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Invalid Octopus posted:Taking away the sofa. Anyone that has tried bitter apple spray as a rat repellant? I could live with my sofa smelling of bitter apple...
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Feb 10, 2012 16:48
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QuickAndDelish! posted:Anyone that has tried bitter apple spray as a rat repellant? I could live with my sofa smelling of bitter apple... I have Grannick's bitter apple spray. It doesn't really smell like apple to me. It's more an alcoholy/chemically smell in my opinion. Haven't tried it with rats, but my dog likes to lick it off of stuff I spray it with.  They do sell little spray bottles of it at like petco, so you could just get a bottle and see how it works.
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Feb 10, 2012 20:42
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Georgie lives! Vet says her lumps aren't great but she's too lively, bright eyed and generally thrilled with life to take drastic action. So I still have my brown 
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Feb 10, 2012 21:28
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Rathen posted:Thats what i was going to tell you. Only put a rat down if they hate being alive. Only a hand full of my rats ever suffered so much they didn't want to live any more.
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Feb 10, 2012 23:30
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That's why I wasn't massively committed to it, and luckily my vet is a massive rat fiend and loves them to bits, so would never rashly rush into it. She was honest and said that they will probably become a major issue in a few weeks, but for now she's not sore on them (though I thought she was) and is living a blissful life. She will continue to be fed cereal and milk from a bowl every morning. Best rat.
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Feb 10, 2012 23:40
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For those of you who let your rats run around on your couch, how do you control the pee? I wouldn't be able to see the pee on my dark couch so I don't know how I would natures miracle it.
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Feb 11, 2012 03:31
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Olive Bar posted:For those of you who let your rats run around on your couch, how do you control the pee? I wouldn't be able to see the pee on my dark couch so I don't know how I would natures miracle it. Honestly? I just let them do it. Mine don't pee that much and it doesn't smell so I just leave it. No one else notices the smell and as long as I wash the coverings every now and then it's fine.
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Feb 11, 2012 03:37
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My two older boys have stopped peeing on the couch as they've got older, outside of the odd accident, and the little ones I just got haven't peed outside their cage once (Would love to know how/if the breeder taught them this!) But I find rat pee really mild anyway. I spot clean mine when it happens, but like the above poster said, washing the cushions once in a while would be fine. Can you put something over the couch that would be easier to clean?
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Feb 11, 2012 07:25
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Olive Bar posted:For those of you who let your rats run around on your couch, how do you control the pee? I wouldn't be able to see the pee on my dark couch so I don't know how I would natures miracle it. Maybe throw a pale old blanket over the couch, to protect it and help you see pee marks better?
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Feb 11, 2012 08:55
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I'll definitely get stuff to cover the couch with, its huge so it'll take a few sheets, but that's a great, an obvious idea I didn't think about.
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Feb 11, 2012 19:48
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Olive Bar posted:I'll definitely get stuff to cover the couch with, its huge so it'll take a few sheets, but that's a great, an obvious idea I didn't think about. Or find a cheap slipcover to toss on when you bring the ratties out, and just wash as needed, that way if they pee or chew, there's no damage to the sofa itself.
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Feb 12, 2012 21:41
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So, I got rats. The stuff that the starter cage comes with kind of sucks, so I'm going back tomorrow to get some non-wood chew toys, different bedding, and some other things. I was originally planning on getting something different, but they won me over blah blah blah rats  In the meantime, enjoy these pictures of the non-spruced up cage and its inhabitants.  Snake at the water bottle, Ruby Rhod behind her. All females, all male names.  Otacon is kind of a loner and sits by herself. But she starts  Ruby just don't care. They're all surprisingly tame for being feeders. I don't really mind (I kind of wanted a "sit back and watch" pet) and it's nice to have rats that are okay with being handled. e: also this 
Hardwood Floor fucked around with this message at 00:31 on Feb 13, 2012 |
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Feb 13, 2012 00:21
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Bear Rape posted:I don't really mind (I kind of wanted a "sit back and watch" pet) and it's nice to have rats that are okay with being handled.  Rats are about as far from a sit back and watch pet as it gets, they're closer to having cats or dogs. Socialized rats are INCREDIBLY needy as far as attention and stimulation goes and rats who sit in a cage most of the time really do end up going nutty, whether its obvious to the owner or not. Unsocialized rats are stressed because they never get out of their cages and are freaked out by the giant human loving with their poo poo all the time. They're too smart, complex, and social to be room ornaments like hamsters or reptiles. Very few rats are in the "okay with being handled" camp, they're either socialized and therefore require a buttload of human interaction, or unsocialized and easily stressed because of it and the confinement that results from not being handled/able to be free ranged ever.
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Feb 13, 2012 06:03
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I don't know, never really considered that my rats 'require' human interaction. Sure they enjoy it, but they enjoy any sort of novelty that breaks the monotony of their cage. I let them run around for a couple of hours each day, and they don't seem to care whether I'm playing with them or not. I suspect they're more like cats than dogs in that regard. They need stimulation, but they haven't been bred for hundreds of years to crave human affection like dogs have. That said, they will be rewarding pets if you devote time to actually interacting with them. Question for you guys: I bought a Wodent Wheel a couple of months ago (yes, it's the right size), but the stupid thing shakes so much when they're running on it that they stop after a couple of minutes and sit there looking sad and confused. I tried a lot of stupid methods of stabilising it (Tying it to the cage bars, weighing the base) but nothing really worked. Has anyone had this problem and figured it out? Thanks!
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Feb 13, 2012 07:30
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Springly posted:I don't know, never really considered that my rats 'require' human interaction. Sure they enjoy it, but they enjoy any sort of novelty that breaks the monotony of their cage. I let them run around for a couple of hours each day, and they don't seem to care whether I'm playing with them or not. I suspect they're more like cats than dogs in that regard. They need stimulation, but they haven't been bred for hundreds of years to crave human affection like dogs have. I've found that the best way to keep the wheel from shaking and dancing all over the place is to tie it upside down so that it hangs from the roof of the cage. I use six of those one-use nylon wire ties; pulled tight they do a great job at keeping it secure.
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Feb 13, 2012 09:30
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I worded that weird What I meant was I originally planned on getting "sit and watch" pets but got rats instead. M'bad. Also I'm awake right now because they've taken to attempting to bury themselves in the really thin layer of bedding. I need to get more bedding today, hopefully something not nearly as dusty as whatever this crap is. e: On another note, one of the rats I got is pretty antsy about being handled. The other two don't care, but I think she's just kind of not used to her environment (and me) yet. She'll still come up to me for treats though, so I'm thinking she'll come out of her shell soon. The other two already greet me when I walk in my room even though it hasn't even been a day yet. They all get along really well with each other though, which is a huge relief. Hardwood Floor fucked around with this message at 10:43 on Feb 13, 2012 |
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Feb 13, 2012 10:23
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I wouldn't worry about the ansty rat. You've just got them, it's totally normal if one of them is a bit scatty and unsure. As long as they're around people every day and are handled, they will not just get used to you, but will develop a connection to you. I know it sounds a bit stupid but they really come into their own after a few weeks and months. Both my rats have totally different personalities, in their own way they're like little people. When I let mine run around my room they always like to come over to me every so often and check on me. Especially when I move in my chair or something, they come bounding over to me to make sure I'm still here, it's so cute
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Feb 13, 2012 17:19
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Mine do the same thing! They kind of tag me and go about their business.
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Feb 13, 2012 19:01
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Yeah mine have always done that. It's like they establish me as the "safe place" and need to check in every once in a while. It's one of the most endearing things. Georgie is still doing well, touch wood. A bit of staining around her nose but that's just poryphryn or however it's spelt. Her lumps are big, hella big, but she's climbing and pouncing and seems very happy. And the lumps don't appear as pink and red and sore as they did, so that's super too.
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Feb 13, 2012 20:11
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dinosaursforsale posted:I've found that the best way to keep the wheel from shaking and dancing all over the place is to tie it upside down so that it hangs from the roof of the cage. I use six of those one-use nylon wire ties; pulled tight they do a great job at keeping it secure. Thanks! Sounds like it might work. Unfortunately my cage has a solid ceiling - this will mean nails and hooks or something. Still I'll give it a go. Are my rats the only ones that chew through those nylon ties? And I mean gleefully and within seconds. Cable ties are their favourite things to destroy.
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Feb 14, 2012 01:01
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My lovely fat rat Milly got a pretty hefty tumour that had started to interfere with her movement and breathing so she had to be put to sleep last night. Sometimes having awesome pets sucks. I got two little dumbos (Leila and Isolde ) to keep her cagemate company and they seem to be getting along fine. Leila: Isolde won't stay still long enough to get a picture of anything more than a little grey and white streak but I assure you, she's cute as hell. When I held her at the pet shop she tried to pull my glasses off my face.
ContinuityNewTimes fucked around with this message at 09:24 on Feb 14, 2012 |
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Feb 14, 2012 09:20
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Springly posted:Are my rats the only ones that chew through those nylon ties? And I mean gleefully and within seconds. Cable ties are their favourite things to destroy. You aren't alone, mine love them too. The only reason they haven't chewed all the way through the ones holding the wheel to the cage is that they're in really awkward positions. My girls would pretty much have to be hanging upside down or squeeze themselves in behind the top of the wheel to get to them and thankfully they don't seem to have the attention span. They have managed to bite off all the hangy ends that were poking into the cage though.
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Feb 14, 2012 11:23
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I completely reorganized my rats' cage last night. Put in new, much less dusty paper bedding. Added three new toys and more hidey places, then hid some snacks around. I don't think they've quite recovered, and they spent the whole night looking for more snacks. I didn't get much sleep, but it was fun anyway. I also am setting up an area for them to roam outside the cage. The only issue I've had so far is that the cage is just a little too close to some power outlets and I don't want rats chewing on that. This is exhausting and rewarding all at the same time.
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Feb 14, 2012 13:36
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So one of my ratties has injured her foot somehow and I'm trying to figure out what the problem is and what to do about it. I noticed she was limping when I took her out to play today. She can move her foot and her toes if she needs to, but she avoids putting weight on it. I checked out her foot for a while and didn't notice anything unusual. For now I suspect her douchebag of a cagemate was playing too rough with her or bit her. I've been putting animal wound ointment on it, but I'm worried it might be a sprain or a fracture, which a staff member at Petco informed me is grounds for euthanasia. Is that true? I'm pretty worried right now. What do you guys think?
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Feb 15, 2012 04:47
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Toyotadon posted:So one of my ratties has injured her foot somehow and I'm trying to figure out what the problem is and what to do about it. Talk to your vet.
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Feb 15, 2012 05:37
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Rats injure their feet all the time. Do you have wire shelves? One of the common injuries is they get their foot caught (in the shelf or the cage walls) and fall. Its normally nothing more than a sprain/bruise. I cant see a broken foot being cause for euthanasia in any case. Even if it didn't set straight I don't think I'd put a rat down because of it unless there was continuing pain. I don't think my vet would say that. Take her to a vet and keep an eye on her - most likely she will heal really quickly. Don't worry too much yet!
Big Bug Hug fucked around with this message at 06:58 on Feb 15, 2012 |
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Feb 15, 2012 06:55
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Well this sucks I had to return one of the rats to the rescue I got them at (managed to find one that works in combo with the humane society here). She was being picked on a bit too fiercely by the others and seemed kind of lethargic and terrified of being held. Turns out that she's blind.  I unfortunately don't have a separate area to foster her in or anything, so I kind of sulked back to the rescue with her. The rescue people basically were like "oh crap we had no idea and if we did we wouldn't have had her out for adoption" and all that.I don't blame the rescue or anything, but that really does suck. Explains the way she was acting though (really hates being handled, bullied by other rats, unresponsive to me walking in the room, etc). Pretty bummed out right now about this, but I probably should have handled the rats more before I actually got them to see if there were any issues like that. Buhhh I feel like an idiot. 
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Feb 15, 2012 17:21
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Blind rats usually don't have that much of a problem - rats can't see for poo poo anyway and rely pretty much entirely on hearing, smell and touch. And I've had a deaf rat, who was very responsive to air currents, vibrations and peoples' breath. So even if she were blind and deaf, I wouldn't expect that kind of lack of reaction If she was unresponsive and lethargic, there was something else going on with her. She sounds like she might just be in poor health generally and needs to see a vet. Big Bug Hug fucked around with this message at 01:11 on Feb 16, 2012 |
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Feb 16, 2012 01:08
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They have a small animal vet at the rescue who is supposed to be looking at her today. Since it's been under 30 days they'll do any vet treatments for free. And...yeah, she is probably sick with something, I don't really know. She's at the vet waiting to be seen now, and basically depending on the severity of whatever is going on the shelter could take her back or I could pick her up (I went to take her back, but they mentioned the whole "free vet treatments for the first 30 days" so I took that option instead). I'm making a separate cage for her though, one that I can move around pretty easily so I can keep an eye on her during recovery if whatever is going on isn't that awful. She was sniffling and sneezing a bit when she was here, could she be allergic to something? Do rats get allergies? The only other thing I can think of is that she may have had fleas I couldn't see when I was going over her (I have pretty bad eyesight myself and can't really spot stuff like that). But fleas shouldn't do that much in less than 48 hours right? She was shy when I got her but very active and stuff, only started being lethargic about a day after I brought her home, although the other rats bullied her before that. One more question: what should I put in her cage for now? Just bedding and essentials, or add some toys and things to chew? If she's sick I'd hate to put something in there that might be an issue.  I should be finding out what's up later today though.
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Feb 16, 2012 16:43
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Rats can find settling into a new environment and atmosphere difficult and this can cause sniffles until they adjust to it/clear their pipes. All of my girls have had sniffing and sneezing in some way when we first get them. No, we don't live in dust and filth :P
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Feb 16, 2012 16:59
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My roommate got a rat (Xena, the Warrior Princess) and all of us love her-1 roommate who just doesn't care. We normally let her run around on our couches while we watch tv/keep her away from right behind our ears. Its alright if she really really likes licking our hands right? She gets enough food and water every day but shes on a serious hand-licking spree.
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Feb 16, 2012 22:27
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Democratic Pirate posted:Its alright if she really really likes licking our hands right? She gets enough food and water every day but shes on a serious hand-licking spree. Some rats are just licky. Some do it for the salt on your hands like guinea pigs do, some do it because you ate something nice and they can taste it, and some are just friendly as hell
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Feb 16, 2012 23:31
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So many awesome rat pictures here that I feel kind of bad for the poor quality of mine. I can't be stopped though because I love them to bits. This is my rat Bebe (who was named by an ex...) when I first brought her home. I've had her for nearly a year now. Im not sure how old she was then but she was pretty tiny.  To give some scale:  She is the best and most affectionate pet I have ever owned. She is very licky and cuddly. She has never once bitten anyone or left droppings out of her cage. She also made a very good mother. This is her all tuckered out after giving birth to 9 healthy pups:  If i recall correctly these pictures are from when they were 5 weeks old. Seperating the girls and the boys. The girls already wouldn't sit still  
shrimp fried rice 4-EVA fucked around with this message at 03:15 on Feb 17, 2012 |
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Feb 17, 2012 03:09
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Those are adorable ratbabies! I got the results back from the vet, apparently Otacon (the lethargic rat I was talking about) is just a senior rat, so she's slowed down a bit and has a little more trouble breathing than my other rats. I couldn't really tell because she doesn't look grizzled or anything. She also has mites, so the vet gave me medication for that and recommended I treat my other rats too. Which I'll be doing starting tonight. So all is well, I just have an old codger rat who doesn't get along well with the younger, more rambunctious youngin's.
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Feb 17, 2012 04:35
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Aww, well that's good news I say, at least you can give her a nice retirement home. And the main thing I would be worried about (pneumonia) has been ruled out. So you have space to keep her as a solo rat? Perhaps she can still sit with the others a bit from time to time, if they don't pick on her so much in neutral areas. I love senior rats anyway, they're usually lazy cuddlebugs.
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Feb 17, 2012 05:29
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Yeah, I made an area aside for her, it's smaller than the main cage and has less climbing areas, but other than that is a pretty standard rat cage I guess. I went to like 4 different stores looking for a cage and found this one at like, a wholesale pet supplier type place. I'll try to get pictures of the setup later. I basically got something I can tote from room to room when I move around so I can watch her to see if she needs anything. She still drinks from a water bottle fine and can find her way around pretty well. I was thinking maybe pneumonia before I got the call, but her nose wasn't wet when I had her beforehand. I'm just going to give her a nice, quiet place for as long as possible. Which should be until she passes away, given she's almost 10 months old according to the vet. I'm thinking of renaming her Big Boss though.
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Feb 17, 2012 05:56
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So, my old lady Luna has had 2 attacks of respiratory distress in the last month and a half. I've changed to less dusty bedding and made sure she's not being stressed out. Each time they've resolved within 20-30 minutes after sitting in a steamy room, which I saw suggested here. I'm just wondering if anyone has experience dealing with this? Are there any other environmental changes I should make or things I should do if she has another attack? I called my vet & am waiting to hear back but I'd love some input from anyone who might know as well.
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Feb 17, 2012 15:30
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Normally I'm opposed to adopting from pet stores, but I ended up looking at Petco rats this week and was amazed to find they were extremely friendly and potty trained. Warmed up to me as soon as I got them home and they brux like crazy. Never thought feeder rats could be so well adjusted, and I couldn't be happier about it.
Skittle Wood fucked around with this message at 04:07 on Feb 18, 2012 |
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Feb 18, 2012 04:05
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Skittle Wood posted:Normally I'm opposed to adopting from pet stores, but I ended up looking at Petco rats this week and was amazed to find they were extremely friendly and potty trained. Warmed up to me as soon as I got them home and they brux like crazy. Never thought feeder rats could be so well adjusted, and I couldn't be happier about it. Yeah.. it's hard, though. There aren't nearly as many rat rescues or breeders as there are for cats and dogs so getting rats from non pet store sources is really, really tough. I've gotten three rats from Petsmart over the years. One was a sweetheart and very friendly while the other two are not well socialized despite my best efforts. I'm not sure if that's to be chalked up to lack of early exposure to people or simple personality traits. Around here, they're at least kept in very clean cages with good bedding and food and toys and houses so that's a plus.
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Feb 18, 2012 05:19
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My friend has a problem with one of his rats. He has four females (all pet shop rats: Adam, Eve, Eden and Apple) that until about a month ago were in a Liberta Explorer, and since then have been in a cage that is slightly larger than half of a Liberta/single level Liberta. He had to downsize because it was taking him too long to clean and the Liberta cage was too big for the room his rats are in. His rats come out for play and roaming for around an hour a day. Since the downsize (and the simultaneous merging of Adam, Eve and Eden with Apple - they'd been introduced for about a fortnight prior to the merge), Eden has regressed back to being really nervy and timid. About a week ago he first noticed she's making a 'soft crying noise', which he's identified now as bruxing, apparently. She does it when he opens the cage to let them out, and I think at other times when he's not interacting with them. He hasn't noticed her 'eyes bulging out' or anything. Afaik, bruxing can be a stress thing. He's pretty down about it, as it's taken him a lot of work to get Eden even tolerant of him. She's the oldest rat and was given to him by a pet shop going out of rat breeding, and she has always been really scaredy in general since he got her. Is this likely just a thing that'll go as quickly as it arrived? Or should he go back to forced socialisation again? (Wall of  about rats that aren't even mine.)
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Feb 18, 2012 09:01
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