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Skizzles posted:Are there any extra challenges that accompany getting young/baby rats? 
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Nov 15, 2010 12:31
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Yep, my cat loves to sit with the rats at play time, but he has learned not to batt them on the heads because each of the rats has at one stage nibbled on his feet/chased him in retaliation. Now that he knows they have teeth he is very wary of them. Even though they never bit him hard, just nibbled. Its really funny ^_^ edit:  like Daggerdragon said, if they stick their paws through the bars, the rats WILL bite them. My guys bite anything interesting(non-finger) that pokes the bars in an attempt to pull it inside. Cat will learn fast.
Big Bug Hug fucked around with this message at 22:44 on Nov 15, 2010 |
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Nov 15, 2010 22:41
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They'll pee a bit when young but stop doing it quite so much as they grow. And you'll get used to it :P
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Nov 16, 2010 22:18
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That is awesome o_O I have to try that.
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Nov 18, 2010 05:12
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lol I love when they sleep on their face 
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Nov 20, 2010 09:08
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All my rat guys love fresh air! They get excited whenever I even open a window. I don't think they'll mind a car ride.
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Nov 21, 2010 10:28
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A question for you guys, I was googling to try find the answer to this, then realised PI could probably tell me. I have one boy rat who is about 9 months old - he's smaller than my year-old male rats and he has very soft fur and is a very floppy squishy rat. He has the normal gigantic rat-balls, and he is otherwise active and healthy. The only difference is he's deaf. Do you think there is any reason for his soft fur and small stature or is he just lucky? Here he is being a rat  Next to Jack  \Bonus Dexter and Leo  Click here for the full 1424x1068 image. Big Bug Hug fucked around with this message at 23:45 on Nov 21, 2010 |
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Nov 21, 2010 23:40
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I don't think giving them bites of everything could be considered junk. I do the same, and I think its pretty balanced. Besides the odd rat-sized biscuit I make them...
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Nov 27, 2010 23:55
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Haha, everyone that meets him asks me that. He doesn't wake up if you call him or make noises near him. He doesn't react to loud startling noises that make the other two jump. Doesn't respond to anyone's voice or people calling his name. He does however respond to tapping on the box he's hiding in, tapping the couch next to him or similar to get him to come. He's always the last one to wake up for food (you have to poke him) But I haven't had a vet tell me he is deaf or anything, I am just assuming really. Can you think of any other theories? Also, he has berkshire markings but I am not quite sure on his coloring. I keep trying to pin it down. Fawn, cinnamon, argente?
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Nov 28, 2010 07:41
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He has ruby eyes, I think, at least they usually look slightly red in the light. They look black normally. I'm not 100% on "ticking" - he has some darker hairs in there which you can see if you look closely. Here's a photo I took without flash, it looks darker than he appears in person. And his belly patch is white
Big Bug Hug fucked around with this message at 08:07 on Nov 28, 2010 |
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Nov 28, 2010 08:02
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Superconsndar posted:Yeah. Again, that's just a fawn with some darker ticking. Basically, a poor fawn. Definitely ruby eyes. He looks somewhere between fawn and cinnamon because he does have some excessive darker ticking- making him just a very poor fawn.
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Nov 28, 2010 08:12
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I don't know what they are but they are cuties
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Nov 30, 2010 10:12
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Is she more active during the night? My guys lay around all day and run around all night. But I've never had girl rats. Mine also produce porphyrin from time to time and it doesn't seem to mean anything much on its own. I've heard it said that if they have old porphyrin (indicating they are too weak to clean it off) its more of a worry. But second-hand advice there, sorry. I'd say its possible she is tired but keep a close eye on her. Might be good to take her for a vet visit anyway if they are new rats and her activity level's always been low. For your peace of mind
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Dec 1, 2010 07:07
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What form is the medicine - powder you mix with water? Or is it a syrup? I've not had a lot of luck getting my guys to eat medicines that don't taste good(nice tasting ones are fine  ) but people recommend mixing it with fruity tasting baby food. Try that?Golashes, glad your little one seems to be feeling better
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Dec 2, 2010 03:37
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Oh yeah I can only imagine the medicine flying all over the place if I attempted this Luckily mine will eat anything even if laced with medicine. Don't need to shove it down their throats if they'll willingly eat it.
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Dec 2, 2010 06:11
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Definitely try the more pleasant method first, then hopefully there'll be no need for force feeding.
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Dec 2, 2010 10:38
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That really sucks, don't blame yourself though. Just one of those things. 
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Dec 3, 2010 07:32
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No bedding at all, just a log? Were they on pine shavings? Well, I use recycled paper cat litter to line the tray of the cage and then give them various cardboard boxes to renovate to their liking, and on the top level have a hammock (pretty much a must for rats, they love them!) and some fleece. If its cool they bundle up together in the hammock and if its warm they sleep out on the shelves or down the bottom in/on the boxes. Don't worry too much about temperature, they'll sleep where they're comfy, especially when there's two or more then they can snuggle up and keep warm. I'm betting you won't need much of an introductory period either, they're both young and all. Dont forget the pictures! Big Bug Hug fucked around with this message at 12:23 on Dec 3, 2010 |
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Dec 3, 2010 12:18
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daggerdragon posted:I make hammocks. You should use fleece and plunk their butts in there. Mine don't use bedding much either. The one exception is Dexter who is like a little homemaker and likes to rearrange everything. He drags all the fleece scraps inside his box down on the bottom floor, or sometimes into the hammock. Only if the weather is cool though Chakattack! posted:I'm planning to try making some hammocks this weekend - seems a good way to get into sewing too! Give them stuff to shred if they want to and some soft cloth and they will learn to keep themselves warm and be happy ratties. Big Bug Hug fucked around with this message at 01:55 on Dec 4, 2010 |
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Dec 4, 2010 01:29
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poor Linus. I know that HELP Getemoffme! Look.
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Dec 4, 2010 03:43
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People who meet mine assume they are going to bite. I think I've had exactly one bite and that was because I was mistaken for food Maybe the giant balls have something to do with it too.
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Dec 10, 2010 23:27
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Liz, absolutely. It might be slightly more difficult when they don't grow up with them, but I have an 8 month old cat who loves my rats and treats them like kittens. If I get baby rats again while I have my cat, I'd probably just keep them fairly seperate and closely watched until the rats were big enough not to be a single cat snack-sized bite.
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Dec 11, 2010 02:05
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No matter the size of the box or the number of rats, they will ALL fit in there. Its the rules.
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Dec 12, 2010 09:50
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Hmm maybe its because I give them cardboard boxes and change it every couple of days. Its always super exciting! Even when its the exact same size/shape box they got last time!
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Dec 13, 2010 22:15
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DenialTwist posted:
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Dec 14, 2010 04:48
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That seems odd. Sure you weren't allergic to whatever bedding they were on? (The rats you've previously had contact with, I mean) What happens when you touch a rat? edit: Joan is a chill rat ^_^ Cool picture.
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Dec 16, 2010 07:29
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Offer him treats EVERY time you walk by. Open the door and offer a treat at the box he's hiding in. Then try get him to come out to give him the treats. Soon he'll be running up to the door every time you approach. At least say hi to him every time you see him. Give it a little time and I guarantee he'll come out of his shell.
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Dec 18, 2010 01:54
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With cats and rats it just takes time I think. When I first got my cat one of my rats was terrified of him but after a while of having his smell around the house I think he realised the kitten didnt fall into predator category, and was fine after that. My other two rats were all "hi new friend!" straight away. The cat is more wary of them than they are of him. But I digress. How long have you had the kittens? I can't really think of anything except time and gentle exposure to each other. RazorBunny posted:Pretty much this. When I got my pair they were both pretty skittish, and before long every time I opened the cage door, this is what greeted me.
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Dec 18, 2010 13:30
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^^^^^ Candy Dawn posted:Yay progress! Taking the house away really helped! we had lots of fun last night under our "bonding scarf" hehe. He's still a little nervous being outside the cage but I got him to play with a digging box today! He was so funny, he was TERRIFIED of stepping on the soil until he realized his favorite treat was hidden within. I got a video of all his cuteness.
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Dec 18, 2010 23:09
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Stupid question but how on earth do you tell the color of their eyes when they are so little? A BEW would be so cute!
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Dec 29, 2010 02:29
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Candy, have they only been timid since getting the new cage? It sounds like they just need some time to get used to it. I guess it could be the cats making them feel vulnerable, but aren't they used to the cats being around already? edit: I just read over your last couple of posts and seems your ratties are relatively new? They probably just need ongoing forced socialisation with you to build up their confidence. Do they seem frightened of the cats as well? I let mine interact with my cat (when he was younger) so they all got used to each other but obviously thats very dependant on the situation. My fat lazy guys got more confident with age and handling
Big Bug Hug fucked around with this message at 00:49 on Jan 2, 2011 |
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Jan 2, 2011 00:42
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Mongoloid Joe posted:That's a good rattie! I'm so proud of you! Your rats are gorgeous.
Big Bug Hug fucked around with this message at 01:44 on Jan 5, 2011 |
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Jan 5, 2011 01:42
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neongrey posted:I do have paypal but going from paypal to a bank account takes something like a week regardless for me, or at least did last I tried it. I think, or hope, that he can hold out a week and be okay; he's still eating and drinking fairly well, and if I shuffle stuff in the cage I can make it easier for him to get around. I hope he makes it a week and I'm sure you won't let the little guy suffer if hes not happy or hes in pain and will call the vet if you need to. 
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Jan 14, 2011 05:50
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That sucks, I'm sorry. But I think you're right, I don't think he suffered.
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Jan 16, 2011 03:31
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Boco_T posted:By rat kisses I assume you mean "you try to kiss them and you kiss their paw because they try to push you away"
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Jan 17, 2011 08:48
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EVG posted:Oh god, Rat Kisses. Be careful. I leaned in too close to say hi to one of my girls (the sweetest thing) and the must have smelled food on my breath or been confused, because she LATCHED onto my lip and gave me a big tear pulling away.
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Jan 23, 2011 02:19
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Wow, me either
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Jan 24, 2011 08:10
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neongrey posted:Get really long hair then, they seem to find that more interesting. Shadow0 posted:So, my rat seems to have developed a small lump under her throat. I'm not sure it's anything, and she seems really energetic as always. She did make a squeak randomly I don't remember her ever making, but I don't think that's related. I know rats are prone to cancer, so I'm a bit worried. Hopefully it's nothing, but what should I do? Its vet time for you guys.
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Jan 25, 2011 23:10
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Lord Windy posted:I've wanted rats as pets since I was about 13, but I've never had the chance to get any due to my mother's intense dislike of the creatures. More recently because both the place I'm renting now doesn't allow pets on the lease and I just really haven't had much time to devote to a pet even if I was allowed one. Chakattack! posted:You could ask your landlord whether they'd consider letting you have a caged pet? My lease also said "no pets", but when I brought it up (however this was before I signed it, as getting rats was really important to me) they said that was more to stop people keeping dogs/cats, and a small animal would be fine. I made a big mistake by not getting their permission in writing though, and we've since fallen out (the flat is in terrible condition and they never fix anything, so we're constantly at odds) and I worry a lot about whether they'd use the fact I'm keeping rats against me. As a result, whenever they come round now I hide the cage and take the rats to my boyfriends. Luckily here in the UK your landlords aren't allowed to visit without prior warning, so it's not too difficult. Stressful, though! Big Bug Hug fucked around with this message at 01:02 on Jan 31, 2011 |
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Jan 31, 2011 01:00
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Jin Wicked posted:Has anyone had a rat that got over something like this, or should I just find a baby girl companion for the new guy? My cage is a Critter Nation so it can be divided, though briefly I had the new guy alone in the bottom half and aggro idiot was almost killing himself to get through the barrier (I added some cardboard) and kick rear end.
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Feb 12, 2011 01:36
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