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We buy baby cereal treats (they're called puffed grains or something like that) and the rats go apeshit over them, especially the sweet potato flavor. As a bonus, they come in a plastic canister that shakes very satisfyingly and is a good "C'MERE RATTIES" sound. Baby treats in general are healthier than adult snacks. They also get some baby cheese doodles and the baby version of yogies, which don't have as much sugar and oils.
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Mar 25, 2011 21:58
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squidtarts posted:We buy baby cereal treats (they're called puffed grains or something like that) and the rats go apeshit over them, especially the sweet potato flavor. As a bonus, they come in a plastic canister that shakes very satisfyingly and is a good "C'MERE RATTIES" sound.
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Mar 25, 2011 21:59
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Boco_T posted:Ratatouille-branded croissants from PetSmart. My rats hate these. Every time I offer them as treats they throw them down with disgust and look at me like I'm nuts. Mine love pumpkin seeds over everything else. They're fattening so I limit them but when they get one they all fight over them even though I make sure they each get one.
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Mar 25, 2011 22:16
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Little rats:    
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Mar 25, 2011 23:13
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Lots of Wrinkles  I should be bringing home some naked boy ratties in about 3 weeks time  Not sure how I will get on with the big hairless balls though 
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Mar 25, 2011 23:22
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AHHHH, they're so ugly that I just want to snuggle them all and give them rat kisses. I make fun of Wrinkles for being gross, but double rexes get me every time with those curly whiskers and random hair patches.
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Mar 25, 2011 23:54
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Superconsndar posted:My rats hate these. Every time I offer them as treats they throw them down with disgust and look at me like I'm nuts. Strange. My guys love them. It's odd how rats standards will evolve, though. They used to like dried Papaya a ton, but once they tried some other treats, they like the Papaya less.
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Mar 26, 2011 06:07
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DorianGravy posted:
Holy poo poo, not only do they have the same markings as my rats, but I have the same cage also on a black shelf. What are you doing in my house?!  Also, I hate the shelves and ramps for that cage, might have to make my own. :/
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Mar 26, 2011 07:28
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daggerdragon posted:This. It's been two years since the last of my rats died, and... I just can't take any more right now. And I keep finding myself tucking away the fortune cookies from Chinese food restaurants to bring them home to give to the (non-existent) rats, then getting all  It's okay. I still feel sad about Mr. Bartleby passing away and that was about a year ago already. He was my first rat and I loved him so much that I don't know if I can really handle losing any more. I get emotional thinking about him since he was the best buddy ever and the sweetest animal in the world. I always feel like I'm weird for having been so attached to him but I really miss him dearly, even more than my childhood dog. I rescued him from certain death at the hands of irresponsible owners so at least he had a good long life with me and was taken care of and loved. I guess we need to remember that more often, it does help to know that you made them happy for what little time they have 
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Mar 26, 2011 07:34
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Aryselin will probably be gone by the time I wake up. I gave him a good cuddle and made sure he was good and comfortable before I put him down, but I just can't stay up any later and if he doesn't improve a lot, I don't think he'll make it. 
neongrey fucked around with this message at 13:39 on Mar 26, 2011 |
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Mar 26, 2011 13:35
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I bought some baby food in the hope it would bulk my boy up a bit. (I am taking him to the vet next week!) But it would seem that he doesn't like roast chicken n veg flavour  Do I just buy others and hope he eventually likes one?
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Mar 26, 2011 16:01
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Pickle Chops posted:I bought some baby food in the hope it would bulk my boy up a bit. (I am taking him to the vet next week!) But it would seem that he doesn't like roast chicken n veg flavour I've yet to meet a rodent that didn't like peanut butter, and it's very calorie dense, so you could try mixing some in. Straight-up PB is a bit of a choking hazard since it's so thick, but the strong smell/flavor of it might make him go for the baby food more?
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Mar 26, 2011 16:13
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Yeah... yeah, he's gone. Li'l Varael is looking very confused right now, the longest he's ever been alone was the transportation from the breeder to my cage.
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Mar 26, 2011 22:04
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neongrey posted:Yeah... yeah, he's gone. Li'l Varael is looking very confused right now, the longest he's ever been alone was the transportation from the breeder to my cage. 
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Mar 26, 2011 22:46
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Okay, so I just noticed today that Varael has a number of tiny scabs on the back of his neck... what should I to to take care of it? Could it be related to the fact that Aryselin was in no shape to groom him properly (and he can't easily reach back there on his own) for the past while? Or should I be looking at some other kind of issue? Could it be mites? I just got my first sack of carefresh in a while, and I didn't freeze it...
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Mar 27, 2011 02:40
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I was browsing the Fancy-Rats.co.uk forums and came across this GIF posted by "Ratgirl@RatRitz" of her rat Chubbley: Wahahaha 
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Mar 28, 2011 00:44
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I think everyone was made pretty much speechless by that gif
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Mar 28, 2011 23:19
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neongrey posted:Okay, so I just noticed today that Varael has a number of tiny scabs on the back of his neck... what should I to to take care of it? Could it be related to the fact that Aryselin was in no shape to groom him properly (and he can't easily reach back there on his own) for the past while? Or should I be looking at some other kind of issue? Could it be mites? I just got my first sack of carefresh in a while, and I didn't freeze it... Scabs on the back of the neck makes me think mites. Does Varael seem to be scratching himself more recently?
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Mar 28, 2011 23:32
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Not any more than usual; he doesn't seem especially itchy. I'm keeping a fairly close eye on him if only because I don't want to bring anyone new into anything mite-y.
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Mar 29, 2011 02:55
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Pickle Chops posted:I bought some baby food in the hope it would bulk my boy up a bit. (I am taking him to the vet next week!) But it would seem that he doesn't like roast chicken n veg flavour When we had to bulk Pan up afer his tooth troubles we generally stuck to the vegetable based baby foods, and he seemed to like all of them. I don't think rats generally eat meat unless they have to, do they?
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Mar 29, 2011 14:28
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chippy posted:When we had to bulk Pan up afer his tooth troubles we generally stuck to the vegetable based baby foods, and he seemed to like all of them. I don't think rats generally eat meat unless they have to, do they? My boys LOVE ham. As soon as they can smell it they go crazy and would just keep eating it if I didn't want them to get fat.
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Mar 29, 2011 14:43
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God, this thread yoyos so much between cute and depressing, I'm starting to get second thoughts. I'd like to get a pair of rats in the eventual future (once I get my own place to live), and I just have a few questions. How time-intensive are they compared to, say, a new kitten? I'm a college student with an insanely busy schedule, so I wouldn't be able to spend hours on end with the critters. Has anybody had any luck with training their rats? I know it can be done, and it seems like it'd be a good socialization and enrichment activity for when I do have time to play with them. I don't want to go nuts, just simple things like standing on their wee little back legs on command and such. I just don't really know how one would go about training their rats, is all. If I don't care about coloration or anything like that, do I need to go to a breeder? They could be pink with green polka dots, and I wouldn't mind. It's too soon for me to be looking at specific places yet, I was just wondering.
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Mar 29, 2011 17:03
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GenericOverusedName posted:God, this thread yoyos so much between cute and depressing, I'm starting to get second thoughts. I'd like to get a pair of rats in the eventual future (once I get my own place to live), and I just have a few questions. Define "insanely busy". I kept a pair during college, and they were fine with an hour or two of active socialization per day. There was also a lot of passive socialization, with them running around my room while I did homework or riding on my shoulder while I hung around the dorm. It also helped that I had a lot of friends in my dorm who were fond of the rats and would play with them while I wasn't around.
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Mar 29, 2011 17:10
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An hour or two a day of active interaction would be the most I could do on a weekday. And yeah, I guess I could let them run about while I'm studying, didn't even think of that. 
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Mar 29, 2011 17:36
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If I let mine out while I am working from home they steal the warm paper as it comes out the laser printer
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Mar 29, 2011 18:38
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We just got a new hamster, except that now I've met my brother's rats, hamsters seem so stupid and hard to play with. Why is she always trying to run away?  Definitely getting rats after this.She is cute and soft though .
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Mar 29, 2011 20:33
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So one of my rats is going to the vet tomorrow morning for a tumor removal. Whats post-op care like? How long should I keep her separate from her cagemate? This plus the greying on them has made me admit my girls are getting old Edit: Rattie is back in my care. She apparently bled a lot on the table, but I'm just glad she made it, considering the tumor was right under her neck. Most of her upper chest and armpit is stitches, but they will heal. The vet said the moment they took her off the gas, she popped up and started walking around. Edit 2: Of course she just had to open her stitches. One trip to the e-vet later, and she better not touch them again. Staples, stitches in the cut, and outer stitches. Ugh, worst possible night. I've got two midterms tomorrow morning, and need to study. Ah well, she will hopefully get better now. ZarathustraFollower fucked around with this message at 05:50 on Mar 31, 2011 |
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Mar 30, 2011 00:49
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neongrey posted:Yeah... yeah, he's gone. Li'l Varael is looking very confused right now, the longest he's ever been alone was the transportation from the breeder to my cage. Heart-wrenching post. I'm so sorry, neon.
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Mar 31, 2011 05:39
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He's getting acquainted with his two new friends, Aserahin and Ilerin right now, and by 'getting acquainted' I mean 'stealing their snuggle sack' and 'making them squeak while not actually doing anything to them' I'll even have pics soon, because they are so very very very cute when they're still small enough to fit under the wheel together.
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Mar 31, 2011 08:37
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Anybody know where I should look to find local breeders? I've looked through local shelters, but there was only a single pair nearby and they were almost 2 years old already. I'd rather not have sickly old rats as my first, since I don't think I'd be able to care for them very well. I'm near Raleigh, NC, if that helps.
GenericOverusedName fucked around with this message at 03:13 on Apr 5, 2011 |
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Apr 5, 2011 02:53
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GenericOverusedName posted:Anybody know where I should look to find local breeders? I've looked through local shelters, but there was only a single pair nearby and they were almost 2 years old already. I'd rather not have sickly old rats as my first, since I don't think I'd be able to care for them very well. I'm near Raleigh, NC, if that helps. Carolina Pet Rescue, in Durham, has three young agouti males: http://www.petfinder.com/petdetail/18926635 http://www.petfinder.com/petdetail/18926647 http://www.petfinder.com/petdetail/18926658 I foster rats in NC (and actually have the old pair, if I'm remembering the listings right). Rats are tough, they're adoptable age for about 3 months and then they're "too old".
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Apr 5, 2011 04:51
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Took a couple pics of our ~1yr old girls today. It was nice out so we brought their cage outside with us for a while, where they proceeded to try to sniff up the entire atmosphere. It was so cute.  
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Apr 6, 2011 03:06
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I got 4 rats from the foster network today. They're currently arranged around my other 3 rats' cage; they all seem pretty interested in each other. Here in a little while I'm going to formally introduce them and see how that goes. Wish me luck. Pictures forthcoming.
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Apr 11, 2011 02:47
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So my new rats don't seem interested in the water bottle at all. They used to only get their water out of a dish before I got them but for a variety of reasons I would prefer to get everyone drinking out of the bottle. Any ideas for making it seem more enticing?
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Apr 11, 2011 05:02
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I know rats can eat just about anything, but is there anything I should avoid giving them? I know peanut butter should be mixed in with things since it is so thick, and spicy foods = horrible poop nightmares, but is there anything else I should watch out for? Last thing I'd want is for a well-intended treat to end up hurting the lil' guys
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Apr 11, 2011 15:58
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neongrey posted:So my new rats don't seem interested in the water bottle at all. They used to only get their water out of a dish before I got them but for a variety of reasons I would prefer to get everyone drinking out of the bottle. Any ideas for making it seem more enticing? Flavored water? We have some vitamin stuff you mix into the water that's pretty stinky but they seem to love it. "Oasis Vita-Drops for Hamsters, Rats, Mice and Gerbils"
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Apr 11, 2011 16:01
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GenericOverusedName posted:I know rats can eat just about anything, but is there anything I should avoid giving them? I know peanut butter should be mixed in with things since it is so thick, and spicy foods = horrible poop nightmares, but is there anything else I should watch out for? Last thing I'd want is for a well-intended treat to end up hurting the lil' guys http://www.ratforum.com/index.php?topic=21101.0 posted:What your rats should never eat
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Apr 11, 2011 16:05
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GenericOverusedName posted:I know rats can eat just about anything, but is there anything I should avoid giving them? I know peanut butter should be mixed in with things since it is so thick, and spicy foods = horrible poop nightmares, but is there anything else I should watch out for? Last thing I'd want is for a well-intended treat to end up hurting the lil' guys In no particular order: - almonds - oranges give male rats cancer (d-limonene) - onions - chocolate is fine in small amounts, preferably the darker varieties - green potatoes and potato eyes (toxic) - unwashed fruits and vegetables - raw vegetables in general (broccoli and corn are fine, you should cook everything else) - beans - dried corn (boiled corn on the cob is excellent, if you don't mind the mess) - too much sugary foods - avocados - caffeine - cherries (the pit contains cyanide; doesn't bother you, probably will bother the much smaller rat) -  (that is, straight-up marijuana, not smoked)- tomatoes - licorice e;fb.
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Apr 11, 2011 16:10
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Almonds and tomatoes are news to me. I have fed them both occasionally with no ill effects.
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Apr 11, 2011 16:28
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Yeah, I occasionally feed my rats cherry tomatoes, I'd never heard it was bad for them. Why is that? Also the uncooked vegetables thing seems really odd to me - what about carrots, bell peppers? Cucumber? Peas? My rule of thumb so far has been that if I wouldn't eat it raw, neither will my rats, so things like uncooked potato/sweet potato etc are out, but otherwise they get most things raw. Have I been doing wrong? Oh, another thing: I asked this question in another rat-related thread but I don't think it ever got answered. I would never give my rats any sort of intoxicating substance, but I live in a pretty stoner flat and worry about them finding/nibbling little remnants of weed when they are free ranging on the sofas or places where people have been smoking (I don't let anyone smoke around the rats, the room they live in is a smoke-free zone and everyone smokes out of windows in other rooms so there isn't a horrible smokey atmosphere for them), I noticed that weed is mentioned on the list of things to never give them so I'm a bit worried. Chakattack! fucked around with this message at 17:08 on Apr 11, 2011 |
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Apr 11, 2011 17:03
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