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Aleg posted:If any of you rat-seeking folks are around Milwaukee, WI, I will give you any of the babies( barring 2 I'm keeping and one more that's going to a friend) that I have. They're all 3 weeks now and so adorable my face hurts! All of them are also extremely friendly already and they come running with mom and aunt rat whenever they hear me come home. I will get pics later tonight and edit them in - I can't believe the little shits are growing so fast!  I figured that the next closest rat goon was in Chicago! Unfortunately, we're planning on moving to the west coast in a year and some change and considering taking a break from rats after these four. drat, this is tempting though!
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Aug 9, 2013 13:47
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| # ? May 15, 2024 02:39 |
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Hannah was unusually vehemently opposed to her bath this week -- so opposed that she ended up slicing her tail open with her own foot and racking up $400 in emergency vet bills.  She thinks this will exempt her from future baths. She is wrong. (Note: We bathe them once a week with a small amount of kitten shampoo as part of our allergen-control routine, as I am a severe asthmatic.)
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Aug 9, 2013 18:01
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Lol what a big dummy. It won't teach her anything, though. 
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Aug 10, 2013 00:48
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I just had a scare. Went into the garage to turn the light off and realised I'd forgotten to close the rat cage... for three hours. Luckily my boys are so lazy they were still in their little blanket fort. I don't think they had even bothered investigating the open box of rat food on the easily accessible shelf next to their cage, bless 'em.  I'll give them an extra long run around later as a reward for not making me tear the garage apart looking for them.
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Aug 10, 2013 19:45
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^^ I left my rat cage with no front on it for like ten minutes earlier and my girls just glared at me for disturbing them.  This is my latest attempt at controlling the mess of the Aventura/Explorer style cages:   IT BETTER WORK.
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Aug 12, 2013 22:57
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Fraction posted:^^ I left my rat cage with no front on it for like ten minutes earlier and my girls just glared at me for disturbing them. I'm doing okay with cheapo fleece dog blankets held in place with plastic pegs (because apparently wooden pegs are delicious). The catch tray at the bottom is lined with junk mail leaflets. 
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Aug 12, 2013 23:34
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After a week of isolation and healing, Hannah got to go back into the main cage. She didn't mess with her tail for that whole week, but one night in the main cage later, someone has quite neatly and expertly removed her stitches. Um, thanks for saving us a vet trip, girls... But maybe lay off of the home surgery in the future?
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Aug 13, 2013 03:20
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Extra Smooth Balls posted:I'm doing okay with cheapo fleece dog blankets held in place with plastic pegs (because apparently wooden pegs are delicious). Pandora is a little fucker about fleece. It's like her brain explodes when she encounters it. If its clipped down, she chews it to shreds. If its not clipped down, she tries to drag it away to make a nest. Either way it means that poo poo just gets squished onto the metal tray so I've given up with these rats.
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Aug 13, 2013 08:30
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Fraction posted:Pandora is a little fucker about fleece. It's like her brain explodes when she encounters it. If its clipped down, she chews it to shreds. If its not clipped down, she tries to drag it away to make a nest. Either way it means that poo poo just gets squished onto the metal tray so I've given up with these rats. Yeah, I'm lucky my boys are pretty lazy. They always manage to push their food dish down to the bottom level of the cage though, little fuckers. I'm considering getting one of those bird bowls that clips onto the side of the cage.
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Aug 13, 2013 11:40
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Extra Smooth Balls posted:Yeah, I'm lucky my boys are pretty lazy. This is exactly what my rats have, and it's always nearly impossible for me to get it out of the cage because of the way the wire on the bowl is bent to attach to the cage. But somehow, even though it's impossible for me, the rats have managed to detach it and knock it over twice. How?!
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Aug 13, 2013 15:40
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kitty-go-meow posted:
Hah, are you suuure? I'm finding homes for the boys now, even though its only 4 and a half weeks because one of them got a little humpy the other night and I'm not having more rat babies. I'll be sad to see them all go but it will be nice to not have my office smell like a barn 4 hours after I clean the cage! Cookie is also loving me now that she's done nursing. I gave her yogurt the other day and she spent 5 mins grooming my hands in return!    Edit:   I think I raised monkeys, or, like hell treat time is over!  Aleg fucked around with this message at 00:29 on Aug 15, 2013 |
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Aug 15, 2013 00:07
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How can I really tell if my pair is happy or stimulated enough? Whenever I walk by the cage, if they're not sleeping, they're up against the walls, climbing them, sticking noses out...they're a couple of hyper girls so when I take them out Teresa usually goes exploring around my desk and Clare dives down my shirt and rummages around in there. They're both fans of licking my hands.
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Aug 15, 2013 02:14
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One of my rats has a hobby - pushing all of the shredded cardboard out of the cage at one particular place. Sometimes she finds a particularly large piece of card and then it needs to be put in the nest instead of outside. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_GsNJas0x7Y Oh Elderflower, so stupid but so cute.
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Aug 15, 2013 20:51
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KariOhki posted:How can I really tell if my pair is happy or stimulated enough? Whenever I walk by the cage, if they're not sleeping, they're up against the walls, climbing them, sticking noses out...they're a couple of hyper girls so when I take them out Teresa usually goes exploring around my desk and Clare dives down my shirt and rummages around in there. They're both fans of licking my hands. I would say they're plenty happy If they're that energetic and they lick you and stuff. When mine get depressed about something, they literally sulk like a person would. That also sounds just like how mine act - big attention cravers, even if you shower them with it!
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Aug 15, 2013 21:24
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A sulking rat is the funniest thing ever. Seriously.
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Aug 15, 2013 21:31
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I have read every page and post in this thread, and I'm pretty sure I've never posted. I have three critters. Adam, Steve, and Henry (she's a baby). They are all girls, but the story of their boy names is fun. My wife and I got Steve from PetCo (gently caress PetCo). They told us that Steve was a boy, and the guy who sold him to us said "Some of our boys are castrated, and you can't have more than one rat or they'll kill each other." Now I know that none of this is true. Turns out, that salesman was the reptile expert. I still have no idea. We did some research and came back to the store. In order to keep us quiet, they gave us a whole bunch of free poo poo. We also found out that the rats in their cage were males AND females. So, we took another female home with us. We named her Adam. Adam and Steve. Recently, I went to a much better pet store, and they had some dumbos. I picked out Henry. He is a very sweet baby. Anyway, I have a live feed of their cage rolling now. Is that okay to post?
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Aug 16, 2013 23:00
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OKJEFF4 posted:I have read every page and post in this thread, and I'm pretty sure I've never posted. I have three critters. Adam, Steve, and Henry (she's a baby). They are all girls, but the story of their boy names is fun. My wife and I got Steve from PetCo (gently caress PetCo). They told us that Steve was a boy, and the guy who sold him to us said "Some of our boys are castrated, and you can't have more than one rat or they'll kill each other." Please do!
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Aug 17, 2013 02:54
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Last week Thursday I was at my friend’s house and his neighbor was having some work done to the brickwork on the back of his house. So we walk over there and talk to his neighbor for a bit and some of the workers. One of the works was telling us about they found a rats nest full of baby rats behind the crumbling bricks and they had got rid of them for his neighbor. I asked what did you do with them and told me they tossed them in a garbage bag with the rest of the debris. Up till this point in my life I’ve never had anything to do with rats or even had interest in them at all. But this whole just tossing living animals in a loving garbage bag was just so beyond incomprehensible for me I was just in shock and just disgusted that someone could do that. So about 15 minutes later when we were done talking to his neighbor I snuck off to over where the garbage bags that the bricklayers had took up to the front of his house and within 20 seconds of being there I heard some squeaks coming from one of the bags so tore it open and sifted through the bag and found 2 of the rats had lived. (Sadly they were the only ones I found alive.) So I took them to my car where I had a rubbermaid container in my car still from helping my sister move the week before I put them in their for now and zoomed home as fast as I could. (Yea bailed on my friend but gently caress it.. a worthy cause) I read up as much as I could in about 30 minutes about how to care for baby rats: soy baby formula,pedialyte, heating pad, container, eyedropper. Read about how to feed them and how you have to help them go to the bathroom and everything.So I raced off once again to a Meijer and bought everything I needed for my new found friends. Got back I got them all settled in and feed them and turned the heating pad on low got both of them to pee and poo. Their eyes weren’t even open yet so they were quite young. So from there out i was feeding them every 3-5 hours had my dad feed them everything while I was away at work and he was reading about them during the day to try to help me out with this whole situation which was pretty awesome of him. Sadly the first one died 3 days later between 3am when I last fed him and 7am when I woke up for work..  I have no idea why he (Seemed like a he to me) died. He was eating pooing had enough heat.. wasn’t making weird breathing sounds.. so then I was down to one..This Wednesday (6 days after I found them) my baby died once again same thing everything seems great and going well and just bam out of nowhere.. She was so cute and I was so attached to her in such a short time it makes me so sad... I have no idea if I did something wrong or what I could've done better... Now I was looking into getting 2 rats as pets because of everything I read and how much fun I had during my time with them. I Just don’t want to lose them like I lost these two. Here is two pictures of them.   Sorry if this is poorly written. (half asleep) Ephedra fucked around with this message at 03:56 on Aug 17, 2013 |
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Aug 17, 2013 03:53
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Ephedra, I'm so sorry. Wild baby rats are extremely hard to keep alive and hand raise. Even experienced rat keepers have trouble with it. It's hard to say if there was anything you could have done, but honestly orphaned baby rats have very little chance unless they are put with another nursing mother, and there's no telling if that would work with wild rats. Don't feel bad, you did your best, and it was good of you to try.  In better news though, pet rats are much easier to take care of. I am sure you know from reading the thread how prone to health problems they are, but they can live 2-3 years optimally. If you can put a bit of money aside for vet appointments and medicines (you will need it eventually) I say go for it. Of course, it's always about weighing the short lifespan and heartbreak of losing them with all the joy they give you in those few years. Welcome to the thread
Big Bug Hug fucked around with this message at 08:07 on Aug 17, 2013 |
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Aug 17, 2013 08:04
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Sorry about the quality issues. I can't put the camera inside the cage, or Steve will chew it up. If you look now, Adam and Steve are being defensive on the top level of the cage. Adam gets really excited in the morning. http://www.ustream.tv/channel/okjeff4-s-rats EDIT: Adam is in the box, grooming Henry. One More Again EDIT: Steve is not dead. She's just sleepy and enjoying her pee corner. Henry is acting like Spiderman, and Adam is scouring the cage for hidden food. She buries 90% of the treats we give her, including ice chips. OKJEFF4 fucked around with this message at 15:57 on Aug 17, 2013 |
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Aug 17, 2013 15:49
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Ephedra posted:Here is two pictures of them.  You did a really nice thing for those babies, even if they didn't make it. gently caress people who think it's ok to just throw live rats away.
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Aug 17, 2013 16:57
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On a lighter note, Amelia has proven to be the dumbest rat I have ever owned: twice this week, she has attempted to beg for food WITH FOOD IN HER MOUTH.
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Aug 17, 2013 18:33
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Patchouli Patrol posted:On a lighter note, Amelia has proven to be the dumbest rat I have ever owned: twice this week, she has attempted to beg for food WITH FOOD IN HER MOUTH. All of my girls will take a treat, hide it under a golf towel, and come back for more. They did this with ice chips and made a terrible mess in the bottom of their old cage. When I cleaned the lining out, the shredded paper came out in one giant sheet of horrible papier mache. Does anyone have suggestions for a playhouse? We normally use cardboard boxes, but they only last about three days. I had an iced cream bucket in there, but their pee managed to soak into the semi-porous plastic and the whole thing smells like puke.
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Aug 17, 2013 18:42
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Hooray, I finally did it! Three days ago I finally went to the animal shelter and got myself two little rat dudes! Here they are:  The sleepy hooded guy in the front is Harald, whitey in the back is Erik. They're the greatest, super social and curious and they get along great with each other. They kinda picked me instead of the other way around; when I opened their cage at the shelter, they came straight for me and started sniffing and nibbling me and climbing up my arms. I didn't really want an albino because of the health issues, but after a reception like that I just couldn't say no. They've settled in really well and are already climbing all over me and exploring the place. I forgot to turn off the camera noise for that picture so I startled them awake, but right afterwards Harald started boggling at me so I know it's all good.
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Aug 17, 2013 19:50
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Patchouli Patrol posted:On a lighter note, Amelia has proven to be the dumbest rat I have ever owned: twice this week, she has attempted to beg for food WITH FOOD IN HER MOUTH. I think she's part raccoon. And fat.
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Aug 17, 2013 20:18
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OKJEFF4 posted:All of my girls will take a treat, hide it under a golf towel, and come back for more. They did this with ice chips and made a terrible mess in the bottom of their old cage. When I cleaned the lining out, the shredded paper came out in one giant sheet of horrible papier mache. Go to the hardware store and pick up some 3" diameter PVC pipe! I got my guys a 1' elbow of the stuff and they love it to death, and it doesn't absorb odor. Even better, squished-on poops rinse right off. If it gets really sticky just throw it in the dishwasher. And it's cheap - I think that elbow joint was eit bucks or something. Plus you can buy joiners and caps and such to close off ends and make different configurations. Scooter likes to use it as a springboard to launch himself out of the cage and onto my shoulder sometimes
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Aug 17, 2013 21:05
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Cardiovorax posted:Hooray, I finally did it! They are super cute! I love big lazy boy rats. Unless I'm mistaken, PEW (Pink eyed white) fancy rats don't have any extra health issues, aside from slightly poorer eyesight, which doesn't really affect them too much.
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Aug 18, 2013 04:26
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RazorBunny posted:Go to the hardware store and pick up some 3" diameter PVC pipe! I got my guys a 1' elbow of the stuff and they love it to death, and it doesn't absorb odor. Even better, squished-on poops rinse right off. If it gets really sticky just throw it in the dishwasher. And it's cheap - I think that elbow joint was eit bucks or something. Thank you so much for the inspiration! I bought some 3" perforated tubing and zip-tied it to the top of the cage, running all the way down to the floor level. Steve accidentally slid down it the first time, but she loved it! Now they're all putting their treasures inside it. And if I need to wash it, I can just put the whole thing in the shower! I bought four feet for .79/foot. The PVC was eight times the price. I can totally see myself running this tubing all over my condo. This has the potential to be a really fun project.
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Aug 19, 2013 00:10
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I'm honestly amazed by how quickly my rats are socializing, it's really great. I've had them for less than a week now and they're already down with the butt scratchings and the belly scratchings Harald is already getting pretty good about being picked up, he doesn't seem to enjoy it but he doesn't get stressed out and flee into a hidey hole afterwards either. Eric isn't really down with this whole photography thing yet:      Harald, on the other hand, just can't be arsed.  
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Aug 19, 2013 19:46
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Does anyone know what would cause an otherwise healthy 5 1/2 week old rat to suddenly die? I found one of the two boys(albino) I had left dead early this morning only like an hour after my girlfriend saw him walking around and stuff. He looked like he was just walking and collapsed or something and, aside from a tiny bit of blood(not polyphorin) around his nose and on his hands, looked absolutely normal. I'm pretty crushed honestly. I had him out last night and he was being super chill and bruxxing/boggling while I pet him, as he snuggled up against my arm. That probably should have been my first clue that something was wrong because his brother is a lot more energetic. I just hope it's something that was a defect and not contagious to the 8 other critters. I'm so sad.
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Aug 21, 2013 14:17
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Aleg posted:Does anyone know what would cause an otherwise healthy 5 1/2 week old rat to suddenly die? I found one of the two boys(albino) I had left dead early this morning only like an hour after my girlfriend saw him walking around and stuff. He looked like he was just walking and collapsed or something and, aside from a tiny bit of blood(not polyphorin) around his nose and on his hands, looked absolutely normal. I'm pretty crushed honestly. I had him out last night and he was being super chill and bruxxing/boggling while I pet him, as he snuggled up against my arm. That probably should have been my first clue that something was wrong because his brother is a lot more energetic. I just hope it's something that was a defect and not contagious to the 8 other critters. I'm so sad. I'm sorry At that age and with no signs of sickness my bet is on some defect. I'm sure your others will be OK. How long had you had him/his brother?
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Aug 22, 2013 16:12
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Him and his 9 siblings were born on July 15th (I got babies for my birthday!). It just makes me worry that this two albino sisters will have problems too but so far so good. I've found homes for all but two of the litter at this point, but I was really hoping to give the last boys away as a pair because they've been best bros since they were old enough to start playing. At least the little guy went quick (and hopefully painlessly)
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Aug 23, 2013 01:18
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Oh for crap's sake, I think my hooded boy has a tumor. I just felt under his left front leg and there's a pretty good-sized lump there, now I'm really worried. I was by the vet only today, too! This isn't going to be a fun weekend.
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Aug 23, 2013 20:13
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^I'm feeling for you Cardiovorax Poor old Hardy is struggling, and we think we'll have to put her to sleep very soon, probably this weekend It's a very difficult choice, not one I've had to make before. She's really been limping around and can barely walk now, not really touching her food. I hoped she'd slip away peacefully, but I don't want her to suffer - just wish I could tell.Edit: Yeah, had to take her today, vet said it was for the best so that's reassuring. All the other people in the waiting room had cats and gave me a funny look when I said I had a rat, I forget that it's a bit odd sometimes :S Greyish Orange fucked around with this message at 16:35 on Aug 24, 2013 |
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Aug 23, 2013 22:23
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Is fuller's earth litter okay to use in the rat litter box? The litter that came with the box is crazy expensive for a small bag and I'm looking for an economical alternative. Edit: Phone added an extra word in there. anotherjen fucked around with this message at 23:16 on Aug 24, 2013 |
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Aug 24, 2013 21:24
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Introductions are not going well. The alpha female has ripped some fur out of one of the newcomers. They were introduced with no problems on neutral ground, then bathed together to reduce the different smells between them. Now constant scraps; and it's only the alpha being intolerant. They are in the same cage together at the moment but we could segregate it away. It would be a shame to do it though as it's only one rat being a jerk when she'd never been a jerk before (except to initially assert dominance) Help.
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Aug 24, 2013 21:44
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When Chell was being a prick to Pandora*, I made her spend a night in the cage Panda had temporarily been in, and left Panda in with the others to bond. I've not had a single problem since. * She bit/clawed Pandora's crotch and made it bleed 
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Aug 25, 2013 01:41
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anotherjen posted:Is fuller's earth litter okay to use in the rat litter box? The litter that came with the box is crazy expensive for a small bag and I'm looking for an economical alternative. I dunno about Fuller's Earth, but check out walnut litter. People use it for cats and birds and you can buy it in pretty big bags. Gooses and Geeses posted:Introductions are not going well. The alpha female has ripped some fur out of one of the newcomers. They were introduced with no problems on neutral ground, then bathed together to reduce the different smells between them. Now constant scraps; and it's only the alpha being intolerant. They are in the same cage together at the moment but we could segregate it away. It would be a shame to do it though as it's only one rat being a jerk when she'd never been a jerk before (except to initially assert dominance) When an established rat is being a prick to a newcomer I put them in time-out in the temp cage for a while. A lot like what Fraction said.
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Aug 25, 2013 01:55
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I had to put down my Amelia this week. Suddenly, six tumours all at once. She struggled on for a while, but her mobility was seriously hampered, and it was time. She went very calmly with the vet tech, at least, and the lady and her son in the waiting room with their dachshund seemed rather pleasantly surprised when Amelia climbed up onto my shoulder (with difficulty) and settled herself there while I... tried not to cry. So. That is a thing. I am burying myself in my surviving three girls. Ada has invented a game wherein she hides in a cardboard box, waits for Tali to wander by, and emerges to bite her in the rear end and drag her across the floor into the box. Tali... doesn't seem to mind.
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Aug 25, 2013 16:23
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Man, am I relieved. No tumor, just an abscess. Antibiotics for a week and a nice warm bath when it pops. So sorry for you guys who weren't that lucky.
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Aug 26, 2013 11:50
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