keeping rats is quite addictive...

Simmy · 13 Aug 2006 at 16:32

I've just ordered a bale of the Eco Petbed

£20 seems a lot, but then I just realised how much 22kg of the stuff will be! Should last a while then?!

Simmy · 13 Aug 2006 at 16:33

Hate said:
another example of how rats rule...

I stupidly left the door to the baby rat's cage open last night - i went up there this morning expecting to have to hunt for them - but they had climbed through the bars into the big cage and were curled up with the older rats!

a hamster or a gerbil would have been long gone

haha

that's really sweet ^_^

Hate · 13 Aug 2006 at 16:36

Simmy said:
I've just ordered a bale of the Eco Petbed £20 seems a lot, but then I just realised how much 22kg of the stuff will be! Should last a while then?!

its the shipping thats expensive, if you can persuade a local pet shop to carry it its about 7 quid a bale.

I go through one bale every six months or so

comp builder · 13 Aug 2006 at 18:07

Hate said:
another example of how rats rule...

I stupidly left the door to the baby rat's cage open last night - i went up there this morning expecting to have to hunt for them - but they had climbed through the bars into the big cage and were curled up with the older rats!

a hamster or a gerbil would have been long gone

ive got 2 gerbils (stuart and graham, dont know why they are called that just are

) and your probably right any chance of escape they get they take it and run

anyway could someone suggest some better bedding for them, i use sawdust at the moment but it makes me sneeze and my eyes start itching.

Biohazard · 13 Aug 2006 at 18:08

nope had two gerbal things, they died and got little graves dug out in the garden (g/F wouldn't just let me throw them in wheelie bin.)

hate the little creatures, eewwgh!

locutus12 · 13 Aug 2006 at 18:31

Saberu · 13 Aug 2006 at 18:43

This thread makes me want to buy a rat. Is it better to get 2 so they can play with eachother when i'm not there?

How often do I need to clean the cage out etc? If they are difficult to look after etc then I'll just go with a snake like I originally wanted.

I just hope my new housemate in September lets me, it's his house!

Hate · 13 Aug 2006 at 18:45

yeah, rats are social animals so you should never buy a lone one.

you need to clean them out once a week or so, but use common sense - take out bits of soiled bedding now and then between cleans

Wren · 13 Aug 2006 at 19:51

What lovely photos! I love rats, they are beautiful, gentle animals.
Thank you for sharing.

Dinomania · 22 Sep 2006 at 11:49

Woohoo, I get my 3 boy-rats on Saturday! Until then though I have been blessed with 4 girlies to rat-sit this week before they go to their new owner at the weekend. One of them is a brave & friendly little girl who seems to love running up my arm to the shoulder... very ticklish whiskers though (hence the squint)!!

Hate · 22 Sep 2006 at 11:50

sara said:
Woohoo, I get my 3 boy-rats on Saturday! Until then though I have been blessed with 4 girlies to rat-sit this week before they go to their new owner at the weekend. One of them is a brave & friendly little girl who seems to love running up my arm to the shoulder... very ticklish whiskers though (hence the squint)!!

lol, one of mine has an ear fetish, she likes trying to nibble my ear lobe...

VeNT · 22 Sep 2006 at 12:43

sara said:
Woohoo, I get my 3 boy-rats on Saturday! Until then though I have been blessed with 4 girlies to rat-sit this week before they go to their new owner at the weekend. One of them is a brave & friendly little girl who seems to love running up my arm to the shoulder... very ticklish whiskers though (hence the squint)!!

its trying to figure out how to get the hatch open into your brain!

D18241 · 22 Sep 2006 at 12:49

Amp34 said:
Heres Malibu, she replaced Bacardi to keep Smirnoff company when Bacardi died.

you stole my rat lol, ill try to find a cam later to post a pic of him

Dinomania · 24 Sep 2006 at 11:35

Yay, got my own now! Only managed two decent pictures so far - they are veeeery friendly and not bitey at all, gorgeous little babbies

Takhisis · 24 Sep 2006 at 11:39

Names?

Dinomania · 24 Sep 2006 at 11:42

Takhisis said:
Names?

Not sure yet, having a job telling them apart at the moment! Might dip the ends of their tails into some food dye until I'm used to them... they do have some markings but they are very feint.

Amp34 · 24 Sep 2006 at 11:58

D18241 said:
you stole my rat lol, ill try to find a cam later to post a pic of him

Lol, so thats where she got too, she died a couple of years ago unfortunatly.

Hope your looking after her well.

Takhisis · 24 Sep 2006 at 12:24

sara said:
Not sure yet, having a job telling them apart at the moment! Might dip the ends of their tails into some food dye until I'm used to them... they do have some markings but they are very feint.

We had that problem to start with from Dibbler and Greebo - now we know that Greebos nose is darker and he is generally asleep somewhere and Dibbler and a bent tail and is generally sneezing somewhere

Spleenus · 24 Sep 2006 at 13:54

I recently got three of my own little rats a couple of weeks ago and they're so good! Mind you I think one of them is still a little scared of me she keeps trying to climb down me to the floor, I wouldn't want to lose them in this house!

Need to get some pics of them too though as all three are white with red eyes, scares people when they see em

Takhisis · 24 Sep 2006 at 17:22

We rat sat for some little dumbo girlies a while back so next time we give in to GMR I think it'll be dumbos

(GMR - Given to owners by their rats - it is the general compulsion to Get More Rats

)