The Rat Room

Nakies, naked, hairless, true hairless, some double rexes all need some slightly extra care. I have had a couple of hairless rats as well. My first one was a true hairless named Frisson TiNu and most recently I have little Meeko, he’s more a double rex who has lost 80% of his hair which is quite normal.
It has been said in the past that a certain type of hairless rat didn’t live long and had serious respiratory issues. This was true of my first little guy. Despite my efforts and his good fight, he finally lost the battle at 14 months old. But since then, more and more breeders are making these “fancy” rats, cross breeding, inbreeding, linebreeding, the hairless seems to have gotten a bit stronger and not as susceptible to respiratory issues. But they still have plenty of others. Since the hairless have their skin exposed all the time, they do dry out faster. Their skin can become flaky and dirty. It has been suggested to me by my vet to apply moisturizer once in a while, a favourite is one with added oatmeal. Don’t bathe these guys too often, it will be even harsher on their skin, the water and drying with a towel removes their much needed oils.
Although they seem like little breathing furnaces, they do need extra warmth with added bedding like fleece in the cage. They also love to cuddle with their furred little buddies. Don’t get alarmed if your nakie seems to get cut up a lot, that is all part of not having a true coat. If he had fur, his cage mate probably wouldn’t be leaving a mark on him. That’s no reason for separating the hairless from buddies.
Also, don’t get alarmed if your fuzzy double rexe loses his coat. He might very well find it again a week’s time or even a few months. It’s all part of their genetically altered coat.
Other issues are eye gunk. Without the protection around the eyes, they seem to be prone to a collection of debris under the eye lids. Their eyes might become red and swollen. Sometimes over the counter eye drops can help but it’s highly recommended you bring your rat to a vet for a proper cleaning out and the right antibiotic eye ointments.
Another big problem is keratin cysts. These are lumps on the skin containing sacs or capsules of cells and protein. The lumps are usually harmless but you must keep an eye on them because they could become infected or be part of a blocked gland. In some occasions, they may need to be surgically removed.
There was a time when people recommended feeding your hairless rat extra protein because they have a higher metabolism, but I have honestly never found any documents supporting that theory. All the rats here and at my mom’s do very well on a 14% protein and nothing higher. Don’t believe everything you read online. *wink wink*
But overall, the hairless rat is a lovely pet, with the same unique characters of your furred rats and their body heat is a welcome hot potato during the winter months. Grab your little naked and put him in your neck… you’ll be all set to go.

Frisson

Meeko

It must be the rat room. I can’t explain it any other way. The room has been a stress reliever for all of us. The rats seem happier, less stressed and overall healthier. It goes without saying that health is optimized when you take away stress. I know for me, I feel much better about the rat room then when they were in the dining room. The rats are now in a quieter environment, a safer environment. I close the door and our other pets have no access to the rats or the cage. It’s been a wonderful transition.
Ok, onto the best friends forever… the newly joined colony have been happier than ever. In fact, just a couple of days ago, I found Doc curled up in the top holder with a big furry Max as his pillow. His pillow!! And Max was totally soaking in the cuddle. My heart nearly melted… and again this morning when I found them together again. Come to think of it… they also hang out together during out time. I’m pretty sure the two have bonded and chosen each other for an alliance. Meanwhile Molly and Gera seem to be getting closer than ever. Molly loves to dig into Gera’s fur and grab a few bites and chew. Gera loves it… especially under his arms. Meeko, well what can I say. Meeko is the love bunny with his girls Chu, Scout and specifically Bianca who won’t say no to anything. Rory sits back and watches his rats. He’s a happy big guy, seems to be popcorning all the time. Chief is slowly planting his roots and claiming his area. He’s going to be a good Chief for these guys.
Putting these two colonies together was a great thing. <3

A happy Molly saying hello!

There’s nothing negative about a raffle. You put in a bit of money, a few bucks donation and you have the chance to win a great prize. A prize suited to your needs and wants. Especially in this case, The Capital City Rat Rescue raffle.
This rescue has done many great things for rats in the Nebraska area. They take in homeless rats, re-home and rehabilitate the ones most in need. Not only are they important for saving countless lives, they are also instrumental in helping a wonderful company called Oxbow in reformulating their product. But Capital City Rat Rescue can’t do it all alone. They need our help. And what better way than a raffle. They offer great prizes and not only for our rats. They have coupons for MacDonalds, beautiful beaded jewelry, painted glass and candles… that’s right, time to pamper yourself. Of course there are also the customary rat prizes, cages, decor and hammocks galore. My sister site The Cozy Corner, literally my sister site, my sister runs it. lol has donated a $50 gift certificate for anything on the site as well as custom orders. So get your finger out and start clicking and do some CHIPIN in for Capital City Rat Rescue. And don’t forget… you can also check out their website for a rat or two to add to your colony.
You can visit them on the Rat Shack and check out the raffle thread. Or you can visit their website to learn more about Capital City Rat Rescue.

You’ll have fun, you’ll be doing some good and you won’t be disappointed. Everybody wins when we donate to a rescue.

That’s right. The Gera group and Rory group is no more. They have joined forces and are all living together. It shall be called the Max group because he really is the Archie Bunker of the family. Everyone pretty much gets along except Max is just tolerating their move in. But he’s all talk no action still which is a good thing. In fact, it looks like Rory is keeping him in line. (go Rory)
The others really are happy. They love their new rat room and all the exploring they do all the time. It was the perfect time to add them all together. When there’s a change it kind of throws them off their focus point and in many instances it redirects their attention to something else, usually a common interest is the the changes. They bond together to take on the newness of their world.
I started these intros back at the end of June. It has been almost 3 months now. A few times I wanted to quit but I’m so glad I have pushed on and the rats are glad too. Meeko loves snuggling with his ladies. Chief is amazed and excited by the size of his cage. Everyone has benefited in some way, even Max. It has helped him overcome his introverted attitude and accept new furry buddies in his life. And there’s nothing better than that.

Out time in the new rat room.

Ok, so not really complete but satisfactory for now. It will take a while before I have it just right. Along the years, I’m sure I’ll collect other stuff, toys and furniture that will make the room more workable. Like for instance, I had to change my computer chair. It simply didn’t work with my bad back. I also added coroplast in some areas. Why you ask? Chu.
The rats seem to love it. We’ve had our play time yesterday. The old crew (Davis 40m, Julia31m and Rodeo 30m) really didn’t care, they hardly move about, they just care when they get their baby food and Ensure. The middle aged crew (Sawyer, Benjamin, Desmond, Pony, Fox, Bronco, Darcy, Bug, Echo, Matou and Rocher all 18m) had a ball. Those boys have always acted like everything belongs to them. That the world in fact, revolves solely around them. They are a fun crew a secure and comfortable bunch. Then it was time for the Rory and Gera group. They were cautious at first but after about 30 minutes they really started to enjoy the room. The girls of course, Molly and Chu were all about, getting into all kinds of trouble hence the added coroplast.
Today, I’ve decided not to separate the cage after their out time. So keep your fingers crossed.

Pics of the rat room.

Molly was first in her class, in fact, I’m sure she was president. Even though she is nearing her 2 years, she is still quite spry on her feet. She still runs with a spring in her step and gets into all kinds of things she shouldn’t. You would never know she’s becoming an old gal.
Back in the dining room out time, I foolishly left the broom in the play area. Silly me. What was I thinking. How could I not know that that broom was actually a climbing device, similar to that of an escalator for the little lady. Molly took to that broom like she was born to wrap her feet around and and wiggle her way up. I had to pry her off of the handle several times before I decided to remove the broom. Yes, of course I got pictures first. *wink*
Naturally, the broom walk was only a means to an end… which is the top of the dresser, all kinds of goodies are hidden there. She never got to it though. I was faster than her wiggle.

Molly mastering the broom walk.

If you happen to live in Ontario, Canada, and you are looking to bring rats into your home, please keep in mind Chelle’s Critter Haven.
Chelle and her husband Graham have been doing rat rescue for some time now. It’s always difficult when you first set up a rescue and to actually follow through with it but these two have made it seem like they were born for this kind of work. They are amazing with rats, take excellent care of them and should be the first you go too when wanting a rat. Chelle can help you choose which rats would fit into your family, she can also guide you in intros if you’d like to have the new rats live with your current little guys. She will always be there for you should you need info or support in any way rat related. And if you can’t adopt from Chelle at this time, please consider donating. Rescue rats don’t come cheap. With Chelle, they don’t just sit in a cage and wait for a home. They get regular vet care, the best of food, toys and lots of human interactions. You can find more information at her website: Chelle’s Critter Haven.

Now on to Chelle’s Critter Haven’s rat of the month!
September belongs to Helena.

Chelle writes:
Helena was surrendered to us with her sister, Venus. She is about 18 months old. She was fed table scraps her entire life, and her poor diet caused some, shall we say, excessive weight gain. But now, with a proper diet, she is quickly going back to the weight she should be, has a much better coat, and has gained lots of personality and spunk! She is still a little chunky, but we like to think that there is just more to love!
There are so many more reasons to love her. She, as well as her sister, is very well socialized and loves being handled, held, and especially cuddled! Because she is older, she is a bit more relaxed, and is content to curl up in your lap and be loved.
She and Venus have similar types of markings, but do have differences in their colouring, as well as their size, so they are quite easy to tell apart. They would be great for someone who is new to rats! They would love to have an owner who has a quieter home and doesn’t mind adopting older gals.
Feel free to ask about or come meet Helena! You will fall in love with her chubby physique, her loving personality, and her overwhelming beauty!

You can find more info and pictures on Helena at the Rat Shack forums or at Chelle’s Critter Haven.

Helena: