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RazorBunny posted:It's good that you figured it out quickly! It's attached with a wire hook instead of a spring, and is also all plastic so pretty lightweight. Using the spring from the broken bottle now and it's fine. Also have a bird fountain in there, leftover from when we had Patti, so they're good for now.
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Nov 19, 2012 20:59
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I have been thinking for the past few months about how I can make my girls nails less pointy/sharp and have come up with a rather (in?)elegant solution. I can't take them outside and onto concrete without exposing them to all sorts of things I don't want them in and around and the pumice toy I got them is ignored so my idea is to replace their food bowl with a brick and fill the holes in the brick with food so they will have to walk/climb on the abrasive surface to eat. Anybody have any better ideas?
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Nov 19, 2012 22:25
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OlDirtyBehrmann posted:I have been thinking for the past few months about how I can make my girls nails less pointy/sharp and have come up with a rather (in?)elegant solution. I can't take them outside and onto concrete without exposing them to all sorts of things I don't want them in and around and the pumice toy I got them is ignored so my idea is to replace their food bowl with a brick and fill the holes in the brick with food so they will have to walk/climb on the abrasive surface to eat. Anybody have any better ideas? Bricks are a popular method. I use sandpaper. To be specific, "bird sand" meant for parrots' cages, both because I have parrots and it seems safe in case they chew it. I just put a sheet down while they play on the couch and they run all over it, does the job.
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Nov 19, 2012 22:55
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Cute ratties, guys!  I've heard of putting a brick in front of the water bottle, and positioning it so the rats have to climb onto the brick to get the water. Food bowl/brick idea sounds like it would be difficult to feed them the right amount of food they need, really.  Girlsrats.jpg Fraction fucked around with this message at 23:25 on Nov 19, 2012 |
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Nov 19, 2012 23:19
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Been lurking here for a while, but you've all persuaded me to get some rats. They just look so adorable, and it's obvious that they've got their own individual personalities. I'm going to do it right, get a the biggest cage I can afford, get several rats, get them vet insurance...
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Nov 20, 2012 00:00
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I'm so buying a brick now, I can't believe I never thought of that before! So I realized it's been a long time since I gave rat updates (sorry if no one cares.) I moved the four nice boys into one big cage after Hurley passed and things are going well. Hector is still on his own. Russel: He still has his buddy Gus, but he likes to bully Benjamin and regularly gets his rear end handed to him. Gus: Loves everyone and everyone loves him. Jack: still obtuse and doesn't really care much for me, never did. Gay for Gus. Benjamin: Waiting for the next assault. Hector: Is all on his own still, he likes it that way, I'm no longer afraid he'll bite me, and I can pick him up and he'll be chill for a minute or so. He takes food from me extremely gently while throwing me the crazy eye. No Hector, it's still not poison.
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Nov 20, 2012 05:11
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I guess I feel out of the lucky tree - all three of my girls trim their own claws when they groom.
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Nov 20, 2012 20:32
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RareBrit posted:Been lurking here for a while, but you've all persuaded me to get some rats. They just look so adorable, and it's obvious that they've got their own individual personalities. Other people might weigh in on the whole insurance idea, but I don't think many insurances even cover rats? I'm not sure how good it'd be either, rats can often go for ages with no health problems. v  v
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Nov 20, 2012 21:24
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dinosaursforsale posted:I guess I feel out of the lucky tree - all three of my girls trim their own claws when they groom. This is a thing? I've been swearing one of my girls does this, because her claws are never, ever sharp, while her sister's are a little more needle-like although never very long. This post was interrupted by a rat trying to clean the mascara off my eyelashes. Gack.
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Nov 21, 2012 05:59
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RoboRodent posted:This is a thing? I've been swearing one of my girls does this, because her claws are never, ever sharp, while her sister's are a little more needle-like although never very long. I have seen my boys biting/pulling on their nails before, so probably. They like to trim mine more often, they think I keep them too long.
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Nov 21, 2012 10:46
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Never put nails painted in the last couple of hours near your rats.  Mine are determined to yank them off if there's even the faintest hint of nail varnish smell on them.
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Nov 21, 2012 11:13
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Yeah, I've discovered that. I can't even open a bottle of nail polish without one of them coming over to investigate. No, girls, it isn't for you. Hey, there's an idea to get rats to trim their own nails. Maybe not. They're not used to my wearing mascara at all, I guess, so it was definitely a moment of trying to remove it for me. It was kind of painful.
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Nov 22, 2012 00:09
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Nov 23, 2012 13:52
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 DSCF1118.jpg by GreyishOrange, on Flickr Top floor of the cage  DSCF1119.jpg by GreyishOrange, on Flickr Bottom floor of the cage With only two rats they are spoilt rotten with all the space!  DSCF1123.jpg by GreyishOrange, on Flickr  DSCF1109.jpg by GreyishOrange, on Flickr
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Nov 23, 2012 15:01
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How do your rats not just pull up all the fleece and live under it forever?
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Nov 23, 2012 16:48
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I keep an extra layer of loose fleece on top and they tend to just hang out under that fleece and make nests with it rather than biting holes and pulling up the base fleece.
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Nov 23, 2012 17:08
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See, I could probably do that with my original trio. But Moxxi is a little poo poo and she likes to yoink things up and stuff them in stupid places. Right now the boat at the veeery top of their cage is stuffed full of newspaper nabbed from the very bottom of the cage 
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Nov 23, 2012 18:03
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Heeeeeeey Pippin       hey, hey, hey pretty little lady I want to keep her.  But she's going to my friend to be BFFs with no-longer-pregs Stumpy. Poor Stumpy has been on her own for ages now. I think she'll appreciate Pip's company.
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Nov 24, 2012 11:57
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Has anyone ever had an issue with a rat not knowing how to socialize with other rats? I actually had to separate Cubone from my other rats because she irritated my older rats to no end, to the point she was getting pinned like every 5 minutes for being all up in my other rats' faces. She actually seems to prefer human company but maybe that's because she's never been around other rats. When I put her in with the younger ones, she irritated them even more until an actual blood-drawn fight occurred. The rat she fought with had never been in a fight before. I tried a few times to see if she'd fit in with any of the others, but it always ended in fights because she really just cannot stop irritating them. I guess she lives up to the name Cubone though.  It's just weird because I've never had a girl rat like that, even for one that was isolated.
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Nov 24, 2012 13:43
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Fraction posted:How do your rats not just pull up all the fleece and live under it forever? Hardy only once tried to drag the fleece of one floor into the litter tray, it was cute watching him pull it all up in a proper rat fashion. Hasn't happened again though, maybe he's happy with the way it is now?
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Nov 24, 2012 15:38
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Fraction posted:Other people might weigh in on the whole insurance idea, but I don't think many insurances even cover rats? I'm not sure how good it'd be either, rats can often go for ages with no health problems. v I've kept dogs before, and I guess I just automatically think I need to get it. There are a couple of companies that do do pet rat insurance. I guess they are pretty healthy things are a rule, they need proper looking after though.
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Nov 24, 2012 22:31
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RareBrit posted:I guess they are pretty healthy things are a rule, Rats are probably the least healthy pets you can possibly own.
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Nov 24, 2012 23:09
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A more correct title for the megathread would probably be, RAT FAQ/Megathread: Where your heart grows four legs and then dies on you. What I meant was that they can often be healthy (or healthy-seeming) for ages, and then just crap out. Pew! Pew! posted:Has anyone ever had an issue with a rat not knowing how to socialize with other rats? I actually had to separate Cubone from my other rats because she irritated my older rats to no end, to the point she was getting pinned like every 5 minutes for being all up in my other rats' faces. She actually seems to prefer human company but maybe that's because she's never been around other rats. When I put her in with the younger ones, she irritated them even more until an actual blood-drawn fight occurred. The rat she fought with had never been in a fight before. What's her behaviour like? Rude or aggressive, or just really, annoyingly rambunctious? If it's the latter she might be best paired up with your youngest, most excitable rat. If the former, I dunno, keep her in a cage next to them then sloooowly introduce?
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Nov 24, 2012 23:18
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Annoyingly rambunctious and...clingy is a good word for it. She follows the other rats very closely, licks them a bunch, crawls on them, and puts her hands all over them and they just get sick and tired of it! She's also that way with people and likes to climb all over and lick you. I tried to introduce her to another young-ish rat that was also pretty playful, but blood was drawn within an hour of actual physical introduction because she seemed to strike a nerve with her obsessive grooming. Never had this issue before with any rat so I'm kind of stumped. Guys, does my rat have aspergers? 
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Nov 24, 2012 23:51
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That's pretty crappy. I know you have a bunch of rats ( understatement, right?) already, but what about getting a baby to go with her? It sounds like she's really into other rats, so keeping her as a solo would suck.How long was she with the rats before? Is it literal blood-drawing fights, or just angry scraps?
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Nov 24, 2012 23:59
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I've considered another baby but I'm not sure if my heart could take it at this point.  I'm actually planning on giving up rats after these pass away, or at least focusing on males so I'm not constantly under with vet bills. There was actual blood drawn - the other rat wasn't hurt, but Cubone got a pretty nasty gash on her shoulder. She was with the older girls for a few weeks and they tolerated her in the loosest sense (no blood drawn, lots of pinning though) but I had to isolate her after she bit the older one who'd been pinning her and hurt their ear. Right now the older rats are kind of in a cage to their own and there's been no fights since she was isolated. I do have a few other rats, but one's currently recovering from a surgery (another older girl) and the other two young ones get violent with her (one of them was the one who drew blood, the other kind of ganged up too before I jumped in) but they're totally fine with each other, the pair I mean. I was able to have her with them for a week before that happened and now they don't accept her at all. Once the one who was in surgery recovers, I might consider a baby but right now I'm pretty depressed about rats in general and would like to try alternatives other than just "get a new rat", if that makes any sense. e: The time thing isn't making much sense the way I typed it but basically she was with the older ones after I isolated her from the younger ones, who she was with originally I think (I'm having a brain fart). Then I introduced her to the older girls who were fine with her until she hurt one of them. It's a real pain. Hardwood Floor fucked around with this message at 00:18 on Nov 25, 2012 |
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Nov 25, 2012 00:15
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Yeah sorry if I sounded insensitive there with 'get a new rat'. But if the older one that's recovering doesn't take to her, and the others won't really accept her without fighting, then I don't know what you can do except house her alone or with a really young bub that won't think/be old enough to stand up to her. I'm sorry you're having such a bad time lately with the rats
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Nov 25, 2012 00:35
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Superconsndar posted:Rats are probably the least healthy pets you can possibly own. Word. Just put what you would spend on insurance in an emergency fund. They do not really live long enough for the insurance to be worth it.
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Nov 25, 2012 01:02
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Superconsndar posted:Rats are probably the least healthy pets you can possibly own. Sorry ferrets win this contest. Barely.
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Nov 25, 2012 02:05
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CompactFanny posted:Sorry ferrets win this contest. Barely. Yeah but if a ferret doesn't break it'll live to be what, 7? The least broken rat in the world will see 3, 4 if it wins the genetic lottery. So best case scenario, you get like, 2 good years before they suddenly become old and horrible and if they DO make it to 3 or 4, those last two years are spent being miserable and slowly declining. Then again, at least female rats don't explode and die if they aren't bred, so maybe you have a point
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Nov 25, 2012 03:19
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Pew! Pew!: Does your aspergers rat play nicely with the others in small doses, outside the cage? When I have to house one separate I can usually still let them all out to play in a contained, supervised area. If you can give her attention, and a little play time with her friends she should be OK, even if its not ideal. I have a boy with a similar temperament, though not as severe as yours. He thinks everyone is his friend (strangers, cats, dogs, every rat ever) and seems to not be able to read the other rats' social cues. He doesn't understand why they get fed up with him jumping all over them(luckily they are tolerant lazy boys). When I recently combined two pairs of boys into one bigger cage, they were sorting out their chain of command, everyone was a bit tense, there was pinning and a bit of scuffling... Except Finn was SO excited and happy he was just jumping on everyone and running around. Getting in the middle of fights. It was hilarious and cute. He has no idea about rat things and I have described him as an aspie many a time, so your description made me smile. While the others are lazing around all day in a rat pile Finn is usually sleeping right by the door or standing guard waiting for attention. He always wants attention, from me or his cagemates. I often have to take him out and let him run around to tire him out so he won't annoy everyone. (he is also my favorite) Big Bug Hug fucked around with this message at 04:46 on Nov 25, 2012 |
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Nov 25, 2012 04:40
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I think that sounds like a great idea. I know one of the older girls she can get along with for a few hours before the older one is like "step back kid ya bother me". don't really have a playpen for them though. I've tried a pen with 4 foot tall sides and they just climb out like it's nothing. I think I can do some musical chair cages (musical cages?) and let them hang out for a while each day. Thanks for the suggestion! It seems to take a while before she becomes irritating to the other rats so it sucks I can't put one in the cage with her and just let them live together, but having a visitor every day seems like the next best thing. Also, Finn sounds adorable. I think Cubone's this way because she was never around other rats ever when I got her, and apparently her owner at the time was kind of weird and mentioned to never pick her up in the little manual included with her (Cubone and all her stuff was dumped at a Petco because the owner got a dog who had a high, uncontrolled prey drive from the sound of it). If she was isolated from both human and rat contact I imagine that would leave her a bit weird.
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Nov 25, 2012 14:44
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 Baby rats are the cutest loving thing If I can find another (baby) roan, she'll be coming home with me so drat fast. Aventura people, do you prefer to have your shelves in or out of the cage? I took my two shelves out and put a bridge for access between the main levels and, man, it's so much better. I can reach in way more easily and hang more things. It's also good for keeping my ladies active.    I forgot about the cat toys I got on sale a couple weeks ago, and stuck one in this morning. It's absolutely perfect height for the cage, and gives them a way of making pretty good use of the space. Not bad considering the two I got were like £10 each!   Cardboard is sooooo much better than aubiose/hemcore for the Aventura, holy poo poo. A bunch still falls/gets pushed out, but I just grabbed a dustpan and brush and threw it back in. They've got enough to shovel around without it getting everywhere like the lighter substrates. Might not be as pretty as fleece but it's so much less  when you have retarded rats.
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Nov 25, 2012 15:01
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Superconsndar posted:Yeah but if a ferret doesn't break it'll live to be what, 7? The least broken rat in the world will see 3, 4 if it wins the genetic lottery. So best case scenario, you get like, 2 good years before they suddenly become old and horrible and if they DO make it to 3 or 4, those last two years are spent being miserable and slowly declining. I'll have you know, all three of my ferrets have cancer and are covered in tumors.  Do I win the saddest pissing contest ever?  But seriously, whenever I'm bummed about how chronically cancerous ferrets are, I think to myself that at least they're not as short-lived as rats. Many more years of vet bills to look forward to!
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Nov 25, 2012 17:09
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Have a random video featuring Cubone. She stays with me about 30% of the day and usually curls up in my hoodie and sleeps, but sometimes she likes to interrupt me studying too.
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Nov 26, 2012 15:36
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Pew! Pew! posted:Have a random video featuring Cubone. She's so cute! You're lucky she will sleep on you. Though Finn might if I could ever have him out long enough. He gets into everything and never sits still.
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Nov 26, 2012 21:54
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After nearly eight ratless years, I will soon join the ranks of rat owners again! We're saving up for a Martin's cage, then when that arrives, we will begin the hunt for a pair of little girl rats. I'm extra excited because I thought I would never be able to have rats again -- when I had rats before, I developed an allergy and it stuck around for a few years. However, it seems to have gotten better (after handling the sweetest champagne-hooded dumbo the other day and coming out welt-free!) and I've learned better ways of managing potential future allergic reactions. The main thing will be a fully open cage, rather than an aquarium and a tank topper, as well as routine nail trimming and providing nail-blunting things in the cage. Pictures to come in a couple of weeks once we get everything done, home and settled!
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Nov 26, 2012 22:09
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Pew! Pew! posted:Have a random video featuring Cubone. Cubone.I had my four out yesterday whilst doing some university work. They kept trying to nibble London Assurance. Then eventually they piled into my dressing gown to sleep.
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Nov 26, 2012 22:13
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Not The Platypus posted:After nearly eight ratless years, I will soon join the ranks of rat owners again! We're saving up for a Martin's cage, then when that arrives, we will begin the hunt for a pair of little girl rats. Sweet, welcome and good luck with the allergies. My daughter is allergic to some rats and not others... Not sure how common that is. Of course, she still rubs them all over her face.
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Nov 27, 2012 03:35
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Big Bug Hug posted:Sweet, welcome and good luck with the allergies. My daughter is allergic to some rats and not others... Not sure how common that is. Of course, she still rubs them all over her face. Allergies to rats are actually pretty common and I've heard (from people who work with them for research purposes) some of them can really get you to have a bad reaction if you are allergic, and others not so much. Could be grooming (saliva) or dander related I guess?
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Nov 27, 2012 04:50
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