ViciousCurse
Well-Known Member
Hey, I'm a new member, I'm sure you've seen me around, but I've been too shy to formally introduce myself. I live in the States, Minnesota specifically. I'm currently under about three feet of snow thanks to the snowiest February in MN's history... I've managed to keep myself from not freezing!
I attend college part-time and currently have no job (I work in the summer and then save for my "off time"). I live with my mother for the time being.
I currently have eight male rats. Three of which will be two in July. I have two more adults that just turned a year old last December. They're my rescues. I have three new babies, who were born in November. All male and all unneutered currently.
As for the two rescues I mentioned, they came to me missing parts of their tails, one has a nick in his eyelid, one has a nick in his ear. I have no idea how any of this could happen. They're very afraid of people. Part of me wonders if they were abused... Thankfully they're in good health now, but they're still shy. I just don't understand how they could be abused or neglected, they're such sweethearts.
I had three rats before all of these boys. One of which was my heart rat and my little lovebug.
I'd love to have females, but I don't have the room for TWO DCNs and I just think that would be too much for me to handle. If I did ever get the time or space, I'd dedicate that to mostly rescue rats. I very rarely ever see male rats in need of homes, just females. Living in Minnesota, an awkward pat of my country, I don't see very many rat rescues. The closest one to me in one is 100+miles away. Our local Animal Humane Societies take in rats, but they get adopted out so quickly, I can't call and reserve those rats in time (which is a great thing).
I have my male rats in a Double Critter Nation with fleece and litterboxes. I recently put pee rocks into my litterboxes (and added another one) and I'm having significantly less pottying issues. My rats also just seem to enjoy the rocks. I buy remnant fleece from a fabric store and then make hammocks, cage liners, and whatnot, so my cage is very mismatched and does not have a color scheme.
My cage is also a bit of a mess. I'm trying out various new toys to see how my rats react to it. I'd like to get an extra DCN hanging shelf so my rats have my floor space. I'm in the works of making ladder fleece liners.
I just want to say that rats have been so helpful with my physical and mental illnesses. I was recently diagnosed with Anxiety, Depression, PTSD, and Fibromyalgia (although there's suspicions it may actually be Multiple sclerosis instead). I'm not looking for pity--I'm looking to inform. It's amazing how such little creatures can clear up a gloomy day. My rats seem to go into super affectionate and cuddly mode when I'm having a bad day, whether it be my mental or physical health. Their small, warm bodies also decrease any pain I'm feeling, which is amazing. Too bad federal law prevents me from bringing these guys out in public to help with my pain.
Funny enough, my best friend used to be a dog. When he passed away, I swear, my heart rat stepped right up and made it incredibly clear he'd be my little support system. And when he eventually made his trek to the rainbow bridge, a previously bite-y and aggressive rat now became my little lovebug. I don't know what I think of it, other than they seem to "choose" the next in line.
(In my next post, I'll upload pictures of my cage and my rats. Excuse the mess, it's two days before cage cleaning, so the cage is somewhat of a mess)
I attend college part-time and currently have no job (I work in the summer and then save for my "off time"). I live with my mother for the time being.
I currently have eight male rats. Three of which will be two in July. I have two more adults that just turned a year old last December. They're my rescues. I have three new babies, who were born in November. All male and all unneutered currently.
As for the two rescues I mentioned, they came to me missing parts of their tails, one has a nick in his eyelid, one has a nick in his ear. I have no idea how any of this could happen. They're very afraid of people. Part of me wonders if they were abused... Thankfully they're in good health now, but they're still shy. I just don't understand how they could be abused or neglected, they're such sweethearts.
I had three rats before all of these boys. One of which was my heart rat and my little lovebug.
I'd love to have females, but I don't have the room for TWO DCNs and I just think that would be too much for me to handle. If I did ever get the time or space, I'd dedicate that to mostly rescue rats. I very rarely ever see male rats in need of homes, just females. Living in Minnesota, an awkward pat of my country, I don't see very many rat rescues. The closest one to me in one is 100+miles away. Our local Animal Humane Societies take in rats, but they get adopted out so quickly, I can't call and reserve those rats in time (which is a great thing).
I have my male rats in a Double Critter Nation with fleece and litterboxes. I recently put pee rocks into my litterboxes (and added another one) and I'm having significantly less pottying issues. My rats also just seem to enjoy the rocks. I buy remnant fleece from a fabric store and then make hammocks, cage liners, and whatnot, so my cage is very mismatched and does not have a color scheme.
My cage is also a bit of a mess. I'm trying out various new toys to see how my rats react to it. I'd like to get an extra DCN hanging shelf so my rats have my floor space. I'm in the works of making ladder fleece liners.
I just want to say that rats have been so helpful with my physical and mental illnesses. I was recently diagnosed with Anxiety, Depression, PTSD, and Fibromyalgia (although there's suspicions it may actually be Multiple sclerosis instead). I'm not looking for pity--I'm looking to inform. It's amazing how such little creatures can clear up a gloomy day. My rats seem to go into super affectionate and cuddly mode when I'm having a bad day, whether it be my mental or physical health. Their small, warm bodies also decrease any pain I'm feeling, which is amazing. Too bad federal law prevents me from bringing these guys out in public to help with my pain.
Funny enough, my best friend used to be a dog. When he passed away, I swear, my heart rat stepped right up and made it incredibly clear he'd be my little support system. And when he eventually made his trek to the rainbow bridge, a previously bite-y and aggressive rat now became my little lovebug. I don't know what I think of it, other than they seem to "choose" the next in line.
(In my next post, I'll upload pictures of my cage and my rats. Excuse the mess, it's two days before cage cleaning, so the cage is somewhat of a mess)
