Pet Rat

[Desert Arabian]

Exactly the same here. What kind of seed mix do you use?? I use Kaytee Fiesta for Rats & Mice. Just wondering, because I know there are different varites out on the market. I personally love Kaytee food lines & equipment (water bottles, toys, etc)

[kingrattus]

I currently don't have any rats, but I did just over a year ago. I had 7 or 8 (some were breeders so it was hard to keep count of them. but 3 of them were 100% pets & I loved them ALL until the day they were all murdered. Enough of that before I cry, or cause a flash flood again.

About the food, feeding them veggies & seeds is great, but they also need meat. Find a good dog food like that new Purena veggie dog food with chicken. I found that cat food made mine have diarea. just buy a 20 pound bag of good dog food

[kingrattus]

was cut off from last post

...NOT KIBBLES & BITS!!!!!!! unless u want ur rats on a sugar high (learnt my lesson by going the cheap way). Chicken bones are also ok for rats & beef bones aswell, pork has too much fat so stay away from that. Oh the bones must be cooked & just a little bit of meat on it, not too much.

I kept my rats in a homemade 2 story wire dog kennel. I gave them boxs to sleep on, grass, hay, a wheel for the younger rats, a med. dog food bowl, sticks, a bouncy wire ramp ( going from the first floor to the second. I bought a ferret ball (the type of ball they run inside).

don't feed them too much apple, it can kill them by getting them drunk & will lead to poisoning them. an old friend went through 3 rats before she was told that it was the apples. give then one 1/4 once a week or less not more. Too much sugars is bad for them, mainly for there teeth & there hyperness. Having 8 rats running around non stop all night will drive you mad. If you r gonna give them an odd sugar high, do it during the day or when ur not home!!!

I have one worry. I read some where that someone is keeping there rats in a Tank, I don't get me wrong but please read what I say & consider it....

When rats (like other animals) pee, there is a toxcin that is in the pee & when it is breathed in, it slowly starts to cause lung/ breathing problems leading to death (I've been there, its a horrible thing to watch).
If u have no choice but keep the rats in a tank, change the shavings/litter every day, keep a fan blowing away from the tank (the wind cannot be blowing into or on the tank at all), a screen needs to be ontop so the toxcins can leave the tank.

I hope that bit of info helps.


Jess


P.S. to read the sad story about my rats go to my website /photos/pets/rats the story is on the 3rd page.

[Aspen and Misty]

Originally posted by kingrattus
I have one worry. I read some where that someone is keeping there rats in a Tank, I don't get me wrong but please read what I say & consider it....

Hee hee. I am so mad, trying to save my rats life , gee who do you think you are . No just kidding! Hey thanx for being worried about my ratties! I put clean shaveings ontop of there old ones wensday and then I clean out the whole tank on saturdays. Like really clean it out really good and it usually air dries outside to get some of the aspen shaveing smell out. I am getting a new cage soon! Hopefully this weekend. The only bummer is it cost 45 doallrs for this really neat cage I want, and business has been slow latly so I can't afford it . I am going ot try to smooth talk my paretns into getting it for me .

Ash

[kingrattus]

I said the same thing in a rat chat on yahoo & they freaked out at me & did say who the hell do u thing u are!! So I ended up getting mad & tormented the group for about a month, but they were really mean people & didn't like advice from a "kid" (I was 18, I think I was a bit too old to be called a kid)...

& by mistake I found this chat group & thought I'd give it a try & WOW what a big difference in attitides, people here like to give & get & arn't mean

I finally have something to do at night besides fiddle with my wedsite & lay in bed doing nothing.

& thanks for not ripping off my head heheheh

Jess

[Aspen and Misty]

I'm still trying to locate you. SO if you hear a angry mob of people in front yard its just me . I usually dont' rip peoples head off. But there are those occasions! I agree some groups are so mean! I once posted on a bird forum and asked them to state therebird food formula and they said that if I don't understand it that I could just take my bull**** somewhere else and that they don't need a cocky teenager on there board . Geesh. So, I no longer post my age on chat boards as I get attacked as just another stupid imamture, reckless teenager who does nothign with there life . Well anyway. Thanx for teh great advice, and next time try not to save my rats life ge some people .

Ashley

[kingrattus]

hehehe
do u still need help with birds?? I have some experience with baby/hatchling birds.

any questions u have just ask & I'll say what I know, which sometimes isn't much, ahwell, what can I say, I really do enjoy helping when I can & admit when I can't.

Jess

[Aspen and Misty]

No, but thank you for asking abotu the birds! You will have to ask me next spring and summer. We have a pair of bad momies and dadies who live right outside our house in our porch. Almost everyday therei s a new baby out there! So we nurse them and hope to return them but it doesn't usually work. untill I foudn this great website of people who have raised Starlings from babies and they have givein me great tips!

Ash

[kingrattus]

I nemed my starling Peetree, he fell from a 2 story house & was being carried away by ny friends cat, he rescued it & told me to care for cause he knew I would do anything to keep it alive. I raised it to a young adult, taught him how to fly (but he couldn't stop well cause his tail never grew in right, so he would fly around until he found my dads chair & fly into it to stop, it was funny to watch. I would wake up & he would hear me come out of my room & start to scream & holler to be let out of his cage to be fed. I would open his door & run to the kitchen & try to open the fridge & get his food before the bombing started. The silly bird would zoom past my head over & over until I would run out into the livingroom & sit on the coutch beside the chair & he would flutter to the couch to be fed on my lap. He was such a sweet heart, but one day my dog startled him when I had him outside & he tried to fly ontop of my neighbours house but he didn't make it & he flew back towards me, but he was going way to fast & I couldn't grab him & he flew right over the main drag infront of my place & was hit by a car.

My dad tried to find his body, but he couldn't find it anywhere, I was in my bedroom balling my eyes out & I thought my dad was gonna cry too cause he also loved that bird. Peetree was my last bird & my fav. I use to have a webpage but I had to format my hard drive & I lost his pictures, I'm trying o find the printed copies so I can atleast put thoses on the net. I really miss him

Jess

[lv4dogs]

I also use the kaytee fiesta mix!

[Aspen and Misty]

That is such a sad story! I am sorry to hear about your bird. My birds never make it for some reson, I don't know why .

I also use Kaytee Fiesta Mix!

Ash

[Desert Arabian]

Hey Everyone-

If you go under "Pet Health"- I placed a post about my rats tumor. I just thought I'd put a post on here to let everyone know- don't know why.

[Aspen and Misty]

I am so sorry to hear about your rat. i am glad that you are willing to take her to the vet to help her along her way so she doesn't have to suffer. You are a great owner. ::hugs::. I know you are going through alot right now and all the worrying is probly driving you crazy, but she knows you love her and she knows you only want the best for her.

Ash

[Desert Arabian]

Thanks Ash!

[lv4dogs]

I know this has nothing to do w/ rats but I saw a few posts that mentioned this here so I just had to respond!

About everyone who is a tenager who had problems on prev. boards, what rude groups you visited. If you are truly an animal lover you should help anyone learn more about proper care and accept everyone as they are not by age. That is age discrimination. Hey when I was young I was always wanting to learn more and I am sure those mean people were not born w/ all their smarts. I am glad you found this board and like it here!!!