We're (hopefully) having twins guys!

[Amethyst_ice]

Ok, so as I have been moaning in some threads uni is manic atm and my crohn's has been making things quite painful for me. I stayed up till 4am finishing off a project and am just about to go hand it it (and subsequently come home and sleep).

Went to check on the 4 boys as usual, pumpkin had messed his cage up again and Bear woke up and gave me a little cuddle, the light is shining in so tried to make it darker by hanging a duvet up..think it may be time to get a blackout blind for them.

Anyway..few days ago we read an ad on freecycle for a lady giving away all her rats. Me and my bf have been thinking about rats for a while but he said no more pets cos of the 4 hams...

well i sent her an email asking her for more details :cool:..she is very happy for us to have her boys and when my boyfriend saaw them they melted his heart :) so hopefullly they will be with us Thursday evening :)

They are coming with a cage...i do not know anything about rat care (have read a few things but not much)..it looks kinda small but until i talk to other people i wont know if it is actually ok or not- any feedback would be great. Money is a little tight but id rather sacrifice a few takeaways to get a bigger cage if needed :)

I want to add some hammocks etc but ill see when i get them.

Also, i mentioned floor coverings with the woman and she said the pet store had told her to use woodshavings so she had. I heard this is really bad for rats and to use something like megazorb? If so it would be more economical to swap the hammies to this as well, has anyone swaped theirs over and found them to be ok with it?

So yes- can anyone reccommend a forum as good as HC! Or PM with any advice, want to learn as much as we can.

The lady said they are about a year old and very shy. Said they bite if you put your hand in cage, squeak when you pick them up but then are fine when out the cage...so sounds like they need a bit of attention and trust taining :)

Here they are-

(they also have no names, woman said they just called them her boys)..we have been thinking but until we get them we won't jinx ourselves ;)

http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-sjc1/hs337.snc3/29485_681832402475_223407998_12104291_3130330_n.jp g

http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash1/hs346.ash1/29485_681832432415_223407998_12104296_6359628_n.jp g

[Hope]

They are just the sweetest!!!! Look at their little inquisitive faces . . . so cute!

The cage looks quite small to me - but I have never had rats and don't know much about them tbh.

Megazorb is FAB! I really can't praise it enough it is much cheaper than woodshavings, and I would recommend using it for your hams too. I pay about £6.50 for a massive bag that I keep in the garage, and have a big storage box that I empty some into so that I don't have to keep going out to the garage every time!

[Jesse]

They are so cute! I love their little faces!

Ditto the comments re Megazorb. I use this for my house buns' litter trays and am gradually swapping Jesse over too as the woodshavings get used up. I've already started using it in her house for extra absorbancy as she likes to sleep and do her business in there so I thought it might keeper her drier :D

[SarahJ]

aw they are lil cuties!

What are the messaurements of the cage? as it does look small to house 2 rats in, i would defo think up upgrading it.

[Amethyst_ice]

aw they are lil cuties!

What are the messaurements of the cage? as it does look small to house 2 rats in, i would defo think up upgrading it.

I havn't seen it yet but the woman says she was sold it to be large enough for 2 rats- but we all know what some stores can be like....

Ive seen the cages can be quite pricey so hopin ebay will provide, otherwise they will have to survive for a bit lol

wheres cheapest to get megazorb then? xxx

[Hope]

Not sure Amethyst . . .

I havent seen it in 'proper' shops, I get mine from a local equine centre, I just googled for my nearest and contacted them to ask if they stocked it and how much it was.

[Amethyst_ice]

ive found some online, the 85l bags...how big are they exactly? We have a new standard black dustbin outside so could store easily, just wondered how much you get and how far it would go between 2 rats and 4 hams lol

looks weird..can the hamsters sleep in it? Indy and bear like to sleep al fresco x

[Jesse]

There is a list of stockists on the manufacturers website Northern Crop Driers: Graze-On and Megazorb (http://www.northerncropdriers.co.uk/stockists.htm)

Hope this helps ;)

[Amethyst_ice]

There is a list of stockists on the manufacturers website Northern Crop Driers: Graze-On and Megazorb (http://www.northerncropdriers.co.uk/stockists.htm)

Hope this helps ;)

thanks..beat you to it lol ;) x

[Jesse]

thanks..beat you to it lol ;) x

You're too fast, darn it! ;)

[Amethyst_ice]

You're too fast, darn it! ;)

its not speed..its excitement!

also bit nervous as well..i don't want to let them down by being a newbie to their species :s

[Jesse]

Awwww you'll be fine hun. Animals will soon let you know if they're not happy (well, apart from rabbits who can hide absolutely anything from you!!). You could maybe join a rattie forum, I'm guessing there is such a thing? ;)

[helenp]

They are the cutest little rats ever, I hope you get them and they settle in well.

[suga]

Congrats on your rats. The only forum i know that caters for rats is Pet Web site. They have a rat forum within and there is a forum member who has ooodddles of rat experience.

[ameyjaney]

Congratulations on the rats :)

[SarahJ]

I have been using this website :- http://www.fancy-rats.co.uk/community/ and found it really helpful as i was given my brothers rat and had no clue about them at all, but have to say i now think rats are one of the best pets you can have :)

[WinterbellHams]

Awwww! What handsome little siamese boys! They look to have dumbo ears as well! They are just lovely!!! I must say, that cage is quite small. They will most definately need an upgrade and more toys. As far as bedding for them, I can only tell you what people use in the US. Pine and Cedar are toxic for ratties, but a lot of people use Aspen and it works well. Carefresh and similar things are also used.

[Amethyst_ice]

Awwww! What handsome little siamese boys! They look to have dumbo ears as well! They are just lovely!!! I must say, that cage is quite small. They will most definately need an upgrade and more toys. As far as bedding for them, I can only tell you what people use in the US. Pine and Cedar are toxic for ratties, but a lot of people use Aspen and it works well. Carefresh and similar things are also used.

They do appear to be dumbo from the picture..will have to shape up on them like i am the hammies hehe

im nearing towards this megazorb..seems lots cheaper than carefresh. i don't know what my sawdust is made from but id rather not take the chance.

Yeh i think from the pics a new cage will be in order and lots of swinging hammocks and the like! i saw someone had hung a pringles tube so i like that idea.

oh lord just read dumbo rats get veyr big...eeek!!!

my mum back home called me mad and has banned the lil guys from my house already..:(

[WinterbellHams]

They do appear to be dumbo from the picture..will have to shape up on them like i am the hammies hehe

im nearing towards this megazorb..seems lots cheaper than carefresh. i don't know what my sawdust is made from but id rather not take the chance.

Yeh i think from the pics a new cage will be in order and lots of swinging hammocks and the like! i saw someone had hung a pringles tube so i like that idea.

oh lord just read dumbo rats get veyr big...eeek!!!

my mum back home called me mad and has banned the lil guys from my house already..:(

I am sure the megazorb will work out fine.

That cage looks like it may be a nice spare hamster cage! The pringles can idea sounds neat. I'd like to see how that goes.

I don't really know that dumbos are an larger. I have not personally owned rats, but have dealt with my fair share while volunteering with AFRMA and RMCA while living in California. They are just like any others. And at a year old, they are fully grown already.

I just don't understand why people have to hve such issues with rats. They make such lovely pets.

[Hope]

my mum back home called me mad and has banned the lil guys from my house already..:(

Awww! Thats not fair!!!

Meany Mummy! lol :-)

[Tish36]

They are adorable...congratulations :)

[wofunny]

Congrats :) they are so cute!

[fluffymunchkins]

sorry to only join now but i'm mega excited for you!!!
They look lovely :) even though i'm not a huge fan, i've always been fasinated by them.
i would say the cage is too smal tbh, i'll have a look on ebay and see if i see anything that might interst you, alhtuhg i have no idea what it good or not.

[fluffymunchkins]

how bout this? http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Lazy-Bones-LB-SA11-2-Tier-Ferret-Rat-Chinchilla-Cage-/180463758919?cmd=ViewItem&pt=UK_Pet_Supplies_Small_Animals&hash=item2a047a6e47
or a three level one
Lazy Bones LB-SA12 3 Tier Ferret Rat Chinchilla Cage on eBay (end time 29-May-10 18:39:52 BST) (http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Lazy-Bones-LB-SA12-3-Tier-Ferret-Rat-Chinchilla-Cage-/150377087066?cmd=ViewItem&pt=UK_Pet_Supplies_Small_Animals&hash=item23032c405a)
not sure if you'd have to cover the levels for their feet!

[fluffymunchkins]

or this
large pet/rat cage on eBay (end time 13-May-10 11:21:06 BST) (http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/large-pet-rat-cage-/250629149584?cmd=ViewItem&pt=UK_Pet_Supplies_Small_Animals&hash=item3a5aa95390)

[fluffymunchkins]

expensive but mega nice!
Ferplast Furet Tower Cage For Rats & Ferrets on eBay (end time 17-May-10 08:33:31 BST) (http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Ferplast-Furet-Tower-Cage-Rats-Ferrets-/330432165810?cmd=ViewItem&pt=UK_Pet_Supplies_Small_Animals&hash=item4cef4ab7b2)

even my limited knowledge knows it'd be good

[inkedandpierced]

awwwwwwwww they are so cute! :D

[wofunny]

expensive but mega nice!
Ferplast Furet Tower Cage For Rats & Ferrets on eBay (end time 17-May-10 08:33:31 BST) (http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Ferplast-Furet-Tower-Cage-Rats-Ferrets-/330432165810?cmd=ViewItem&pt=UK_Pet_Supplies_Small_Animals&hash=item4cef4ab7b2)

even my limited knowledge knows it'd be good

I LOVE THIS ONE!!! xD

[Amethyst_ice]

haha FM, bless you! I had seen the 3 tier mesh one, thats the one we were going to aim for..you do have to cover the levels with lino or fleece to prevent bumble food as well but they seem the most climby and better value. read on the forum that some can chew through the plastic bases and i looked they can work out more expensive to replace!

i hadn't see the jeny rat cage in hereford, i have my hospital appointments there but next one not till 27th and ill be getting train.

the last one is awesome, but i think the budget is gonna have to be around £50 cos with toys etc thats gonna top the money up..we'll see eh lol

im not a massive fan but they have been 'wooing' me in the shops past few months and i read up a bit about them before xmas. it was this vid that did it for me-
YouTube - Muffin (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=560K8k1Mmxs&feature=related)

(it wont embed for some reason )

eeeeeek excited lol not the robo pair i expected to be getting next..but there will be a reason somewhere.. hehe

ps. FM she ha slots of females needing homes too ;)

[kazmac]

Amethyst Ice - I am going to PM you re the rats.
I have a fair amount of experience I can share with you.

Check your PMs later!

[fluffymunchkins]

sorry amethyst as much as i'd love it!
Asking for rats would be too much for my mum to take :D she hate the things :(

[kazmac]

Haha - lots of people are like that lol! :shock:
I used to think rats and mice were creepy - didn't like their tails - but now I'm smitten and have had many of both as pets!
I wouldn't be without my rats now - I find them fantastic and intriguing animals. And they are so intelligent and interactive.
I always say they're the pet I'd have next after the dog - but I think they're really joint number one on my list!!
I can't tell you how great they are! So much so that I'm in the process of establishing a rattery. So lots more rats here in the near future!! :p

[Sammybingo]

They look so cute! I can't wait to see more of them. I haven't ever really been around rats, but I reckon they look to be fantastic pets. Funnily enough, I had just seen this and was thinking "aww, I want to meet some rats.." - Dog Kennels | Fish Tanks | Rabbit Hutches | Dog Crates | Rabbit Cages | Cheap Fish Tanks | Chicken Coops - Buy at Online Pet Shop. (http://www.bitsforpets.com/product_info.php?cPath=47_524&products_id=4113)

[Amethyst_ice]

awww they are cute..we are hoping we can tame them so they will cuddle up on our shoulders ^_^ x

[kazmac]

If you persevere and if they don't have a genetic tendency to be aggressive, they should become tame and enjoy cuddles. Bucks (males) tend to be more cuddly than does (females). They tend to be happier cuddling up with you or sitting on your shoulder, whereas does tend to be very busy and inquisitive!
If you regularly spend time with them - out of their cage - you should reap the rewards. At least half an hour a day if you can.

Things to avoid which could encourage aggression would be - giving them a fright, grabbing at them really quickly (let them come to you) and putting your fingers through the bars of the cage etc. Common sense, really.

The cage you were looking at looks good, and I know you've thought about covering the wire shelves with something to protect their feet.
Definitely no wood shavings or sawdust for their substrate. Use things like Megazorb, Yesterday's News, Carefresh, Bed Xcel etc for their floor.
If you have a litter tray for them, it's an idea to use something different so they know which is their loo! But be warned that not all rats will use a litter tray!

Make sure you have plenty toys to keep them busy and stimulated (safe for small animals, obviously!) and things like tubes and hammocks etc.
Again, be warned that rats will chew, so don't put in anything you want to find still intact in a couple of days!

In terms of diet, there are lots of different ideas about this. But they can't have anything too high in protein as a general rule.
Some people use commercial rat food (e.g. Burgess Rat Royale) and some people mix their own with rabbit food & rat food as the base.
We feed ours with Alpha Herbal Deluxe rabbit food + Burgess Rat Royale as a 50% base, with the other 50% made up from low sugar cereals, dried tricolor fusilli, no added salt rice cakes, sesame seed ryvitas etc. Supplemented with occasional fruit & veg, small amounts of table scraps and occasional treats for dogs - like puppy markies and gravy bones.
I admit to sometimes also buying a chicken breast and a slice of Basa fish to cook just for my rats! They love the Basa! And someties I give them a boiled egg (in the shell to make them work for it).

For your new boys - make sure you find out xactly what they've been getting fed and, provided it's a healthy diet with healthy rat / rabbit food, don't make any sudden changes so as not to stress them or upset their tummies.

Hope that answers all your questions!

Good luck and hope you have them home with you soon.

[Amethyst_ice]

The lady said they bite when you put your hand in cage, squeak when you pick them up but then are fine..sounds like cage territorial? Gentleness and time i think will work, yes?

I read bucks are more docile..i watched lots of videos of people training them to come to name, turn round etc so hopign ours will be able to..will they be too old as they are nearly a year?

Think we will be getting megazorb by looks of it, seems most economical and ok for the hams as well.

The toys we are looking forward to, thats ok..might be home making lots..found a webpage- Rat Toy Ideas (http://www.dapper.com.au/toys.htm#peafishing) like lots of ideas on there, presume most are ok?

Crikey the buying lots of different foods sounds pricey! She said she gets a local pet store mix and she lives about 20 miles away so that wouldnt really be practical. She is giving us some to take them wit so i can swap them to something else..i like the idea of pellets..woul you say these are ok with the fresh stuff every so often?

one last thing...as they are a pair, do they fight/scrap for food..and time out the cage will they spilt up or stay together?

thats all, 2 sleeps!!! xXx

[fluffymunchkins]

bet your so excited XD
I love all the birthday ideas on that website, might try a few for the hams :)

I would say they are never too old to learn new tricks, as i know older mice are perfectly capable to learn a couple!

[Amethyst_ice]

one more sleep!!! mega excited but not bought anything for them yet..just in case !

the cage i like on ebay says buy it now or make an offer...not sure what region they are open to offers and you only get 3 attempts lol

im gonna be diy alot of toys cos if money. like i saw getting a big plastic bowl and cutting a hole turning upside down as an igloo :) poundland here i come..also saw lots of dog toys with the rope bits used :)

we been thinking of names...

cloud & zell (final fantasy!)
bert & ernie
frankie & benny
buzz & woody
oscar & cookie (sesame street!)
basil & roland
zig & zag
jones & croft (indianna and lara!)

lol just a few hehe x

[fluffymunchkins]

i like buzz and woody the best :D

[Amethyst_ice]

and me ;) bf isnt too fussed tho x

[Hope]

I vote Buzz and Woody too!

[kazmac]

Buying separate elements of a mix to make your own food isn't expensive, really. And it usually lasts a while. But a quality commercial rat food will do with fruit & veg now and again to supplement and some protein occasionally too.
Good ideas too on that link you posted.

They shouldn't scrap for food. If they've not done it before now, they shouldn't do it now. Rats usually share really well, although there can be a bit of good natured competition at the food dish!

If they bite when you put your hand in the cage, just open the door and invite them to come to you. A treat of some kind usually does the trick!
But they really shouldn't do that.
Keep an eye on why they squeak when you pick them up. It might be that they only do that inside the cage too. See what they're like once you invite them out.

But you're right - time and patience will pay off. They need ime to learn to trust you.

And there's no reason why you can't train them, even at a year old. Again, treats usually help a lot!!

Have you got them home today then??

[Amethyst_ice]

nope tomorrow evening :) she wants us to come after her children have gone to bed so they dont get upset.

Im a bit worried they may have injuries if the squak when picked up but she sounds responsible and im hopin it might just be a little shock squeek.

Im gonna get that 3 tier cage, just waiting till we get them in case something goes wrong lol

do you not reccomend the pellets then?

xxxx soo excited!!!! xxxx

[snaisby]

Hey there :)

i don't post very often as i haven't got hammies at the mo - i enjoy reading threads now and again though :) i am very much more a rat person however! they are the best pets i've ever had, i currently have 4 boys living together, 2 are 18months and 2 are new babies, 8 weeks old and soooo cute <3 i've attached a couple of pics!

i use the Fancy Rats forum (http://www.fancy-rats.co.uk/community/) all the time, it's a really friendly and active community. i'd definitely recommend joining up, we always love to see pics of new ratties :) it's full of info and tips, as well as people showing off pics and stories about their rats.

there are some great articles here (http://www.fancy-rats.co.uk/information/) about various aspects of rat care. pelleted food is not recommended, because rats are naturally omnivores who eat a great variety of things, and they are highly intelligent - pellets are just too boring for them! i make up my own rat mix, similar to kazmac, and it doesn't work out any more expensive than shop food per kg because you just make up a large quantity and it lasts ages. here's (http://www.shunamiterats.co.uk/shunamite.shtml) a good article about making your own mix up. it's great fun to see the rats enjoying something you've mixed up too, very satisfying :)

looks like your two new boys are siamese dumbos (and very handsome ones too!), they are probably full grown at one year old. dumbos don't grow any bigger than normal eared (called 'top eared') rats, they are exactly the same species, it's just that their ears are in a slightly different position. one of my boys is a dumbo too.

the cage you're getting is a great size for 2 rats, its alled a critter 3 usually. some people find that style quite annoying though because it rusts easily, can be hard to put together and tends to have sharp edges. if you wanted ideas for other cages, second hand or new, perhaps post on the habitat section of the rat forum and people would be happy to help suggest some :) there may be a suitable one in the market place section over there too.

well done for taking on these boys, sounds like they haven't had the best start in life so you're doing a great thing for them. really hope you consider joining the Fancy Rats community, hopefully see you over there!

feel free to PM me if you want to ask anything :mrgreen:

Sarah xx

All 4 boys together
http://i466.photobucket.com/albums/rr28/snaisby/Ratties/79f1af23.jpg

Their cage
http://i466.photobucket.com/albums/rr28/snaisby/Cages/b094ad83.jpg

My dumbo, Dexter :)
http://i466.photobucket.com/albums/rr28/snaisby/Ratties/4e01217f.jpg

Exploring in the bathroom
http://i466.photobucket.com/albums/rr28/snaisby/Ratties/P1060449.jpg

[kazmac]

My rats' diet is also based on Alison Campbell's Shunamite diet.
Details of that can be found on her website Shunamite Rats (http://www.shunamiterats.co.uk)
It also lists suitable cereals to use in it (low sugar ones).

The bedding in those photos looks like Bed Xcel (a recycled cardboard horse bedding) which is what I use for all our small furries.

Amethyst - I have sent you another PM. :D

[fluffymunchkins]

glad your going for that cage it should be great :)
Dexters adorable face made me smile!

[wofunny]

:0 its thursday evening..... any news??:) x

[Amethyst_ice]

:0 its thursday evening..... any news??:) x

Hehe is everyone as eexcited as me? hehe

lady said after 7.30 to get her kids to bed so hopefully will have them back by 9..its about a half hour drive away..ooooooooh!!!!!!!!!!!! :mrgreen:

[fluffymunchkins]

we really are :D

[Amethyst_ice]

Haha ive had lots of PM's with advice and cages so thanks guys :)

ive been curled up on couch all day with my crohns again, stressing over my exam sat but finally my doc from home sad she'll do me a note off work for a week and she wont charge! So it means i can chill out and destress the next 2 weeks..have an infusion then start my 3 week placement in an archaeological unit Hopefully uni will let me take the exam in August.

so one thing off the shoulders...just dreading my bank account after these ratties get spoiled rotten! Hoping i can tame them and gain their trust as quickly as i did with my hammy boys..fingers crossed :)

btw. buzz and woody is seeming pretty cool with me and the bf now..but we need to see what they are like..and if we can tell them apart!

[fluffymunchkins]

thats good, lots of time to spend taming and stuff :)
they should defnitely be able to cheer you up and de-stress!

[kazmac]

Let us know when you're home with your boys!!!
Really excited for you!
And stop stressing- you'll be fine and so will they!!!! LOL!!

:mad: :p :D

[Amethyst_ice]

Ok...so we have them..and no disrespect for the lady but we are calling it a rescue.

We got to hers about 8.45 and the house was small, like ours but very cluttery- i do not judge peoples lives but pest were everywhere.

We were greeted by a jumpy up young staffie that the whole time kept jumping up and scratched my bfs arms. There was a fish in a very small dirty tank. 2 turtles in a small tank.

and then the rats...one cage had 12 females with babies, our two in a cage and then a single male.

We were there for 45 mins (don't think she wanted them to go) but they were telling us all the rat stories. She told us they sneeze sometimes..and that she read they do that (i think the sawdust may be responsible) she told us they pick them up by the tail when they wont come out....

the man was poking his fingers through the whole time and the house was really loud. The two boys stayed hidden away the whole time and the kid laughed saying they videoed them fighting and put it on youtube...

the woman put food colourings on their back to tell them apart...

i do not doubt she loves her pets but they had no toys and regie rat food and rough handling....i think she just got over her head.

Anyway..what we know..

Age- she got them from another woman who had an unwanted litter last June/july as babies

temprement they have always been 'timid' she said..but then again being picked up by the tail and poked at would make ME timid...

anyway..we got home..are going to get the 2 tier cage..she had the 3 and it is masive and she had the 2 tier and it looked perfect size for these 2 boys so we're gonna go for that,hoping it will be ok.

I had a little cry just now..we offered them some fresh carrot and both were backing away from us it was so sad...but..

i got a cardboard box, shredded some tissue ...and watched from the window...they investigated and are rolling round in it and playing so i am hopeful with some love, care, quiet, toys and decent food there is hope for these two boys yet :)

here are a few pics but i have left them to it of course :) now off to play with the hammies :)
http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc3/hs602.snc3/31695_682499181245_223407998_12132144_8355387_n.jp g

http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc3/hs632.snc3/31695_682499196215_223407998_12132145_5724742_n.jp g

http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash1/hs542.ash1/31695_682499201205_223407998_12132146_5685812_n.jp g

[fluffymunchkins]

Awww poor ratties! Glad you have them now :)
They will certainly be grateful of some care and love. It'll bring them round in no time.

[kazmac]

It's great you have them now and it sounds like they will be better off with you anyway.
Whereby we have to be very careful about what we say here, please be mindful about what you saw in this house - is there anything that you should be reporting? Even neglect is classed as cruelty. Maybe these people need help to rehome some more of their animals?

Ref the sneezing - they shouldn't be sneezing a lot. It may be the sawdust if that's what they've been housed on - it's such a no-no for rats and other small furries. It could be an allergy. However it could be Mycoplasmosis which is a respiratory illness common in rats. And one thing that would cause that to flare up would be the ammonia from their urine in a 'dirty' cage.
If you can, I would suggest you take them to the vet for a quick check. It may be that they need some antibiotics. It's worth checking them out. The vet would be able to sound their chests and check that they don't have an infection.

However, it sounds like they've had a bit of a rough start and I'm sure they will now be happy living with you. They will settle, given time and lots of patience.
This is what happens when people have 'accidental' litters of animals and then wonder what to do with them. Sometimes they're not rehomed particularly well.
Thank goodness there are people like you who come along and rehome them again, giving them the love and attention they should have had from the start.

Oh - and it's cruel to lift a rat up by its tail, by the way. It can cause the skin to come off and that causes them great pain.
Best way is to let them come to you or, if you do need to pick them up, pick them up like you would your hamster by cupping your hands round them.
If they really complain or they're scared, or you're a bit nervous, try using a soft towel to pick them up. They should settle with that in time too.
People believe this myth that you pick up rats and mice by their tails - as a general rule, you don't!

Keep us posted with how you're getting on with them though!
And I might keep up with you about some rescue rats I'm waiting for - they were rescued from fairly awful circumstances. But unfortunately they are showing signs of a grave rat illness at the minute, so it's a waiting game for at least the next 8 weeks, maybe more.

:D

[Hope]

My goodness, that actaully bought a tear to my eye - the way they back off when offerd carrot - poor, poor little mites! :-(

I am so glad that they are now with you, I'm sure that with a bit of love and attention they will soon come round.

Love the pictures of them - please keep us updated with thier progress :-)

Kazmac- I have read on mouse forums that it is ok to pick mice up by the base of the tail - assuming that mice and ratties have the same kind of treatment - have I been misinformed?

[Amethyst_ice]

Hope- It made me cry to. They came up to the cage bars and seemed friendly but once a hand was in they just froze..the lady said they bite hands in the cage..it all just translates to me as scaredness now. :(

Kamac- I said to my bf that if i was an rspca officer I woulnd't arrest her because she clearly loves her animals but the rats have deff got on top of her. P@H are poss taking the babies but she has lots of adult felames she said she has tried a few shelter and no-one will have them. I suggested the RSPCA to her- i know they don't take in unwanted pets but my friend managed to give over her chinchilla few weeks back. I said I would keep her updated with how the boys are getting along so i will keep enquiring..she acknowledged that it was best we had them as they havnt had as much attention as she'd have liked..but at least the whole family, however illinformed they were on rat care, were interested in them.

I did cringe tho..she said they USED to have a budgie until the big rat bit its head off! The budgie was on the sofa and they though the rat was going to 'make friends'...is it sad i thought..least thats one less pet for u? .....

We haven't heard any sneezing yet and i havn't been able to give them a look over either. Their tales seem ok and their may be the tiniest of nicks on one of the feet..but not bumblefoot..teh new cage should arrive tomorrow so will cover it. We'll keep an eye on them..i need to register with a small animal vet because my hams are still registered back home in wales (bad mummy admin). We have just spent short of £60 on a cage, megazorb and a hammock (decided we are going to DIY the rest of toys) so vet trips could add up but of course we will if needs to. If i hear one sneeze they are going!

I cam down this morning to make a hot water bottle..cuddled up in bed now..they were sleeping in the box i put in with shredded tissue..surely that says something if after one night in new surroundings they sleep in the unfamiliar? One came out to say hi and let me play with his paws :)

Id NEVER pick any animal up by their tails..that is why i cringed when she said thats how she did it with the hard to catch ones. No wonder they squeak!!! I just hope that they have not gone through too much and we can turn them into different rats. We wondered if by being right next, like touching, the other rats cages would have made them timid. She said the other rats attacked them so they kept separate..does that happen and why they would be so reserved?

kazmac- what is grave rat? is it like wet tail to hammies?

will keep you all posted, if im well enough are going to hunt some better food down and make some houses etc..she gave me like 2 days worth of the reggie rat they have been on- you can SEE the quality of it - hopin their tums will manage the change so quickly. we have no P@H near but we have a justt for pets so will see if i can do scoops there..i really really wanna get it right for these guys now after their rough start :)
xx

[Hope]

Its amazing how illinformed people can be - even though they probably love thir pets and are genuinely trying to do what they think is best.

Bless the little one that came out for a little play - this is great progress. The other one will soon follow his brothers lead I'm sure :-)

[Amethyst_ice]

Bless the little one that came out for a little play - this is great progress. The other one will soon follow his brothers lead I'm sure :-)

There is a deffinate 'leader' of the two. Oddly, the small of the pair is the more inquistive..the other doesn't always follow and is quite 'snatchy' with food but hoping this can be altered. The one in all the pics is the more foreward one..

name update btw ppl...

we can slightly tell them apart. One has a bigger patch of brown around his bum lol but the lady said the brown seems to come and go so may be hard..i think i read somewhere this colouring is himilayan? They have a small brown tip on their nose too :)

so yes either-

Buzz and Woody *but my bf is going off this because it is 'too obvious' whatever that means lol

or

Cloud and Zell (final fantasy characters)

lol

xxx

[snaisby]

They are lovely :) i'm sure they'll come out of their shells with time and patience, they just need to learn to trust humans again.

we can slightly tell them apart. One has a bigger patch of brown around his bum lol but the lady said the brown seems to come and go so may be hard..i think i read somewhere this colouring is himilayan? They have a small brown tip on their nose too :smile:they definitely look himalayan or siamese (himalayans have white bodies, siamese have cream). the colour points on their nose, bum and usually feet are temperature dependent, so will get darker in cooler weather and lighter when its warmer (pretty cool eh!). it's the same genetic trait as in siamese cats :)

Could you ask her to contact Rattiemommy's All Care Rescue (http://rattiemommysallcarerescue.webs.com/rats.htm) in Nottingham? its not too far away from B'ham and they should be able to help or put her in touch with someone who can take in the other rats. poor babies :(

keep us updated on their progress :)

[Amethyst_ice]

they definitely look himalayan or siamese (himalayans have white bodies, siamese have cream). the colour points on their nose, bum and usually feet are temperature dependent, so will get darker in cooler weather and lighter when its warmer (pretty cool eh!). it's the same genetic trait as in siamese cats :)


Ahhh that would explain- she said the brown bits come and go!COOOOOOOOOOOL!! Hehe :) they are white not cream so newbie ratty girl (hehe mebe i can be a hamrat?) got colour right, whooo im learning!!!

I don't know how far they could travel..or even if they have a car tbh..she has lots of adult females as well..tbh i didn't like the idea of the babies goin to [email protected] were gorgeous though..like lil mice!

Do you know of anyone near here? She said she has asked on a forum but don't know which. Ill certainly suggest it to her :)

xXx

[kazmac]

AI - sorry I meant a grave (serious) rat illness. It's called SDA Virus and is awful. So needs intensive antibiotic treatment quickly and an extended quarantine period which only starts from the date the last rat shows signs of illness.

Glad your boys seem to be coming round a bit.

Hope - yes, you can pick up mice by the base of the tail (definitely not the tip), but it is not recommended on a regular basis. It can be used to lift a mouse that's been hard to catch in order to do a quick transfer, for example, but the other hand should still be supporting its body weight.
You're not misinformed exactly.

[snaisby]

AI - sorry I meant a grave (serious) rat illness. It's called SDA Virus and is awful. So needs intensive antibiotic treatment quickly and an extended quarantine period which only starts from the date the last rat shows signs of illness.

Oh no, not SDAV :( i've known several people who've lost a big proportion of their rats to this, it's such a horrible virus :( the number of cases seemed to be reducing after the peak last summer - has this one been reported to NFRS? Probs a good idea to make sure people in the area are aware. best of luck to the poorly ratties <3

I don't know how far they could travel..or even if they have a car tbh..she has lots of adult females as well..tbh i didn't like the idea of the babies goin to [email protected] were gorgeous though..like lil mice!

If you posted a transport request on the rat forums people in the area often volunteer to ferry rats from one place to another - its called a 'rat train'. Its worth her contacting RACR anyway, they may have fosterers near B'ham :)

FR forum is the most active UK one, has she posted there?

[Amethyst_ice]

If you posted a transport request on the rat forums people in the area often volunteer to ferry rats from one place to another - its called a 'rat train'. Its worth her contacting RACR anyway, they may have fosterers near B'ham :)

FR forum is the most active UK one, has she posted there?

I dunno where she posted..i sent her a link anyway so hopefully she'll have some luck..she did have a lot though!

Going shoppin tomorrow for some DIY toys for the boys. I thought-

dog toys.like rope ones to take the rope bits out?
unside down bowl with a door cut in for houses?
hats to turn upside down as pouches
baby toys for hanging things
bird toys for wooden hanging bits and wooden perches


am i along the right track here guys?

ps. they are a little smelly, she said hse gave them baths...is it ok to do this in shallow water and with something theu can sit on if needed and 2.will the megazorb absorb the smells better than the sawdust they are havin to endure atm?

xxx

[snaisby]

Those sound like great ideas for toys :) pound shops are a godsend for homemade cage accessories! and wilkinsons has all sorts of cheap stuff too.

Rats shouldn't smell bad in themselves, if they do its probably because she wasn't cleaning them out and they've had to sleep in dirty bedding :( baths are very stressful for them so i'd stick to baby wipe washes until they are more confident with you. i would take them off the sawdust straight away, it can cause lung and liver problems so shredded newspaper is better until the megazorb arrives.

megazorb is good for stopping smells i find, i use it in my litter trays :) i would try to litter train them, then you can change the trays each day which keeps smells right down.

[kazmac]

Snaisby - don't worry it is all in hand and is all above board. Nothing has been confirmed yet, it could be mycoplasmosis.
That's why I didn't say SDA outright initially.
PLEASE let's not start a panic and upset the rescue concerned etc.
As I said, NOTHING has been confirmed yet.
This is an official rescue and some of her rescued rats were rescued involving the RSPCA.

[Amethyst_ice]

Rats shouldn't smell bad in themselves, if they do its probably because she wasn't cleaning
them out and they've had to sleep in dirty bedding :( baths are very stressful for them so i'd stick to baby wipe washes until they are more confident with you. i would take them off the sawdust straight away, it can cause lung and liver problems so shredded newspaper is better until the megazorb arrives.

megazorb is good for stopping smells i find, i use it in my litter trays :) i would try to litter train them, then you can change the trays each day which keeps smells right down.

They didn't have ANY bedding..a cut off coke b ottle to sleep in... i think thats why they enjoyed the toilet tissue so much last night and are sleeping in the box i gave them :)

I had a note saying the megazorb has been disbatched so hoping it may come tomorrow...that would be ace :)

Its n odd smell..maybe im not sued to it. I am gonna try litter train them, my hams are..but gonna wait till theyre in new cage to start all that :)


thanks x

[snaisby]

Snaisby - don't worry it is all in hand and is all above board. Nothing has been confirmed yet, it could be mycoplasmosis.
That's why I didn't say SDA outright initially.
PLEASE let's not start a panic and upset the rescue concerned etc.
As I said, NOTHING has been confirmed yet.
This is an official rescue and some of her rescued rats were rescued involving the RSPCA.

ok, fingers crossed it isn't SDAV! its such a horrible virus :(

Amethyst_ice - can't wait to see pics once their new cage arrives, they'll have so much more space for toys and things :D you could actually make it into the three tier version with the cage they came in if you wanted!

[Amethyst_ice]

yeh we thought about that but we have had so many injuries from the bi cage cage DIY is not our string point lol

we were gonna keep it to pop em in when first cleaning out until we can handle them and safely let them out...then mebe sell it and put the money back into the rats..money isnt that good here.

its bigger than i thought actually..with a good clean and a cover would be a cool hammy cage if u added levels etc :)

dreading the flat pack lol gonna go see if the lil guys are up yet, then bf is makin lasagne and gonna go curl up in bed get an early night.

Then if im up to it ratty shoppin tomorrow :) food and toys whoop! xxx

[kazmac]

You go for it!
Sounds like you and they are going to get on just fine! :p

[tireesix]

Montana Mini San Remo Parrot Cage | JustCages.co.uk (http://www.justcages.co.uk/products/montana-mini-san-remo-parrot-cage)

Is the cage I had for my rats. We used to keep love birds, after the lovebirds I cleaned it out and converted it so it was more suitable for rats and they LOVED it.

[wofunny]

You lucky thing!! ;) x

[Amethyst_ice]

hehe that looks massive :) we've ordered a cage now..was hoping it would arrive today as the trackign says it was last tracked at our depo but says monday..arghhhhhh!!!!!!

off to try get some toys and good food today tho :) xxx

[Amethyst_ice]

Well..what an uneventful ratty day.

We first went to poundland looking for DIY toys from dog stuff/baby/kitchen etc

we got a rope twisted ball & 5 cans on winalot (for special treats) and a piece of woven rug to line the cage with so they don't hurt their feet ..dissapointing

We then went to the local run pet store. They had no rat toys or anything suitable, got a wooden bendy bridge that my hams like, a spare water bottle and some markies but they only had reggie rat that they are currently eating very little of and being selective. I asked if they had any nuggests or anything other than reggie rat and he turned his nose up and said no.

Sigh

So we went to wilkos. They had some rat museli but looked just as cheap as R.rat. Got some cage cleaner the hammies need too. Got a plastic bowl to turn upside down as a house and i got a small woven wooden hanging basket to hang inside the cage, i have seen a few other ppl do this so hopin it will be a good £2.89 investment!

Lastly we went to just for pets. They had reggie rat but then they had Supreme Science Selective Rat (apple and blackcurrent). The lady came over and after her talking for ages about the bab y birds told us she wouldnt feed her rats reggie at all and that hers really liked the selective as a base. So we have got a packet to try..smells really nice and we have mixed it in with some of the reggie and so far they have picked all the new selective out and left the reggie!

Can anyone tell me if it is alright? It has no meat products in. And apart from reggie rat seems that is all we can get other than going online. We just got a small 350g pack to try. Why are shops so against ratties??! :(

We just came back and after having our hand in the cage for about 8 mins one finally took a markie off my boyfriend! Success! They both guzzled into them :)

http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc3/hs547.snc3/29985_682751161275_223407998_12143631_6832759_n.jp g

http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-sjc1/hs527.snc3/29985_682751171255_223407998_12143632_7817244_n.jp g

(sorry for quality, took a video of them as didn't want to disturb)

xXx

[fluffymunchkins]

awww how sweet, hes loving it!
The stuff you did get sounds great, i'm sure they'll be grateful of anything:)
Sorry i can't help about the food, but if they are eating it better than the reggie rat, that can only be a good sign.

[Amethyst_ice]

awww how sweet, hes loving it!
The stuff you did get sounds great, i'm sure they'll be grateful of anything:)
Sorry i can't help about the food, but if they are eating it better than the reggie rat, that can only be a good sign.

yeh i guess...im real angry about teh cage cos it said next day delivery and now its gonna be monday ...sigh.
megazorb hasnt come yet tho, hope it does, they starting to smell.

The one eating is the braver one of them..they melt your heart but make you so angry at the other ppl at the same time. The people in the pet shop tried to get us to be rat adopters cos they know ppl needing ratty homes! Im like..noooo nooo nooo lol

had to hide them from landlord last night bless lol x

[fluffymunchkins]

oh have you not told the landlord :o
naughty naughty ;)

[Amethyst_ice]

oh have you not told the landlord :o
naughty naughty ;)

well he knows about 3 hammies..he said he doesn't mind as long as they don't chew anything! we just thought we'd leave a bit of time cos of the stigma rats have :s so shhhhh x

[tireesix]

I used to use the science selective for my rats.

There was another one I used as well:

Rat Food: great selection zooplus (http://www.zooplus.co.uk/shop/rodents/food/rat)

It was the JR Rat Feast mixed with the JR Wellness. They loved it! The wellness stuff has little bits of shrimp in as well.

[kazmac]

Sounds like your boys know what they like and what they don't!
Very cute pictures of them enjoying their Markies - looks like they're not used with getting treats.
The Science Selective will be fine if they've decided they like it. But it won't do any harm to try bits of other foods to see what they'll eat and what they won't. Just don't chop & change too often - once they've settled with the Science Selective, you could try mixing small amounts of other foods in with it to see what they eat and what they leave. Especially if it's more expensive than you want to pay. But if they're happy and you're happy, there's no reason why you can't keep feeding the Science Selective. Don't make life difficult for yourself or for them!
Sounds like you're going to be busy getting their cage all kitted out - they will think they've gone to Disneyland for a holiday!! I'm sure they'll love their new house.
You're doing really well and keep going with the handling - they will learn to trust you in time and become very cuddly boys I'm sure. Well done you! :p

[HamstersAreHardcore]

They look lovely

[Amethyst_ice]

Last night...the other ratty took some bread from my hand whilst in the cage :) so now one has taken from my bf and the other me.

However, one is still lots more shy..shall we work on the more forward one..because it seems whenever we introduce something new after he has 'ok-ed' it the other does it!

They ahve left all the selective and just eaten the reggie rat(the bits they like)..sigh...shall i leave it mixed in for a few days?

I am a little scared now..my boyfriend was just talking to them at the cage bars and the shyer one pushed his hand through like super quick and scratched my boyfriends hand! Was like he was trying to grab him! Yikes!

I do wonder if they will ever come out of it, i know its very very early days..i think when they are in their new cage ill feel better because atm they dont feel like our rats so to speak. Gave them the wooden bendy bridge, they love cuddling up under it :)

xxx

[kazmac]

Just keep mixing both feeds meantime whilst they settle. They probably will eat selectively, but will son learn that you won't keep filling their dish until they've eaten more of what they've left. A bit like kids, really! No pudding until you eat your vegetables!!
If one eats something, it's likely that the other will follow. Just keep persevering with them and you'll get there.

Re the grabbing through the bars - it's probably because they've been fed that way and think your boyfriend had food. And as they might still be hungry, they might still think they have to grab wat they can.
Of course, it could be a learned behaviour too if they've been tormented through the bars.
A general rule is not to poke fingers through or put your hand up against the cage. And not to feed through the bars. Then you won't get that behaviour.

It's very early days yet and these wee souls will take time to settle. Keep at it - you'll reap the rewards. They need time to adjust and to get to know you and trust you. They've been moved to a new environment with new people, new smells, new food, new toys ......... they're just a bit overwhelmed at the minute. But they will settle and enjoy ratty life as they should.

[Amethyst_ice]

I know...we are going to introduce the new toys gradually..just given them a chew, the wooden bridge and the box so when they go to the new cage they have their scent on them at least.

Ok..no feeding through bars at all now..ill tell my boyfriend that.

COme to think of it the guy was poking all the animals through gthe bars trying to get them to bite him...

sigh. I just dont understand why they are so interested in us when we are outside the cage but as soon as we open it they just freeze. :(

ill keep tryin the new food and mix in it..do you suggest leaving the new food for a day before topping up..cos i havnt much of the reggie rat left. the new food smells so lovely compared to it as well! Id like it! lol

they really are sweeties...i have taken the lead on naming the hammies so i think ill elt my bf have his choice of names here..but ill decide who's who lol

so cloud and zell lol geeky! x

[Amethyst_ice]

whooop!!!

They have eaten the new food and both just took a small bit of bread from me with my hand in cage!

One takes gently but the other snatches..not too happy with that but yay!!! Was almost straight away as well..i call this progress :) x

[kazmac]

That's great news! That's definitely progress! =D&gt;

It certainly won't have helped if the guy was poking them through the bars - what are some people thinking of??? #-o

They will get used with you putting your hands in the cage - from what you said before, they were only dealt with from outside the cage or through the bars (!!). But they will soon learn that you're not a threat when you put your hands in the cage.

You've achieved loads in just a couple of days. They'll soon know that life is good! :D

[Amethyst_ice]

well they still freeze when you put your hand in the cage, soon as its out they are all interested in us.

They seem to come out for wholemeal bread..is this ok lol we are tryin not to fatten them up but food is the way to tame them lol wheres the balance?!

we really wanna get em out to stretch their legs but are a bit scared of them lol we played chasey with a bit of cloth on a stick and they were like cats chasing a mouse...but very fast..bit scary!!! haha

cage should be here tomorro :) x

[Hope]

Just caught up on this thred, Amethyst - sounds like you ahve been doing really well with them - great progess in just a couple of days, well done!!

Hope that the cage comes today and that the boys settle in well. I'm sure they will love having so much more space to play! :-)

[Amethyst_ice]

CAGE ARRIVED! at 7am! urch! and there are no instructions and the base is bright white! (thats why it was so cheap!)

but gonna cover the shelves with some rug thing i got.

Also- not rat related..have won x10 doritos and dip vouchers, a talking peperami fanimal! (competition only opened today!) and finally got my boyfriend 88 hours of pay confirmed after months of fighting for it!

my belly pain isn't great but at last summin good has happened today. Just need the megazor to arrive so i can set the cage up and their hammock :)

x

[Amethyst_ice]

I used to use the science selective for my rats.

There was another one I used as well:

Rat Food: great selection zooplus (http://www.zooplus.co.uk/shop/rodents/food/rat)

It was the JR Rat Feast mixed with the JR Wellness. They loved it! The wellness stuff has little bits of shrimp in as well.

how big are the shrimp? that sounds slightly cringeworthy! x

[Hope]

CAGE ARRIVED! at 7am! urch! and there are no instructions and the base is bright white! (thats why it was so cheap!)

but gonna cover the shelves with some rug thing i got.

Also- not rat related..have won x10 doritos and dip vouchers, a talking peperami fanimal! (competition only opened today!) and finally got my boyfriend 88 hours of pay confirmed after months of fighting for it!

my belly pain isn't great but at last summin good has happened today. Just need the megazor to arrive so i can set the cage up and their hammock :)

x

Whoooooo!!

Yay! Well done you and its not even 10am! phew!

x x

[Amethyst_ice]

Whoooooo!!

Yay! Well done you and its not even 10am! phew!

x x

I know..stupid Bf leaving early and parcelforce delivering at mental times!

x

[fluffymunchkins]

woop woop! That so great :)
Farmway have pretty good delivery so i shouldn't expect it to be long.

[wofunny]

Yay!!! I'm so happy for you X

[kazmac]

Hope they like their new pad!!

Re the bread - it will make them fat if that's all they get, but you're only giving them little bits at a time to get them to come to you. Try something different - like wholewheat or tricolour pasta twists. Dry or cooked. And bits of fruit & veg. Mine really like bananas. And dried banana chips too!
Kale is also very good for them.

You'll be all sorted very soon. X

[Amethyst_ice]

Hope they like their new pad!!

Re the bread - it will make them fat if that's all they get, but you're only giving them little bits at a time to get them to come to you. Try something different - like wholewheat or tricolour pasta twists. Dry or cooked. And bits of fruit & veg. Mine really like bananas. And dried banana chips too!
Kale is also very good for them.

You'll be all sorted very soon. X

Im gonna wait till the megazorb arrives..dreading transfering them over! They are so friendly at the bars but as soon as the lid goes up they just freeze and th other runs away :(

I tried them with some green pasta..they took few nibbles and literally spat it out lol they are quite fussy little things! They love the markies, not too struck on carrot, liked the grape but not the skin..ermm...thats it so far lol

i know we havnt had them a week yet but theyve become friendlier at the bars was hopin for a little more progress inside the cage. im inpatient..they just look so cute! wanna give them snuggles! do they mault btw? lol i wear lots of black and they are white lol x

[Iluvhamsters]

Sounds like you are doing well with your ratties, I'm sure you'll be handling them in no time.

[wofunny]

do they mault btw? lol i wear lots of black and they are white lol x

I don't think they do :s but I'm not an expert :) x

[kazmac]

They don't moult as a general rule, but you will get the odd hair coming out.

You're doing really well with them and they're starting to come round. Just be patient! They'll settle given a bit of time and lots of TLC.
Try just leaving the cage open and see if they come out to explore of their own accord.

[pebbles]

I have been following this post since i joined and just wanted to say that it sounds like you are making great progress :) Not that i now much but the fact they taking from you must be a good sign i would think :)

I look forward to seeing pics when you have them in their new home :)

[Amethyst_ice]

I have been following this post since i joined and just wanted to say that it sounds like you are making great progress :) Not that i now much but the fact they taking from you must be a good sign i would think :)

I look forward to seeing pics when you have them in their new home :)

Hehe aww..sorry its not hammy related, but everyone on here is so great i wanted to tell everyone :) plus getting some great advice :)

the other shy one has started to come to the bars now and we have found that talking in like a baby 'doggy' voice (if you get me) makes them really excited!

might try the cage open, will clear the spare room..only thing with the small cage is that it is just top opening. we might have to wait puttin them in spare cage until our landlord has fixed a few things, easier to hide a smaller cage lol ...we are going to describe them not as rats but as himalayan dumbo rats...sounds less..ratty??! They deff have a stigma though..im not like the prejudice :(

might try get them out tomorrow ...if i can find some spare lightbulbs for the room lol

xxx

[snaisby]

we are going to describe them not as rats but as himalayan dumbo rats...

Himalayan long tailed hamsters ;)

glad to hear you are making progress, have you tried letting them get into a tube/box and lifting it out? you can let them run around on a bed/in a small room like the bathroom (as long as there are no escape holes!) and you can sit with them and let them explore you in their own time. the sooner you start to interact with them out of the cage, the quicker they will realise you are nothing to fear :) there's a good article here (http://www.fancy-rats.co.uk/information/guides.php?subject=tamingyourrats) on taming nervous rats :)

[Amethyst_ice]

Himalayan long tailed hamsters ;)

glad to hear you are making progress, have you tried letting them get into a tube/box and lifting it out? you can let them run around on a bed/in a small room like the bathroom (as long as there are no escape holes!) and you can sit with them and let them explore you in their own time. the sooner you start to interact with them out of the cage, the quicker they will realise you are nothing to fear :) there's a good article here (http://www.fancy-rats.co.uk/information/guides.php?subject=tamingyourrats) on taming nervous rats :)

Haha i like that lol

ill check it out. We were just letting them settle..usually with the hamsters we'd get them in the ball and run over us but because the environment these guys have come from is so different to ours we didnt want to just delve right in.

our house has no kids and is really quiet. We didnt want to scare them by getting them out ...they have always been got out by being binned down or caught by their tails.."the squeak when you pick them up and may bite"- quotes the owner.....

also fact they are nearly a year old thought mebe few more days to keepin getting them used to our voices more? we dont want to scare them..especially as the shy one has started to come to us more.

its so hard!! but we will get there! x

[chubchub]

Your ratties are such cuties! Congratulations. I just started reading this thread.. still have to finish reading all the posts. Glad they don't bite at the bars now. Anyways, I like the names Cloud and Zell the most because I love Final Fantasy games (esp old school ones) :D

[Amethyst_ice]

The megazorb arrived..its massive!!!

Ive been too tired to do anythign today so just been chilling really. Might try set the cage up tonight though.

before i went to bed, they both took some food from my hand inside the cage and i got to stoke one a bit! until he realised and ran off but yay!! x

[wofunny]

YAY!!! ive run out of wood shavings, might start getting megazorb instead?!

[Amethyst_ice]

YAY!!! ive run out of wood shavings, might start getting megazorb instead?!

well we just got a new bag of sawdust so will use that on the hams first but so far the megazorb looks brill value for money.

got it from farmway, postage was £5 and megazorb was £6 something so still good value.

if you got the space to store it its cost effective. I pay £3 for a medium size sawdust so yeh :)

it does look a little weird mind lol

[fluffymunchkins]

i thought megazorb looked weird at first! But once you get it in the cage it looks nice and fluffy :)
I prefer the smell of it too!
I can't believe how quickly i get through my bags, only last a month for two hams :o
I think its cause i clean out quite often, but then fortnightly isn't that often.

[Amethyst_ice]

i thought megazorb looked weird at first! But once you get it in the cage it looks nice and fluffy :)
I prefer the smell of it too!
I can't believe how quickly i get through my bags, only last a month for two hams :o
I think its cause i clean out quite often, but then fortnightly isn't that often.

how could a bag like that only last for 2 cleanings of 2 hamsters??! how deep do you put it in? i have a medium bale of shavings and it last at least 3 cleanings of 4 hammies!!

[fluffymunchkins]

i have no idea!
Well i do fill peggys zz2 pretty deep.
Which i have cut down on using as much in each cage a lot now!

Well i suppose its techniqly about 6 cage cleans, with filling Treos cage and still enough for one cage clean out left.

[wofunny]

i just asked my mum she didnt seem to impressed :/

[Amethyst_ice]

awww why not? we have a spare black bin so we are going to wash that out and put the bag in there..if its more cost effective..

[wofunny]

im not sure she just doesnt like the postage cost even tho its out of my money :/ and she doesnt think that it better that wood shavings :( i tried showing her.... i'll try again 2moz :)

[fluffymunchkins]

my mum got it delivered to work...she had a whole load of crazy looks when she told them it was all for one ham (just peggy at the time) LOL :D

[wofunny]

hahaha :) thats funny

[Amethyst_ice]

£4.99 is brilliant for postage!! Its a big bag up to my waist and its heavy to lift...it costs me £8 to post a snowglobe! so work it out!

the shavings cost at least £3 for a mesium bag, this is 6 and will make up loads more than sawdust..i fail to see ur mums reasoning lol

in such a climate atm anything money saving is needed! x

[wofunny]

I Know Right! she just thinks i spend to much money :/ and of course thats a like (blushes) xD

[Hope]

i have no idea!
Well i do fill peggys zz2 pretty deep.
Which i have cut down on using as much in each cage a lot now!

Well i suppose its techniqly about 6 cage cleans, with filling Treos cage and still enough for one cage clean out left.

The zoozone 2 is massive, my first thought when I got mine was better get 2 bags of megazorb next time! hehe!

[Amethyst_ice]

yikes,worried mebe it wont be such value now ...eek x

[Hope]

No no!! I didn't mean it like that! :-)

its deffo way better value than buying sawdust/woodshavings from p@H, or similar, I just couldn't beleive that I have such a massive space to fill!!

I know that the zoozone 2 is big but I didnt realise quite how big untill I went to pick it up!!! It was just me being amazed at the size of the cage! :-)

[Amethyst_ice]

well the rats are quite big..hopin it lasts cos im gonna have to mail order it all the time.gonna attempt tonight..btw guys we messaged our landlord about them last night so hoping he'll be ok :s

[Hope]

Does the postage charge stay the same no matter how many you buy? You could always stock up and get a few at once?

Fingers crossed for the landlord hun, how could he object to those little cuties anyway!?

[Amethyst_ice]

I dunno havnt tried but my finaces arnt good atm..gotta make what i got last till next student loan in october :s

the landlord isnt an animal person, hes also havin a baby in 6 weeks and doesnt seem too chuffed..we have done lots for the house though and have been good so hoping he'll be ok so i can set the cage up in front room and not hide them..i seriously dont know how he didnt see or hear them lol

bless them, theyve had a touch time lol got a stroke last night though..all of 4 seconds :D

xxx

[Hope]

Aw, must be a nightmare - no money all over summer. :-( I never did the uni thing so dont really know what its like, but I do sympathise! :-)

I work near coventry airport, so if you ever needed I could pick you up some megazorb from where I get it and bring it to work with me, if you could collect from me at work?? Just a suggestion - thought I would mention just incase. :-)

I really hope that the landlord is ok - dare I mention what you will do if he isnt??

Well done for getting 4 seconds of stroke-sies I dont think that Boris have ever stayed that still in his life!

[Amethyst_ice]

Haha fast lil nipper is he hehe he is a cutie tho, i smile whenever i look at ur avatar :)

Thats real sweet to offer but the cost to the OH in petrol would prob be same...omg check this out..i cant quite work it out ...

x1 bag=£6.19

x1 P&P= £4.99
x2 P&P= £9.99
x3 P&P=£24.99 (!)
x4 P&P= £40.00!!!!

so if you want 2 bags or more best order them in 2's..why it goes up from £10-£25?! do they not figure people will just order in 2 goes? lol

darn you ratties making me want to spoil you and buy you the right things!!

Got a second hammock for them today off ebay..but girl didnt tell me it was so thin so gonna have to line it..the other is nice and snuggly tho.

:) xxx

[Hope]

Thats fine - the offers there if you ever need it :-)

Thats crazy postage! Most places have a maximum postage charge - have you tried looking at other suppliers? Have you tried emailing them to ask why this is so strange?? Maybe they will give you a discount??? (for being cheeky!) :-)

I know - our little fluffs seem to eat up all our funds dont they?! I think that I have spent more money on him than I have on myself the past month!

[Amethyst_ice]

and me! At keast, everything ive ordered for myself has arrived broken :(

oh and regarding a no from the landlord...im not thinking of things like that :s lol

x

[Hope]

oh and regarding a no from the landlord...im not thinking of things like that :s lol

x

That is what I tend to do - I'm always like *puts hands over ears and strats humming loudly* 'problem??? what problem???' Very wise me thinks! :-)

[Amethyst_ice]

well he's been ok on 3 hammies (forgot to tell him about 4th) and said we could get a dog..the rats arnt nearly half the size of a dog so thats how i worked it out ;) x

[fluffymunchkins]

i'm deffo going to get two bags next time i go, to save my mum having to drive me up there again!
And i've stopped filling the zz2 up with like a 3" layer :D

LOl i generally ignore it if i don't gte my own way, or just think "she'll give in eventually" trouble is my mum doesn't help her self cause she always does LOL
Take Treo for example

[Amethyst_ice]

Oh you naughty, sly thing ;) tut tut missy lol

So heres a few pic updates, as you can see we have been adding in a few things the cage, its already alot better than how they came to us and they love the log.

Eating some grapes-
http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc3/hs553.snc3/30285_683502470645_223407998_12182604_6765576_n.jp g

They are friendly and inquisitive when we are outside the bars, the one on left is the more forward one but the other had a bit of bravery :) oh and the names cloud and zell dont seem quite right and my bf hasnt been saying them either,..we'll see

http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash1/hs513.ash1/30285_683502430725_223407998_12182598_7825115_n.jp g

http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-sjc1/hs533.snc3/30285_683502435715_223407998_12182599_5345239_n.jp g

Now tonight i started on their cage..was such a hassle because i had to tidy the room first and i had just left all my stuff in there since xmas. It is far from complete but im too tired and i cant lift their cage to swap them over so 2m me and my bf are going to try get them moved :) will have been here a week and we think we;ll have more progress with them in a new cage and exploring the room.

They have more toys to go in but some are in their current cage..im not going to overwhelm them too soon so i know it looks bare...

oh and megazorb is weird! the feel and smell...not sure im struck on it yet lol might keep the hams on sawdust lol

http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash1/hs513.ash1/30285_683502440705_223407998_12182600_4652664_n.jp g

http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-sjc1/hs553.snc3/30285_683502450685_223407998_12182601_2420656_n.jp g

My makeshift tube (pringles) and the house...its a bowl i cut a hole and used gaffa tape to make it darker..if they start chewing the tape ill remove it but i cant afford a fancy igloo right now. Im a student they will have to suffice! but fact they have bedding im sure means more than what its in!

http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash1/hs513.ash1/30285_683502455675_223407998_12182602_4144612_n.jp g

http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash1/hs513.ash1/30285_683502465655_223407998_12182603_7169262_n.jp g


Im real chuffed i made the cage up myself :) was a little disappointed in the boys..both of them snatched some bread from us...one does that but the other is usually gentle so not sure what was going on there..humph lol

xxx

[fluffymunchkins]

Looking fab! The space itself is great even without toys :)
They sound to be getting cheeky as they get confident ;)

[Jesse]

That looks great! I've loved reading this thread and all your updates. They are so cute and really sound like they're coming out of their shells now. Stick with the Megazorb, you'll soon get used to the smell and it does such an excellent job with pet pongs :-D

[wofunny]

That is amazing! You've done a great job and they are so cute! Well done :) x

[Hope]

Thats really great!!! It looks wonderfull :-)

Some of the ideas are fabby!!! The up turned bowl is ingenious!!!

They were probably in their old cage all their lives, they are probably just a bit overwhelmed and aprehensive at the moment, they will get used to their new abode I'm sure - (if I was a ratty I would love it! :-) )

Persevere with the Megazorb, I'm sure that you will grow to love it. Its much softer than sawdust and I think that it has less of a smell too? As Jesse says its v absorbant (think of a horses and how much wee they must have!) and keeps the pongs away too!

[Amethyst_ice]

I was going to hang the pringle tube but i rater like it stuck on the side. I covered the floors as well, didnt have enough left to do the ladders but hoping that will be ok.

I saw people use fleece but i got a woven mat from poundland and seems durable..thats what took me the longest, making holes and tieing it down. The bf tried to help but couldnt so i ended up doin it all. He also couldnt do the cage...sigh...guess im the man of the house after all ;)

there seems to be a feint colour theme goin on..black, silver and purple lol awesome :)

we are hoping when they get to a new cage it may make them start from scratch so to speak..leaving the old memories behind, they are deff cage scared...or am i looking into it too deeply? they do seem very intellegent and the way they rush to the bars and seem to wag their tails (yes, really) when we come in the room seems like they WANT to be friendly with us.

Im glad i didnt get the 3 tier, while id love them to have amples of room it would look bit weird in the room and i think this size will be perfect for them both once we can let tthem run around too. Dont like the way the door opends inwards on the bottom though.

oooooh excited for tonight!!!!!

still no reply from the landlord mind :s

xxx

[snaisby]

The cage looks great :) as for the door, get a pair of pliers and open the little metal rings that hinge it, then put it on the outside of the cage instead. makes life sooo much easier!

Definitely stick with the megazorb, its much better for their health :) it's probably better for your hammies too, no nasty phenols. you may need to put a different litter in the litter tray for the rats, or they wont understand that its different from the rest of the floor for toileting. i also think you might need a bigger tub for the litter tray, like a tupperware or ice cream tub, or they might not fit their bums in it (lol!)

its brilliant that they are interested in you when they are in the cage, are you planning on letting them out to explore tonight? as i think that will really help with the taming process. also try putting a big baggy dressing gown or hoody on and let them run around inside it - they will get used to your smell and being close to you whilst also feeling safe :) you'll be amazed what a difference this can make.

best of luck, can't wait to see pics of them in the new cage!

[BrainGirl]

That's so exciting! I love the feeling I get from trying to do things to make an animal more comfortable and happier:) They look like they've really hit the jackpot with you!

BTW, is that a Guylian chocolate box your boys are standing on?!? I think I need a little more chocolate for breakfast;)

[Amethyst_ice]

Heya, some great advice Snaisby :)

The door is ace, we didnt think it could be done, will have a shot at it later,

the tub i realised but my boyfriend washed it out and seemed keen so may turn it into a food dish on a different level. We are already guzzleing through the ice cream to use the tub ;)

what bedding woudl you suggest? my hams we in theres with sawdust which is their bedding..newspaper? just found they are quite smelly atm!

we are going to try swap them over tonight so the only way to do that without scaring thwm is to let them roam around..will pop a dressing gown on too, thanks xxx

[Amethyst_ice]

That's so exciting! I love the feeling I get from trying to do things to make an animal more comfortable and happier:) They look like they've really hit the jackpot with you!

BTW, is that a Guylian chocolate box your boys are standing on?!? I think I need a little more chocolate for breakfast;)

We try our best :)

it is the lid from some guylian chocs...they seem to like sitting on it, guess cos its not the mesh.

hopefully they will like the levels ive covered for them in new cage..

and trust you to notice the food :p x

[snaisby]

Lol well i have the 3 tier version as a holiday cage, and the doors drove me nuts, so thats the first thing that got changed on it!! i also replaced the wire levels with cat litter trays, as it was really hard to get them in and out for cleaning. covering them works well too though i hear :)

i actually use megazorb as litter and chopped cardboard horse bedding as substrate, but i know lots of people use 100% recycled paper cat litter (NOT paper, wood or clay based, too dusty). the best brands are yesterdays news, smartcat paper litter (i think tescos sell this?) or biocatolet (PAH sell this). once they are litter trained they will be much less smelly cos you can just change the tray! use a twist of garden wire to hold the tray in place, or they will probs just flip it over to see whats underneath :mad:

[kazmac]

Great to catch up with how you're doing with your boys. They are a couple of handsome lads!

Their cage is looking great too.

And it sounds like they're starting to trust you now. Keep persevering!

[Amethyst_ice]

Well we put the boys in their new cage last night..they needed a little help.

We first just opened the top and put a trail of bread...unfortunately, as we expected they ran straight into their box and hid...we left them half an hour and decided they wern't gonna move so we took the front off the cage..they kept coming out and running back in..they are clever..they knew there was a trail but knew we were there lol

we moved their box a little and they seemed to like the movement cos they popped out as we moed it and went back in lol eventually after an hour we lifted the box out and put it outside the cage...little did we know they had weed a hole in the bottom and sneaked out lol

so...we took everything out the cage and this didnt seem to stress them..there was nothing for them there....once everything was out the braver one took a few steps out onto the carpet, the second followed but then they ran back into the cage.

When we took the tray out the cage and there was just the mesh left they still clung to their old cage, was quite sad but they started to climb (something we hadnt seen before) and they finally came up to me! I got as far as a paw on my leg until he ran off :)

they still kept runnin to the cage for safety so we moved it away (this is after nearly 2 hours!) once it was gone they started to explore a bit and finally jumped onto the box and into the new cage.

They explored cautiously and came out of the cage once. They didnt go in the hammock but seemed to like and started climbing :)

When i went to bed i opened it up and one let me stroke his back for about 10 secs, he then dashed off..dont know if it was progress or him just being too scared to move.

came down this morning though and they dont seem too happy. One was cowered in corner in the open the other under the bowl house but had pushed out the bedding. I feel bad for not maybe giving them a box to hide in but i just found one, cut it open and turned it upside down..its on the lower level so guess they just need to get used to the new place :s

i know its going to take time but the food doesnt always work and they keep freezing, guess we just need to continue talking to them.

xxx

[Hope]

Aww, bless their little cottons!!!

You did a really good job with them, Amethyst, I'm not sure that I could have been that paitent!

I think that you have made good progress - they are learning that you are not going to poke them or be mean to them - this is what they expect from their last home, so they are still learning to trust you.

I hope that they grow to love their new cage, they are probably just a bit confused at the moment - its like someone moving us to Mars!!

Keep up the good work!!! :-)

[snaisby]

Sounds like you are making progress :) hopefully they will come out and explore a bit more now! its fantastic that you stroked one, means they are learning you won't hurt them <3

Bear in mind that if you give them lots of places to hide they will use them as a security blanket, it may sound a bit mean but i dont usually give new ratties enclosed boxes/igloos until i know they are confident with me. so if you are feeling brave you could take out the box/bowl and just let them have open beds. it will help their confidence as they will be able to see what new noises/smells are rather than just hiding away all the time!

you might want to give more of a variety of treats rather than bread all the time or they will get fat ;) little broken bits of pasta/tesco value cornflakes/bits of fruit and veg/broken up plain rice cakes all make good, healthy treats with much less sugar in than bread. when you are giving treats let them sniff your finger first before offering the treat, it makes them much less likely to snatch if they know there's a hand behind the food. offer a knuckle if you are worried about nips, and if they accidentally catch you then 'eek' really loudly - sounds silly, but its Rat for 'ow that hurt!'

its a shame you're not closer or i could come round and help you handle them! you've been thrown in at the deep end a bit with these as your first rats, you are doing a great job though :)

[Amethyst_ice]

Hehe yeh we have gone in nose deep but at least we have hammies, i know they are different but at least they have given us some confidence :)

I know they keep using the boxes to hide, just the room is quite bright, will they not become bit sleep deprived?

Just heard a little crash so went and looked, they had stood up with the bowl on their heads and had fallen off lol (silly me for not tieing it down)..we lifted it off and he let us have a little stroke and just plodded off...however i am a little worried..

looked at the bedding and there are a few feint blotches of what looks like dried blood. Its not deep red like if we dab a spot id say more..ermm...like if u ooze a spot and its like weeping lol sorry to be so graphic! We noticed a tiny bit on the bit of cardboard we gave them in the old cage too..is it blood?

we had a look at their feet and cant see anything, their eyes arnt secreting, bums look fine..cant see any marks on them. We are going to register them with a vet today anyway but dont want to spend any money and time stressing them out if its something normal.

There are maybe 6 or 7 pin head size dots. Sigh.

oh and snaisby we do give them veg and markies and pasta but the bread seems their fave..they didnt eat much of it anyway, think they just needed the old cage moved to get the confidence to explore :)

[snaisby]

i wouldn't worry too much about brightness, mine will sleep through anything, you can pop an old towel over half the cage if you're worried :)

as for the red spots - have they been sneezing at all? as if you can't see any wounds it sounds like it could be porphyrin. this is a red pigment which is found naturally in rats eye and nose secretions, and gets spattered about if they sneeze. if they sound wheezy/clicky/like a guinea pig then i'd get them to the vets for a check up, but a few sneezes are normal in a new home :) bearing in mind they've been kept on wood shavings they may be more likely to be sneezy too.

if they red is in their wee it might be a UTI, which would need antibiotics - but it doesn't sound like it.

thats great about the treats, just thought i'd check before they turned into little tubs of lard :mad:

am enjoying reading your progress, would love to see more pics!!

[Amethyst_ice]

i wouldn't worry too much about brightness, mine will sleep through anything, you can pop an old towel over half the cage if you're worried :)

as for the red spots - have they been sneezing at all? as if you can't see any wounds it sounds like it could be porphyrin. this is a red pigment which is found naturally in rats eye and nose secretions, and gets spattered about if they sneeze. if they sound wheezy/clicky/like a guinea pig then i'd get them to the vets for a check up, but a few sneezes are normal in a new home :) bearing in mind they've been kept on wood shavings they may be more likely to be sneezy too.

if they red is in their wee it might be a UTI, which would need antibiotics - but it doesn't sound like it.

thats great about the treats, just thought i'd check before they turned into little tubs of lard :mad:

am enjoying reading your progress, would love to see more pics!!

No sneezes..the lady said they sneezed but we have been monitoring this and never heard a peep. Few days ago one looked like he was doin what us human do building up to sneeze but he never did.

Wee is normal colour no blood, i read about the eye secretions but their eyes seem normal, would it rub off?looks like it has been underfoot which is what is confusing us, but when they climbed we had a close look at feet and nails and nothing. Maybe im just being paranoid! I have no idea what level of health care they have had previously.

poop seems fine too lol big! wet but not sloppy lol nice eh lol

still no word from landlord either lol ooh one just now seemed to play ball with me a little lol

they have a rope ball from the dog section and i moved it n he put his paw on it and pushed it with his nose, so i rolled it round and he followed!

we just want cuddles! Wanna give em little chin tickles and let them see we're the good guys! anyone got a time machine to fast forward? ;)

oh and ill take more pics soon, sowi! xxxx

[SarahJ]

bless them, it sounds like your doing a really good job with the boys!

As for the red dots, i would listen to sniasby. This freaked the hell out of me when i 1st ever noticed them in my rats cage but before i got him he was also on sawdust, so it come from a sneeze as there was no injury to him.
Some rats sneeze really queitly so you sometimes really need to listen to know if they have sneezed or not, just mointor this and their nose's as sometimes the red 'stuff' will apper around their nose.

[Amethyst_ice]

we had a look at their noses and they looked a little red, but it may have been us wanting to see it if you get me?

We went to our RSPCA shelter today and luckily i am so poor i qualify at their vets so i registered them- 4 hammiea and 2 ratties- Cloud & Zell :)

We looked in the shelter too..lots of ratty babies and 2 gorgeous ones..they were so unusual..they looked maybe few months so were nearly full grown one was like a washed out ginger and white and the other was like a washed out blue and white! Remmy and Amile!!! was so so so in love but i dont think theyd mix with our 2...i will just have to hunt down their twins later on in life!

My friends chinchilla was still in there from when she handed her back a month ago, was so sad, she looked so sat :(

also got friendly with a cat called Brian lol hes about 6 years, black and white...but we tore ourselves away even tho she got him out and stuff..they want £60 min donation! and he's only been in a few days! I know its worth it but thats bit above our budget so we were sensible :)

xxxx

[fluffymunchkins]

was this rspca birmingham i guess?
I really want to go visit them when my mum gives the ok to more pets :)
Did they have any hammies this time?

[Amethyst_ice]

No hammies, last time i went there were a few degus and thats it.

Now they have some gerbils, baby ratties, adult ratties and the chinchilla (blossom...i hope she finds a good home, shes 10 yrs old and has been in there 2 times already :(

lots of rabbits, few ferrets and then lots of big trophey dogs n cats.

:) x

[fluffymunchkins]

I hope poor blossom finds a home :(
I'll be sure to contact and see if they have gerbils if my sister decides to get any. She's wanted some for AGES but she's not persistant like me so she's never got any! Maybe I'll get her some for her birthday?
Although I would be more into them then her:D she has a lot to learn

[Amethyst_ice]

haha how old is she?

i want the ratties, they were cuties ;) x

[fluffymunchkins]

17 :D
So it'll be her special 18 th birthday in november!

You wouldn't think she was older than me, shes more like a 3 year old LOL

[Amethyst_ice]

haha you sound just like my sis lol

sigh, hows ur afternoon going? ive had the police round for 2 hours giving a witness statement and now im grudging making up 2 dances to teach my class tomorrow.

The ratties got to listen to my bf giving his statement and the officer loved them :)

they made a proper squeak last night, i didnt even do anything :( i wish theyd learn to trust.
We left the cage top and bottom open and went out the room, watched from the door and eventually one came out onto the top but not onto the floor, still..hopin he does same tonight x

[fluffymunchkins]

my days alright enjoying the sun:) watching hole in the wall atm LOL
I'm sure they will learn to trust you eventually so chin up xxx

[Amethyst_ice]

wish my landlord would sort out my garden so i could sit in it ..sigh

they are just so cuddle i wanna tickle them :( lol x

[wofunny]

Yay, my mum finally let me buy some megazorb, it's on it's way :D!!

I bet your rats will trust you it just might take some time..... xx

[Amethyst_ice]

Yay, my mum finally let me buy some megazorb, it's on it's way :D!!

I bet your rats will trust you it just might take some time..... xx

whooooooo!!! what brought her round?

It smells sort of...creamy? lol its a little weird but ill get used to it lol x

[wofunny]

She finally realised tha ut would work out cheeper and that is better for smudge xD

[fluffymunchkins]

that great news! She cares a lot really :)

[wofunny]

She finally realised that it would work out cheeper and that is better for smudge xD!

Creamy..... Sounds weird :L x

[Amethyst_ice]

Ok, so its been a few days so I thought i'd update you all.

Firstly, they ratties have been approved by my landlord, whooop!!! He really is fab (on the animal front lol)

Ok, so Saturday night we opened the top and bottom and watched the ratties come out and explore. They only went out the top way and didn't get the guts to jump down, so I closed the top, left the bottom open and went to the loo.
Came back in and Cloud (the bigger one with more brown on his bum lol) had gone!

Me and the bf had a look and realised our worst fears..he had sneaked past the barricades and was under the wardrope....nooooooooooooo!

We had arranged to meet some friends but lil cloud wasn't coming out for anything so i sat back and waited!

After about 40 mins he came out timidly and his brother was looking all round the cage for him. Cloud climbed the cage and poor little zell was following him and trying to get him through! I thought..ill leave him to work out how to get back in. He eventually climbed back down and was reunited :)

They came out top again yesterday but seem fairly reluctant to use the bottom level..ill keep giving it time. They both snatched some food from me which i was a bit annoyed at them for but they had another bit and took gently lol

heres some pics :)

Cloud

http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc3/hs652.snc3/32235_684136395255_223407998_12217812_7827488_n.jp g

Zell

http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc3/hs652.snc3/32235_684136400245_223407998_12217813_5721466_n.jp g

Cloud again

http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc3/hs612.snc3/32235_684136405235_223407998_12217814_8093579_n.jp g

Zells bum and cloud settling down after the whole separation lol

http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash1/hs552.ash1/32235_684136410225_223407998_12217815_7775539_n.jp g

xx

[Amethyst_ice]

Oh and i'm uploading a private vid of their first venture out..might take a while though! But I was hiding in the doorway watching them come out for the first time :) Think you need to see it so you can see how timid they are bless :)

[Hope]

Hello Amethyst - glad that your little ratties are doing well. :-)

So the names Cloud and Zell are going to stay then?!

Did the rspca really want £60 for a cat?? Gosh, the last time we bought one its was £15 that was about 6 years ago though!

Hope that the little chinny soon finds a nice home - poor little thing, I feel so sorry for him :-(

Oh and Megazorb - Creamy???????

Well I have no idea what you are using then??!! lol!

[Amethyst_ice]

Hello Amethyst - glad that your little ratties are doing well. :-)

So the names Cloud and Zell are going to stay then?!

Did the rspca really want £60 for a cat?? Gosh, the last time we bought one its was £15 that was about 6 years ago though!

Hope that the little chinny soon finds a nice home - poor little thing, I feel so sorry for him :-(

Oh and Megazorb - Creamy???????

Well I have no idea what you are using then??!! lol!

Well the vets needed names and the bf seems to pout when i wasnt sure about the names so ill let him name them lol

yeh £60 min donation, thought it was bit steep but guess its to make sure people are serious about rehoming..still not sure its the way though :s

Yeh we told our friend that blossom was still there and she nearly cried but tbf she couldnt really cope with her. Now shess asking for pumpkin (hammy) back that we got jointly but im not too happy cos whenever i go ove rher ham never has water n she only has a small room and a new bf...just not comfortable her having him, not in a selfish way but yeh :s

it is creamy smelling no? lol like weird ice cream! It smells of summin lol

xxx

[Hope]

Mmmm I would not be thrilled at giving pumpkin to her either then. I mean how hard is it to fill up a water bottle? It takes like 2 seconds. I think he is better off with you for now. You have to do whats best for Pumpkin at the end of the day.

Megazorb does smell a bit funny - sort of musty I suppose, never thought about it as being creamy! I will take a closer sniff next time I clean out!

So glad that your landlord has oked the ratties! Gorgeous new piccys aswell! :-)

[Amethyst_ice]

FM1uKEzFtLI

Excuse the mess..the room is a work in progress lol x

[Hope]

Aww! I want to give them a cuddle!

They look to be doing ok though - Slowly but surely bless them

[Amethyst_ice]

Imagine what i feel like...i wanna snuggle them up!!!!!

[pebbles]

great pics and video they look to be having a good look around :)

[fluffymunchkins]

awww all curious and that :D
Glad to see they are happy to have a little venture now!

[Amethyst_ice]

so last night i opened up both top and bottom for the ratties. They both came out and i thought cloud was going to climb down but he lost the nerve lol

zell strted to climb under cloud and i think cloud got a bit peeved cos he fell on him and they had a little scrap..i did not like it[-X

Then cloud climbed on the top and i gave him a bit of bread, while he was eating he allowed me to stroke his back for a fair while, he kept shuffling forward, and turning round but i let him sniff my knuckles and he went back to his bread :) as he didnt nip me i continued to stroke him and when he had finished he walked back to the cage so hoping that was him getin used to me :D

[SarahJ]

awww they are cute i also wanna huggle them!

I think if i lived near u, i would steal them :) they are just to cute for words!

[Hope]

Aww, sounds like they are doing really well :-)

[Amethyst_ice]

ok so the rattie boys are becomming a little more tame and cloud is starting to explore a little more..however, i have a yucky problem.

Oh also there is still the watery red patches showing on their bedding, their eyes and everything seem clear but wondering if i should take them to vets?

now heres the issue...they arnt really using teh main botttom level, which may be because they are used to a smaller cage. But they are poopin LOADS in every corner and because i have covered the levels its builing up rather quickly! Also just noticed they are only weeing on the covered levels as well and not the bottom in the megazorb. Because of this they are starting to smell.

Should i-

Block off the top levels and force them to use the bottom level and the megazorb (i put their food down there but they stilla rnt going down much!)

or

take off the level coverings

or

try get some lino and just be forced to clean the poop and pee every day?

sigh

xxx

[SarahJ]

if u are noticing the red stuff in there cage please please take them to a vet.
i started finding this in my boys cage a few weeks ago and took him to the vet it turns out he has Myco and is on anti-b's which looks like i will have to give him for the rest of his life. Myco can be a very bad health problem if not court in time so i would take them.

[fluffymunchkins]

They will probably be peeing more as its a new enviroment and they want to mark their scent, so don't clean too throughly!
What have you covered the levels with atm? Lino would make your job a lot easier :)

I would go with the blocking off the top level idea for a bit, then introduce them back to the top once they establish a pee corner or start becoming litter trained.

[Amethyst_ice]

i have heard of that but they dont have any of the other symptoms at all. I was wondering if it was just because they have been on sawdust for the past year.

got me worried now :s just dont want to go forking out for the vets (and stressing them out when they still arnt used to being handled yet) if it could just be something minor that would fix itself.

xxx

[Amethyst_ice]

just looked at some eye and nose staining pics and ours have none of that (although harder to tell because they are red eyed) but there isnt any staining that i can see and with them having white coats its little easier. hmmmm x

[SarahJ]

my boy doesnt have any of the staining on his nose or eyes either, it all depends how far it has effected them to if they show them signs.
it may be something to bear in mind though, myco if not court early can be very hard to control.
fingers crossed they do not have this though x

[kazmac]

Mycoplasma is in all rats. If it flares up, it can be hard to get on top of.
It can only be controlled, not cured. And each time it flares up is worse than the time before.
However some rats never have a flare up, so don't worry too much.
But if they seem unwell at any time, especially with lots of sneezing, redness round eyes and / or nose, wheezing - it's time to take them to the vet. Prompt treatment is the key.

Anyhow, how are they doing anyway?

[Amethyst_ice]

Mycoplasma is in all rats. If it flares up, it can be hard to get on top of.
It can only be controlled, not cured. And each time it flares up is worse than the time before.
However some rats never have a flare up, so don't worry too much.
But if they seem unwell at any time, especially with lots of sneezing, redness round eyes and / or nose, wheezing - it's time to take them to the vet. Prompt treatment is the key.

Anyhow, how are they doing anyway?

Thanks for all that..i have been reading what i can about health stuff (just started my full time placement at uni and its really draining me, not to mention all the essay and reading i have along side it!) but im still a little paranoid yknow!

They havn't made any of the little sneezes we heard when we first got them for about 2 weeks now (had them 3 today..seems longer!).

They seem to be coming along really really well, just worried about the little watery red staining in their bedding..also the poop n wee issue i mentioned!

I think even if i put lino in they'd still go on that so think ill try move the middle level tonight and pop some poop in the megazorb..hopefully they'll catch on..just feel bad taking away some of the cage after i just gave them it lol

ok then developments- :D

1. They have totally ignored the lovely purple hammock i got them until last night!! I went through to say goodnight to them and Zell (the shy boy) was all snuggled up on it!

2. Cloud reg comes out and explores under the wardrobe (which is now totally blocked off!)..zell has been out on the floor a few times but prefers to just sit on the open top and watch his brother!

3. Zell loves his bum scratched!!! I accidently cornered him on the top level as i was cleaning them out...i thought he had gone on the bottom and i lifted up his house and he was there! i slowly stroked him and his ears perked up and he closed his eyes while i rubbed his bum area so guess thats a winner! he slowly walked away after a bit which is good because usually he runs away.

4. cloud is getting as little more timid inside the cage but has put a paw..yes a whole paw..on my cheek while i was lying on the floor lol he is tempremental about strokes atm.one day he'll come up to me but others he'll stay away.

5. both are getting cheeky! I have been scooping out the poop on the middle level (they poop alot!) and they have started pulling bits of the tissue i use while im doing it and trying to hide under my hand!

6. both come running out when i come back from uni and jump up at the bars all excited

7.both have learnt to climb and cloud did a little jump the other day

8. they are taking food from me much quicker than before...ermmm..


yeh we feel they are coming along ok, we knew it would take time but they come out lots more and are getting used to us in the cage when we have to clean around them! my mum came to visit and wasnt too taken on them but then while at uni i got sent a gorgeous pic of them both from her so i think she secretly likes them ;)

so thats the update lol xxxx

[fluffymunchkins]

That great to hear! They really are getting better and better :)
LOL well at least you've found something zell likes

[Hope]

Aww bless them - that all sounds great, especially the bum scratching!! :-)

Sounds like they have made loads of progress - keep up the good work!

I hope that the red staining doesnt turn out to be too serious x

[snaisby]

Awww so glad they are gaining in confidence :) you sound like you are really progressing with them.

to avoid the poop issue on the shelf, i would suggest you just take out the middle mesh level and replace it with either cat litter trays (wilkinsons sell some that are exactly the right length to sit across the cage as a shelf) which you can then fill with megazorb, or just use hammocks until they get used to 'going' on the bottom floor.

are you definitely sure the red stuff isn't watery blood in their wee? could you post a pic of the red patches perhaps? also i demand more piccies of their cuteness!!

[Amethyst_ice]

hahaha i know i know but i get so distracted watching them that by the time they have had enough its time for bed lol i need to charge my camera batteries as well lol

got some nice ones of indy as well that i need to share with his fans lol i think the hams have sensed that there are two newbies cos gizmo keeps ramming the door where they are! but they are strictly kept apart :)

i have a pic im tryin to get from my mobile to my laptop, made my heart melt! ill take a pic of the stains when they are awake, there isnt any sign of it in the wee or anywhere.

The litter tray is an idea but tbh ive spent enough all ready! As zell has started to use the hammock im going to move it down to go across and they have started to climb the sides so shouldnt be a problem fingers crossed!! xxx

[kazmac]

That all sounds great! I'm so glad they're settling - the poor wee mites must have wondered what was happening to them. It just takes time.
If the sneezing has settled down, that's great. Usually the quarantine period would be about 2 weeks once moved to a new place, so if they're not showing any signs of illness by now at 3 weeks, then they sound fine.
Stress can cause them to become sneezy, which may explain the sneezing you've had. Just be mindful of that in case it starts again. And the red splatters could be from the sneezing if there definitely doesn't seem to be any in their urine and if they're showing no other signs of illness.

Persevere with the litter tray if you want to - you might be able to teach them that that's where they're supposed to go. But be warned that some rats just don't want to know!!!! :rolleyes:

And sounds like they're going to be cuddly after all!

[BrainGirl]

That's exciting! It's so wonderful to gain an animal's trust, congratulations :)

[Amethyst_ice]

well..not fully got it but i think they are starting to twig that we're the good guys.

on a side note, their previous owner has not responded to any of my updates so...make of that what you will..

x

[kazmac]

Amethyst - I meant to say that I have 9 baby rescue rats in the house at the minute. They're not even 6 weeks old yet! 4 boys & 5 girls - all litter mates.
6 are staying here (4 boys & 2 girls) and 3 are going to live with a colleague.
They're dumbo eared and gorgeous!!

Anyhoo, I'm not hijacking your thread. I just forgot to tell you!

[Amethyst_ice]

oooh any pics!!!!

ive been so tempted to buy some 'unspoiled' babies but i think its just cos im inpatient and want cuddles. my boys will get there...need to hold on lol argghhhh!!!!

xxx

[SarahJ]

aw your boys are coming along brill - in no time they should be giving you cuddles!

have you tryed rubbing their ear or just behide it? my boy loves this and wills top what ever he is doing lay down and close his eyes!

Rats are such funny things!

[Amethyst_ice]

Ok guys so I am on CLOUD nine (pun intended!)

Me and the bf finally got the shelf off and i changed the cage around completly..while i was doing this cloud somehow got under the bed lol we got him back. They absolutely LOVE the new cage and i think i may keep it like that!

I have put in a hanging basket with some old tea towels and then the hammock, they have both slept in it over night and zell was stretched out on the hammock ! they are climbing and jumping around now so yes. Here is what i have done.i still have some ropes etc but ill fiddle when i have more time.

http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc3/hs304.snc3/28835_685946996795_223407998_12323437_3728633_n.jp g

You can see zell enjoying it there :)

http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash1/hs333.ash1/28835_685947006775_223407998_12323438_360538_n.jpg

http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc3/hs324.snc3/28835_685947016755_223407998_12323439_7670746_n.jp g

Pair of them having a nosey!

Next I took best pic i could of the stains, they are quite feint so had to enhance the pic :s what do people think? again there seems so evidence of it around their noses or eyes, i cant see anywhere where it would be from! Mystery!

http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc3/hs304.snc3/28835_685946981825_223407998_12323436_918786_n.jpg

Ok and now the excitement! Cloud had gone back in and i opened it up to just move something and usually they back away but cloud shot out onto my arm and jumped off! I was so suprised! He went up and over our temp barricade by the wardrobe-

http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash1/hs333.ash1/28835_685947026735_223407998_12323441_6593831_n.jp g

i bent under and just went..oi you, dont even think about it! and he came right out!

http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash1/hs333.ash1/28835_685947021745_223407998_12323440_7214883_n.jp g

I was chasing him round the room and he was playing hide and seek with me then just went back in..all the time he was letting me stroke him and things :)

so some more pics-as requested :) sorry for the red eye but even without a flash they still are red ;) lol


Zell
http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash1/hs333.ash1/28835_685947031725_223407998_12323442_7606505_n.jp g

The twins <3
http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc3/hs324.snc3/28835_685945879035_223407998_12323413_2405508_n.jp g

[fluffymunchkins]

just fabulous :)
They are making improvements everyday!

Those red stains do look unusual :/

[Hope]

They are such cuties, gladthat they are comming out of thier shells a bit more now, its amazing what a bit of kindness and patience will do.

Sorry I cant offer any advice on the red staining, the hanging basket is just genious though! I would have never thought of that!

[Amethyst_ice]

Ok so im really upset that maybe the ratties arn't doing so well on a health basis and i love them loads but im worried incase they do have something and its gonna cost me loads to try put right something that prob the other owner has been the cause of.

They are both very lethargic tonight, yawning loads and not coming out of the hammocks. They are both drinking but havn't seen them eat.

Cloud has been cleaning and scratching loads, zell hasn't. I THOUGHT i saw a little dried blood on clouds nose but its hard to tell, zell hasn't anything. But both have been squeaking a bit tonight and im not sure if cloud was sneezing, it was very very quiet and he wasn't rubbing his nose at all. Almost like, ermm, when a dog makes a short sniff, like blowing air out, little quick ones of those. Their chests seem to be going up and down fairly fast but i havnt seen them sleep in the open so i can't compare.

The rspca vets we are registered with are closed weekends and tuesday ios the only day either of me or my bf are free then he's off to a festival for 5 days. I don't know what to do.

Im not used to them being so sleepy and im so scared they have some respiratory infection they will end up needing lots of treatment for and me struggling with that. :'(

just feeling so hopeless and angry for me not knowing more about what is normal. They seemed fine last night, there have been more people outside the house with it being sunny so maybethey didnt get much sleep. They dont seem destressed but id hate to just ignore if anything was wrong :(

xxx

[kazmac]

Hi Amethyst

First of all, it sounds like a great breakthrough with Cloud. He's obviously worked out that you are in fact 'good guys' after all. Well done! I'm glad you're getting them out for cuddles (or hide & seek!) now.

Now, about the red staining.
The bedding looks like it's been from them (or one of them) sneezing. It looks like it's concentrated in one place because that's where they've been curled up resting or sleeping.
If you look at your last photo, it looks like the boy on the right has some porphorin staining round his nose.
Re them being lethargic last night - it's been very hot, so they may just have been tired. Make sure they do keep drinking particularly.
However, it's very hard to advise from descriptions and photos, but in my experience with rats, based on your descriptions, I would say I would be a bit concerned that they may have mycoplasmosis and need antibiotics.
I would advise you to take them to the vet as they do need a proper diagnosis, and as soon as possible.
I know that's probably not what you want to hear, but I'm afraid if you have pets, they sometimes do need the vet and unfortunately it does cost money.
I think you need to get them seen as soon as you can so that if they do need treatment it's started as early as possible.
I wish I could tell you that they're fine, but it sounds like they might not be. I'm sorry.
Let us know how you get on though. XX

[Amethyst_ice]

hia, yeh i know..its hard to tell with his little nose, its clouds that im suspicious about...surely though its a little more hopeful taht hes the more active one?

ill have to ring up monday (while on a uni trip away!) and try get them an appointment.
if they do have it is it likely to be from being on sawdust the past year?

im going to ask the previous owner if they had the staining bhut as she never gave them bedding i doubt she'll have noticed if they had....sigh.

what timing//now im kicking myself for not taking them 3 weeks ago for a check up when we got them. :(

x

[kazmac]

Sometimes they're just as active with mycoplasmosis and don't really seem unwell. However that can often change too.
Mycoplasmosis is something lots of rats get, unfortunately, and it can't be cured. It can just be managed, which is why they should really be seen by a vet as they will need antib's to get on top of it asap (IF it is mycoplasmosis).
It causes scarring to the lungs and each time if flares up it scars the lungs more until they don't work properly any more.
But sometimes rats do really well with it and still do all the things they did before.
It certainly won't have helped them that their previous owner kept them on sawdust. It's an absolute no-no for most rodents, especially rats because of the risk to their respiratory systems.
Wood shavings aren't really recommended either for rats for the same reasons.
Best to use all those mentioned here on the forum - carefresh, megazorb, finacard, bed xcel etc.

Don't feel bad about 'delaying' in taking them to the vet. Mycoplasmosis probably wouldn't have been able to be diagnosed until they showed symptoms, which they're possibly doing now. And you're looking at taking them now, so you've really nothing to feel bad about.

[Amethyst_ice]

thanks for all that, just im trying to make these little guys have such a turnaround, maybe im actually stressing them out by giving them all the new things..but they seem to like it all..they are so inquisitive now..i wish you could visit and see how they are, its like they are differnt rats :)

just popped through and cloud came bounding up to me..its been cooler so maybe he was just off.

Just hope i can get an appointment mon or tues...may have to tell some fibs at uni and leave early to take them ..shhhh

xxx

[Amethyst_ice]

Update!

Cloud deff has some slight staining round one nostril :'( Am gonna ring mon first thing and try get him an appointment, gonna be tricky and may have to pull a few lies at uni but needs must.

Tonight i left the door open as usual and when i went back in both were gone! Yes not only had cloud come out as usual so had zell! His first time!!!!

Found them both under the dreaded wardrobe..i keep blocking up everything but they somehow got under lol

i left them for a bit and came back, zell was sat on top of the cage and cloud had got under the bed..again i dont know how!!!

I spoke to zell and he froze. i had a little stroke but he raised up a little so i dont think he felt very comfortable. Anyeay he wasnt coming down so i got my scarf and gently wrapped it round him and lifted him down..he didnt struggle or squeak (like his previous owner said they did..maybe was the picking up by tails ...) he was really light, i swear bear is heavier!

I was about to pop him on floor but was bit selfish and put him on my lap. He stayed still so i scratched him behind the ears and stroked him. He stayed for a little then climbed off me and back into the cage...progress??

Then for cloud....i tried coaxing but nada so had to lift the bed up and pop it on its side!!!! I gave him a little bread and he ran off with it. He climbed on top of the cage again and i decided to try the scarf technique. He was more jumpy but i got him and popped him on my leg. He stayed for about 10 econds then ran down my leg and back in the cage lol


so yes..i havnt got a pet carrier yet so am going to finish the bin cage im doin for bear to take them to vets in that..presume will be ok if i pop the megazorb in and their house. Just to the vets? Ive cut most the lid out and covered that with wire. Ive done one side so will just cover that for time being and finish it properly for bear after ive finished using it for the ratties. Bear understands :)

xxxx

[Amethyst_ice]

Sorry me again, just went to say goodnight to the boys and this is the sigh that met me. The pics arn't great, maybe someone with photoshop skills could remove the bars on the more close up versions, i don't have the knowledge to do that :( Theres a little vid in case the cuteness wasn't clear from the pics..its the first time ive seen them in the hammock together :)

http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc3/hs304.snc3/28835_686099476225_223407998_12333184_5611649_n.jp g

cloud (with his stained nose) :( but still gorgeous to me

http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash1/hs333.ash1/28835_686099481215_223407998_12333185_8176489_n.jp g

Not the most flattering of poses hehe

http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc3/hs324.snc3/28835_686099486205_223407998_12333186_6381270_n.jp g

http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc3/hs324.snc3/28835_686099700775_223407998_12333188_2282762_n.jp g

http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc3/hs324.snc3/28835_686099705765_223407998_12333189_3285781_n.jp g

http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc3/hs324.snc3/28835_686099710755_223407998_12333190_2176405_n.jp g

now tell me if this doesn't make your heart melt?

1rJ1fpqFcN0

[fluffymunchkins]

Poor cloud I hope all goes well for the vets!
Can't see the bid atm but I'll be sure to watch it later :)

[kazmac]

Those are two lovely boys!
Great news - definitely making progress.

Noses don't look too bad in those photos. Maybe Cloud had just cleaned himself before settling down for a snooze.

Hope it all goes well at the vet. XX

[Amethyst_ice]

Those are two lovely boys!
Great news - definitely making progress.

Noses don't look too bad in those photos. Maybe Cloud had just cleaned himself before settling down for a snooze.

Hope it all goes well at the vet. XX

he never really has much staining anyway, a tiny speck sometimes but thats all, why i found it hard to see where it was comming from!

Am i looking into to deeply but is the fact they are sleeping in the open now rather than under their house show they are getting more comfortable? They stay in the hammock when we come in the room whereas before they would run away and hide.

both look adorable in there this morning ^_^

[fluffymunchkins]

I think that definitley means they trust you more!

[Hope]

Yeah, I agree, I think that they are begining to realise that you dont mean them any harm and they have nothing to be afriad of. Sounds like they are comming along really well now.

I hope all goes ok at the vets, best to be safe than sorry, even if its not anything horribloe at least it will put your mind at rest. x

[wofunny]

Well done! They are so cute :) x

[BrainGirl]

They look so relaxed, makes me want to crawl in with them for a nap;)

[kazmac]

Definitely a good sign if they're not running away to hide every time you come near. That's great.

Tried to rely to your PM but it bounced back saying your message box is full!

[Amethyst_ice]

Ive cleared it now :) xxx

[Amethyst_ice]

We managed to get the boys an appointment at 3pm tomorrow..im going to try leave my uni course early to go with them. Gonna finish of the bin cage to take them in, don't have a carrier big enough for them yet.

We are with the rspca vets, couldnt find many small pet specialists, im nervous about not being able to handle them, kinda embarrassed as well, hope they dont think we arnt trying.

Gonna cost £8.92 (weird price!) each..i dont know if this is expensive or not, its meant to be a reduced cost for low incomes..my dog had his nails trimmed and a consultation back home for £17 so mebe.

Should i ask for their nails to be trimmed or anything other than the consultation. Neone got a rough estimate how much antibiotics (if he needs it..looking like he may) is gonna set me back?

xxx

[Iluvhamsters]

Good luck at the vets, sorry I can't help with anything else though.

[Hope]

Sorry I dont know about the proce of antibiotics, but just wanted to wish you and cloud and zell lots of luck and I hope that everything goes well, x x

[Amethyst_ice]

thanks guys, im quite painy today so havnt made it to my placement :( but stil gonna go with my bf to the vets with them. really nervous :s x

[Hope]

Aww bless you, send you and the ratties cuddles x

Hope that you are soon feeling a bit better x

[BrainGirl]

Ooh! I just converted the time here and realized you're there now! I hope all goes well and look forward to the update! Fingers crossed :)

[fluffymunchkins]

all the best, that is quite a good price tbf :)

[Amethyst_ice]

Well we were waiting for ages! But heres how it went-

we went in & had a marmite reaction. Some people loved them and others shivered..was actually a little insulting, there were some ugly dogs there i didnt go ..ewwwww!

Anyway, we finished the bin cage and took em in there, worked a treat :)

got seen and explained everythin., the vet nodded and seemed to get the 'type' of household we were on about.

The boys behaved so well, i was really proud! She listened to their chests and said they sounded fine. She weighed them and they both weighed 350g hehe she gave them a check over and said that they may have had some lung scarrign from the previous owner and may have had respiratory problems before but all thr changes in the last 3 weeks may have been a little much (but agreed we had done everything right :) )

she has popped them both on a twice daily for a week of baytril just to clear nethin up cloud may have. I mentioned i had been using pro-c but she didnt know what i was on about, luckily i brought it with me and she just nodded.

we got back and decided to take advantage of the boys being out the cage so we cleaned it out. We managed to lift them out and had a little cuddle..very brief lol they have been running around the room past 2 hours and are wuite used to being stroked :)

the vet said about putting the baytril on jam..but i dont have ne. I tried cucumber but they turned nose up then i remmebered.bread!!! both guzzled down..however i dont want to give them 2 times a day..what else could i use..plus the bf is off to download now n i have work to go to so need summin quick to administer it :)

but yay..hopefully good news :)

[BrainGirl]

That's fantastic! What about yogurt? Or porridge? Can they have that?

[BrainGirl]

Thanks goodness for the urban dictionary, had to find out what a "marmite reaction" was :p

[Amethyst_ice]

i mentioned porridge and she seemed suprised but said if i used like the bare minimun however i wouldnt have time to make any really plus i dont like it lol x i thought about yoghurt but i dunno what kind is suitable.x

[fluffymunchkins]

Do you have marmite in canada? Thats probably why you didn't know if you didn't lol :)

[Amethyst_ice]

its actually in there? :( and i thought i made it up lol yeh basically people either love rats or hate them i guess. but some poeple are just rude i guess.x

[BrainGirl]

Oh yeah, we have marmite, I've just never heard it used as a description of behaviour before! I quite like the product myself ;)

As for making porridge, what about buying in bulk? You could get one of the finer products like cream of brown rice or cream of wheat...what about those gruel-like baby cereals? They're nearly instant and even if you don't get the instant kind, just make up a big batch like I do and keep it in the fridge!

[Amethyst_ice]

Oh yeah, we have marmite, I've just never heard it used as a description of behaviour before! I quite like the product myself ;)

As for making porridge, what about buying in bulk? You could get one of the finer products like cream of brown rice or cream of wheat...what about those gruel-like baby cereals? They're nearly instant and even if you don't get the instant kind, just make up a big batch like I do and keep it in the fridge!

its only for a week and i dont wanna buy summin we dont use already really lol thanks tho xxxx

[kazmac]

Use anything that will make them take their Baytril. It doesn't smell much but apparently tastes really bitter. And you need to make sure they get it all.
If they won't tolerate you syringing it in (and they probably won't) or if the vet didn't show you how to do it (there's a certain way to do it), you'll need to put it in something tasty to get them to take it. Syringing really stresses them anyway, but sometimes has to be done.

Anyhow, get a couple of tins of something like Heinz baby egg custard with rice and mix their dose of Baytril in to about half a teaspoon of the baby food and they should take it no problem. Or jam, as the vet suggested.
Make sure you dose them individually to ensure they get all their own dose and make sure it's only in a small amount of 'goodies' so that they take it all. But there's nothing like an extra bit with no medicine in afterwards as a treat.
Watch you don't give them something that's too gloopy, though as that cancause them problems with swallowing it - and they can't regurgitate or be sick.
Same with feeding mashed potatoes - have to be very moist. That's another suggestion for meds. as long as there's not a lot of butter or salt in them.

[Hope]

Glad that the vet said that the boys seem ok, bless them for being so well behaved! :-)

I cant really help with what to take the medicine with, as I have no idea what is ok for ratties, but if they seem to like the bread I would keep ging with that, even if its not that great for them at least they are getting the meds they need.

Keep us updated hun x x

[BrainGirl]

its only for a week and i dont wanna buy summin we dont use already really lol thanks tho xxxx

Mix it with Marmite!:p

[Amethyst_ice]

i would like to get them something like baby food but on a practical level..im in work now so when i get back im too tired to go out. They bread has been tinier than i usually give them and after they fin the medicine they wont have any for the rest of the month...the bread gets guzzled quickly.

I have been giving them individual doses to ensure they both get :)

my bf has gone to download now so im alone till monday...these guys (and the hammies) will get me through-

http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash1/hs503.ash1/29785_686775097275_223407998_12374832_7468810_n.jp g

[fluffymunchkins]

Such sweethearts :)
i'm glad they've took the medicine, we will keep you company on here aswell!

[Amethyst_ice]

Such sweethearts :)
i'm glad they've took the medicine, we will keep you company on here aswell!

:) i have made quite a few mates through here, its real nice, spesh as sumtimes my silly health makes me a little reclusive :rolleyes:

the lovely braingirl sent me a postcard from canada, pride of place on my fridge :)

i saw them like this when i came back from uni and i couldnt help but just gush..washed their hammock yesterday (they weed all over it at the vets) so they can have it back later :)

[Hope]

That pic is just adorable, shame we cant have it as photo of the month! ;-)

Yeah I'm sure that us lot and your hammies and ratties will be able to keep you company untill the bf returns :-)

On a side not I wish mine would go away for the weekend - I might get some peace! lol! ;-)

[BrainGirl]

That pic is just adorable, shame we cant have it as photo of the month! ;-)

Bah, just photoshop out the tails and no one will ever know:p

[Hope]

^

They just have incredibly pointy faces thats all . . .

[Amethyst_ice]

hehe i could make little hamster costumes for them to wear ;)

im feelin in need of a hug..had such a hard day at uni n the other girls on my course have clearly mad it obvious they dont like me...even deleted me on the fb.. (dont u love how that has become like a 'big thing' lol) but yeh...been given lots of work to do all in for friday..tried to explain to my tutor that with my crohns i get so tired more but he just keeps saying...6,000 words is a few days work, uve got all weekend...but theres all the reading as well :'( just feeling bit hopeless..and the ratties wouldnt come out n give me snuggles just now :( x

[BrainGirl]

I'll give you a big hug! Sigh...it's so hard when people don't understand that not everything that's easy for them is easy for everyone...

[fluffymunchkins]

i hope your ok! Big hug from me and the hammies :)
Oh and daisy gives you a big slobbery doggy kiss aswell ;)

[Amethyst_ice]

i hope your ok! Big hug from me and the hammies :)
Oh and daisy gives you a big slobbery doggy kiss aswell ;)

awww i miss my dog :( i wanted the ratties to be all cuddly with me but they arnt there yet :( x

i like my independance but sometimes its lonely to come home to no-one...think cos im at uni all day, want someone to tell my day to :( x

[Hope]

hehe i could make little hamster costumes for them to wear ;)

im feelin in need of a hug..had such a hard day at uni n the other girls on my course have clearly mad it obvious they dont like me...even deleted me on the fb.. (dont u love how that has become like a 'big thing' lol) but yeh...been given lots of work to do all in for friday..tried to explain to my tutor that with my crohns i get so tired more but he just keeps saying...6,000 words is a few days work, uve got all weekend...but theres all the reading as well :'( just feeling bit hopeless..and the ratties wouldnt come out n give me snuggles just now :( x

Aww bless you hun, I'll give you a big hug too! :-)

I had a similar thing happen to me with my friends when I was doing my Alevels, I know how crappy it makes you feel.

Chin up hun, :-) x x

[Amethyst_ice]

Thanks, just all ive said to them is giving them advice about to get good grades and how what they are learning is important..sigh

they even made a group and didnt invite me so guess im the proper loner girl.

I havnt done any work tonight..just tried to get indy more votes (the end date has been changed to 14th now as well!) and making vids of stair climbing hammies lol

sigh

xxx

[Hope]

Gah, thats not fair surely?? But at least it gives you time to gather more supporters! :-)

Sometimes you just needsome time out - dont feel bad about not doing anthing tonight, you will probably work better tomorrw after a good nights sleep. x

[Amethyst_ice]

so much for good night sleep..felt bad i havnt let any of my furries out tonight..went to egt ratties out and cloud jumped onto my lap, had a sniff and nibble at my botton and off he went :)
however, both have got under the wardrobe..i seriously dont know how again..they are learnign to jump...and i cant get them out..im tired now :(

but hey, he jumped on me :) x

[BrainGirl]

Yay! Congrats! He obviously feels comfortable with you:)

[Amethyst_ice]

oooh oooh just picked zell up- they ahve sharper claws than a hammy!

He was on the top of the cage and i really wanted to go to bed so i awkwardly picked him up and held him against my chest and lowered him to the cage door.
we've had them a month today..should i start being a little more hands on with them..still doesnt seem like a month has gone by! x

[BrainGirl]

Do rats need their claws kept trimmed too?

[Amethyst_ice]

vet said they looked all ok..just take some getting used too i guess! i cant seem to muster the energy to walk upstairs to bed ..and my belly is grumbling :( x

[BrainGirl]

Hmmm...I recommend popcorn with nutritional yeast powder;)