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I bought the lads some sample-sized bags of buckwheat, amaranth, and hulled millet from the bulk grain bins at the grocery store. Something is being eagerly devoured 
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Dec 21, 2012 06:39
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| # ? May 15, 2024 16:06 |
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OldMold posted:let him free and give him a chance?  Seizures can be treated with Valium and other drugs. I don't agree that euthanasia is a solution. I don't get pets unless I can give them the happiest life possible. He might have issues but that doesn't mean his entire life has to be over.
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Dec 21, 2012 20:19
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My poor boy has what looks like an inner ear infection. He was fine literally 8 hours ago when I went to bed. Anyway, I had a hard time getting into any vet today, had to go with one I don't know. edited since going to the vet: Vet said there was not much of an ear infection, more upper resp, and Finn is a chronic sniffler from way back so that fits. But I got vibravet, which I've never used - does 2 doses a day of that sound sufficient? Big Bug Hug fucked around with this message at 00:58 on Dec 22, 2012 |
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Dec 21, 2012 23:16
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I'm so loving pissed off. BF and I are with his family in Saskatchewan for a few days (landed 2 days ago). BF's friend was supposed to feed them today, and generally check in on them. He texted BF today saying that he forgot that there was this party he wanted to go to, and could we find someone else? We contact a couple people, no one's free, and while it would be a little inconvenient for him to get to the rats, it wouldn't screw his night or anything. So I text his work phone, apparently he didn't get them, and he took the silence to mean that he should just go ahead to the party and not bother feeding the rats! So we called a few more people and no one is able to check in on them until tomorrow. They should be okay... they have water, and if they're absolutely starving there's a snak shak and maybe some bully stick in there. But not exactly anything nutritious. But seriously, who the hell bails on feeding someone's pets to go to a party? Poor girls.
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Dec 22, 2012 00:17
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Yeah, they should be fine till tomorrow. That's some bullshit though.
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Dec 22, 2012 00:30
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I'm not expecting them to keel over dead or anything, but I don't like the thought of them going hungry  . As it turns out, BF's parents are able to drive down from the suburbs tonight, it's just a hassle for them.
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Dec 22, 2012 00:34
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Your bf's friend sucks. What an rear end. Apparently the best way to win someone over to the rat side is to plonk a little roan dumbo on them. My friend (who tolerates Chell and only Chell, and actively dislikes the others lmao) was very interested in holding and playing with Panda tonight. Pandora looks to be pretty much healed up, so tomorrow I'm going to reintroduce and clean the big cage again, then put them in. I'm thinking of putting Chell in the temp ham cage for a couple of days so that Panda can settle in with the others first, as it was only really Chell who had a problem with her. Any opinions on that?
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Dec 22, 2012 01:11
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Invalid Octopus posted:I'm so loving pissed off. BF and I are with his family in Saskatchewan for a few days (landed 2 days ago). BF's friend was supposed to feed them today, and generally check in on them. He texted BF today saying that he forgot that there was this party he wanted to go to, and could we find someone else? We contact a couple people, no one's free, and while it would be a little inconvenient for him to get to the rats, it wouldn't screw his night or anything. So I text his work phone, apparently he didn't get them, and he took the silence to mean that he should just go ahead to the party and not bother feeding the rats! So we called a few more people and no one is able to check in on them until tomorrow. They should be okay... they have water, and if they're absolutely starving there's a snak shak and maybe some bully stick in there. But not exactly anything nutritious. But seriously, who the hell bails on feeding someone's pets to go to a party? Poor girls. This has happened to me. While I was out of town, my best friend who was looking after my ferrets was like "I'm going out of town Friday, is that cool." Notice there is no question mark there. I wasn't going to be back in town until Tuesday, but luckily I had an awesome neighbor who was happy to look in on them and give them water and lay down fresh newspaper over the dirty stuff. I mean, I know it's not fun to have an obligation you regret agreeing to, SO DON'T AGREE TO STUFF IN THE FIRST PLACE IF YOU ARE GOING TO FLAKE FOR ANY REASON.
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Dec 22, 2012 04:14
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Serella posted:This has happened to me. While I was out of town, my best friend who was looking after my ferrets was like "I'm going out of town Friday, is that cool." Notice there is no question mark there. I wasn't going to be back in town until Tuesday, but luckily I had an awesome neighbor who was happy to look in on them and give them water and lay down fresh newspaper over the dirty stuff. I mean, I know it's not fun to have an obligation you regret agreeing to, SO DON'T AGREE TO STUFF IN THE FIRST PLACE IF YOU ARE GOING TO FLAKE FOR ANY REASON. Yeah, seriously, and he gave us hardly any warning and was just a jerk about it. And then BF's mom texted him to be a better owner because "the white one is fat", she wanted to put music on for them (and we didn't agree), and the cage is too big. Seriously, she told him to "be a better rat owner". Is Angie a little overweight? Yeah, but the rat vet we see said too not worry about it. Of course, her yorkies are puppy milled, overweight, not housebroken, and unsocialized, but she knows all about pet ownership!
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Dec 22, 2012 04:35
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Invalid Octopus posted:Yeah, seriously, and he gave us hardly any warning and was just a jerk about it. And then BF's mom texted him to be a better owner because "the white one is fat", she wanted to put music on for them (and we didn't agree), and the cage is too big. Seriously, she told him to "be a better rat owner". Is Angie a little overweight? Yeah, but the rat vet we see said too not worry about it. Of course, her yorkies are puppy milled, overweight, not housebroken, and unsocialized, but she knows all about pet ownership! How can a cage be too big for a rat "This rat is having too much fun, you suck"
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Dec 22, 2012 06:10
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    Pandora From visiting my friend a couple days ago;  Pippin and Stumpy (who is doing very well after her miscarriage)  Dobby  Dobby  Samwise  Samwise
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Dec 22, 2012 21:26
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Hehe. What a big smooshball.
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Dec 23, 2012 00:19
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Today, I had THREE Petland employees struggle, and then fail to sex a rat. They keep them in the back, and I told them to gimme a female because I just needed a generic female. I was standing just outside the staff area and could hear all three of the employees back there going "uh, is this a female?" "uh, yeah...yeah, that's female." I didn't check or even look in the box until I got home because how do you gently caress up sexing a rat, but I could see its GIANT RAT BALLS as soon as I popped the lid of the box open. I also told them to give me a large, and it is like 5 weeks old. I mean I am not surprised really because Petland, but lol. I didn't take him back because my male is alone and needs a friend anyway, so whatever. 
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Dec 23, 2012 00:48
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Of all the things you could fail at sexing. Rodents in general are SO EASY to sex I just don't understand how you could fail at it.  Speaking of giant rat balls though, here's a random picture of Biscuit after I took him to the vet.  He's the cutest ballsack.
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Dec 23, 2012 01:02
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Hahah ratballs. I remember the first time I got rats (girls) I was SO WORRIED that one might be an accidental dude and impregnate them. Then I actually saw a male, and realised I should never have worried. Especially a 5 week old the balls are like a third of their body. In other news I gave my new boys some frozen peas in a litre tupperware of water today. The idea was they would be tricked into soaking themselves and cooling down a bit. First thing one did was grab it, lift it and flip it over, spilling peas and icy water throughout the cage. That was like 4 times your body weight, rat.At least they are soaked now?
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Dec 23, 2012 01:27
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Does Biscuit have black on the tips of his balls? Bandit had pretty black tipped ratballs.  A living nutsack with a nutsack.
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Dec 23, 2012 06:54
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So up until recently I had two rats: Switchblade (on top), and Squiddy. They're about five months old now, and Squiddy has asserted herself as the dominant rat through much squeaky power-grooming and awkward humping, and we've all bonded into a very tight little rat family. Just them, me, and the beloved space pod.  So, a few days ago I decided it was time to expand the rat pack to three, for a couple reasons: 1. Squid harasses poor laid-back Switchy a lot, so I thought a third rat might take some of the attention off. 2. It makes me sad to think of how lonely one would be if the other died. So I went to place where I bought Switch/Squid and got another little rat, this time a brown rex named Otter. She looks just like an Otter, you see. I picked her because she was outgoing, seemed less afraid than the others and was a bit bigger. I was worried a really small rat might not be able to hold their own. I put them in cages near enough to smell each other, introduced them in a neutral place, scrubbed and rearranged their cage, and all was going well. They seemed fine around each other! So I figured I should just get it over with and put them all in the same cage together. The tension has been palpable ever sense. For the first day or two Squid and Otter got into a few fights that required intervention, but no injuries or blood or anything. Now Otter just seems like she's being kind of a jerk, ears always back, really scared and tense, picking fights with poor Switchblade who just wants to run on her wheel. She's even started barging into the space pod where Squid and Switchy are sleeping and basically just kicking them out- nipping them until they run off. Her and Switch are still having angry sounding interactions (not playful wresting), pretty much all the time. Everybody looks really stressed out. Is this normal rat stuff, or am I inadvertently traumatizing everyone? Will everything settle down eventually? What if they just hate each other? I just want us to be one big happy rat family. 
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Dec 23, 2012 07:43
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Baika posted:Does Biscuit have black on the tips of his balls? Bandit had pretty black tipped ratballs. Yup, I wondered at first if he had pooped on his balls because, you know, massive and all. But nope! And yet rats still seem to show you their balls less than cats do.
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Dec 23, 2012 15:10
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Yeah, I'm pretty surprised people haven't already started posting ball shots of their rats. Especially those weird naked ones. As for Petland... couldn't they just google it if they weren't sure?
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Dec 23, 2012 19:50
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They probably did google it, that's why she got a rat instead of a chinchilla.
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Dec 23, 2012 20:00
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Halcyon Leviathan posted:I put them in cages near enough to smell each other, introduced them in a neutral place, scrubbed and rearranged their cage, and all was going well. They seemed fine around each other! So I figured I should just get it over with and put them all in the same cage together. The thing is (and a thing that a lot of sites/people don't tell you), introductions on neutral ground aren't necessarily going to show how the rats will behave when in ~their~ cage. The first time I introduced Pandora to the others, they all groomed and humped and happily fell asleep in the little cage. I got cocky and put her in the big cage after a very quick clean, and she got her rear end kicked for a couple of days. She's getting along with them quite well (fingers crossed) after this introduction: take two, though. Is your cage bare? If not, strip it. Have a single hammock in, a water bottle, and a food bowl. Remove the wheel, anything that can be guarded (e.g. the space pod, or any tunnels, etc) This was what me and a friend had to do for adult male introductions, and after ~a week of squabbling her boys are all absolutely fine. The rule is no blood, no foul. Rats sorting their poo poo out will put on some pretty awful looking and sounding displays, but if they aren't drawing blood they are doing well.
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Dec 23, 2012 20:08
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Fluffy Bunnies posted:They probably did google it, that's why she got a rat instead of a chinchilla. His name is Stacy. :bigtran:
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Dec 23, 2012 20:24
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Fraction posted:Is your cage bare? If not, strip it. Have a single hammock in, a water bottle, and a food bowl. Remove the wheel, anything that can be guarded (e.g. the space pod, or any tunnels, etc) This was what me and a friend had to do for adult male introductions, and after ~a week of squabbling her boys are all absolutely fine. Came to agree as this is basically what I was going to post.  When I introduced my baby girls to Evie, there was hell until I took absolutely EVERYTHING out of the cage. They'd got on fine out of cage, and Evie had been in their temporary little cage with them with no problems, so I thought they'd be fine. But when they got into the big cage together even just having one shelf or one branch or anything was obviously causing problems, as Evie would be really aggressive and territorial about it. I felt guilty about having them in a bare boring cage but the difference after taking everything out was really noticeable. There were still scuffles occasionally but not as aggressive and with less chasing than before, and they'd even started sleeping together right before Evie died. Another thing I found helpful was putting them in a stressful situation together. I put them all in a carrier together and took them for a really bumpy, unsteady horrible walk which they obviously hated and were all clinging to one another afterwards. That seemed to break any little grudges Evie was holding against them and they stopped fighting almost completely after that. I felt like a massive bitch, though.
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Dec 23, 2012 22:43
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I can attest to that too - putting them in a carrier all together and in an unfamiliar room or for a walk has helped me introduce several boys. Some people use the bathtub but I think I'd end up covered head to toe with scratches or lose an eye if I tried that.
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Dec 24, 2012 03:56
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Found a tumor on Liza today. I know these things happen, but my bf's pretty broken up about it. All the bad rats will get some Christmas presents tomorrow, though
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Dec 25, 2012 02:13
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I think we've discovered something, my nekkid boy has black tipped nuts, and so did his brother. Gross. So I just moved into what will hopefully be *~*~*my forever home*~*~* and I think I've pretty much decided to get more rats over a cat. For one I am allergic to cats even though I love them, and they knock poo poo over. I already have the housing for four more rats. Stop me. Someone please tell me that nine rats is a bad idea... even though I have the means to support them. But I love these little bastards. My partner approves more rats over a cat as well. Anyway here's a ton of pictures which I will accompany with smilies that I think fit the picture, because I am just that bored.         Shouldn't have crinkled that wrapper so loud...  
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Dec 25, 2012 12:46
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Invalid Octopus posted:Found a tumor on Liza today. I know these things happen, but my bf's pretty broken up about it. All the bad rats will get some Christmas presents tomorrow, though I'm sorry
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Dec 25, 2012 16:53
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I'm home for the break and my ratties are staying in the spare cage upstairs. The place reeks of cat, and I'm pretty sure it's stressing them out quite a bit. They've seemed a bit frazzled since I got here and haven't really improved all that much in about a week. It's weird because my last pair of rats (my first pair) were almost always completely chill and happy at my parents' house and only seemed a bit more attentive on occasion. These two seem genuinely nervous and don't like to be taken out of the cage. They do seem okay most of the time but it's pretty obvious they're not as happy and carefree as they are in the Critter Nation back at my apartment. Is there any way I can help them? It really makes me sad to see them looking so nervous. I was considering covering the cage with an old towel or something so they feel more isolated and safe but I have no idea if that will help.
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Dec 25, 2012 18:49
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redjenova posted:I'm home for the break and my ratties are staying in the spare cage upstairs. The place reeks of cat, and I'm pretty sure it's stressing them out quite a bit. They've seemed a bit frazzled since I got here and haven't really improved all that much in about a week. It's weird because my last pair of rats (my first pair) were almost always completely chill and happy at my parents' house and only seemed a bit more attentive on occasion. These two seem genuinely nervous and don't like to be taken out of the cage. They do seem okay most of the time but it's pretty obvious they're not as happy and carefree as they are in the Critter Nation back at my apartment. Could you try cleaning the room with Nature's Miracle? This is decently reviewed, though I haven't used it – it's supposed to remove odor from the cage, but it might help with the cat odor near the cage. You could also try feeding them extra stinky food and/or giving them extra places to hide.
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Dec 25, 2012 19:01
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Does anyone know of something similiar to a sputnik (i.e. plastic bed that can go on the base of the cage) that is larger than the XL sputnik? My five girls can't cram themselves into one. Pandora and Moxxi have been taking it in turns sleeping outside of the sputnik because there's not enough room  It's too cold at the moment for them to sleep in hammocks, so I need something else.
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Dec 26, 2012 18:36
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Fraction posted:Does anyone know of something similiar to a sputnik (i.e. plastic bed that can go on the base of the cage) that is larger than the XL sputnik? It doesn't hang, but my girls all love the Guinea Pig Igloo. It has a solid bottom as well (most hideaways don't, and that's a dealbreaker for me), and could sleep 5. e: I'm also picking up one of these, which comes in a couple bigger sizes as well. I'm not convinced of its durability, but it looks pretty drat cute and you can get a tunnel attachment for it. 
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Dec 26, 2012 18:40
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That hanging thing is cute but wouldn't last with my girls The igloo is actually something I was considering, thanks! I've just placed an order for one so hopefully it'll arrive soon.
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Dec 26, 2012 19:06
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Fraction posted:That hanging thing is cute but wouldn't last with my girls The best part is, if you want to play with All The Rats, you can just sneak in and take out the whole igloo and now you have a box of rats!
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Dec 26, 2012 19:16
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I need to make a big pile of new hammocks, the boys have recently decided to chew giant holes in every single hammock
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Dec 26, 2012 22:12
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Rats . They had a big snak shak last year and after a few months of sleeping peacefully in it, decided to remodel by adding a second big hole in it. Then when remodelling was complete, it was now unacceptable to sleep in because of the big bad hole! Since it looks like Liza now only has a couple months left, I talked to the breeder a little bit today about getting a boy from her in the future. She sells out of the interesting looking ones pretty quickly, and he'll need to be neutered, which complicates things a little bit. I believe our vet said he'd neuter at about 8 weeks, and the breeder said she'd be fine to hold onto the little guy until then, so that he gets to stay with rat buddies instead of isolation until the big day. The breeder (click for pics!) looks about as good as rat breeders get I guess, even if she sells through kijiji. She was concerned about selling a singlet boy until I explained the situation, and we talked vets a bit. Plus she has some pretty interesting markings available (dalmatian, possum). I guess it's a little morbid to start looking into getting a new rat before Liza's passed, but because of the stuff involved, it's kind of necessary to get a head start.
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Dec 26, 2012 22:28
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Invalid Octopus posted:Rats Not morbid at all. It's good to make sure your remaining pet(s) still have a buddy they're already bonded with after their cagemate passes.
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Dec 26, 2012 22:36
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Serella posted:Not morbid at all. It's good to make sure your remaining pet(s) still have a buddy they're already bonded with after their cagemate passes. Yeah, thanks. In the next few days we'll call the vet to ask about neutering, and in a couple weeks I'll reevaluate things based on how Liza's tumor is growing. It's just difficult trying to set a plan based on a tumor, but we'll see how things progress.
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Dec 26, 2012 23:08
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Invalid Octopus posted:Yeah, thanks. In the next few days we'll call the vet to ask about neutering, and in a couple weeks I'll reevaluate things based on how Liza's tumor is growing. It's just difficult trying to set a plan based on a tumor, but we'll see how things progress. I know how you feel. I got a third ferret just before one of mine needed surgery for his cancer earlier this year. He passed a few weeks ago, and I'm so glad his cagemate wasn't left alone. Plus, it helps you to not have to think about immediately getting a replacement right after a pet dies to keep the surviving one company.
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Dec 26, 2012 23:23
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Serella posted:I know how you feel. I got a third ferret just before one of mine needed surgery for his cancer earlier this year. He passed a few weeks ago, and I'm so glad his cagemate wasn't left alone. Plus, it helps you to not have to think about immediately getting a replacement right after a pet dies to keep the surviving one company. Well, I have four right now - ideally baby boy will come home right after Liza passes. He'll have to be separated for a couple weeks after his neutering as well. Thankfully four rats means I won't have to worry about any of them being alone if one passes.
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Dec 26, 2012 23:40
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| # ? May 15, 2024 16:06 |
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That was my plan when I got my trio. Now I have five rats. 
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Dec 26, 2012 23:48
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