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I just put my first dose in the water this morning! Very excited for this.
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Jun 25, 2010 13:34
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| # ¿ Apr 29, 2024 12:30 |
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I volunteer a lot (about 12 or so hours a week plus all the phone screens!!) I meet a lot of people. Usually they're really dumb people and today was no exception. A woman called me back about ferret adoptions and told me that she'd already gotten 2 hairless rats from the pet store. Ok, great. We talk about rats. Then she tells me that there's a local woman who wants to sell her a pregnant rat for $15.  She tells me that she's kept rats before, but never a pregnant one or a litter and she's not comfortable doing it. She feels like the rat should get out of that place because it seems very sketchy! At this point, I googled the lady's phone number... She has a litter of rottweilers on the ground and some siamese kitten litters too! Oh boy. Nice lady on the phone asks me if I will go get the preggo rat, maybe she will keep her after the babies are born. Well I went over to the "breeder's" house and found: - at least 3 adult rotts, and puppies outside - 2 macaws together (breeding???????) - a Ferret Nation cage with maltipoop dogs in the top and siamese kittens in the bottom - pregnant rat and two males - ASH TRAYS ALL OVER THE PLACE. Oh my god. I took the lady rat and got the gently caress out. I'm contacting everyone I know in the rescue business to see what can be done about this (but I suspect nothing, unless we all go over and buy animals until she has no more  ).PI what do I do with this rat? I gave her some turkey and gravy baby food earlier. She seems underweight. Apparently they "bred" her "about a week ago." Is there a good chance that she didn't take? If so, when will I know this? If anybody has any suggestions about who to contact, maybe get them inspected or something, I'd be appreciative. I don't know if there are any kind of restrictions in the area about the number of animals you can keep in a given space or whatever, but there were a lot and they live in a trailer. Also here's Lucy. She bit me already.  Sorry I'm a horrible photographer. Her name is Lucy because Pinky was retarded and I'm pretty sure the lady named her that off the top of her head when I asked.   e: table breakage 
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Jun 27, 2010 00:30
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Carebear posted:She's so cute.. she looks like a dumbo, maybe that's why they bred her. She's a dumbo ~*SIAMESE*~ which is why they bred her. But they had a whole litter (looked like around 6 or 7) siamese kittens in a one level ferret nation cage so the rats kinda lost her interest I guess.  Lucy's definitely acting pregnant. She acts pretty cage dominant, but once she's out she is very cuddly and calm. One of my other rats is like that too except that she's still pretty bitchy once you get her out. I'm going to Goodwill tomorrow to try and find a 20gal aquarium. Wtf kind of water bottle do you use on those? 
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Jun 27, 2010 04:41
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This woman tried to tell me that she was 10 months old, so she's nearly full grown and her points "should turn more blue in a couple months". The father was a big giant fat siamese rex. Lady also told me that siameses were the most cuddly breed of rats.  I was like "they are literally exactly the same as all the other rats" and she was like "ah..." and just moved on.I was really afraid to start saying poo poo to her face because I felt pretty vulnerable there, even with my boyfriend along to protect me. They had a bunch of rottweilers! Also I was afraid that she would grab Lucy back from me and the cycle of horrible stupid rat pregnancies would continue. She SAID she wanted to get out of rats, but I feel like anything female in that house was gonna get bred no matter what. The tiny, tiny little chihuahua running around had big giant nipples, like she either had a litter or was preggers. 
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Jun 27, 2010 14:38
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This is supposedly her first litter. My vet is right up the street and is fantastic, so I think I'm going to call her up and let her know that we might be having issues around... I'm thinking Saturday July 3rd, that being 3 weeks from last Saturday. That way maybe we can make sure an exotics person is on call that night or something at the emergency place? I don't know but I'll call and ask what we can do. I'm not made of money or anything, so expensive e-spay surgery would really suck.
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Jun 27, 2010 18:59
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I'm going to call and talk to my vet about it and get a quote. It is very cost prohibitive and would have to be next week at the earliest, regardless. I don't have a credit card. 
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Jun 28, 2010 04:42
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Well I just put Lucy in a 10 gallon aquarium, which isn't ideal but it's what was on hand. Will the silicone hurt her if she chews on it? I really hadn't thought about it until I saw the big strips of it on the corners. She's been in there for like 5 minutes and hasn't done anything but clean herself yet but I'm watching to see if she goes after the silicone. Also I put in a water dish, and I'll replace that with a hanging water bottle later tonight or tomorrow. Bonus MMMMMM FEET 
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Jul 3, 2010 23:54
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Oh! I DO have some felt strips in my scrap box.  But I knew she'd destroy that cuddle cup, I bought it specifically for the purpose. For now she likes to sleep in it, but I know by next week it will be in tatters.
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Jul 4, 2010 02:42
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xainlich posted:So I found this great multi-level cage, about 36" tall, 24" wide. Problem is, I want to get the rats young, and the cage was a rabbit cage. The width between bars is enough to put a pack of cigarettes through. I got some chicken wire/poultry wrapping, but its galvanized steel, and the only other option is plastic. If the steel is attached with wire on the outside of the cage, they will still come in contact with it through the bars. Do I have any options here, or do I have to just wait to get the rats until I find a smaller cage? They will be fine. Just know that if you get females, you might never be able to take that wrapping off, which case I would probably buy a smaller bar spacing cage, because galvanized steel can get pretty gross after awhile. A couple weeks/months should be ok though for them to grow into it. Got pics?
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Jul 6, 2010 13:42
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404 not found! Try waffleimages!
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Jul 8, 2010 00:45
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xainlich posted:
I've seen this cage before, it's pretty popular seems like. It should be fine to use for males or large females, similar to the Ferret Nation bar spacing wise. Lots of people keep rats in unmodified ferret/rabbit cages that have 1'' spacing. I would give it a try, at least, but wrapping it with hardware cloth is going to be a GIANT pain in the rear end, due to the shape and spring locks on those doors. If you are handy with tools though, it can be done and still look ok. For cleaning you can use bleach water, white vinegar, or an enzyme cleaner like Petzyme or my new favorite, Simple Solution (smells soooo goood ). Whatever suits you.
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Jul 9, 2010 01:52
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^^strawberries are fine. e: loving new page! Dr. Spaceman posted:Anyone have a recommendation for chew toys? My rat could not give two craps about anything I have bought her at the pet store besides maybe a Kong filled with treats :/ Homemade toys! My guys really love toilet paper tubes stuffed with treats and tissues, and the ends folded shut. Also an old sock full of treats hanging just out of reach- they all know "spin" as a trick, and it's soooo hilarious to watch them spinning under the sock trying to get the treats to fall out. I just give my rats anything they can destroy, and don't hang it up or clip it onto the cage or anything. They give no shits if there aren't any treats, so if you put it on the floor all up in their way they will destroy the gently caress out of it, treats or not. On an unrelated note, Lucy has not yet given birth. When can I start assuming that she's not pregnant after all?
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Jul 14, 2010 13:55
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Superconsndar posted:How long have you had her again? It will be 3 weeks on Saturday.
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Jul 15, 2010 00:31
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First Time Caller posted:Is it OK to have the ramps and middle floor in a rat cage be made of wire or do they need to be solid ( can that cause bumblefoot?) or does just the floor of the cage being solid matter? Wire floors won't cause bumblefoot, DIRTY floors cause bumblefoot (wire or solid). For two rats one bowl/bottle is fine as long as you keep them clean and stocked.  Serella posted:Seriously, this thread has made me want the gently caress out of rats. Alas, I own ferrets and hope to get a cat in a few months, so I continue to live vicariously and demand more pictures. I have both. The cages are about 6 feet away from each other. I don't think I'd get a cat too because that's just too much pets, but the rat/ferret combo works fine for me. (do it do it do it)
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Jul 24, 2010 23:59
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First Time Caller posted:Got my rats today It's perfectly normal for them to utilize only the top level. Sometimes just until they get more comfortable, sometimes forever, usually the former. Use as much bedding as you want. They aren't going to burrow under it like a hamster or gerbil might, so 2 inches is probably just wasted money. Use enough to soak up the pee. Also, Lucy didn't have babies. 
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Jul 26, 2010 02:48
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Eight weeks is practically adulthood. Anything in the OP is fine except Oxbow Regal Rat which for some reason is 4 months+, I really am not sure why. Someone tell me!
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Jul 30, 2010 04:34
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http://www.oxbowanimalhealth.com/products/type/detail?object=1547 Under "Feeding" it says 4 months+ but doesn't list a reason why. 
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Jul 30, 2010 13:29
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Lucy just went to her new home, and her name is now Kimmie (after meeee )
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Aug 3, 2010 01:00
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What I did is go to the local tractor supply and buy a tube of Ivermectin for horses (1.87%) and squirt the whole tube into an old (washed) medicine bottle. I kept it sealed. Every week I gave each rat a treat dipped in it, with the "blob" of ivermectin roughly the size and shape of an uncooked grain of rice for the boys (over 1 pound) and a half-grain of rice for the girls (under 1 pound). Blammo, mites gone. The horse paste is like $3.
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Aug 4, 2010 00:02
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I only wash one of my rats. Gabriel is mostly white, so he gets pink from licking himself and I think it's gross, so he gets a bath about once a month. He hates it so much.
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Aug 26, 2010 15:12
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Big Bug Hug posted:Make sure you start out with giving her a treat every time you walk past the cage until she gets the idea that your hands aren't scary and she gets good things from them. But DON'T give the treat through the cage bars! This leads to a terrible snatchy habit. Carebear, I'm at that same point with one of my girls, Noel. I'm so afraid that she's going to downward spiral too quickly for me to react. I will probably take her in to say goodbye sometime very soon. 
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Sep 10, 2010 16:35
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Well there's this: http://www.petfinder.com/pet-search?animal_type=Small&pet_breed=rat&location=oklahoma&distance=0
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Sep 11, 2010 18:29
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It pretty much comes with the territory, imo. I can't decide if a four year old rat would be really cool, or if it would be like having a 110 year old grandma. She just isn't fun any more now that she can't walk, eat solids, poop in the toilet or remember your name.
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Sep 15, 2010 03:44
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I found Noel dead last week, on the same day my boyfriend's mom backed over their deaf outdoor cat. Noel was about 25 or 26 months old. Goodbye, froglegs. Noel and Allie, bffs  Noel being suspicious of that camera! 
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Sep 22, 2010 14:30
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Cons: females will tear up anything and everything they can get their grubby little mitts on peeing all over anything that they love, including you and your belongings (mostly your belongings, mine really LOVE my alarm clock )short life span (<3 years in most cases) cancer factories (especially females) your friends and family might be terrified of them/think you are a lunatic Just trying to cover the bases. They're really fantastic little dudes.
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Oct 15, 2010 00:17
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Man. Gabe is such an rear end in a top hat. He is Boss Rat, everybody knows that around here, but he still feels the need to randomly push his buddies out of the hammocks/baskets/under the towels/wherever they are chilling and just be a big dick. Usually it's Roscoe that's the victim, and he screams bloody loving murder no matter what. I've watched it happen, Gabe doesn't touch him at all. Roscoe just screams his head off. If I open the cage door he lunges out onto my shirt like FINALLY I AM SAVED. So Gabe slept in the former maternity tank I have set up for just such an occasion. Because I hate "rescuing" Roscoe at 4am. Now he's apologizing! I'm minding my own business, trying to take a poo poo in peace, and he keeps putting his paws on me and demanding to be petted. If I don't reach down and oblige him quickly he'll jump up onto my (bare) thigh with his needle claws and launch onto my shoulder and stick hisq1111111 nose in my ear OR SIT on mty yerrrr... keyboard. RATS 
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Oct 20, 2010 14:44
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Smee posted:Last year however, we decided to try our hand at breeding. We had a giant ferret cage left over from two sugar gliders that passed away, and it really was just about as easy as 'put boy and girl in cage and wait'. Once the girl shat out squirmy little pink things (9 of them!), we just separated the male (not sure if rats actually eat their young, but its better to be safe) and let momma do her thing until the rittens were naturally weaned off, then put all the females into the ferret cage and the 2 boys off in their own little kingdom.  Did you read this thread
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Oct 27, 2010 10:32
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Sounds like he's in some pain, I would get him looked at asap.
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Dec 24, 2010 19:50
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Hey ratladies. Coming in to get your opinions on elderly rat care. Abigail will be (around) 30 months old in January. She's got a pretty huge mammary tumor up between her front legs, and has recently begun showing signs of hind limb paralysis. I'm going to start her on some children's advil for that, I think. She's not showing any signs of pain, and we've been working hard to keep her weight from dropping. The tumor seems to have stopped growing, it's probably about almond-sized but rounder. At her age, I really don't want to put her through surgery for the tumor. If she starts to show pain signs we'll just take her in and say goodbye, but even that will be really stressful for her. She's not much for being handled, especially by strangers.Basically I'm asking... what would you do? Should I bother with the advil at all? Her weight is maintaining pretty well and she climbs up into the hammocks just fine. What about glucosamine-chondroitin or a b-vitamin supplement? I hesitate to cram stuff into her mouth, especially since she still gets around very well, just awkwardly. On a brighter note, Curly Brace from the same litter (we think anyway) is still spry and agile, no palpable tumors, and leaps over the babygate with ease.
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Dec 30, 2010 05:58
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I hope you didn't go to a breeder for a longer-lived, healthier rat, because this breeder sounds completely irresponsible. Furthermore, why on earth would anyone get a "mix" of anything from a breeder? Isn't breeding supposed to be for purebred animals and not mixes? I know that doesn't make any sense in rat terms anyway, but come on! Please read this thread from the beginning. Good luck with your new buddies.
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Jan 8, 2011 19:51
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No, but it probably isn't connecting with them the way you think it is. It won't click for them that "I do this thing, I have to go in the bag." You're just successfully distracting them and making them forget what they were messing with. Whatever works!
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Jan 11, 2011 06:40
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Are you talking about the Snack Shacks? Because my girls used to eat the poo poo out of those things. Every last bit. Nothing bad happened. 
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Feb 18, 2011 01:46
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Superconsndar posted:spergin Someday when I don't live in an apartment, I'm going to get a couple of little snakes and feed them off of culled babies from my rat breeding program. Will you mentor me when that happens? tia
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Feb 25, 2011 01:08
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When you hold them, you need to really HOLD them, not just let them sit on you. Shoulder rides are good but having your hands physically on them is a lot better. You are a lot bigger and stronger than they are. Stuff them in your hoodie pocket and hold them still, they will calm down in a couple of minutes. I'm not a horrible person, this isn't mean, it's how you get a well-adjusted social pet rat that comes hopping adorably to you when you want it to (or even when you don't)
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Apr 19, 2011 00:27
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Indigestable posted:give them raspberries on their tummies Hahahaha I do this constantly and without mercy
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Apr 19, 2011 11:35
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^^^ Last easter I tore the head off a peep, tore that into 5 pieces and gave each rat one little chunk. The rest of the peep went in the trash- I don't like them. Allie jumps up into the loving trash can, gets the peep and goes bounding madly across the room with it. Her front paws were sticky, and she had carpet fuzz all stuck to them. I washed her hands. That'll show her to steal peeps from the trash! (No it won't)
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Apr 25, 2011 12:01
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Call the vet and ask?
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May 1, 2011 23:27
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The "chittering" you hear is like a cat purr for them. It can indicate pleasure, comfort, annoyance or pain. Like a cat, take it in context. Most likely he's happy to be held. My rat Gabriel bruxes (grinding his teeth, this is the cause of the chittering sound) when someone talks to him. He gets super happy when you're on the phone while you hold him because zomg she is talking to me! other sounds: squeaks or screams; indicate pain or fear. Sometimes just mild annoyance (ie, squeaking while another rat grooms them). Standing up is a way of posturing to another rat, they have staring contests to determine who is the Boss Rat. A rat who is hunkered down and "fluffed" out might be in pain or feeling cold. A rat that lays down and puts its feet in the air is hot. A rat that lays in a loaf with its face on the ground is a herpderp.
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May 10, 2011 20:58
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I was cruising craigslist today, because I love to be depressed apparently. I sent out two emails, one reading simply "Don't breed your rat you big dummy" to some stupid person who wanted a male rat to keep her female hairless rat warm. The other was in response to a person who was rehoming a (cute as gently caress ) little male who she bought to breed with her female and then changed her mind. Both these rats live in a cage with mice, and also they regularly play with the guinea pig!  I need to block my IP from craigslist or something. It's some sort of terrible self-destructive habit I have, to make myself SO ANGRY about rats on the internet. rant over
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May 30, 2011 23:08
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| # ¿ Apr 29, 2024 12:30 |
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Where I live, the apartment company considers broken A/C with temperatures above 85F outside to be an emergency situation, and they're required to come fix it immediately. Maybe look into that?
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Jun 6, 2011 13:48
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