The Quick Question Thread

[kim_woodman]

I have a few questions, I think they're all pretty quick.

I'm a brand new first time rat mom, just brought my boy Logic home yesterday. The ladies at the store said he's about 2-3 months old.

I'm curious how quickly I should expect him to warm up to me? He's been very sweet with me, from the moment we first met he let me pet him and hold him. He never squeaks or bites, and will even lick my fingers. Last night he snuggled in my arms (my profile picture) and nearly fell asleep, and today he did that again but hiccuped a bit and also did the brexing & boggling thing. (I had no idea that was a thing, my friends rat who I've babysat never did that with me!). I can't tell if he's doing it because he likes me and is happy? or if he's stressed at the new environment?

He still hides in his little wooden house most of the time, but he watches me whenever I'm in the room. He's got a nice big 3-level cage, which I think he's not used to yet since he was in a 1-level tank before. But he does fine going to his food bowl & water bottle on the second level. He hasn't shown any interest in going to the third level.

I'm also not sure if I should be giving him space to get comfortable in his new home, or if I should be handling him a lot to get him used to me? I don't want to stress him out too much by handling him constantly. But he seems to like running around on my bed.

He also prefers to poo when he's out of his cage (10 times today) and seems to avoid doing it in his cage (only 1 poo in the cage... unless he's burying it and I'm just not finding it) Is that normal?

His poo is soft which I'm thinking is a combination of the not-so-great food that came with the "starter kit" and some stress from the new environment and seeing my big dog outside his cage door. I do plan to get him a better food soon and I don't let the dog in the room when I bring him out of the cage. Any other suggestions?

 

[Sheldon]

The first thing people are going to tell you is to get him a little friend. Rats do better in groups of two or more and can definitely suffer if they're made to live alone.

I'm very happy to hear he's bruxing and boggling, that is a really good sign! It means he really likes you. I'm also glad to hear you're going to get him a really good food. Have you thought about Harlan teklad lead or Oxbow? Those are the best on the market.

I'm betting you're not finding his poops, but it could also be that if you're getting him out frequently he has decided to keep his poops out of the cage. I would recommend getting a ferret litter box and putting in the corner at the bottom of his cage, putting a few poops in it, and seeing if he'll take to using that area as his bathroom.

His poops could definitely be soft because the system is still getting adjusted. A better food will help.

 

[jorats]

A friend is a must for his social and physical health. But each rat adjust in their own way and time. Some are fast while others take a really long time. I always interacted with my new guys. If they were very scared of me handling them, then I would interact with them while in they stayed in the cage to feel more secure. joinrats.com has some great articles on socializing your rats.

 

[SQ]

:welcome:

and congrats on your new family member.

Rats who live with one or more friends are more friendly, outgoing, happier etc so having a friend will help your boy feel safe. It would be great if you could go back and get one or two of his brothers today, because as others said, you need to get him a same sex friend asap as rats are social and need to live with at least one other rat. For reasons why this is important see [ame]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cDy3bMRuobE[/ame]
If you do not get one (or more) of the rats he was living with, then you will want to get rats that have been quarantined (such as from a shelter or a rat rescue):
- if he is under 12 weeks old and you get 1 or 2 new rats that are also under 12 weeks old then they can just be put together under supervision because they are babies and babies see unfamiliar rats as new playmates.
- If any are over 12 weeks old then you will need to do gradual introductions because rats are territorial they will see new rats as potential threats. The established gradual intro steps are here http://www.ratshackforum.com/forum/showthread.php?t=32368 and info on intros can also be found on joinrats.com

If you read the different threads on this site you will find a lot of info and ideas about diet, toys, cages, cage setups etc

The recommended diet for rats is a good quality block (Oxbow and Harlan Teklad 2014 are the best) available at all times. Rats need low protein so 14% (or less then 16% is best). 80% of the diet is a good block.

the other 20% of the diet is daily vegs such as baby kale, broccoli, mixed greens, (fresh or frozen/thawed) peas, cooked sweet potato, baked squash or pumpkin, carrots, etc
and occasional healthy treats such as a piece of fruit, berries, organic pumpkin seeds, cooked grains such as real oatmeal or 12 grains, or quinoa, fresh or frozen nonGMO corn (GMO corn has been designed to kill rats), etc

watch out for anything with added salt, added sugar, added fat, added artificial sweeteners, GMOs etc

There is a forbidden foods list: http://www.ratshackforum.com/forum/showthread.php?t=22782

Looking forward to lots of pics

 

[kim_woodman]

Thank you everyone for your responses. Yes, I was definitely thinking about the Oxbow food. I'll keep Harlan on my list too.

Today I found that he has pooped all over inside his cage, and they're getting more solid! He was definitely burying them lol I've put a shoe box lid in there as a temporary litter box and moved all the pellets I could find into it. He just kinda stared at me like "what are you doing with my poop?" the whole time.

Unfortunately he was the only one where I got him from, no siblings I'm trying desperately to convince my fiance that he needs a brother. My fiance is more of a dog person and thinks that rats are fine as a single one like dogs are, if they get plenty of interaction. I'll have to show him that video

Follow up question - unrelated to the above... I read on one site where they were suggesting using a bonding pouch. Thoughts? My sister used them with her Sugar Gliders, but I know rats are very different. I would be worried about having them in the pouch and not able to get to food/water/bathroom when they want it...

 

[Sheldon]

Bonding pouches are great...if your rat will stay in them. I know some people use them. My guys never wanted to stay in them and always climbed up on my shoulder to ride around!

On the second rat thing, it really is more of a requirement than a luxury. Most laboratories do not even allow rats to live alone unless it is specifically required by the experiments as it is considered cruel and unnatural.

 

[kim_woodman]

Whew! had to go to 3 different pet stores today, but I found Oxbow food for my baby! Apparently the stores can't keep it in stock.

I explained to my fiance how important it is for Logic to have a buddy of his own species, so he finally agreed. Gonna try to find one as soon as possible, while he's still in that 8-12 week old window of time that will make it easier to introduce a new friend. Anyone have ideas on a rescue in Orlando? I'm looking online but not much luck yet I think I'll call the shelter where I got my dog tomorrow, I recall them having some small animals last time...

 

[Sheldon]

Yay!!! Good news.

 

[SQ]

you can also check and see if people are rehoming babies from an accidental litter

 

[kim_woodman]

So I found a family rehoming an accidental litter (young daughter thought she could let the boys and girls play together...). I met them today and brought home one of the boys, who I named Steve. He's currently staying in the carrier for a couple days so I can introduce them slowly and let him adjust. Of course the first thing I did when we got home is set up his room with food & water, but he keeps trying to eat his bedding. It's really strange. He also nibbles on the end of his tail a bit. I keep gently taking the bedding away from his mouth and trying to replace it with a piece of the Oxbow food but he isn't showing any interest. I cut some fresh veggies for him thinking that might be more enticing, but he only nibbled a tiny bit of it. He also bit my finger, not too hard, but more than being sweet or playful. I think it was because there was juices from the veggies on my fingers? Or maybe he was mad at me for stopping him from eating bedding... I'm not sure. Any ideas what else I can do? He's obviously hungry, but won't eat the actual food I'm giving him

 

[Sheldon]

Oh they will *definitely* bite your finger if it smells like food. Remember, they can't see worth a darn. So, they smell food and the greedy buggers will right for it.

 

[kim_woodman]

Well I'm not sure what was up with the bedding eating thing, but Steve is doing well today. Eating lots of his actual food and poo is normal I think he just likes the taste of fingers and toes lol. We had a very carefully monitored introduction/playtime session and they loved it! I think Logic & Steve are going to be the best of friends. Thank you again everyone for all your tips & advice!

 

[SQ]

How old is Steve?

 

[kim_woodman]

They didn't give me an exact date of birth but they said he's about 8 weeks old. He's kind of small. If he's 8 weeks then Logic must be 12 weeks. They're getting along so well!

 

[Gabriele]

Hey ! I'm new to the forum I just bought my new family member, rat named Candy And I was thinking, what kind of beddings do you use for your rats? I found an article about beddings, but I do not know which ones are actually good and which ones aren't. https://petshotspot.com/rats-best-bedding/

Thank you for your answers and help

 

[Fidget]

I like the kind that looks like someone chewed paper and spit it out in chunks.
I buy Walmart's Crittercare https://www.walmart.ca/en/ip/healthy-pet-crittercare-natural-pet-bedding/6000196565286 Good price, absorbs wet & odor well, not very dusty, comes in different sized bags - 25.7L expands to 60L, 12.5L expands to 30L, 6L expands to 14.7L.
If you don't have Walmart near or shop online then Carefresh make the same thing.

 

[SQ]

It is ok to use an unscented paper based product that is dust free (such as Fidget's example), hardwood shavings, fleece, or paper such as packing paper or newspaper as long as it has vegetable dye ink (because they will get the ink on themselves and lick it off).
People often use an unscented paper based pelleted product, such as yesterdays news in the litter boxes.

It is a good idea to freeze bedding for 48 - 72 hours after purchase to kill any parasites that may be in it

Softwood shavings will slowly destroy the lungs of small animals
while dust and smells will irritate them and may cause illness

 

[Ratz_are_people_2]

Hi guys! I read through the questions and found nobody asked how to keep a rat with an illness comfortable. Currently, I have a rat with a respiratory infection. How do you keep them comfortable?

 

[SQ]

Give them
* meds,
* a clean cage,
* soft clean bedding
* soft food (and favorite foods) in addition to their regular food as soft foods are easier to eat and will help to keep them hydrated,
*ensure food and water are nearby and easy to access (I would suggest a shallow water dish that can not be upset in addition to a water bottle)
* they should be warm but not hot
* keep them hydrated and check hydration regularly as dehydration kills - you can check by gently pulling up the skin on the back of their neck and letting it go. If the skin does not quickly snap back into place then they may be dehydrated
* cuddle them and comfort them when they want you to,
* monitor how they are doing and their hydration,
* provide prompt medical care if anything gets worse or if they do not seem to be getting better.
*** Suggestions for care re different health issues can be found on ratguide.com, a vet approved medical site for rat owners ….. For example if you search for "breathing" you will get a list of things it could be and the links will provide info including suggestions as to nursing care

Soft foods:
* by soft foods I mean 1. rat blocks ground up and soaked in cool water to make mush, 2. organic soy infant formula thickened with baby cereal. Both of these will provided needed nutrition as well as help with hydration.
* other soft foods include: cooked sweet potato, cooked frozen/thawed peas, cooked organic carrots, cooked real oatmeal, cooked quinoa, and baby food. They might also like organic mixed greens.

 

[Ratz_are_people_2]

Thanks!