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I've got a question. I remember reading the early pages of this thread of some people treating their rats to candy, like on Halloween for example. I understand milk chocolate is an absolute no-no, but I was curious if conversation hearts for a rat could be given as a "special occasion" treat. I'm asking because I remember hearing someone from this thread hanging a lollipop from their rats cage at one point. I've got a bag full of conversation hearts from valentines, and I'm wondering if my girls would be fine if they nibbled on one.
snowdoge fucked around with this message at 04:12 on Feb 16, 2011 |
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Feb 15, 2011 23:57
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| # ? May 15, 2024 18:13 |
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Actually chocolate is not terribly bad for rats. 
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Feb 16, 2011 00:06
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Yep dark chocolate can even supposedly be good for respiratory problems. I'd give them a little dark chocolate bud each on special occasions  (I do)
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Feb 16, 2011 00:16
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I use dark chocolate chips as treats all the time. 
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Feb 16, 2011 00:50
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ok, but how about conversation hearts?..which is what I'd really like to give them...
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Feb 16, 2011 04:03
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Do male rats have that musk smell all the time? Would getting them neutered help? They were filthy at the shelter, and I gave them a bath in mild puppy shampoo, and while they smell clean now, they've still got this...odor. Just wanna make sure that's normal.
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Feb 16, 2011 04:50
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Glasgow posted:Do male rats have that musk smell all the time? Would getting them neutered help? They were filthy at the shelter, and I gave them a bath in mild puppy shampoo, and while they smell clean now, they've still got this...odor. Just wanna make sure that's normal. A little bead of dish liquid will help with that orange greasy buildup they get on their backs. Just rinse very well. I had a rat neutered as an adult from a shelter, he kind of had that corn chip smell I have read about, but it was not unpleasant. None of my current neutered males, all snipped young, have any sort of a discernible musk smell or stink.
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Feb 16, 2011 05:10
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Glasgow posted:Do male rats have that musk smell all the time? Would getting them neutered help? They were filthy at the shelter, and I gave them a bath in mild puppy shampoo, and while they smell clean now, they've still got this...odor. Just wanna make sure that's normal. It's normal. I have limited experience with neutered males, but as far as I've seen, IF they're neutered before around 4-6 months of age, they never develop that muskiness and stay more like female rats. If they're neutered after maturity, it will decrease *somewhat* but they'll still have noticeably more odor than female rats. Boy rats just smell more than girl rats, no matter what.
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Feb 16, 2011 05:11
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Mongoloid Joe posted:ok, but how about conversation hearts?..which is what I'd really like to give them...
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Feb 16, 2011 08:12
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If I think something might not be terribly good for my rats but want to treat them anyway, I just give them a teeny tiny bit! My friend made red velvet cakes for me the other day and my girls got a really tiny corner each to try. I like giving them treats. They've been getting a lot of really good things too because I tend to buy healthier stuff now that I know I can share it with them if I don't finish it all! We have been eating lots of blueberries recently. I felt really bad today because I accidentally gave Mishka's head a whack when I was closing the cage door. It's always such a nightmare trying to close it without trapping paws or bodies but she just stuck her head out at the last minute and got quite a dint. I fussed over her and she was totally fine but I felt very guilty. Poor little rattie head!
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Feb 16, 2011 18:15
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I actually quite like the Corn Nuts smell my neutered boy has going on. The girls smell like really good tortillas. I remodeled their cage yesterday using cooling racks from the thrift store as platforms and a ladder, and bought them a bunch of new fruit-flavored chews, a bone, mealworms, and went a little nuts in the bulk section at a grocery store getting them some grain mix. They went NUTS over the mealworms, all sniffing around n' poo poo like mongoose...s. Mongeese? Anyway, it was rad watching them go all predatory. So at the pet store they have "edible furniture" for small animals, mostly made out of honey and alfalfa, but the ingredients said it also had pine shavings in it. Am I correct in thinking that'd be just as bad as pine/cedar bedding?
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Feb 17, 2011 03:05
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Rats cannot digest alfala so they probably would not eat it. I have no idea about the pine content. I buy these for my crew.
Jin Wicked fucked around with this message at 03:16 on Feb 17, 2011 |
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Feb 17, 2011 03:12
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Mongoloid Joe posted:ok, but how about conversation hearts?..which is what I'd really like to give them... I bet they would really like them because they're crunchy, and Big Bug Hug is right - a little sugar isn't going to hurt them. On the chewable furniture, I got van Buren a chewable hollow log thing and used to stuff treats in it for him to forage. He hardly ever chewed on the actual log unless he was trying to dig something out of it, and only a tiny bit then. He never actually consumed any of it.
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Feb 17, 2011 03:30
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My rats act like any food I give them is the BEST EVER. I've found only one food they don't like. Mushrooms. Weird! Anyway, even though they get a taste of practically everything I eat, they think everything is a treat I've never seen edible furniture for sale here. I like to put things in paper bags and let them scuffle around in it and then tear up/sleep in the bag.
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Feb 17, 2011 09:32
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Are you talking about the Snack Shacks? Because my girls used to eat the poo poo out of those things. Every last bit. Nothing bad happened. 
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Feb 18, 2011 01:46
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How big of a cage is realistically needed for two rats? I'm in the final process of convincing myself I need rats and am investigating all the equipment required. I don't mind spending extra money if it means I'll have a sufficiently large cage. Last thing I want is to get a cage that is too cramped for two rats. Like, is 24" x 14" x 24" and two levels sufficient (the "Rat Cabin" from Martin)
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Feb 19, 2011 01:26
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Something 2ft by 4ft is generally the best size, although I'm always of the mind that bigger is better. Ferret/Chinchilla cages are excellent for rats; the ones designed for them rarely are large enough.
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Feb 19, 2011 01:28
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Big Bug Hug posted:Yep dark chocolate can even supposedly be good for respiratory problems. I'd give them a little dark chocolate bud each on special occasions It's the only thing that relieves Casper's myco flare-ups. (Yep, he's on heavy antibiotics, but nothing really works anymore-- whole 'nother can of worms.) polyfractal posted:How big of a cage is realistically needed for two rats? I'm in the final process of convincing myself I need rats and am investigating all the equipment required. I don't mind spending extra money if it means I'll have a sufficiently large cage. Last thing I want is to get a cage that is too cramped for two rats. http://www.rattycorner.com/odds/calc.shtml
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Feb 19, 2011 03:28
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Amiss posted:http://www.rattycorner.com/odds/calc.shtml Awesome! Can't get simpler than that.
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Feb 19, 2011 15:14
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So it's the end of the road for Alex and Skinner today. Skinner is three and Alex is 3 and a half, so they've both had long happy lives. Alex is the first rat I ever had and he's special. Skinner has never really been a personable rat and never really liked to come out of his cage or be petted, He really only liked to be around other rats, so I'm glad that they will both be going at the same time and he won't be alone. Alex has been losing hind limb mobility for the last 6 months, and he can still get around, but it's very difficult for him to drag himself b his front legs. It's been increasingly difficult to keep weight on him and he won't eat his normal diet anymore. Skinner has a lump which also has been making him drop weight like crazy, so they've both been getting Ben and Jerry's ice cream but still not keeping weight on. They've both been neutered since they were pretty young because they were both assholes to other rats as young'uns. When Skinner had his balls removed they were already cancerous, so he's a drat lucky rat to have lived this long without more cancer. If he was younger and not so scared of everything I'd have the tumor removed, but it's just not practical with him. He's also rapidly been losing hind limb function over the last few days. I'll be taking them out to Bella, a breeder who also works with several pathologists and rat researchers and writes most of the articles for the ratguide. She'll be doing the euth and necropsy after, she says opening up rats this old is a real learning experience since so many rats die young, before the aging process has become apparent on the organs. I don't know whether I will be able to stay for the necropsy, but I'm really curious to see what turns up. Anyway, sorry for the wall of text. Have some pictures. Alex as baby, 2007   As an adult.  Skinner Pea Fishing as young trouble maker.  Recent pictures.    
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Feb 19, 2011 17:21
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I've been looking at getting a few rats for a while now and, after reading up on them a bit, finally went around to some pet stores yesterday to look. I have a question, though: at both of the PetCo stores I visited, the container with the rats said "Small Rats". And at the first one, they definitely were pretty small, but the "small rats" at the next one looked to be normal size rats. Is "Small Rat" a breed, or are they just juvenile rats that will get bigger? I've also looked into breeders and adoption places a little, because I've heard that pet store rats can have problems, but haven't have much luck. Should I try harder to find a breeder, or are pet store rats fine? Along that line, does anyone know any good breeders not too far from central NJ?
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Feb 20, 2011 20:36
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DorianGravy posted:I've been looking at getting a few rats for a while now and, after reading up on them a bit, finally went around to some pet stores yesterday to look. I have a question, though: at both of the PetCo stores I visited, the container with the rats said "Small Rats". And at the first one, they definitely were pretty small, but the "small rats" at the next one looked to be normal size rats. Is "Small Rat" a breed, or are they just juvenile rats that will get bigger? PetCo used to sell small, medium, and large rats, for the convenience of those feeding them to snakes I suppose. People purchasing rats as pets usually want babies since they do not live very long to begin with.
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Feb 20, 2011 21:45
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I get to pick these guys up in about 10 days.   (the guy on the left)
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Feb 20, 2011 22:45
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DorianGravy posted:Is "Small Rat" a breed, or are they just juvenile rats that will get bigger? Yep, there are no rat "breeds," only variations in color/coat type/ear set. Rats sold by size are just sorted by age for feeder purposes.
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Feb 20, 2011 23:40
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I couldn't have a rat as a pet, with the high cancer/tumor risks. What are breeders doing to combat this? for the alarming number of rat problems I hear from friends and the Internet, I fear not enough is being done in regards to selecting healthier individuals for breeding. be warned i have no idea over the specifics of Rat breeding and genetics, so in turn do not know how feasible it is to make even a slight impact in reducing the chances of it.
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Feb 21, 2011 01:20
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Superconsndar posted:It's normal. Do people commonly get their males neutered for reasons other than aggression (smell, etc)? Or is it really only done as a last-resort sort of thing?
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Feb 21, 2011 18:59
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polyfractal posted:Do people commonly get their males neutered for reasons other than aggression (smell, etc)? Or is it really only done as a last-resort sort of thing? I'd have considered getting mine neutered for smell reasons, but they were at a shelter slated to die when I got them, so I've no real idea how old they are. From their energy level to the fact that they're a little smaller than the largest I've seen rats get, all I can do is guess that they're "sorta young-ish" but I really wouldn't bother neutering them.
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Feb 21, 2011 20:07
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polyfractal posted:Do people commonly get their males neutered for reasons other than aggression (smell, etc)? Or is it really only done as a last-resort sort of thing? I think some people like to keep mixed-sex groups, and it's easiest to get the males neutered. I know I've read a few places that a neutered male and a female is one of the least drama-infused pairings you can keep.
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Feb 21, 2011 21:01
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Alright. I have 3 mellow male rats. In the foster network I'm part of there is another trio of males, and 3 single males. Here in a few months I'm leaving town, going home to vet college. My parents have a house pretty near the school I'm transferring to that they haven't been able to sell since they retired, and they said I can stay there with my insane menagerie of animals while I go to school. I'm considering taking these other 6 rats back with me too. Even if I got the 3 single rats together, 3 cages to clean and 3 groups to feed is distinctly harder than 1. How reasonable is it to think I could get them all together? Do rats do well in larger groups like that? Am I insane for wanting to do this?
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Feb 22, 2011 04:12
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RazorBunny posted:I think some people like to keep mixed-sex groups, and it's easiest to get the males neutered. I know I've read a few places that a neutered male and a female is one of the least drama-infused pairings you can keep. This is truth, at least for me. Introducing neutered males and females has been no trouble at all. And I may be crazy but they seem to bond more than the female-only groups I have had.
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Feb 22, 2011 05:15
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Hey folks, back again with another mouse question This doe popped up in one of my litters awhile back, and has gone through some really interesting colour changes as she's matured. When she first started getting some fuzz, I thought she'd be a blue, but then she darkened to an ashy chocolate for awhile, and now she's an adult, and seems to have settled into this colour for the long run.  What would you consider this? Dove? Platinum? It doesn't really matter, I'm more curious than anything. She's very pretty, and I hadn't gotten one in a litter before now The father was blue, mother was tan and white.One more pic for good measure - 
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Feb 22, 2011 22:54
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Do most people buy wheels for their rats? I know you need to buy the kind that have flat floors and not bars.
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Feb 24, 2011 15:36
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VanityHero posted:I couldn't have a rat as a pet, with the high cancer/tumor risks. What are breeders doing to combat this? for the alarming number of rat problems I hear from friends and the Internet, I fear not enough is being done in regards to selecting healthier individuals for breeding. Basically all rat breeders claim to be breeding "first and foremost for temperament and health" when in reality this means "well I got my stock from another established breeder who says the same thing so that means they're healthy so I'm just gonna go hog wild and breed for markings/color please ignore the constant wheezing and grapefruit sized mammary tumors these are good lines okay my rats are HEALTHY  "Breeding healthier rats is entirely feasible and actually wouldn't even take that long if breeders were willing to 1) Actually keep up with the lifetime health of what they produce like they claim to 2)Not make excuses for breeding rats with issues because "omg I reeaaaallly need this colorrrrr for my breeding programmmm" 3) Cull unhealthy animals 4)Most importantly, be open to the idea of bringing in brand new blood (oh my god breeding rats from unestablished lines = social suicide.) There's a lot of crazy and drama among rat ladies and a lot of pressure and reassurance that it's totally fine to just focus on getting the downsiest looking Burmese Rex Dumbos because "Well my goodness we're doing the best we can, we just can't help it that our little darlings are so unhealthy. Feeder breeders and god did this to them and there is nothing we can do!!!" while they all still claim to be breeding the healthiest animals possible and manage to look really good on paper. Tldr, there are good breeders out there breeding very healthy animals but at least when I was involved (5+ years ago which is a lifetime to rat ladies) they were few and far between and got crapped on as BYB animal abusers quite a bit because they used randomly bred rats in their programs and culled babies. I think with enough effort you could find someone with decently healthy rats. You could always try to get your hands on lab rats, I know that there are strains that are myco/cancer free. 
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Feb 24, 2011 16:31
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polyfractal posted:Do most people buy wheels for their rats? I know you need to buy the kind that have flat floors and not bars. I think so. Some rats will either love them or hate them. One of my girls won't even go into the wheel, not even if there's a delicious banana chip in there. You're right about the wheel types, I'm not sure which brands are good because I haven't bought a wheel in like, 5-6 years. I have two Wodent Wheels (you can buy them from Martin's Cages) and they work just fine. Just make sure the wheels are big enough, I think 12 inches in diameter and larger.
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Feb 24, 2011 19:47
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Mine will use mine on occasion. Gives them something to do. It is rather large and not barred.
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Feb 24, 2011 23:06
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Yeah, Wrinkles will go into the wheel a lot, but when we got her she ran on her wheel in the pet store and her long tail even curls up into the right direction when she's running. Trudy and Joan have never bothered to even try it. Speaking of Wrinkles, I took this picture the other night and it's basically one of the best photos I've ever taken: 
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Feb 24, 2011 23:31
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Superconsndar posted:spergin Someday when I don't live in an apartment, I'm going to get a couple of little snakes and feed them off of culled babies from my rat breeding program. Will you mentor me when that happens? tia
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Feb 25, 2011 01:08
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CompactFanny posted:Someday when I don't live in an apartment, I'm going to get a couple of little snakes and feed them off of culled babies from my rat breeding program. How about you just send the culls to me for my snakes!  Honestly though I use to breed rats (Well, I ended up only having a single litter) a long while back and I understand all the issues with the breeders in the rat hobby and yes, there are a lot of crazy people who breed rats. I think it would be very awesome for someone to HONESTLY breed for health and longevity, and then very late in the program very carefully introduced some color varieties.
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Feb 25, 2011 02:08
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As far as wheels go, mine have always been just barely interested enough in it for me to have to keep it any time I think about how much cage real estate it would free up. Mostly they use it as a platform to lick their balls and/or rear end on. Rats! vvv Yeah, that's my wheel. It's fairly quiet for me, no real need to support it, I just stick it to the wall of the cage. Not that a ball-licking platform needs much support. neongrey fucked around with this message at 03:28 on Feb 25, 2011 |
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Feb 25, 2011 02:20
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We have the Super Pet 12-inch Chinchilla wheel because my local pet stores stock it. On its own it is a little wobbly. I suspended it in my cage by strapping the base to the ceiling with cable ties, then using the attachment for the wall of the cage. If that does not make sense I can post a picture. My female runs her wee butt off, the males take leisurely strolls. I used treats held in the air (like the carrot-on-a-stick in cartoons) to teach them to use it. e: What the Hell, have a picture anyway.  I am aware and acknowledge that I am a crazy person. Jin Wicked fucked around with this message at 02:44 on Feb 25, 2011 |
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Feb 25, 2011 02:36
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