Life with Rat

[BowandWalter]

Yeah, this little girl has her auntie who just finished raising her last litter so I figure she's fine.

Here's a short video of her deciding I taste good! I think the cutest part is from 00:18 onwards
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oZB4_92UBzY&feature=plcp

And I should say, no I didn't have any food on my hands and had washed them prior to holding her. But she did the very same thing yesterday when I picked her out. Maybe she's just craving salt?

Hatter does that, he'll hold onto my hand in a really serious manner and lick me. He always looks so concerned while he's doing it, it's so cute, it's normally in the middle of his training hour so I think it's just because he's happy.

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I love rats! I have a few of my own, and some fosters. Your boys are adorable.

Thank you! They're such different characters, Charlie is a snuggle bum, and Hatter loves doing tricks.

 

[RosieRedfoot]

They have a training hour? What are you teaching them?

 

[kathyth]

Rats are wonderful pets.
Very smart and cute!
Nice pictures

 

[BowandWalter]

They have a training hour? What are you teaching them?

I started it after Hatter stopped being a little baby, he doesn't like just being held like Charlie does. So every night I'll sit down with him, if I don't Hatter runs back and forth bruxing like a maniac until I do. So far he knows up, spin, and we're working on walking on his back legs. He's actually so into it that he doesn't even want treats, he just drops them and stares at me, Charlie usually then rushes in and eats the treat.

 

[ChiKat]

Gahh these rat pictures are making me miss my little ratties so much!!! I had 5 rats, though not all at the same time. First I rescued a rat from my brother's roommate (she was living in a plastic cage the size of a shoebox, on cedar bedding, being fed birdseed...grr) and I adopted two friends for her from a rat rescue. When I was down to one rat, she was so lonely and bored that I just HAD to get two more companions for her!
They really are social creatures...when I got my first one she just sat around all day and waited by the door for me to take her out. Once she got friends, you really got to see her playful personality.
I'll have to post some pictures later!

Cracks me up that the little guy sleeps on his back- that is hilarious!!

 

[BowandWalter]

Gahh these rat pictures are making me miss my little ratties so much!!! I had 5 rats, though not all at the same time. First I rescued a rat from my brother's roommate (she was living in a plastic cage the size of a shoebox, on cedar bedding, being fed birdseed...grr) and I adopted two friends for her from a rat rescue. When I was down to one rat, she was so lonely and bored that I just HAD to get two more companions for her!
They really are social creatures...when I got my first one she just sat around all day and waited by the door for me to take her out. Once she got friends, you really got to see her playful personality.
I'll have to post some pictures later!

Cracks me up that the little guy sleeps on his back- that is hilarious!!

Haha! I already got one person to get more rats! It's all a clever scheme...

But in all seriousness, there are a lot of rats that need rescuing. Hatters mother was surrendered to the SPCA because she was to much work or something silly. Charlie has 12 brothers and 9 sisters out there. Charlie also had lice really bad when I got him, luckily a few baths in olive oil cleared them right up, I was worried about using a chemical because he was so young. I actually feel really bad about his siblings, I could probably fit one more in my cage because it's big, and they pretty much are free constantly. I just really don't want to deal with lice all over again, they're just so creepy.

 

[RosieRedfoot]

There are like no rats here. Only ones I saw at the petstore today were frozen feeders. When I've asked at pet stores they say they never sell so they don't bother carrying them. I drove 3.5 hrs round trip to get these two girls from the nearest breeder I found (after months of searching).

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The older girl I got just dove into the couch when I tried to hold her and after 10 minutes of flipping the couch and searching I saw her wedged up in the backing so I grabbed her lightly and she latched onto me and drew blood... I let her go and had my bf go get leather gloves and I grabbed her to avoid her being crushed in the couch and she latched on again and twisted around screaming like a banshee and bit me again through the glove. The berk baby is the complete polar opposite.

I've never actually had a rat bite me willingly when I didn't smell like food. The owner before said she was an escape artist but I can't have her escaping with a dog that loves killing small animals and a rat hating boyfriend. >.<

Guess for now she gets to stay in her cage while we work on trust building. She hasn't earned out of cage time.

 

[BowandWalter]

There's free rat adds everywhere here. Plus those silly people who are like "Hooded Rat Babies! Very rare! 30$"

I've yet to be bitten, and I've soaked my boys in olive oil and clung to them for a hour covered in oil. Maybe she was having a bad day? Or really wanted to be the ruler of Couch Land.
I have one of the new Super Pet cages, I only read bad reviews but I absolutely love it. It has really narrow bars, and über door clasps, which are really easily for me to open even when my hands are bad because they're rounded. I think I put up a picture earlier in this thread. It might be a good escape proof cage?

 

[RosieRedfoot]

Yeah, thinking she just didn't want her exploring to end and my grabbing her freaked her out.

Waiting a week on a paycheck to upgrade their housing.

 

[BowandWalter]

I spent the day driving back home from University, I have no idea how I didn't die terribly, I completely dozed off for around 10 minutes. The rat boys seemed pretty happy about the car ride, I guess it's all one giant adventure to them.

Rat cages are ridiculously expensive, when I bought mine I was kinda horrified.

 

[RosieRedfoot]

I'm glad you're ok! Yeah, I'm wondering if I should use my old rabbit cage and wrap it in hardware cloth for the time being... Until I can afford the critter nation I want!

 

[NudistApple]

Rat cages are ridiculously expensive, when I bought mine I was kinda horrified.

I have to disagree! I have gotten the majority of my really nice ones off of Craiglist, for pretty reasonable prices. I have 2 Martin's 695's that I picked up for 50$ and a Double Ferret Nation that I got for 100$.

In the past I've used a Marshall's Ferret Folding Mansion that I got for 80$, some big Machioro for like 50$, and the one cage I ever bought new was a Cageworld flight cage for about 70$.

The smallest of those cages can hold 5 rats (the cageworld, Martin's and the Machioro, which all have similar dimensions, about 36"x24"x18") and the largest can easily hold a dozen (The DFN and Marshall's Folding Ferret Mansion, with are both ~60"x36"24").

Doesn't seem horrifying to me. Cheaper than you'd expect for a much worse quality, smaller cage in a petshop.

 

[BowandWalter]

I have to disagree! I have gotten the majority of my really nice ones off of Craiglist, for pretty reasonable prices. I have 2 Martin's 695's that I picked up for 50$ and a Double Ferret Nation that I got for 100$.

In the past I've used a Marshall's Ferret Folding Mansion that I got for 80$, some big Machioro for like 50$, and the one cage I ever bought new was a Cageworld flight cage for about 70$.

The smallest of those cages can hold 5 rats (the cageworld, Martin's and the Machioro, which all have similar dimensions, about 36"x24"x18") and the largest can easily hold a dozen (The DFN and Marshall's Folding Ferret Mansion, with are both ~60"x36"24").

Doesn't seem horrifying to me. Cheaper than you'd expect for a much worse quality, smaller cage in a petshop.

I envy your Craigslist! The best I could find was a terribly beaten up old rabbit cage, I figured cutting my losses and buying one would be better.

 

[RosieRedfoot]

Yeah. Found some ferret cages used for sale for $200 and even then the bars are too big for my girls.

I keep searching....

 

[BowandWalter]

You already know you own a tiny Houdini anything escapable will be escaped!

 

[NudistApple]

You should definitely use hardware clothe in the meantime! It's not the most attractive, but it works very well, and it will allow you to get more use out of your cage while you save up.

 

[RosieRedfoot]

Yeah. Sadly I think the larger female is a better escape artist since she keeps trying to get out. The baby just wants to be held!

 

[BowandWalter]

Charlie had a bunch of things to tell Santa. Probably that he wants the Christmas ribbon off!

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Yeah. Sadly I think the larger female is a better escape artist since she keeps trying to get out. The baby just wants to be held!

Baby rats are so sweet! I don't know why but some creatures just have that escape attempt nature, I had a hamster who would unlock his cage and go to dwell behind the stove, luckily he knew to come to his name. Maybe you should try to teach her to come to her name? It makes catching them easier.

 

[mainey34]

Cute pics...thanks for sharing....

 

[Yellow Turtle]

View attachment 34465

Charlie had a bunch of things to tell Santa. Probably that he wants the Christmas ribbon off!

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Yeah. Sadly I think the larger female is a better escape artist since she keeps trying to get out. The baby just wants to be held!

Baby rats are so sweet! I don't know why but some creatures just have that escape attempt nature, I had a hamster who would unlock his cage and go to dwell behind the stove, luckily he knew to come to his name. Maybe you should try to teach her to come to her name? It makes catching them easier.

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Honestly I hate rats, especially after they bit the electronic wiring in my car and made me lost 1 day of work to fix it. But I really think the picture above is cute