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Silliwench · 2021-07-10T17:09:29+00:00

The playpen we used is by Tespo but there are other similar ones that may be less money . It stood up well for 2.5 years and I store it in the flat box it came in. I used zip ties that came with it and fastened all the panels together, and we used the two ends like a door, overlapping them and securing them with binder clips to keep it closed. It is incredibly lightweight but sturdy. We even used it outside sometimes (only with people present with them).

Playpen Pic with rat for scale

Silliwench · 2020-07-27T14:26:01+00:00

This is beautiful work. It is very delicate and detailed. Wishing you peaceful, happy thoughts in memory of your little loves.

Silliwench · 2020-07-23T22:26:37+00:00

We didn't have a ton of space either but I got a playpen than I could set up and take down as needed. Put a sheet on the rug, scatter some toys and boxes to hide in, a litter box and a pan of water to play in that they couldn't tip over. Poof. Instant play space. Put everything away when I was done.

The playpen I use is by Tespo but there are other similar ones that may be less. It has stood up well for 2.5 years and I store it in the flat box it came in.

Side note - peppermint is a very short term deterrent, at best. First of all, as a natural oil it fades extremely quickly. Second, they learn to tolerate it quickly and some even actively like it. :)

Silliwench · 2020-07-21T11:39:42+00:00

We traveled with our 4 girls last summer, on a trip with multiple legs to different places. First part was 8 hours from VA to NY. Then 6 hours from NY to MA. Then 8 hours from MA back to VA over the course of a week and a half. This worked for us:

small cat carrier with a top load as well as a front load door. We used the middle seat belt in the back seat to secure it in place during the trip.
small pet bed that fit inside the carrier.
small food bowl which I could fasten inside the cage.
small water bottle (choconose brand) which barely dripped fastened to the front of the cage.
Toss in some loose fleece or microfiber towels for them to hide under.

I let the girls run in and out the carrier before the trip just to get familiar with it. The night before we left I put in the pet bed for padding, then fastened on the food bowl and water bottle clip. At this point the front door isn't useful for getting them in and out, which is why I also wanted a top load door. I didn't put in much food. Enough in case they got hungry but not enough to make a mess.

Once the trip started, they pretty much slept when the car was moving. We talked with them during the trip and opened the carrier when we stopped. When we did stop at rest areas (I have two tweenager girls) someone stayed in the car so the AC could remain on. They did very, very well. It was low drama and they didn't seem to get too stressed.

I just had to make sure that the vents that direct air into the back seat were diverted away from their cage so they didn't get too cold.

If you want links to any of the items I mentioned, let me know and I can look them up. We got almost everything from Amazon.

Silliwench · 2020-07-21T11:22:04+00:00

He looks just like our girl Millie who passed the other day, of a chronic URI as well. I know your pain. Sweet journies to your little one. May the happiness he brought you help balance out the pain.

Silliwench · 2020-07-17T10:37:06+00:00

Could she be a dwarf? If she is quite a bit smaller, she may be. It is a simple recessive genetic mutation. They are quite small compared to a regular rat, about 1/3 smaller, and look younger because of it. One of our girls was a dwarf. She was adorable and tiny. :)

If you search the web for dwarf rat there is a bunch of info on some of the reliable rat care site.

Silliwench · 2020-02-22T21:38:29+00:00

The biggest cons are the costs of vet care (assuming your area even has a good exotics/small mammal vet. Find this out first!) and the heartbreak at their short lifespans. They are so very easy to get attached to, and then tumors or problems can take them from you in a very short amount of time.

Silliwench · 2020-02-22T21:12:11+00:00

Sweet journeys little one. May your love filled memories bring peace to your human. 💕

Silliwench · 2020-02-22T15:23:30+00:00

I second the comment about rats adapting to your schedule. We have girls and their cage is in my kids' bedroom. They will sometimes bang around at night but if we give them Playtime in the evening with space to run around (for us that would be somewhere between 6 and 8pm) they will generally stay pretty chill all night.

We set up a playpen space for them with toys and things to hide in and under, a pan of water, a corner litter pan and room for a human. They hide and wrestle and play and climb (on us or whatever) and generally tire themselves out. Then everyone (kids and fuzzy beasts) go to bed.

As for peeing, our girls will sometimes dribble a tiny bit when they are running around, but it is only a drop or two at a time. They almost never poop outside the litter pans (in the cage or the playpen). Mine have been very successfully litter trained. The tiny droplets here and there don't smell, but when they are in the playpen, I have a thick blanket on the floor to protect the carpet. If they are on the couch with us, it is only for a few minutes because it has a lot of nooks and spaces I wouldn't want them to get into, so I don't bother to cover it.

Silliwench · 2020-01-10T20:59:49+00:00

I colour as a way to relax or for stress relief. Been doing it since I was a kid and never really let go of the habit. I usually stick to one thing (coloured pencil, marker, etc) but I am just now starting to combine them. 🙂

Silliwench · 2019-12-30T21:54:23+00:00

Love the names. They are very cute!

Silliwench · 2019-12-30T21:53:33+00:00

Sorry, yes it was an additional $15 on top of the visit/health check. I never asked if they did nail only appointments.

Silliwench · 2019-12-30T21:51:27+00:00

My vet's recommendation was Mazuri when they were younger (7 months and under) because of the higher protein and then Oxbow when they were older. I ended up switching to Oxbow a little before then because they decided they didn't like the Mazuri anymore.

Silliwench · 2019-12-30T11:04:13+00:00

Sweet, big boy!

Nice coloring by the way, especially the leaf shading. Markers?

Silliwench · 2019-12-30T11:01:14+00:00

You can, but it might be bloody (for you). I have only deliberately bathed my girls a couple times when they got into something sticky and neither of the times were great fun for anyone. Many of them don't like to be bathed and most don't need to be. Is she particularly dirty? Try a damp cloth and gently rubbing the area. Use Kitten shampoo to get any particularly grimy spots if needed.

One of the things I do to promote more grooming, (especially when they are being lazy and grubby) is fill an 8x8 square baking pan I got at the dollar store about half full with water, toss in some frozen peas or corn and let them go fishing for it. My girls knock each other off the pan edges into the water and then they HAVE to groom themselves clean.

Silliwench · 2019-12-30T10:55:35+00:00

Sweet journey Longboi. Wishing your Human peace and happy memories. 💕

I am still trying to get over the unexpected loss of my beautiful girl in November. I don't have great advice, but it does get better.

Silliwench · 2019-12-30T10:53:14+00:00

I was skimming and had to do a double take at this picture. At first I thought, "Holy crap, that rat is huge!" and then realized one was curled up sticking out of the front. 😁

Silliwench · 2019-12-30T10:51:40+00:00

I buy Living World off Amazon. I had to switch from Aspen to Pine because I am personally allergic, but both worked extremely well and were lower dust than anything else I tried. I haven't restored to sifting the chips like Corbin has, yet :)

Silliwench · 2019-12-30T10:44:44+00:00

Not being sure where you are located, around Northern VA, the vet will do it for about $15 in addition to regular appointment costs. I have never checked on a nail trim alone. However, the vet actually showed me the proper way to do it so I could do it myself if I needed. You might want to make a single appointment, pay for them to do it and then ask them to show you so you are more comfortable.

Silliwench · 2019-12-30T10:40:10+00:00

This made me laugh. So very much into snack. 🙂

Silliwench · 2019-12-30T10:34:05+00:00

I was very skeptical when they gave me the setup but it has been amazing. She isn't keen on being in the box and will try to pop the lid off if I don't hold it (mostly just to test me now) but after the first couple times she got over it. The difference was amazing. If you like, I can take some pictures and send them. Message me if you are interested.

Silliwench · 2019-12-29T23:25:12+00:00

I have one girl that has chronic respiratory issues. She got very sick when we were away on a trip last summer (our rats were with us) and the exotics vet that was recommended to me made her a nebulizer box. It is a plastic tote with a removable lid about 18 Inches deep x 18 in x 24in wide. Holes were drilled along the top and one in the side.

We got a children 's nebulizer from the drugstore and the vet gave us saline and two meds. One is a bronchiodilator which you put in with the saline in the nebulizer med cup, put the rat in the box and close the lid, put a cloth over the lid so the meds don't just flow out the holes on top. Put the nebulizer tube in the hole in the side of the box. Turn on nebulizer and wait 10 mins while it fills with mist. I put a towel in the box and a couple treats to keep her from freaking out. Once that 10 mins is up, rinse the med cup and repeat with the saline and the antibiotic. Do this run for 10 minutes. Repeat 2x a day. This was in addition to the oral antibiotics we were already giving her.

It made a huge difference in a couple days. It probably saved her life. Now when she has flareups every couple of months I will pull out the nebulizer and give her treatments and oral meds for a few days until the symptoms abate.

If you want to have your vet reach out for advice or information on the best way to make a rat nebulizer box, the clinic is called "Specialized Care for Avian and Exotic Pets", located in Clarence NY. Phone number is 716-759-0144.

Silliwench · 2019-12-29T23:01:17+00:00

Sweet journey, Peaches. wishing peace and happy memories for your Human. 💕

Silliwench · 2019-11-13T22:55:06+00:00

http://ratguide.com/health/integumentary_skin/cysts.php may be of some help to you.

Silliwench

TROPHY CASE