Questions...Thank you's.... Sorry's.

[Miya_Moo_Chu]

I'm not quite understanding.. If this is a good thing, or If my girlies are nervous around me... Everytime they come out of their cage, they seem pretty nervous, but then Chu starts to lick me, and then Moo and Chu kinda... sorta .. talk I guess.
Oh, and Sorry if you all have been bored or annoyed by my pregger-q's , but i'm a first time mommy, give me some slack. And I really don't know what to... honestly do. A couple of my friends actually wanted two or three babbies, so i'm pretty excited about that, but I don't think that they have enough.. money... sadly. And I really can't fund much really. I was going to get another rattie, a Dumbo I belive[light brown, with pale-ish markings and wide round dumbo ears!] and she was the sweetest thing, but someone already took her, and I asked the store who it was.. and they had told me that it was a rattie owner, and NOT a snake-y owner.. So I was REALLY REALLY happy! I hope that she has a wonderful life.
Oh and another question about preggey rats, uhmm Are they really anxious like.. ALL the time!? Because Moo keeps running under my sweatshirt, or under my shirt, and scratching me, VERRY hard... and it.. uhh hurts! And I'm really terrified of clipping their nails, so i wont... belive me, I have already tried... And it scared me to DEATH. Well this is really long, so I guess i'll just leave it at peace.
one more question... There is NO poly-whatever coming out of Chu's noes, but I DO think that she has a cold, any ideas what to do about it? Should i put acouple more fleece things in her cage? lamps? Anything? I don't want her to be living a COLD life... I put some fleece inside of her hammock, and she just pushed it out... I guess she's ok. Oh, and I fed her a very TINY peice of Dark chocolate, which i belived is good for their lungs, and she hasn't really been sneezing...
Well i'll give you an update on Moo, and Chu!
Bye, and thanks for everything, you people are LITERALLY a life saver~

 

[user 78]

How long have you had them? It takes time to build a relationship with your rats, and even then it depends on the rat's personality as to how involved they want to be with you. If you've just gotten them recently, then they're in a new environment with a new person, so they're going to be a little nervous. It just takes some time for them to settle down and understand that they're safe enough outside of their home.

Anxious does not mean they're pregnant. Any rat can be nervous, no matter their age, sex, or reproductive state. Hiding in your shirt is a very good thing. It means they're trusting you not to hurt them, and to protect them from the Big Scary Place. The close and dark of your shirt is comforting to them, makes them feel safer. If their nails are bothering you that much, put on two shirts and let them inside the top layer.

If you can't afford a whole lot, I really wouldn't suggest getting another rat if you think one of your's is pregnant. If she is pregnant, you'll need to be investing in some sort of maternity cage, high protein foods, and cages for the babies when they need to be separated. Normal rat gestation is between 21-23 days. If you've had them for nearly that time, she should have put on a considerable amount of weight. Is there some reason why you think she's pregnant? And if you think she was exposed to a male at the pet store, why would you go and buy another from them?

You don't want to put any sort of heating source on the cage. It's much easier for rats to overheat than anything else. You can put extra fleece in their cage if you're that concerned. If they're cold, they'll curl up together. If you honestly think she's sick, then she needs to go see a vet and be examined. The vet can determine whether or not she needs to be on antibiotics. If you've gotten her recently, it could very well just be the new home sneezes. They go away, and if her sneezing is improving I would leave it alone. Dark chocolate is only good when a rat is in respiratory distress. It doesn't help sneezing, snuffling, etc.. It's for when a rat is having true difficulty breathing, as the dark chocolate helps to open their airways. It's not something you should give often or for extremely minor things. It's a hold over until you can get them into the vet, nothing more.

 

[LA]

I had Ruby and Hazel since 6 wks and they didn't completely come out of their shell until 11 months. Ruby trained us on how to pick her up the way she wanted and that didn't start until 6 months. I wouldn't be too concerned.

Also why do you think Chu had a cold? she's not sneezing and their is no porphryn.

 

[Moon]

It realy can take a long time for some rats to become completely comfortable. Emma is 2 years old and only now does she seem really comfortable with us.

And never, EVER feel bad about asking questions. That's what we're here for!

If you are experiencing a lot of bad under the shirt scampering (one of my girls loves nipples, if that puts it in perspective for you!! :shock: ) make sure to wear lots of layers. My girls love being inside a sweatshirt, so I make sure to layer up well, even if it's not cold out.