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^^  they're so hilariously proportioned when they're small, i love them! best of lucki made our girls a fleece pumpkin last week, they love to hide food in it!!!  also they enjoyed a mini pumpkin too (apparently they're a kind of acorn squash) 
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Sep 20, 2017 01:14
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| # ? May 16, 2024 18:36 |
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Good ratties. 
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Sep 20, 2017 01:40
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That's a great fleece pumpkin! (I give it three weeks before it's shredded beyond all recognition.)
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Sep 20, 2017 02:05
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Falstaff posted:That's a great fleece pumpkin! (I give it three weeks before it's shredded beyond all recognition.) they already started chewing the inside  they jump on top of it and flatten it and then nose-bump their way back inside and fluff it out again, it's very cute
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Sep 20, 2017 02:34
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The Snoo posted:they already started chewing the inside Video!
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Sep 22, 2017 01:12
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this site doesn't deserve my cute pet pics
Guy Mann fucked around with this message at 13:30 on Feb 24, 2019 |
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Sep 29, 2017 05:05
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Has anyone had any luck ordering Baytril online? If so what exactly is it listed as? Thanks! 
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Oct 3, 2017 21:29
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We had to put down our old lady the other week, only 10 days before she would have turned 3 years old. We'll probably wind up getting more rats, since the house feels empty without them. We're thinking about males this time, but 2 things bother me. 1) How in your face will the balls be? Pictures make them seem huge and hanging about all the time. 2) How much more pee should we be expecting? Is marking generally frequent enough to be a hassle?
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Oct 4, 2017 19:28
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1) You get used to them pretty quick. They're only shocking when you see them for the first time. 2) In the vast majority of cases, you won't get any more pee than what you'd be used to by females. Only dominant rats perform excessive marking, and only with subordinate rats - unless you're doing something very wrong, your rats should see you as their alpha. In the rare occasions where you get a really mark-happy male, getting him fixed will almost always end that. The benefits of males: -More inclined to cuddling. They make great lap rats as they get older. -Less tumor-prone than females. Falstaff fucked around with this message at 13:42 on Oct 6, 2017 |
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Oct 4, 2017 19:46
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this site doesn't deserve my cute pet pics
Guy Mann fucked around with this message at 13:30 on Feb 24, 2019 |
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Oct 4, 2017 23:00
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I can also confirm that boys quickly get super chubby and lazy, which makes them into great lap rats.
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Oct 4, 2017 23:22
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My rat Betty (which is actually more of an Archie than a Betty) goes in for his neutering in 3 weeks. We're keeping the name.
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Oct 5, 2017 01:11
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Do you have a other rat named Al?
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Oct 5, 2017 01:15
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this site doesn't deserve my cute pet pics
Guy Mann fucked around with this message at 13:30 on Feb 24, 2019 |
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Oct 5, 2017 01:27
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our AC is off and our apartment gets hot really easily (top floor, facing the sun) so we've had the windows open and fans running constantly, mostly in our bedroom where the rats are. I'm able to keep the temperature from going above 75ish this way. the big fan in the window is not directly facing their cage but I'm assuming there's still a draft of sorts, especially when the door is closed at night. for clarity, our rats are named finky and doshiko (these are dumb injokes but anyway) and finky was the one who originally was sick when we got her. so: I noticed this morning, after waking her up, that doshiko has more porphyrin than usual around her nose. finky seems fine and clear. I've been seeing reddish staining on doshiko's neck and upper back, which I'm assuming is from grooming but I don't think she can reach there, so it's probably finky???? but I don't see much on her nose. breathing sounds fine (better than usual, honestly, I haven't even heard them sneeze much lately), their eyes are clear of porphyrin, they're eating and drinking fine, sleeping fine, still wrestling as much as ever. do drafts cause stress, dryness, or will it actually just trigger mycoplasma/respiratory illness? I'm leaning towards it just being dry because my husband and I both wake up with mouth/nose dryness from the fan. we have a humidifier somewhere but I think it doesn't work well bc of build up. I'd have to try to clean it. moving the cage temporarily is an option, though I'm not sure where. I have antibiotics on hand to treat pneumonia but not mycoplasma stuff, though they're not quite old enough for myco to start causing problems yet. also how the gently caress do I get them to stay still long enough to actually look at their faces? usually a treat that I hold for them works okay but I need to be able to take closer looks longer than a few seconds. sorry for the rambling post! snoo fucked around with this message at 18:28 on Oct 22, 2017 |
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Oct 22, 2017 18:24
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The Snoo posted:do drafts cause stress, dryness, or will it actually just trigger mycoplasma/respiratory illness? I'm leaning towards it just being dry because my husband and I both wake up with mouth/nose dryness from the fan. we have a humidifier somewhere but I think it doesn't work well bc of build up. I'd have to try to clean it. Rats are actually very sensitive to things like drafts and extreme temperatures, though I don't think a dry environment is a problem as long as they have enough water. So yes, it could be the drafts, though heat is worse than drafts for rats so if you have to choose, I guess keep the fans going (but maybe keep them low?) quote:also how the gently caress do I get them to stay still long enough to actually look at their faces? usually a treat that I hold for them works okay but I need to be able to take closer looks longer than a few seconds. You're bigger than them, right? Rats can be obstinate, but if you're persistent they'll usually calm down eventually and let you do what you need to do.
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Oct 22, 2017 18:31
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Falstaff posted:Rats are actually very sensitive to things like drafts and extreme temperatures, though I don't think a dry environment is a problem as long as they have enough water. So yes, it could be the drafts, though heat is worse than drafts for rats so if you have to choose, I guess keep the fans going (but maybe keep them low?) yeah I've been wary about drafts since we got them (positioned cage as far away from window and AC/heat vent as possible, etc) but I actually don't know what the effects are. do drafts just irritate, or will the irritation actually lead to respiratory illness? like I mentioned, we're waking up with uncomfortable dry sinuses so I can imagine it's doing the same to them, though the fan is directly on us. I would prefer to not use the large fan all the time but it's the only way to keep the temperature down, and running it all night pulls in enough cool air to make it through the day more comfortably than before... and it's helping with my Noise Issues. I would rather just have the AC back but it's off until may! we kept it at like 68 all the time and it was so nice. I doubt we're going to use the heat until january at this rate. and idk about being bigger than them, doshiko is pretty fat  you're right, though, they tend to settle down after a bit. I think the porphyrin was the worst after she woke up, because she was cleaning herself and it's pretty much gone. maybe much like when I wake up with a gross nose.e: I'll be letting them have a go at a real pumpkin soon, and also be making more fun cage accessories, I'll post pictures when I can!
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Oct 22, 2017 19:07
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Yeah sorry, I should have been clearer. According to some rat experts, drafts can irritate a rat's respiratory system and cause illness. Heat on the other hand can kill a rat, straight-up. Like I said, if it's a choice between the two, I'd keep the fans running.
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Oct 22, 2017 19:17
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Betty is at the vets office now getting neutered.  Pictures of a stoned rat to come. Edit: Since it's was a bit late, we will have one litter of pinkies to deal with. Im thinking of hand socializing them and offering them on craigslist as pets. Anyone else know of other options for getting little rats to a good home?
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Oct 25, 2017 18:35
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Paladine_PSoT posted:Betty is at the vets office now getting neutered. Are there any rat/small animal rescue organizations in your area? I want to say our local rescue will help with finding homes, especially if you are willing to foster while homes are found.
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Oct 26, 2017 04:14
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17 pinkies
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Oct 27, 2017 18:51
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^^  she got those ham hocks
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Oct 28, 2017 00:02
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Aww, good ratties.
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Oct 28, 2017 00:17
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this site doesn't deserve my cute pet pics
Guy Mann fucked around with this message at 13:30 on Feb 24, 2019 |
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Oct 28, 2017 00:29
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Falstaff posted:1) You get used to them pretty quick. They're only shocking when you see them for the first time. I really only notice my hairless rat's balls because they aren't covered with anything, the other boys have fur covering most of them, so they aren't really prominent. I've been having an issue on and off with my alpha rat. He dominance humps every once in a while, even though no one challenges him, but now the lowest rat on the totem pole has started doing it, but the others just let him without actually fighting. I really don't want to get anyone neutered, I'm just worried this behavior might get worse as he gets older (he's only about 4 months old). Anything else I can do to let them know I'm the alpha? I will stop fights when they happen, and I will do a light "scruff" (a small squeeze on the back of their neck) when necessary as well. It's annoying because my other rats never did that. Paladine_PSoT posted:17 pinkies How are they doing?
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Nov 2, 2017 19:59
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fäther you require some grööming 
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Nov 3, 2017 16:22
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Aww, such a good ratty.
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Nov 3, 2017 16:40
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Skutter posted:I really only notice my hairless rat's balls because they aren't covered with anything, the other boys have fur covering most of them, so they aren't really prominent. 1 week, 17 babies, no infanticide. All of them survived and are healthy squirmy pink beans. Daddy was just re-introduced to the cage today after his neutering and we're watching the interactions. He is very interested and loving so far!
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Nov 4, 2017 01:11
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Skutter posted:I've been having an issue on and off with my alpha rat. He dominance humps every once in a while, even though no one challenges him, but now the lowest rat on the totem pole has started doing it, but the others just let him without actually fighting. I really don't want to get anyone neutered, I'm just worried this behavior might get worse as he gets older (he's only about 4 months old). Anything else I can do to let them know I'm the alpha? I will stop fights when they happen, and I will do a light "scruff" (a small squeeze on the back of their neck) when necessary as well. It's annoying because my other rats never did that. Are they humping you? (That would be weird, I've never heard of that before.) If not, just let them work it out among themselves. They're not going to hurt each other, they're just figuring out a hierarchy.
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Nov 4, 2017 03:53
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When the difficulties of this world get me down, this thread delivers. Even when someone posts about the sadness of saying goodbye to a loved rat, it's still an honest, earnest sadness because our time with these creatures is just so unfortunately short. I've had to say goodbye to a goodly number of loved rats, but seeing new life makes me feel all tingly and hopeful inside. Thank you all for your posts.
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Nov 5, 2017 13:39
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Paladine_PSoT posted:1 week, 17 babies, no infanticide. All of them survived and are healthy squirmy pink beans. Daddy was just re-introduced to the cage today after his neutering and we're watching the interactions. He is very interested and loving so far! You know we need some pics to prove that.  Falstaff posted:Are they humping you? (That would be weird, I've never heard of that before.) If not, just let them work it out among themselves. They're not going to hurt each other, they're just figuring out a hierarchy. Ha, no. That *would* be weird. Just each other, but it's odd to have to deal with, because my previous rats never did it at all, not once. And they hierarchy is set, no one fights for dominance, but Takeshi, the alpha, keeps doing it. That's why I'm confused. Mushika posted:When the difficulties of this world get me down, this thread delivers. Even when someone posts about the sadness of saying goodbye to a loved rat, it's still an honest, earnest sadness because our time with these creatures is just so unfortunately short. I've had to say goodbye to a goodly number of loved rats, but seeing new life makes me feel all tingly and hopeful inside. Thank you all for your posts. 
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Nov 6, 2017 14:45
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uh so we've had a really bad mice problem over the past couple of months and when I was cleaning the rat cage a few minutes ago, I found mouse poop in the bottom level. the bottom level is about a foot off the floor but I guess the mice can get into it?? holy poo poo we have half a dozen traps throughout the apartment and we've caught 7 alive and dead but I didn't think this was happening jesus christ I need tips or help on how to keep this from getting worse with our rats (I don't know if they've interacted or not but the rats have been spending more time up top, I've noticed...) because I don't want them getting sick or hurt. I just spent hours cleaning the rest of the apartment today. I don't understand why they're so bad here. I'm tired and angry and I don't know what else we can do besides even more meticulous cleaning. I found one in the toaster oven once (I left it open to let polymer clay cool) and that was like 4+ feet off the ground so I don't even know if they're safe if I try to lift the cage higher... I'm just so upset and I don't know what else we can do! we didn't have this kind of problem at our old place so I think it's the location (near a bunch of restaurants and woods and poo poo) and not necessarily anything we're doing but I'm really mad rn we found a spot under the curtain in our bedroom with mouse poop and there seems to be a gap between the wall and the floorboards so WHO KNOWS LOL
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Nov 6, 2017 23:11
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I'm no expert and I don't know what kind of cage setup you've got but maybe you could try wrapping the bottom level in a mesh? The same thing you do to baby-rat-proof a large cage. Here's a lovely example I found online. It should get the idea across.
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Nov 6, 2017 23:37
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that's a good idea but I might need something really fine for mice  I have one of those (honestly not amazing) feisty ferret cages, it has two levels and a shelf below. we have vinyl covering the wire floors. I can close the bottom level off for a while until I figure out how to deal with this better. I'm going to put a trap in our room near the place we found mouse poop earlier. our room is rat-proofed for floor time and I hate that we're having to deal with mice in their recreation space, let alone their actual cage. my husband found huge gaps around the edge of the room between the carpet, wall and floor so lol I guess we gotta get some caulk or something. I'll look into mesh and caulk if I can get to a hardware store. aaauuiggghhhhhhh
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Nov 6, 2017 23:44
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If it helps, it's extremely unlikely that the mice will hurt the rats. The worst you should expect is maybe them getting mites, which isn't nice but it's manageable. I'm surprised the mice are bold enough to get into the cage, though - mice tend to be afraid of rat scents, what with rats generally killing mice when they run into each other.
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Nov 6, 2017 23:47
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Yeah, it's not likely your rats will get hurt. It's more likely you'll find a mouse corpse in your cage or someone catches something nasty from them.
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Nov 7, 2017 00:15
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I'm worried about stuff like hantavirus and ticks  I mentioned the problem to my dad and that rats can attack/kill mice if they want, and he said 'but your rats are friendly! they'd probably be buddies' this apartment complex seems pretty notorious for mice problems that don't seem to let up, which is a shame. they have some kind of private pest control that doesn't seem to do much. even if our unit is spotless, there's plenty of other units that might not be. I really don't want to deal with any kind of fumigation or poison, especially if we'd have to leave for a while, because the only option for temporarily living elsewhere is my parents' smoky-rear end house and even I have trouble breathing over there. the rats are kinda annoyed at me for moving around their cage layout but they've settled and I hope I can reopen the bottom floor at some point. (should've just gotten a single critter nation... we wanted to get 3 or 4 rats so we got a big cage. kinda overkill for just 2! oh well.)
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Nov 7, 2017 00:33
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Skutter posted:You know we need some pics to prove that. Nursing mama 
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Nov 7, 2017 00:38
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Those are some good rat jelly beans.
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Nov 7, 2017 01:21
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| # ? May 16, 2024 18:36 |
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this site doesn't deserve my cute pet pics
Guy Mann fucked around with this message at 13:33 on Feb 24, 2019 |
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Nov 7, 2017 01:28
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