advice

I am researching anything that could help my boy and could use some advice please. Reggie has developed a lump inside his abdomen on one side. I felt it last week and took him to our vet right away. When we got there, the vet wasn't sure if there was a lump and, strangely, I struggled to find...

Hi, I am so sorry for the long post but I really really need some advice, my old man blue died 2 Sundays ago I did know this was going to happen as he was well past his age so it was expected, but my baby boy buddy 2yrsold died on sunday a straight week after blue died, I was soo confused and...

One of my boys *about 5 months* is sick and I dont know what's happening to him! His sister died in the same way not long ago!! We woke up and he was just lethargic and drooling, he also looked like he was trying to regurgitate. We waited it out and then took him to a vet. They couldn't find out...

Hello, one of my rats has had an ongoing respiratory problem that first flared up when he was around six months old and he is now 11 months. He’s been on and off doxy and baytril and the first time the doxy really helped him and he was back to normal within days. the baytril did absolutely...

I recently adopted three sisters together. All of them are 4-5 weeks old (my best guess). Very small still. I didn't realize that one of them was sick until I brought her home. Day 1 she couldn't even sit up. She would just endlessly roll over and flop on her sides. I found out that my family...

I am going away for a couple weeks and need to find a rat-sitter. I do not know where to look nor what to do. In the past, my housemates have looked after my boys while I was away and, in exchange, I bought them a nice dinner -- or something similarly casual. That option is not available this...

I have two male rats who are 8 months old and are brothers so have lived together their whole lives and never had any problem. Recently, the bigger rat (william) has been picking on the smaller one (james) to the point where he actually gets fluffed up and bites james leaving cuts in his skin. I...

Hi everyone, I really need your help with my rats. I really don't know what else I can do with them. Two weeks ago I got my rats from a breeder (my boyfriend got them for me as a surprise and he didn't have any idea that these rats almost don't have human socialization) At first they were...

Hello! My name is Amber and I recently rescued two new rats to add to my family of three. One of the babies I saved I adopted for free because he is sick. I suspected wet tail- however he is eating, drinking and exploring his new isolation tank fine. He lays down some like he doesn't feel well...

Hi! I might be getting rats in the future but I currently have 2 cats. They are both friendly. Anyways, we have a spare room where I think I will be keeping my rats and I was wondering if the door was left closed so that cats couldn’t get in if that would be okay?? Any advice on how to keep the...

Hello all! This is my first post here and I’m here with concerns. I just got two new baby boys! They’re so kind though a little hand shy, but we’re getting there with them. One of the boys is quiet and relax. No health problem in sight yet. While his brother is and has been rather wheezy...

I have three young girl rats and I'm becoming a little concerned that one may be getting left out or excluded from the group. I see her being pushed out of beds by her sisters, and the two sleeping in different places than her every now and then. I have always felt that the two girls have had a...

On Feb 9th, my boyfriend and I went to a animal expo, and we adopted two female rats. We called them Lyla and Ella. Throughout the month they kept pining each other down. We didn't think anything of this, thought it was a territory thing. Ella got very big very fast, I was wondering if she was...

I am getting my first pair of rats soon and I had bought a pretty decent size bird cage, but the woman I am adopting them from is also selling me a large cage fairly cheap. Rather than throw away the bird cage, I was thinking of combining the two horizontally with a tube. Anyone have any...

Hi all, I'd be grateful for any advice. I brought a pair of boys home today (rehomed, they're already one) and one seems really lethargic and only interested in sleeping in his little house. The other one is quite axacti and inquisitive. Do you think it's just because he's had a stressful day...

I adopted my sweet boy ollie around 5 days ago and i've noticed him sneezing quite regularly (maybe 10 times a day) i know that that's not uncommon for rats to do when they're stressed/first come home but his nose seems to have a lot of build up as well. so far he seems as playful as always (i...

Hello everyone, I’m both new to the Rat Shack as well as rat owning in general. Just yesterday I brought in two baby boys from a store where they were plan to be used as feeder rats for snakes and other reptiles. They’re still fairly young but I’m not entirely sure of their exact age. So far...

Hi everyone! I'm in dire need of help. I've had a pair of rats before that were shy at first but were young and fairly easy to tame. My local shelter has just received over 80 rats, adults and juveniles. Thankfully other rescues have stepped in to help take some of the rats but they really only...

My husband's rat Myro (a little over 2 years old) hasn't been doing well for a while. We've been suspecting a petuitary tumor because he has been having a harder and harder time holding his food slowly over time and he is also becoming more disoriented and he leans to the left and seems off...

Hello, I'm hoping to get a pair of rats in the not so distant future. Just currently researching and getting all my information straight before I do. So any information given would be massively appreciated. Does anyone have the thicket cage that pets at home were selling for degu's? As far as I...