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HappierGarden posted:Hey guys, was wondering something about Splinter.. It certainly sounds like your rat has figured out he will get attention if he squeaks  though I've never had a rat squeak like that. Mine make an awful racket sometimes while playing, and yeah I've had them wake me up, sure someone was being brutally murdered as well, and usually one of them has another pinned down for some grooming and they all look up innocently.I don't liken the respiratory wheeze to squeaking at all, though maybe some do sound like it - mine don't. If you're familiar with a rats' squeak its easy to tell the difference. Its my theory your rat has trained you Also, I just remembered a lot of a rat's vocalisation is supposedly too high for us mere people to detect. Maybe your rat has a REALLY unusually low voice?  Is he vocal at other times, while playing, or with his cagemates?
Big Bug Hug fucked around with this message at 23:53 on Sep 21, 2011 |
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Sep 21, 2011 23:49
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Carebear posted:Random thing, my coworker was contacted by Discovery channel recently to appear on something they were gonna film about pet rats. She was too scared to go on tv, but if you are in the NYC area and want to be on tv with your rats... try contacting them! They especially wanted rats who knew tricks. :3 I'll look into that... My rat and I are Manhattanites... I keep jokingly telling my girlfriend that I'm going to get a little harness for the rat so we can be one of those trendy couples that takes their rat for walks through Central Park.
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Sep 22, 2011 01:30
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baccaruda posted:My 4 month old male white rat ("Scaredy Rat" or "Chicken Rat") will sometimes squeak if I surprise him while trying to pick him up, or even if he sees my hand approaching him but he tries to get away. He's gotten better as I've handled him more, but as implied by his name(s), he's not really very outgoing. I have a squeaky rat -- he's so dramatic. He gave this sad, long squeak when I gently pushed him back into a pan I was storing him while I was cleaning the cage. So pathetic.
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Sep 22, 2011 04:43
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We noticed a little lump under Phoebe's fur, just behind her left front paw last night. The girlfriend took her to a vet this morning and they say that it'll need to be surgically removed. We've got an appointment tomorrow morning. $660, ugh.
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Sep 22, 2011 20:56
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i'm sorry but who would pay that much money for a pet that lives only like 2 years u__u
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Sep 22, 2011 21:53
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Febtober posted:We noticed a little lump under Phoebe's fur, just behind her left front paw last night. The girlfriend took her to a vet this morning and they say that it'll need to be surgically removed. We've got an appointment tomorrow morning. $660, ugh. Ouch, and I thought it was bad here! I just paid $350 to get a mammary tumor removed and a spay done and that included post-surgical meds and everything. Of course, then she ripped the tumor incision open and it cost another $300 to have her hospitalized overnight and have the wound cleaned, and then another $60 for her post-surgical recheck.. Best of luck, though. It's good that you're getting it out early.
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Sep 22, 2011 23:14
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eig posted:i'm sorry but who would pay that much money for a pet that lives only like 2 years u__u A lot of times they only live two years because they get tumors.
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Sep 23, 2011 02:37
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eig posted:i'm sorry but who would pay that much money for a pet that lives only like 2 years u__u :C A year ago I would have agreed, but if I had the funds available, I'd probably do it to save my ratties. I haven't had them a whole year quite yet and I still think about how sad I'm going to be when they're gone. They have so much personality and they're so much fun to be around, and they're always so happy to just hang out with me on my bed. It's gonna suck. That's why people spend money like that.
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Sep 23, 2011 05:40
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eig posted:i'm sorry but who would pay that much money for a pet that lives only like 2 years u__u People who are interested in having them live longer? I mean yeah it sucks they only live 2-3 years, but that doesn't mean I don't want them to get cancer and die at 1 year.
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Sep 23, 2011 16:29
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eig posted:i'm sorry but who would pay that much money for a pet that lives only like 2 years u__u I get much more happiness from my rats than anything else I could spend that amount of money on. That being said, the price is unusually high, but it could depend on the poster's location.
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Sep 23, 2011 18:12
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Jin Wicked posted:That being said, the price is unusually high, but it could depend on the poster's location. Indeed, the vet is on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. There are apparently only a few vets in the city that work on rats. In any case, we got her back today and she's doing fine. Pretty nasty looking scar from the surgery, but it'll heal and she doesn't even seem to notice it. They also removed her uterus while they were in there, as that's a big source of tumors in rats.
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Sep 23, 2011 22:58
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Baika posted:I have a video with him squeaking, does he sound like this or somewhat similar? eig posted:i'm sorry but who would pay that much money for a pet that lives only like 2 years u__u  I save up a thousand per rat before I get them.
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Sep 24, 2011 18:53
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Thats a reallygood idea. It makes vet decisions easier when money is not a factor.
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Sep 25, 2011 00:53
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I think Varael has a lump of some kind on his side and I know I won't be able to get it taken care of... and my stepmother would shoot me if I did, she hates my rats so much.  He's well past two so it's kind of expected that this sort of thing would come up (and his two half-brothers just kind of keeled over despite having been completely fine before, so he's gone on a lot longer than them) but... I hate when this starts to happen.
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Sep 25, 2011 02:10
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eig posted:i'm sorry but who would pay that much money for a pet that lives only like 2 years u__u I've had many different animals as pets over the years - dogs, cats, lizards, hamsters - and rats are by far the most joyful and loving pets I've ever had. My oldest lived to be 4 1/2, ancient for a rat, and she waited until I got home from work and picked her up before she died. She's been gone 4 years and I still think about her a lot. I don't think I'll ever have another pet as special as her.
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Sep 26, 2011 00:46
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Baby rat update! The boys have obviously been handled by someone at the petstore because they are sweet as pie. Talbots favorite game is peek a boo. He'll poke his head out his house a few times rapid fire then go medieval on my finger, bouncing all over it and lightly biting it, wash, rinse, repeat. They are spectacular. Extra side story, possibly lame: I suffer from extremely severe depression due to a lot of health issues. I have been into reptiles and bugs for years and my therapist suggested I get something of the furry variety, so I did my research and came to rats. These rats have made me so happy, I never could have never imagined what an impact they would have on my life. They love me unconditionally and never judge me if I'm having a bad day or I'm panicky. All they ask is food, water, vet, and love, and I can do that no problem. Whenever I'm having a dark day I play with my 5 boys and rat party always helps me. Especially all of their little rat kisses. :3 Olive Bar fucked around with this message at 05:28 on Sep 26, 2011 |
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Sep 26, 2011 05:15
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My favorite feeling ever is a baby rat popcorning all over and wrestling/nibbling my hands  Question for you Olive, and anyone else who cares to answer: My babies had and have plenty of handling and are absolutely fine with me and anyone they're familiar with handling them, but outside of the cage (couch, bed) they are still a bit timid. I give them out time with me every day, but they continue to be jumpy while out, even though they seem to be enjoying themselves. Is this how it is with your baby rats? I always have a blanket over my lap so they can hide and they know they can always run down my shirt, which they frequently do. Smoosh face rat pile 
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Sep 26, 2011 05:26
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In my experience yes, mine are the same way. The only one who isn't is Hurley and that's because he's my daredevil.
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Sep 26, 2011 05:33
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These are kind of old but my friend linked me to them on facebook and I'd thought I'd share adorable rat birthday photos. Makes me melt and those birthday hats are fantastic!
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Sep 26, 2011 15:41
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One of my rats, who's about 1 year and 3 months old, has become a jerk off lately. Out of nowhere, he's suddenly started biting at my or my husband's fingers anytime we try to pet him or anything. Even if I check to see where he hangs out (usually underneath some pillows) he'll start charging at us. When he tries to bite us, it's not very hard, it's more of a nip. Nothing to draw blood but it's still weird as hell. He was such a sweetheart so I really don't know what the gently caress brought this on. Has anyone else had this happen?
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Sep 26, 2011 22:43
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Olive Bar posted:In my experience yes, mine are the same way. The only one who isn't is Hurley and that's because he's my daredevil. Bophf posted:One of my rats, who's about 1 year and 3 months old, has become a jerk off lately. Out of nowhere, he's suddenly started biting at my or my husband's fingers anytime we try to pet him or anything. Even if I check to see where he hangs out (usually underneath some pillows) he'll start charging at us. When he tries to bite us, it's not very hard, it's more of a nip. Nothing to draw blood but it's still weird as hell. He was such a sweetheart so I really don't know what the gently caress brought this on. Has anyone else had this happen? Get him to a vet, it sounds like it could be a medicial issue. He might be in pain or have something going on hormonally. Good luck.
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Sep 27, 2011 00:24
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Have some rats! Talbot doesn't like what you're doing.  No, this is no good at all.   for top boobhttp://i52.photobucket.com/albums/g10/absinthegreen329/Pets/0032.jpg
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Sep 27, 2011 00:57
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That is a shifty looking rat.
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Sep 28, 2011 01:58
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He always looks like that. I'm concerned he might be planning on killing me or something. He watches me ALL day long, and he always wants to see what I'm doing.
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Sep 28, 2011 07:33
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Isn't that adorable? Wiley one of my babies, always jumps up to watch me whenever I'm in view. If I'm in view of the cage I can always see him watching me (I know they don't have great eyes but he does try!) he never goes to sleep if I'm there, just lays in the corner of the cage watching ready for me to come close so he can jump up and get attention He gets super excited if I mention his name or baby talk to him too I am rat crazy. I hear that in Australia hairless rat lines aren't very robust and don't live nearly as long as regular coated types. I was interested in getting one recently but this turned me off. I don't mean to frighten you Olive, because I don't think its the same in the US at all and they live as long as any rat. Can anyone confirm? Maybe its because pet rats are a pretty recent thing here. Wiley's ridiculously long curly whiskers. I love his pink nose and ears.   Spartacus looks like a little Tasmanian Devil Big Bug Hug fucked around with this message at 01:34 on Sep 29, 2011 |
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Sep 29, 2011 01:32
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Oh no I didn't know that! I hope that's not the case, that'll break my heart.
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Sep 29, 2011 04:08
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No no I didn't mean to scare ya! Like I said I thought it may be hearsay or it may be the lines we have here in Australia. Anyway, from what I just found from a quick and dirty google, it seems to be unfounded, so if there was any truth to it, its isolated to Australian lines. Some info says that "true" hairless rats do have a smaller lifespan, but those rats are pretty rare, and have no hair or whiskers. Certainly not the patchworky type you have there ...now I want one again! Big Bug Hug fucked around with this message at 09:01 on Sep 29, 2011 |
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Sep 29, 2011 08:47
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Hey everybody, I just went to pick up my rat Apollo (who incidentally used to be a biter but, on the advice of this thread, I tried forced socialization on and it worked like a charm--he's such a sweetheart now) and realized he was making rattly noises, like he was congested. But a few minutes after that, it cleared up. He's always been sneezy but doesn't have any discharge, and he's acting totally normal. Is it worth having it checked out, or did he maybe just have temporary congestion or something? I think I've read so much about respiratory problems in rats that I'm jumping at the slightest sneeze! Also, I saw a giant cardboard tube in the cardboard recycling at my school and my first thought was "the boys would love that!" I've been officially converted into a rat person.
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Sep 30, 2011 04:21
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Just keep an eye on it, he could have just had a bit of stuff gunking up his airway, if he's sometimes a sneezy rat. He might have inhaled a lot of dust, or could have allergies. All these things sometimes happen to mine. I'm glad you got him to stop biting!
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Sep 30, 2011 05:14
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Bophf posted:One of my rats, who's about 1 year and 3 months old, has become a jerk off lately. He might be in pain, like was already mentioned. Rats can become really aggressive when they feel vulnerable. They might think you are causing the pain. You might be pressing on a soft spot when you are handling him. I had a pair of adopted males called Casper and Booger. Booger was an absolute monster. He could not be handled or socialised and I never realised why till he died. His entire stomach was completely solid. He must have had cancer in there the whole time I had him but I never got to hold him long enough to feel it until he was dead. Still got Casper, hes a  Might just be their personality. Some rats are just jerks like my Snowball. She loved nipping us for fun, but never enough to hurt you.    Alhara posted:Is it worth having it checked out, or did he maybe just have temporary congestion or something? If it persists yes. Rats can hide more serious symptoms very well, until its way too late to treat them. If you hear it more than a week, think about getting some anti-biotics. If its there 2 weeks start treatment for 2 weeks to see if it goes away. If it doesnt, look for other causes like dust or allergies
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Sep 30, 2011 17:03
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Thanks Slidje and Big Bug Hug for the advice. He's got a vet appointment for this upcoming week, but he seems to be doing better since I called. He does have cagemates, and he's not aggressive towards them, although the youngest one is at adult age now and maybe Lego's feeling competitive again. He could just be turning into a nipper. It's never enough to draw blood, it's like he just wants to nip at my thumb when he first sees me and then he wants to cuddle again. We just came back from a 2 week vacation, maybe he was mad at us for leaving them. My brother kept them company the entire time but maybe he thought we abandoned him forever and holds a pint sized grudge against us now.
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Oct 1, 2011 01:06
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One of mine got a bit nippy when he was getting older - he was a pink eyed rat and his eyes got worse . He would bite when he saw something coming, because he was always overly optimistic and expected food. You could tell he realised straight away and pulled it so it ended up fairly gentle, then he would feel bad and lick you. Could be something similar and your rat is just a weirdo :P
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Oct 1, 2011 02:06
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these rats are eating the eggs like so many smashmouths  
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Oct 2, 2011 16:21
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My lovely black hood finally had to be put to sleep last night as something nasty grew in her brain and was doing horrendous things to her. I miss her Now I just have one ratty
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Oct 3, 2011 05:42
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I'm really sorry Are you thinking about some baby rats in the near future? I found when one of mine died, his brother became very depressed for a while. Not that that should influence your decision too much. Good luck. 
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Oct 4, 2011 00:33
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Behavioral question! One of my rats, Luna, had a tumor removal and spay done a few weeks ago and was in her own separate cage to heal for about 2 weeks. Her and her cagemates had supervised play time together during her recovery so that they would all stay bonded and familiar. She's been back in with the others for a week or so now and there were no problems with her cagemates initially. However, now one of them, Leah, is being aggressive with her. I'll hear Luna squeaking loudly and see Leah with a mouthful of Luna's thigh, just holding onto her. Then when Luna tries to get away, Leah will tackle her and attack her. There's no blood, thankfully. Could it be a delayed reassertion of dominance due to Luna being out of the cage? Luna's a little over 2 and her back legs are weakening, could it be Leah reacting to this as well? I know it sounds silly but is there any way I can discipline Leah for this? Maybe 'time out' in a small, empty cage or carrier so that she associates picking fights with being put somewhere boring? Sorry for all the questions. If I can't get Leah to stop picking on Luna I'll put Luna back in the small cage on her own but I'd hate to do that. Pictures:  Emily on the left, Leah in the middle, Luna on the right.  Better shot of Leah, you can see her little white spot on her forehead and her dumbo ears.  Luna. She's had that head tilt since.. June? July? It's been long enough (and I've had so many vet visits) that I can't remember. She did a few weeks of antibiotics, then a few weeks of steroids, and it hasn't changed throughout any of that. She gets around okay. Rathen: I'm so sorry. I know how that is. I had one of my girls put down in late July due to a brain tumor that was pushing her eyes out. It was terrible. Your rat looks like a very pretty, lively girl and I'm sure you gave her a wonderful life. Boco_T: I have never seen a picture of a hairless rat that didn't look nefarious, even when eating eggs. Very cute.
Beluga Smoothie fucked around with this message at 02:22 on Oct 4, 2011 |
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Oct 4, 2011 01:49
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I went up to Washington and got a little spayed girl rat from Best Friend Rodent Rescue. It took my hairless a couple of hours to get used to each her. He spent too much time checking to see if she is in heat. All of this humping and macho male behavior ended up making him pass out on a pillow, eyes completely shut. I have never seen a rat go from uppity to, "hey I am REALLY tired, going to bed now." We named her Ruby   They get along just dandy, but both are really energetic and hard to get on camera. I posted this in the animal smiles thread, figured I would post it here too. Hairless rat goodness. 
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Oct 4, 2011 19:44
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So I just got my second rat a couple days ago, a little baby, and I think I'm having an allergic reaction to him! I never had anything like this problem with my first (who I got as an adult & have had for a month now) and it seems like I only have a problem after handling the baby. My arms and hands get itchy and red, and one time I gave him a kiss on the back & my lip swelled up. Is it possible it has something to do with him having just come from the pet shop? bonus pic: 
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Oct 4, 2011 21:33
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Beluga Smoothie posted:Boco_T: I have never seen a picture of a hairless rat that didn't look nefarious, even when eating eggs. Very cute.
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Oct 4, 2011 22:29
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Boco_T posted:Nefarious? Dreaming dreams of mischief and trouble.. look at those curly whiskers! Like a fancy moustache. I don't know why hairless rats always look like they're ready for trouble, but they do.Baika posted:
Those eeeeears.
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Oct 4, 2011 23:50
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