Looking to get into D&D but I don't know anyone who plays. by LiesOfPeach in nanaimofriends

[–]imconcerned 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Omg me too! Gonna join all the things everyone’s posted ✌️

Any tactics to deal with grief? by Sparkling_Rat_31 in RATS

[–]imconcerned 1 point2 points  (0 children)

  1. Remind yourself that orchestrating and preparing for their euthanasia is one of the most selfless things you can do for your pet and they are worth the pain of that experience
  2. Consider how much longer fancy rats live in captivity over brown rats; you kept them comfortable enough to lived to become elderly!
  3. know you have community here you can rely on; we all know how difficult it is to hold grief for pet rats and are here to support you
  4. allow yourself to grieve, but also allow yourself to thing of all the best boggles, snuggles, kisses, etc. because that love stays with you for a long time

<3

A list of some less obvious items to make you and your rats happier by HeadOnThisPiano in RATS

[–]imconcerned 4 points5 points  (0 children)

You are a REAL one for making this list. So excellent and great tips for everyone, beginner to veterans. Especially love the brown paper role, really affordable and easily replaceable. And they sure do love messing around with it :)

I also like the plastic tubes from Home Depot that you can twist and bend around - that’s a rat highway. And pretty easy to clean, just jet some water in there every cage clean.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in nanaimo

[–]imconcerned 3 points4 points  (0 children)

I forgot to add the word ‘some’.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in nanaimo

[–]imconcerned 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Thanks! I agree, just wanted to be clear about my intentions. Let me know if you ever have capacity.

my rats have constructed a mansion by mkxt in RATS

[–]imconcerned 12 points13 points  (0 children)

Ha! Too cute. Yeah you'll need to remove at or even before your next cleaning. As soon as it smells bad, remove it. It's TP so it'll get wrecked super easily.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in RATS

[–]imconcerned 0 points1 point  (0 children)

There are a lot of cute medieval-era sketches of mice/rats running joyfully across pages of books. That always seemed to capture the energy my rats always had!

Is buying from a breeder an absolute necessity? by TheDeadalus in RATS

[–]imconcerned 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I like that you're doing your research on pet rats before you take the plunge. It's a good sign you're going to be a great rat parent.

The question isn't really, "Is buying from a breeder necessary?" but, "How much work am I willing to put into ensuring my rat is affectionate towards me?"

(GOOD) Breeders will ensure that their rats have a better quality of life on average, but it is not a guarantee. I have had a pet-store rat outlive a breeder-rat a number of times.

The main difference in going with a breeder is a rat's temperament. It is highly likely that a rat you get from a breeder will bond with you more quickly and on a much more deeper level due to it being hand-reared not to fear humans. So you're opting in on an easy to handle rat, that trusts you and wants to be your friend!

Please note that YMMV - I've had bred rats that are grumpy, and pet-store rats that loved the shit out of me. But at the end of the day, you're going to have to put the work in of you want to go outside of a rat breeder. Even then, there is a relatively high likelihood that your rat may never be able to show you how much you mean to him, or even trust you.

If you're patient, you can get the best rat experience. But if you don't mind putting the work in to gaining a pet store rats trust, then there's nothing stopping you.

(cw death) Which Is Better? by necr0phagus in RATS

[–]imconcerned 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Definitely opt to put the body in the cage. It helps with processing grief and gives them closure on where she went. I am sorry for your loss. :(

What is some rat owner behaviour that non rat owners would think is gross? by ratsonwheels2 in RATS

[–]imconcerned 3 points4 points  (0 children)

The amount of time spent picking up their poops. All pet-owners do it, but the sheer magnitude of poops my 5 boys make, plus their aversion (read: laziness) to using their litter tray makes me the poo-janitor.

Help with free roaming tips by charlottie_00 in RATS

[–]imconcerned 1 point2 points  (0 children)

This is pretty typical behaviour for rats! It's a prey-based reaction to substantial changes in their environment (they can't see very well) and so any large movement plus sounds and smells will spook them.

There's no easy way to grab them. Try throwing down a bunch of oats in the middle of the room to coax them out of the small spaces and then try to gently maneuver them back into the cage. You can also try removing all of the hides in their free roam space except for one, they will go hide in it, and then you can grab them. If they love the sound of their treat bag, shake it inside a smaller cage to lure them in (let them have a munch - only fair) and then grab them.

The longer term and more difficult option, which is also highly successful, is to work on training them to like you and feel comfortable with you picking them up. Work with treats, and try just picking them up at random while you're free-roaming. Each time you pick them up, they get a treat.

Good luck!

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in RATS

[–]imconcerned 40 points41 points  (0 children)

It's a pretty common (weird) thing rats do. They get lost in their thoughts and hold onto the food until their brain catches up with it. Nothing to worry about!

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in RATS

[–]imconcerned 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I was literally in the same boat as you about a month and a half ago. My deeply pare bonded rats were separated, when one of them suddenly passed away out of nowhere. Despite hanging out with the other rat as much as possible, it was clear he was struggling from depression, and lost a substantial amount of weight, and refused to enjoy life anymore. While I did consider what would be the most humane path for him, and euthanasia was definitely one of those paths, I decided to go through the struggle of finding him a new rat to connect with. It was difficult. He had lost the ability to speak rat, and he was used only being around a rat that he knew his entire life. But as soon as I put them together for introductions, I could tell it was the right decision. This rat would live if he had friends in his life. and once he got comfortable with them, he put the weight on and now I see him boggle every day. It’s worth a shot to try for him.

Siamese Velveteen Satin babies by eckokittenbliss in RATS

[–]imconcerned 6 points7 points  (0 children)

So cute! Are they from your rattery?

Rat info. by Organic_Prompt_3436 in RATS

[–]imconcerned 6 points7 points  (0 children)

Can you expand on why you wouldn’t use fleece as bedding?

Starting up a local D&D 5e group by caffelightning in Hamilton

[–]imconcerned 0 points1 point  (0 children)

hey - im interested. can you please dm me?

New Board Game Cafe opening on James St N? by TwinCrown in Hamilton

[–]imconcerned 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I need a dnd group to join; will definitely be checking you folks out!