Unsanitary housing

[Zephye]

I`ve owned Zephye for about 2 weeks now. There are two quirks I`ve found he`s developed since I`ve had him. One is whenever he has food he takes it piece by piece to horde in his house, now I`m okay with this. But my concern is he also has a bad habit of peeing and defecating in his house as well. Which can`t be good for him if he`s storing his food in the same place. But I`m not sure how to fix this... he used to always go in the other corner of his cage but lately has taken to his house more.

I also have no idea how to get rid of his dandruff, I thought changing his diet to something better would help but it seems there is no improvement. -.-

 

[jorats]

Can you take a picture of Zephye so we can see if the dandruff is indeed dandruff and not nits?
Also, does Zephye have a cage buddy? How old is he? And how big is the cage?

 

[Zephye]

Yeah, I can try to get a better picture of his fur.
He doesn`t have a cage buddy atm. He`s about 5-8 weeks old, the people at the pet store had no idea his age so I`m just guessing on his appearance, and he currently has a 10 gallon tank and a 2 shelf large hamster cage to himself.

 

[Zephye]

this is a picture of Zephye`s back.

 

[jorats]

Those could be nits. Rats that young don't have dandruff usually.
I'll PM lilspaz to come take a look, she's dealt with a lot of buggies and nits before.

 

[lilspaz68]

Yes they definitely look like nits to me. Looks like your baby needs to be treated for lice.

You can read my article, it has the accepted treatmens and all the info you need

viewtopic.php?f=26&t=28715

Here's a picture of Selene's nits when she arrived. I prefer to use cat or dog Revolution, as its fastest, safest and easiest. :thumbup:

 

[Zephye]

Oh boy, if he has lice would it have possibly been transferred to humans? o.o

 

[lilspaz68]

Oh boy, if he has lice would it have possibly been transferred to humans? o.o

No. We are not edible to them. If you want to see what a serious infestation of lice can do to a rat check out my new Morry's post in Rat Tails...TONS of lice. I treated him with Revolution and they were all dead in 3 hours

 

[Zephye]

Oh boy, if he has lice would it have possibly been transferred to humans? o.o

No. We are not edible to them. If you want to see what a serious infestation of lice can do to a rat check out my new Morry's post in Rat Tails...TONS of lice. I treated him with Revolution and they were all dead in 3 hours

Oh well at least that makes my heart attack go away a little considering my boyfriend and I have been around Zephye quite a bit. Also my hair is like past my waist and it would be a shame to go get enough lice shampoo to treat that x.x

Is the medicine available off the shelf? Or will I have to go get a vet to prescribe it?

 

[SQ]

You get it from a vet

btw, his toileting habits and hoarding/storing food is normal behaviour

 

[Zephye]

Ah boy, we just had him at the vets too. Guess the vet didn't see it then. I suppose it's time for another vet visit, thanks guys. C:

Could the lice cause him to cough actually? Now that I'm thinking about it.

 

[jorats]

Yes, the buggies can really weaken a rat and be the cause of other conditions. When you make your appointment, ask for a recheck. It should be cheaper than a real visit.

 

[lilspaz68]

You can also get it from friends who have spared tube for their cat or dog.

 

[victoria]

Part of the reason he's storing food in the same place he pees and poops is that a 10 gallon tank is way too small. Some rats pee where they sleep but generally they poop elsewhere. Rats should ideally live in pairs of groups (especially babies) and they should be housed in large cages (tanks don't have enough ventilation and can contribute to respiratory disease) with a minimum base size of 18x30" and at least 2 cu. ft. per rat, with a caveat that any cage must be at least 4 cu. ft. since rats shouldn't live alone.

 

[SQ]

:yeah:

As Victoria said:
- He needs one or two same sex friends ... that is essential
- He needs a cage that is at least 4 cubic feet in size (at least 6 cubic feet if you get 2 more rats).
- and a cage needs to have a base that is at least 30 inches by 18 inches with height with levels.

 

[Zephye]

Well he has two cages, not just the the ten gallon. They're attached to each other so he can run between the both of them. He also only started the behaviour of peeing where he sleeps after I changed the cage the first time.

 

[SQ]

Well he has two cages, not just the the ten gallon. They're attached to each other so he can run between the both of them. He also only started the behaviour of peeing where he sleeps after I changed the cage the first time.

He will soon be too large for your current setup.
There are several types of suitable cages that meet the previously mentioned specifications.
You can see ideas in the habitat section.
Suggest you look into a one section critter nation if at all possible.

It is normal for rats to pee in various places, including their next boxes/houses, hammocks, and cage corners.
Victoria mentioned bowel movements and also why the current setup isn't healthy.

 

[Zephye]

I've been looking into getting him a larger house but I have to wait after the vet bills are sorted and see where the costs are going to be. Currently I've been changing his cage every two days because of how he can easily dirty up the area. I can't get him a friend yet seeing as he probably has lice and I want to make sure I have a proper cage for them both first. Before I moved his wheel out of his cage because it looked too crowded for him he used to do his business in a corner. Now he just goes back to where his wheel is to do his business mostly, (which is located in the other cage) The other cage is a bar cage and not a tank.

 

[jorats]

He's still young and transitioning. You will see a big difference in him once he's treated for lice and has a bigger cage and has a buddy.
But it's good that you are getting your vet bills sorted out first and then plan out a suitable habitat for him.

 

[Joanne]

If that is your baby in your avatar, he is just adorable!!!
At least with lice it will be a relatively straightforward solution. I believe it is only one drop of revolution that will do the trick.
He will be so happy when he has a buddy to play and sleep with. Post pics! I love babies, and dumbo babies with their huge ears are extra "squeeeeee!"