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dovetaile posted:Raaaaaats. You're supposed to eat those not throw them around the cage. Vincent like to grab the bowl and pull it out of it's holder and knock it over.  I can't get over how they sleep. They roll themselves into balls. 
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Apr 3, 2014 00:12
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Does anyone know if the add-on level for the Critter Nation can be used to where it doesn't connect to the original level? I'm trying to consolidate the amount of floor space taken up by cages and have two Critter Nations, one on top of the other.
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Apr 3, 2014 03:29
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RubySprinkles posted:Does anyone know if the add-on level for the Critter Nation can be used to where it doesn't connect to the original level? I'm trying to consolidate the amount of floor space taken up by cages and have two Critter Nations, one on top of the other. Yup, the ladder folds up and locks into place. You might want to get a full-sized pan for it, though.
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Apr 3, 2014 03:37
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Any time I give my rat kale or whatever other greens, she just bodily lifts it all and adds it to the giant substrate barricade surrounding her house, before standing on it and shaking her fist at me. She's not supposed to do that 
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Apr 3, 2014 12:01
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Invalid Octopus posted:Yup, the ladder folds up and locks into place. You might want to get a full-sized pan for it, though. I'm still trying to figure out how your rats managed to entertain themselves by tossing food bits from one sealed CN unit into the other.
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Apr 3, 2014 12:24
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WEEDLORD CHEETO posted:Any time I give my rat kale or whatever other greens, she just bodily lifts it all and adds it to the giant substrate barricade surrounding her house, before standing on it and shaking her fist at me. She's not supposed to do that I love when I give my old boy something he's ambivalent towards and he throws it away
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Apr 3, 2014 14:38
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Patchouli Patrol posted:I'm still trying to figure out how your rats managed to entertain themselves by tossing food bits from one sealed CN unit into the other. I dunno about that, but since the pan doesn't cover that corner, sometimes they'd shove aside the lovely cardboard square I put there and sniff. Gypsy spent a lot of time loudly sniffing that corner. I'm sure food dropped down at some points!
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Apr 3, 2014 15:17
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Big Bug Hug posted:I love when I give my old boy something he's ambivalent towards and he throws it away Ha! I also love when I give my girls really exciting treats and as soon as they grab one they immediately drop it and pretend like they haven't got anything in an attempt to start a dynamic where I pass them endless treats. Or Mouse who pretends to be a hamster and stuffs as much in her mouth as possible then hunches off to a corner to hide it and repeat ad infinitum.
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Apr 3, 2014 23:05
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Chakattack! posted:Ha! I also love when I give my girls really exciting treats and as soon as they grab one they immediately drop it and pretend like they haven't got anything in an attempt to start a dynamic where I pass them endless treats. Or Mouse who pretends to be a hamster and stuffs as much in her mouth as possible then hunches off to a corner to hide it and repeat ad infinitum. Only one of my boys does stuff like this. The old one who loves food more than anything in the world. My boyfriend says the rat has me trained because I shamelessly encourage that behavior. But I don't care! He's old and he can have whatever he wants  Pretty sure the rat thinks I'm an idiot to fall for the same trick all the time though.
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Apr 4, 2014 06:14
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Taking my favourite rat to be put down tomorrow. She got a respiratory infection a couple of weeks ago and became frail, and then she had a stroke on Saturday. Now she can't walk far without falling over, and seems like she's in discomfort/pain. But I feel so guilty  if she notices me she still sits up and tries to come over 
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Apr 7, 2014 21:08
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killerwhat posted:Taking my favourite rat to be put down tomorrow. She got a respiratory infection a couple of weeks ago and became frail, and then she had a stroke on Saturday. Now she can't walk far without falling over, and seems like she's in discomfort/pain. Give that rat a lot of snuggles. Don't feel guilty. She doesn't know, and this way she'll be happy up til the end. You're saving her from inevitable crisis and pain.Edit: I realized I probably posted this too late. But still, you shouldn't feel guilty.
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Apr 9, 2014 12:15
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killerwhat posted:Taking my favourite rat to be put down tomorrow. She got a respiratory infection a couple of weeks ago and became frail, and then she had a stroke on Saturday. Now she can't walk far without falling over, and seems like she's in discomfort/pain. That's awful, it's horrible not being able to explain to them Hope it went ok though, I find it so much easier afterwards when you know that they're no longer suffering and the difficult decision is behind you.
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Apr 9, 2014 22:05
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Thanks guys. Yeah, it was obvious at the vets she was in pain, so I'm happy to have made that decision. She did get a lot of snuggles and treats beforehand! Now that my girl Blackberry is gone I have to start caring about the remaining 3. They're ok, I suppose.     
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Apr 9, 2014 22:49
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During playtime, Gemma started jumping off the couch and running around the house. It was fine at first, because I could just call her and she would stop and let me pick her up, but the last time it happened, she freaked out and wound up hiding under the couch. I had to trick her into coming out by sliding one of the hammocks under, letting her crawl on it, and sliding it out and grabbing her. I felt horrible, she usually comes right to me. What would cause a normally social rat to suddenly become skittish? Ninja edit for grammar police.
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Apr 11, 2014 17:52
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This picture is adorable! We got two new rats, only a few months old, as company for our other two. One is very timid and our older rat sniffing/grooming her a bit aggressively freaked her out. They all seem to be getting on ok, but I really hate the introduction stage. 
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Apr 11, 2014 18:23
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Sorry for the image dump but I really wanted to share cute pictures of my fatty boy:   That's just too adorable. 
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Apr 29, 2014 09:25
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Rats are kinda like dogs, you can practically see them smiling when they're happy I was scratching my boy Neko's ears before and he started boggling, he's never really done it before, and I've never seen a rat bulge his eyes out so much. Bordering on grotesque, in an adorable way.
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Apr 29, 2014 12:46
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My boy loves it when i massage his fat rolls. He always looks so cozy and comfortable.
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Apr 29, 2014 16:00
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I cleaned their cage on Monday and ended up staying the night at a friend's place. I got home at like 7 in the morning and found out they had broken out of their travel cage and made a nest inside one of my couches. Two hours later they're back in their cage and I got an entire side of a couch to reupholster. The whole ordeal probably set me back months on trying to get them to stop running away from me.
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Apr 30, 2014 20:20
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^At least you didn't sit down first! Crossposting from the tattoo thread, I got this done the other day  
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May 2, 2014 20:01
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honk honk  
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May 3, 2014 15:30
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Ratigan is freaking the gently caress out right now. He wont stop screaming and running backwards. He's been real lethargic since he escaped a while ago. There's no vet open at this hour on a sunday. I don't know what is wrong. EDIT: He started to thrash about and lay still for a while. Now he's awake and prone, not moving an inch. He doesn't accept any food given to him. I think I might have to put him down if this persists. I don't what to do. GenderSelectScreen fucked around with this message at 04:12 on May 5, 2014 |
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May 5, 2014 04:07
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Hitlers Gay Secret posted:Ratigan is freaking the gently caress out right now. He wont stop screaming and running backwards. He's been real lethargic since he escaped a while ago. There's no vet open at this hour on a sunday. I don't know what is wrong. He's probably had a seizure or stroke There's nothing you can do except get him to a vet, sometimes they recover and sometimes not. You could put him somewhere soft and safe, keep him warm and give him attention if he wants it. Poor little guy
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May 5, 2014 06:11
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Big Bug Hug posted:He's probably had a seizure or stroke I found a 24-hour vet a while away. Just got back. He hasn't freaked out like that again but he's barely recognizing me and screams as I hold him. They were able to sedate him though. I'm going to take him to a rat specialist tomorrow if possible.
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May 5, 2014 08:29
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Hitlers Gay Secret posted:I found a 24-hour vet a while away. Just got back. He hasn't freaked out like that again but he's barely recognizing me and screams as I hold him. Sounds like he might be in pain
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May 5, 2014 09:38
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Big Bug Hug posted:Sounds like he might be in pain I think he is.  He's not accepting any bread I give him.
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May 5, 2014 18:23
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I think my boy had a seizure yesterday. I heard some loud shuffling in his game so I got there to see what he's doing and when I get there I see him roll off the second floor in his game down to the bottom (20-30cm maybe, not that far) and after that he just sat there. I picked him up and put on my bed to see if he's hurt or anything. He didn't seem to be hurt but he looked confused for a while, trying to fight or groom the air infront of him with his paws. About 5 minutes later he returned to normal and I haven't noticed anything weird since. Should I take him to the vet? If it's a seizure what might be the cause for that? I heard that old rats are very prone to strokes and seizures because of age. My boy is 15 months old, I didn't think it was that old for a rat.
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May 5, 2014 22:22
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Ratigan is doing the same. I tried putting him in the same cage with his brother and his brother won't stop trying to fight him. His fur is raising on end when he sees him. He's never done that before. I have to move Ratigan over to the water dish in order to make him drink. He won't leave where ever I put I'm trying a rat specialist tomorrow but I feel like I'm going to have to put him down. I hope it's something else; I can't bear to lose him so soon.
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May 6, 2014 07:33
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Jack Trades posted:I think my boy had a seizure yesterday. There's also pituitary tumors, and other things. But unfortunately, though it's less common, young rats can have seizures too. Some can be medicated, so if you have an exotics vet or one experienced with rats i would take him. It can be costly for diagnostics but it's always your choice whether to have them done. Big Bug Hug fucked around with this message at 08:58 on May 6, 2014 |
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May 6, 2014 08:52
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Big Bug Hug posted:There's also pituitary tumors, i seem to remember something about the front paws getting confused with pituitary tumors... I'll look it up It only happened once though, 2 days ago, since then he's been totally fine from what I can see. He doesn't fall off things, he eats, drinks and grooms himself like usual. I don't see anything off. I hope that it's nothing serious. I would take him to a vet but all vets in my area don't know much about rats. Previously I had to come to them knowing what's going on and just get a prescription or they won't be able to diagnose anything rat-specific.
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May 6, 2014 08:58
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Jack Trades posted:It only happened once though, 2 days ago, since then he's been totally fine from what I can see. He doesn't fall off things, he eats, drinks and grooms himself like usual. I don't see anything off. Sorry, I edited my post for more detail but it's irrelevant now. If he's fine now then just see how he goes. Youre right that a regular vet probably can't do much. And I think I was confusing the front paw thing with something else. Maybe he was having a dream and fell off his shelf? 
Big Bug Hug fucked around with this message at 09:02 on May 6, 2014 |
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May 6, 2014 08:59
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Big Bug Hug posted:Maybe he was having a dream and fell off his shelf? He's a big chubby so I think that maybe he tried to groom his butt and accidentally fell off. Either way it kind of like just an accident so I hope it won't happen again.
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May 6, 2014 09:11
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I have an one year old rat. My neighbor has a two year old rat, who i have baby sat. Now he is giving up his two year old due to going to university and his mother refusing to take care of it. They are trying to find her a new home. I am debating if I should take her. However, my rat is very aggressive and possessive (She gets upset when I pet the cats), and having two separate cages isn't option long term. Should I take the neighbors rat? If so, how should I go about to getting them to get along? Edit: They are both female.
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May 17, 2014 21:50
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DrNewton posted:having two separate cages isn't option long term. If the other rat is two years old, it's not going to be a long-term kind of deal.
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May 24, 2014 23:24
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Now that my boy got somewhat old he's gotten lazier and I was quite careless about feeding him tasty treats so he's gotten really fat. I want to put him on a diet but I don't really know what to feed him. I tried looking around on the internet but everyone just says "labrat blocks/pellets" with a link to an american manufacturer that doesn't deliver to EU, so that's not an option for me. Anyone have any advice on a good rat diet?
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May 25, 2014 12:25
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Jack Trades posted:Now that my boy got somewhat old he's gotten lazier and I was quite careless about feeding him tasty treats so he's gotten really fat. I want to put him on a diet but I don't really know what to feed him. I have my rats on Superconsndar's Whole Food Diet. But since the database is currently down, the link in the OP doesn't work. I'll do my best to relay the information. Except for Superconsndar's grain mix, here is what can be fed. What you feed per day is broken down as so: 1 grain 1 leafy green 2 vegetables 2 fruit/berries 1 meat (only 3 days per week) Feed 3 different grains per week - I have a mix I feed with the "salad" of equal parts oats, rice, millet, and flax seed. I use four because my girls refuse to eat the flax seed but my boys love it. I used to feed a different grain every day, but after seeing my girls not touch the flax seed, I made the mix. Superconsndar's grain mix was much more inclusive, but I do not have the recipe. If I remember right, it was advised that 3 different grains per week may be healthier but the grain mix made this diet a little bit easier to prepare. The leafy green should be alternated. I've found my rats prefer broccoli, kale, and romaine, so in about that order, I feed one per day. Vegetables should also be rotated daily. If you're looking for your rats to shed some of their treat-related weight, I'd avoid the corn. I throw in corn only when we have leftover for dinner as an occasional treat. Fruit/berries, again, rotate daily. Avoid mango since you have a male because of the d-Limonene. Also, red grapes are better than green as they have more cancer-prevention photochemicals. Try to include a day or two with berries - the antioxidants are great for the rats. Meat should be given about three days a week. I think the rule of thumb was feed half the size of your rat's head. I also believe the general consensus was raw meat was better than cooked. With my male rats, I try to feed salmon at least once a week - it helps keep my PEW's coat nice and white and keeps my hairless's skin non-flakey. Use lean meats only - I usually stick to chicken and salmon. At the recommendation of my vet, I do give the rats some "kibble" (I use Oxbow's Regal Rat) just to make sure they're getting everything they need. They only eat a few pieces and much prefer their grains and salad. Alternate diets that were OP-linked: The Rat Lady's Diet - Similar to Superconsndar's diet as in it feeds "salad" and a grain/molasses mixture. Feeds less fruit/veg per day, and grain/molasses mix gets made in bulk ahead of time. (This diet is fed by one of our nearby rat rescues.) Suebee's Rat Diet - Is primarily a dog food + lab block & grain mix diet. I dislike the idea of feeding my rats dog food, but it's worth consideration if you don't have time for preparing food. Edit: Check out the Rat Lady's Diet link as it has a good list of foods to avoid and limit.
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May 25, 2014 17:12
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Jack Trades posted:Now that my boy got somewhat old he's gotten lazier and I was quite careless about feeding him tasty treats so he's gotten really fat. I want to put him on a diet but I don't really know what to feed him. I do about half/half rat blocks and grain mix, with fresh fruit and veg regularly. I do think keeping a decent amount of well-formulated lab blocks in their diet is a good idea, as it ensures they're getting essential nutrients. I also add VERY little protein (just bones occasionally), so blocks make sure they're getting some (but you really don't want too much). Grain mix is just whatever I can get at Bulk Barn – so, oats, barley, spelt, whatever. I also don't keep the bowl full all the time, it gets filled partway morning and night, and is always empty by then. Keep in mind, I have six rats, so feeding schedule would be different than if I had one. It's easy when you have one to control the amount of food they get per day, so adjust accordingly.
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May 26, 2014 06:31
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Thank you for information, I think I have a decent idea about how make a good diet for him on my budget. I have some more (mostly) dumb questions though. * The "grain" is supposed to be cooked, right? * What should I do if he starts cherry-picking food, refusing to eat everything? * I'm getting 2 ratty babies soon (about a month old, I think), should I do something special about their diet? * If so, is there anything I need to take into account when trying to have a good diet for my old boy and the babies? One more thing unrelated to food. What should I be doing when introducing two new rat babies to my old boy? I never had rats from two different "families" at the same time before.
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May 26, 2014 08:39
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Jack Trades posted:Thank you for information, I think I have a decent idea about how make a good diet for him on my budget. *I didn't think to mention that the grains do not have to be cooked. *My girls will usually pick out their favorite things first, there are a few things they'll refuse, but they eat most of it. I've just taken note as to what they refuse and what they will cherry-pick and adjust accordingly. There are so many things to feed, I haven't encountered an issue thus far. *As far as the babies, I'm not sure - what age are we talking about? I know some block formulas specify 6 months and younger, but most are okay for all stages of life. If I remember correctly, it's only rats that are being bred you have to worry about a special diet. (I was supposed to add a few blocks of cheese for extra calcium when one of my girls was pregnant. Only saying "supposed to" because her babies didn't make it.) *I would just watch the babies with your older rat to make sure that the older one doesn't hog the food. As for introductions, do it on neutral territory - I introduced my boys on my sofa. After a few times of this, they seemed to be okay, so I cleaned the cage that homed my PEW with bleach water to eliminate all the territorial smells, and put them in together for awhile. I was lucky that they took to each other right away. I think I have read it's easier to introduce younger rats to your existing rat - I think my boys are about the same age. If they seem to be scuffling too much, you can give them all baths, put some vanilla extract on them to mask their natural scent, and introduce them in neutral territory. This seems to be pretty comprehensive on the matter.
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May 26, 2014 16:32
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Jack Trades posted:Anyone have any advice on a good rat diet? My rats have free access to a homemade mix of grains, and then most days they get a rat-sized portion of what I have. I eat spaghetti bolognese, they get ratty spag bol. I eat bacon, they get some bacon fat. They're going strong with no health issues yet at ~2, their fur is great and they love it.
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May 26, 2014 21:00
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