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It sounds like a new social order was established in the cage and she's stressed about the dominance process coupled with the cramped space making it hard to find a safe space to relax. I can't say for sure since I don't know how the alpha rat is behaving, but it's my best guess. Is there any way he can afford/make room for another cage that offers more space for the rats but isn't as big as the Explorer?
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Feb 18, 2012 11:05
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Skittle Wood posted:It sounds like a new social order was established in the cage and she's stressed about the dominance process coupled with the cramped space making it hard to find a safe space to relax. I can't say for sure since I don't know how the alpha rat is behaving, but it's my best guess. Is there any way he can afford/make room for another cage that offers more space for the rats but isn't as big as the Explorer? I'm not sure if it's cramped, per se. Iirc, it's this cage that they're in now, which according to the rat cage calculator site should allow for 9 rats if given 2.5ft per rat. So it's definitely not a small cage. I know there was some dominance things going on just before he got the new cage, actually, with the rat in question (Eden) bullying Adam and dominating Eve. When they all met up, Apple let Eden groom her and stuff without much protest, and he hasn't mentioned that they've had any issues since about a week after the merge. Unfortunately though there's no way for him to get another cage. He's bought... a couple, loves this one, and has no money or space (since the cage is in his small bedroom) for another cage. He did mention a couple weeks ago that Eve had porphyrin stains on her face, but that cleared up and hasn't reoccurred since. Would getting more places for the rats to sleep help at all? I think they have two at the moment, but all sleep in just one area. They have a ton of toys and a wheel etc too.
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Feb 18, 2012 11:31
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Honestly I can't say that I know what's going on with her. Bruxing isn't really a sound I'd describe as "soft crying". Have you confirmed absolutely that it is bruxing?
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Feb 18, 2012 11:49
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I haven't confirmed it, no. I've not been able to get round for a while. He described the sound to me and the only sounds I could think of that rats tend to make are respiratory distress sounds and bruxing. He said its definitely not a respiratory thing; he youtubed bruxing and said that's the sound she's been making. I don't think she does it every day, so I'm not sure if I'd be able to time a visit and see for myself.
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Feb 18, 2012 11:57
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i've heard one of my rats make a "soft crying" sound as well, when he was being regularly bullied by an older male. it's a very soft whine that would usually happen when they were sleeping. i thought it was a respiratory thing but he didn't have any lung problems and since i've removed the bully rat from that cage he stopped doing it.
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Feb 18, 2012 16:55
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How can you tell if a rat is deaf, or just unflappable? I have a blondish, ruby-eyed rat who does the head-swaying thing to see. We're beginning to suspect he's deaf because he doesn't jump or move his ears when we clap or try to get his attention by making kissy noises. He only reacts to noise when his cagemates jump at noises. He doesn't know his name either so I can't call to him. I joke that he's just really brave, compared to his jumpy Petsmart cagemates (he was overstock from a feeder litter but I got him very young so he's better adjusted). Any clues? It doesn't really matter but I don't know if I've ever seen another rat owner bring it up.
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Feb 18, 2012 21:40
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Super huge photo dump ahead, sorry if I killed anyone's browser! The cuties pictured are Benjamin, Jack, Hurley, Talbot, and Russel.              
Olive Bar fucked around with this message at 23:51 on Feb 18, 2012 |
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Feb 18, 2012 23:44
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dustbin posted:How can you tell if a rat is deaf, or just unflappable? It won't affect your rat much, the only thing I had to do for old Basil was tap on the box he was sleeping in when I was giving them all treats, so he would poke his head out. He never really took to trick training either, he just didn't get it. The good news is deaf rats aren't frightened by things like traveling or groups of noisy children. My deaf boy became my ambassador rat.  He was so gentle and sweet.edit: Olive Bar your rats have grown so much! I remember Talbot's little naked face when he was a baby. You reminded me how much I love fawn and agouti. Both are becoming harder to find here due to, I think, the enthusiasm of breeders for breeding new and exciting coats and colors. Big Bug Hug fucked around with this message at 00:48 on Feb 19, 2012 |
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Feb 19, 2012 00:43
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It's surprising how much emotional range you can see in even a small animal. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l3AV5zKNr0k (warning: fatass rats) The latter end part of the video is kinda sad. 
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Feb 19, 2012 01:50
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They were all teeny babies a few months ago! My roommate calls the naked two balls on balls on balls, my mom calls them the scrotum twins. Sorry guys, that's just what you get.
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Feb 19, 2012 02:17
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I'm starting to feel like one of my rats bullies the other She's always been much fatter/heavier, chews Amelie's whiskers off regularly, and always seems to be the one chasing her around the cage and (playfully for all appearances) pinning her down/fighting with her. I think she eats a lot of Amelie's food/treats and just generally rules the roost. Is this a bad thing? Is there anything I can do to curb that? Amelie also seems to be the one who enjoys my affection more and Squiggles is a lot more independent.
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Feb 19, 2012 04:39
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redjenova posted:I'm starting to feel like one of my rats bullies the other You always have one big aggressive alpha rat, whether you have males or females. It's perfectly normal pack mentality. They may get worse when theres a lack of food or space for them to live in but if they're not hurting each other I wouldn't worry about it. If one of them is becoming a danger to the others then you can try bathing them all so everyone smells the same. Add some more cage toys and give them more free time. If that doesn't work you can try becoming the alpha yourself but it takes a lot of patience. What I do is watch whatever the dominant rat is doing to the others and then do it them. Pin them upside down and tickle the belly. Let the other rats come close while you hold them down. Pick them up and cover their eyes. Hold them like that for a bit before putting them down for a treat. Show them you are the boss, basically.
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Feb 19, 2012 13:52
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Olive Bar, your rats are adorable. I want to hug all of them. Question about rehoming: I think this week is it for Luna. She's getting very weak and her balance is terrible, making it hard for her to eat and groom. I'm just concerned about Emily after Luna's gone. I don't want more rats right now so getting new ones isn't an option for keeping her company. I contacted the woman I adopted Luna and Pandi from to ask if she has a current female group that would take a new member so hopefully that works out, but if not.. what's the best way to find someone to take her in?
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Feb 20, 2012 00:01
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Just love emily that much more she should be just fine without being rehomed. I put an old hat in my rat cage this morning that can comfortably fit 1 rat, of course all 3 have piled into it. I hope those clips hold!
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Feb 20, 2012 20:03
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Olive Bar posted:Just love emily that much more she should be just fine without being rehomed. I'll give it a try. She's not super social with people despite my best efforts so I'm just worried about her getting the attention/engagement/socialization she needs. I can love her all day but I know I'm not as good as another rat. That sounds really cute, all piled up together. Rat piles are the best piles.
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Feb 20, 2012 22:10
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Just make sure that she has a lot of toys and then give her as much attention as she wants, if she's not inclined toward human interactions she might just be fine as is.
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Feb 20, 2012 23:07
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Somehow I got stuck with one more rat.  My roomie talked me into getting a younger friend for the two young rats, but Big Boss (the old lady rat) still don't wanna be bothered with nobody.So I ended with another hooded, and she's very, very affectionate and great with being handled. From the same rescue, too. I named her Ocelot, and here she is hanging with Snake:  So far there have been zero problems integrating her with the current rat pack. Although she's very active, she gets along with the other rats really well. There was some drama when I first introduced her but now everything is chill. Otacon/Big Boss is doing fine. I haven't gotten any pics of her setup yet but she's quite happy with no other rats around. She's pretty odd. Doesn't like other rats and doesn't like being handled. But she will still go nuts for yogies.  One question - finding non-wooden chew toys at the pet supply place is harder than I thought it would be. Any suggestions for household stuff rats can chew on? I figured toilet paper tubes/paper towel tubes after the paper is gone, but I want to make sure that's okay too. I don't want to accidentally give them something terribad. 
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Feb 20, 2012 23:28
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For chewing, I use Kleenex boxes/other cardboard boxes, raw pasta, the occasional rawhide strip, hard veggies like carrots. Bones from cooked meat are good on occasion too, I give them my leftovers. I have to take them away after about half an hour because thats when it turns into everyone trying to stash all the bones for later, and fighting over whos is whos 
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Feb 20, 2012 23:51
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Bear Rape posted:One question - finding non-wooden chew toys at the pet supply place is harder than I thought it would be. Any suggestions for household stuff rats can chew on? I figured toilet paper tubes/paper towel tubes after the paper is gone, but I want to make sure that's okay too. I don't want to accidentally give them something terribad. I actually asked this earlier since one of my rats is horrible at chewing stuff in her cage that she shouldn't. I like to take high value chews like bones and rawhide and hang them up in the cage so that it takes her longer to get through and she has to work for it more. They also have a big ol' beef knuckle hanging out in the cage as well. Dried pasta works well, too. We've also were gifted with a bunch of snak shak stuff this Christmas, including a house like this.
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Feb 21, 2012 00:46
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Huh, rawhide did not occur to me, neither did dry pasta. I have rawhide because my dog doesn't really like the stuff, so I will test run that tomorrow and see what the ratties think. Thanks for the replies!
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Feb 21, 2012 00:50
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It is definitely worth it. 
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Feb 21, 2012 00:52
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Thats cute! I like the branches (I think?) you have in there too. I'm gonna hang rawhide for my little boys, I think my big boys are much too lazy, and will take one look and give up.
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Feb 21, 2012 01:07
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Big Bug Hug posted:Thats cute! I like the branches (I think?) you have in there too. I'm gonna hang rawhide for my little boys, I think my big boys are much too lazy, and will take one look and give up. Yeah, the bird section of a pet store is actually a great place to source cage toys, since so many things can be clipped to the wall.
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Feb 21, 2012 01:57
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Big Bug Hug posted:I had a deaf rat too. If he seems deaf, he probably is! I first found out when my little boy wouldn't wake up when I put my face near him and called. When I touched him, he jumped a mile. But he learned to be very perceptive of things like air current and vibration. Wex really is the sweetest rat! And I agree that he's really sensitive to vibration: he definitely responds when I strum the bars of his cage. His head pops right up.
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Feb 21, 2012 05:55
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I hung rawhide chips from the top of the cage today. Currently all of the rats are trying to jump at them and swing off them. I think they like the rawhide.
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Feb 21, 2012 15:51
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Big Bug Hug posted:Rats injure their feet all the time. Do you have wire shelves? One of the common injuries is they get their foot caught (in the shelf or the cage walls) and fall. Its normally nothing more than a sprain/bruise. I cant see a broken foot being cause for euthanasia in any case. Even if it didn't set straight I don't think I'd put a rat down because of it unless there was continuing pain. I don't think my vet would say that. Phew! Thanks for this. Her foot is looking much better now. She started to get a purplish bruise but it faded and now she's walking on it more. I just got a new cage for her and my other rat so she's been running around like crazy and having an awesome time. LOVE THESE LITTLE LADIES!
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Feb 21, 2012 21:12
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Thats good to hear, Toyotadon.  NEWS FLASH Someone in Australia caught rat bite fever. First time I've ever heard of it happening here in the years I've owned rats. So the news reports that its maybe possible incidences might increase now that more people are owning rats! No kidding... but now people are freaking out. http://www.skynews.com.au/health/article.aspx?id=720255&vId&fb_source=message Yes, I think this is a slow news week.
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Feb 21, 2012 23:07
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Big Bug Hug posted:Thats good to hear, Toyotadon. Wash your hands after petting/playing with your rats. Don't let them poke around in your mouth, and in general, try to keep your face away from them (I'm guilty of this, but there's a difference between an occasional belly nuzzle vs plastering them with kisses). If you're sharing food, don't feed them from the same hand you're eating with. It's just common sense.I very rarely let my rats near my face because, well, they (and you!) can be mini plague vectors, and there's always the chance that one might get spooked and bite you. Trust me, you don't want a rat bite anywhere on/near your face. 
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Feb 21, 2012 23:13
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Stopped at Petsmart for "just" a carrying case for vet visits. Ended up spending a hundred bucks so that my PRECIOUS CREATURES can be happy. Yay new cage swag~
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Feb 21, 2012 23:19
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Bad news: My new guys have URIs. Good news: Their lungs are healthy and the love the poo poo out of their antibiotics.
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Feb 22, 2012 02:25
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Skittle Wood posted:Bad news: My new guys have URIs. Poor guys. I have the girls on meds right now and they go completely batty for them. One of them smells like kind of gross peanut butter and it is rat crack.
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Feb 22, 2012 02:34
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Hope the treatment's going well for yours. Mine have only been on it since monday and they've already improved a lot. Their noses aren't wet anymore and they've gotten much more active.
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Feb 23, 2012 11:13
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I have 2 older rat females (about two years three months) named Kaylee and Coraline. About 3 weeks ago i noticed a lump on Kaylee, took her to the vet and was told it was a mammary tumor. the Doctor was very kind but told me it was expensive to operate, and since she is an older rat, it may not extend her life much. I resolved to give her as much love as possible until she was uncomfotable and then have her put to sleep. In anticipation of her sister being alone, I adopted 2 new female babies, they are sweet and taking to me well but haven't been introduced to the elder rats yet. This morning when I was holding Coraline, my other elder rat I noticed she has a mass as well on her belly. I'm really sad about this whole situation. I know that tumors are common in rats but I'm afraid I did something to increase the risk of cancer. I am going to miss them both terribly.
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Feb 23, 2012 17:42
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Skittle Wood posted:Hope the treatment's going well for yours. Mine have only been on it since monday and they've already improved a lot. Their noses aren't wet anymore and they've gotten much more active. Ours have been on for about a week, week and a half. Haven't heard any sneezing for a while now. e: Yarn! – tumors are just part of rat ownership. I'm sure you're a wonderful owner with happy rats, and that's what counts. You could see how much it would cost to spay your younger ones, but depending on where you are, it can be prohibitively expensive. Invalid Octopus fucked around with this message at 17:59 on Feb 23, 2012 |
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Feb 23, 2012 17:56
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We had Luna put to sleep Tuesday. Her front legs were becoming as weak as her back ones. She could barely hold food or clean herself. She was on steroids after the recent respiratory issues so she had energy but her body wouldn't let her use it. I'm down to just Emily now. I'm noticing a dark spot under her skin where the tumor is so god knows what's going on there. We had Luna checked for bugs at the vet and she did have lice so now Emily gets to be washed with special shampoo once a week for a month. This is no small feat for a rat who can barely be picked up and held. Everyone says to watch her mood and see how she is coping but frankly, how am I supposed to know? She doesn't want anything to do with me anyways, all she has ever wanted to do is clamber the cage bars, eat, and sleep. She does bolt up and out of bed and up to the cage bars when people get near the cage but it's more because she is suspicious and wants to see what's going on or she's waiting for treats. As soon as you open the cage she scoots back and just watches you, unless you have food. Then she'll nab it from you and run away. I've done the forced socialization, I've sat with her for hours, I've done everything. She just doesn't like people. This level of avoidance is actually better than how she was when I first got her, if you can imagine. I'm emotionally wiped. I've had 3 rats gone in 8 months now and Emily's probably not far behind. I don't want to cause her unnecessary stress from sending her to a new home but I also don't want her just sitting in her cage and living a lonely life for her last months. I may love her, but I'm no rat. I can't compare to someone of her own species. I have no idea what to do. This is why I'm getting out of rats for a long time after she's gone. I just can't do it all over again.
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Feb 23, 2012 22:22
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I'm sorry Beluga, that sucks. I'm not sure what you can do for her either except be in the room with her as much as possible and give her lots of stuff to play with/chew. I mean I suppose you could think about an older rescue rat or somthing to keep her company but I know that comes with its own set of challenges. In regards to the lice have you thought about using ivormectin or something that would mean you don't have to shampoo her? Yarn! posted:I have 2 older rat females (about two years three months) named Kaylee and Coraline. About 3 weeks ago i noticed a lump on Kaylee, took her to the vet and was told it was a mammary tumor. the Doctor was very kind but told me it was expensive to operate, and since she is an older rat, it may not extend her life much. I resolved to give her as much love as possible until she was uncomfotable and then have her put to sleep. In anticipation of her sister being alone, I adopted 2 new female babies, they are sweet and taking to me well but haven't been introduced to the elder rats yet. This morning when I was holding Coraline, my other elder rat I noticed she has a mass as well on her belly. I'm really sad about this whole situation. I know that tumors are common in rats but I'm afraid I did something to increase the risk of cancer. I am going to miss them both terribly. Female rats get tumors ALL the time. You didn't do anything wrong. If it helps, rats can live a long life with tumors. It all depends on the case of course, how fast growing it is etc, but they can still reach old age. Big Bug Hug fucked around with this message at 23:57 on Feb 23, 2012 |
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Feb 23, 2012 23:54
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I'm just going to see how she does over the next few weeks, I guess. I didn't think to ask about anything different for treating it, I might give the vet a call. Yarn!: Seconding what BBH said. It all depends on the tumor but rats are resilient and can chug along for a while. You'll know when the time is right to let her go.
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Feb 24, 2012 01:15
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I'm starting to wonder if one of my rats is actually, you know, mentally challenged or something. She seems to have poor coordination and falls a lot. She's very sweet – docile, even. But it's tough watching her take tumbles all the time. I have a cup of food attached near the top of one of the cage walls with some flax seed and cranberries in it right now. She was going for it and fell right in the litter box beneath it. So I picked her up and held her so she could get herself a cranberry and put her back down again. She's going for another as I type, but looks like she's going to fall again trying to stuff her fat face. Oh Patti . Edit: took her down, handed her some cranberries. But she's a rat! It's not as if I can keep her from climbing the walls!
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Feb 24, 2012 07:10
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Doh... how old is she? I had an old (2+ years) rat lose hind limb strength which had the side effect of him being wobbly walking and falling when he climbed. Maybe she's getting weaker? I ended up putting him in a one story cage, but I know thats not always an option.
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Feb 24, 2012 10:18
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Big Bug Hug posted:Doh... how old is she? I had an old (2+ years) rat lose hind limb strength which had the side effect of him being wobbly walking and falling when he climbed. Maybe she's getting weaker? I ended up putting him in a one story cage, but I know thats not always an option. Could also be pituitary tumor, they're not uncommon and coordination is usually the first thing to go
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Feb 24, 2012 13:04
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