The Quick Question Thread

[jorats]

I've never actually weighed my rats and recorded the weight loss but 20 grams seems about a normal aging weight loss. Anything over 40 and I'd be worried that something else was going on.

 

[MissGuardian]

I've never actually weighed my rats and recorded the weight loss but 20 grams seems about a normal aging weight loss. Anything over 40 and I'd be worried that something else was going on.

Okay thanks! I'll try to keep an eye on him. He's also pretty chubby, so he has a bit to go on I guess..

 

[hopefloats]

i know when loki has his weight loss, it was so sudden, it was 15 grams a day. He went from over 700 to under 600 regardless of my attempts to keep it on him. I would think that is a decent weight loss, but I would weigh him often, they can lose weight at an amazing speed.

 

[MissGuardian]

Thank you. Yes I'll do my best. He's my heart rat..

 

[*Rebel_Angel*]

I have a problem!
My mom just came home from work all smiley saying that she just stopped by petsmart for her friend's dog and she got talked into this product that is supposed to cut down on pee odor for small animal's. So she thought it would be perfect for my rats, thank god they were sold out or else she'd have wasted money but she told me to go back on Saturday.
Well I'm totally enraged, my mom said that the product is highly sought.

Well I want to ask the experts first what they think before I storm into petsmart and start this fit about force feeding perfume into animals to stop their waste from smelling when it's only natural.
Anyway's I'm totally against this idea, but what the hell I'm curious Good or Not Good!

http://www.petsmart.com/product/index.j ... Id=2753506

 

[eagle]

I tried a version of that before, but it really didn't help at all.

 

[jorats]

I tried a version of that before, but it really didn't help at all.

bummer.

But it looks ok with all the natural enzymes. At worst it would simply not work.

 

[*Rebel_Angel*]

Really? Wow ok umm I'll think about it.

 

[amymatthews]

how much water to vineger should i use to clean the cage?

 

[eagle]

I usually do a 50/50 or 60/40 solution. The 40 is the water.

 

[Dahlas]

yeah doesn't look like it will hurt but I doubt it will do any good either....waste is what it is...and it is going to have some odour.

 

[EDK]

I guess im a bit of an organic gale, not by a whole lot but I have my limits, and this is something I wouldn't give to my boy and his future cagemates. This is just natural of rats just as its natural of dogs and cats. Our dogs smell at times, we solve that by giving them a bath, their 'buisness' smells, thats why they go outside. My rats do their buisness, they do it in the litter box, and they have an absorbing litter fabric to help with urine smells. It's really not that bad though so I dont know what the big deal is. Just my opinion though, your situation might be different to mine at the moment. I mean I currently have ONE rat, it used to be 2, but even with 2 I didn't have issues. I plan to have 4 soon, this may change slightly too but I doubt it.

 

[jorats]

I use water and some dish soap and a bit of vinegar. I too wouldn't use anything to mask the odours. It's who they are.

 

[victoria]

That product is the new version of Marshal's Bi-Odor. There's a thread about it already viewtopic.php?f=38&t=25578&p=354703

 

[*Rebel_Angel*]

Tonight at out time I noticed a full on boxing fest between Kaina and Jade, I know by now that Kaina has this love/hate relationship with Jade (between all the rats she pick's Jade to hate)...I didn't mind so much before but now that Jade is badly ill Kaina could actually kill her (maybe).

Kaina is my alpha (this big chunk of girl rat *lol*) maybe she's only doing her job of keeping the kid's in line but it's always Jade rarely anyone else, Jade does ask for it sometimes but not tonight.

But my main concern is now that Jade is deathly ill what can I do to keep Kaina from killing her!

 

[jorats]

That's a tough one, I suppose you could give Kaina more alone time with you.

 

[hopefloats]

I have had to remove really sick rrats with a quirt friend to a different cage to keep them from pika. She attacked gasping rats. I would take the out at night and put them back in the day.

 

[*Rebel_Angel*]

The fight wasn't over me (I think), often time's in the cage Kaina would pounce on a unsuspecting Jade! Kaina becomes worse when she's in heat.

The vet seemed to say that Jade will not get better, her airway`s are already damaged...so as a long term solution what could I do...
I could seperate Jade with a friend for now!

 

[*Rebel_Angel*]

Would Kaina benefit from a spay or something else?
She hate's to be bothered annoyed, I'm watching her now commandeering the igloo (she kicked Leya out baring her teeth and almost took a chunk out of Kali's muzzle as the poor kid was trying to enter).
Kaina's aprox. 1 year and 5 month's, would her behavior settle/get worse...would a spay really benefit her?

Kaina's never been a terror but maybe in her old age her patience is running thin when it comes to the kid's.

 

[hopefloats]

Spays don't mess with attitudes in girls. If she owns the igloo take it awa. Is there food in it?