a bit ago and I was gently petting him. I noticed him yawning a bit and then he started to grind his teeth quite a bit. That actually means the rat is very content. It's called 'bruxing' and it's how rats show happiness during affection. They can also rapidly move their eyeballs in and out, called 'boggling'. This thread's got some great content regarding common rat behavior. Maybe you should start reading up. Captain Foxy fucked around with this message at 18:24 on Jan 8, 2011 |
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Jan 8, 2011 18:19
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Captain Foxy posted:^What Super is saying is that your breeder doesn't really know what those terms mean. ALL rats are 'Fancy'; that's not a breed term, 'Dumbo' refers to the shape of the ears and again, not a breed term, and 'half hairless half rex' isn't correct either. It sounds like your breeder doesn't really know her stuff. Ahh, I see what you mean. She mostly just breeds rats for pleasure so I'm not surprised. She did care for them very well though so I'm pleased! Harry definitely seems to enjoy being petted. He chatters his teeth and lays down nearly every time. Here they are in my lap.  Harry is the grey one (on top) and Marv is the grey/white one (bottom).
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Jan 8, 2011 19:17
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I hope you didn't go to a breeder for a longer-lived, healthier rat, because this breeder sounds completely irresponsible. Furthermore, why on earth would anyone get a "mix" of anything from a breeder? Isn't breeding supposed to be for purebred animals and not mixes? I know that doesn't make any sense in rat terms anyway, but come on! Please read this thread from the beginning. Good luck with your new buddies.
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Jan 8, 2011 19:51
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