loud squeaks

[Kurdah]

I haven't posted in a while, but my babies streaker and bella both female both got at the same time. I've had them for quite some time now, got them in.. february? They were always really weary with me handling them but never aggressive. Streaker bites when i give her food not really a bite bite but like a nibble she doesn't take the food rather to bite my finger when i hand her them, bella doesn't do it only streaker, they fight.. i think? they only started this about a week after I lost tibbers, the alpha of them tibbers sister annie is old and she stays away from those two now but they love pestering her she puts them in their place when she gets annoyed and then they end up fighting with eachother it's been going on for about a month now, is this them trying to figure out who the new alpha is? They also refuse to let me handle them, they run away when i try but once i get a hold of them they're fine with sitting on my shoulder they struggle if they're in my hands though. I can't really let them out of their cages a lot due to them being impossible to handle I lay them on my bed when i can actually get them out for about an hour then set them back in their house i know that's not really enough and i should be putting more effort into getting them in a comfortable position with me, i'm just so frustrated with them.. and i guess i don't really want them since i lost tibs, i know it's not that i don't want them i just want them to be like tibbers, loving and nice with me. I just don't have the patience with these two i guess. also annie kinda mopes around still(tibbers sister) she hasn't been the same since tibbers passed she's kinda antisocial unless she's running around my room. How do I set boundaries with rats? I've never had to because i had my own room but my sister moved in with my nephew and i had to give up my room and the room i'm currently in with the rats has no doors annie likes to run off into the nono areas where my clueless grandpa doesn't watch where he steps and the cats roam. can't have an accident but she just loves running off into those rooms, how do i get her to stay in this room? tried blocking off the doorways she always climbs over the barricades or slips through little cracks, to which i hear frantic screams of my mom telling me to get her before her cat does. kinda went off topic would love answers to all of these if possible though. thanks guys.. one more thing, what's a good diet for rats? I bought the generic stuff for tibbers and annie and they always ate it, the babies.. not so much, i have to feed them by hand the nuggets i get in the packet or they simply don't eat. thanks!

 

[jorats]

I know exactly what you are going through. I'm so sorry for your loss.
First of all, play time on the bed is perfectly ok. In fact it will allow them to be closer to you. Add plaything like boxes and tubes and yourself and treats. Each time they come near you, offer a treat. I think this is best for some time, too allow you to grieve and then to accept your current rats with their challenging personalities.
As for the fighting, are you sure they are fighting and not playing with each other?

 

[Kurdah]

I'm not sure if they're fighting, they could be playing but a lot of the time i see bella on her back trying to push streaker away and streaker on top of her they could be playing although it doesn't look to me like bella enjoys it very much. what about setting boundaries, any idea how i can get them to stay in my room?

 

[dspch911]

You can try getting Plastic White Corrugated Sheets from home depot or another store and making a wall by putting them together.

 

[Aida]

So sorry for your loss.

As for what you are describing, it does sound like they are just having dominance spifs, or playing. Pushing each other over, grooming the face and belly, holding the other one to groom it's neck is a way of saying "i'm alpha" and rats will squeak to say "ok ok, I give up". Unless they are screaming, unable to get food due to the other ratty preventing them, or there is blood- we usually don't worry about it.

Two good, popular diets are Oxbow(not OK for babies however), and Harlan. But there are more, so hopefully someone can answer this better.

 

[Kurdah]

Ah, Oxbow I saw that before just didn't think they'd really like it so i never got it looks so bland. Is there anything i should add to it?

 

[YorkieLove]

Ah, Oxbow I saw that before just didn't think they'd really like it so i never got it looks so bland. Is there anything i should add to it?

You need to supplement the Oxbow when they are babies they need more protein. Eggs are a good source of protein. We use Oxbow and then give them dinner at night. Usually just some extra vegetables we have left over from dinner.

 

[Kurdah]

they're not quite babies anymore i wouldn't say, i just call them my babies because i've still got annie and she's an old lady compared to them

 

[jorats]

By the time rats are 5 weeks old, they don't need anymore protein supplements than offered by Oxbow and Harlan 2014.