My Lovely Rats

Merry Christmas from the Ratties!!

My clever mum made these xmas mice, although they look more like rats to me!

The boys have a brand new home: A glorious Explorer cage from Pet World Direct. It’s fabulous. It’s well built and sturdy, with plenty of room, while having a much smaller “footprint” than my previous Furet XL. The bar spacing is great - it would suit young rats from 6 weeks old. The price was fantastic. So easy to clean! The only draw back with the cage that I can see is that it’s very heavy, so it’s not so easy to transport - but you can unscrew it all and flat pack it. I’ve thrown these cage furnishings together, so it’s not as aesthetically pleasing as it could be, but here it is:

The rats are extremely comfortable in their new abode, as you can see here:

Stripe taking it easy

Jinx and Dublin live in the top portion, and Shy-Shy, Stripe and Pip live in the bottom.

Jinx peeps out of his new house

Today my lovely rats are mostly dreaming of eating Christmas dinner!

Tags: Housing, Special Occasions // 2 Comments »

Rocky took ill with a tumour only a short time ago, and began to lose weight rapidly. I fed him soft food twice a day for as long as I could, but last night he didn’t even attempt to come out of his bed. He was panting with every small movement, so I decided it was time to let him go.

We took him to the vet this morning, wrapped in a fleece, and he gave me one last feeble brux when I scritched his neck. He very rarely bruxed, so this was a lovely last memory of him to treasure.

Here’s some pictures of him through his too short life:

Here he is when we first took him home, at 6 weeks old. All the boys were very nervous, but Rocky was the first to venture out and explore the big wide world that was our dining room floor!

“Hi!”

Sleepyhead

This picture was taken when Rocky was still a youngster, full of vigour and mischief. He always gave me a cheeky nibble on my ankle in the same place, whenever it was free range time! He did that all through his life, right up until he got sick. When he was little, he was always the first one to find a place I didn’t want him to go, and was very good at evading detection, by hiding in the most unreachable places!

Rocky soon filled out and became a big bruiser of a rat!

Peepo!

Rocky looking his adorable self. He was such a handsome rat! He was very poor sighted and used to rock his head from side to side (like Stevie Wonder!) as if he was dancing.

One of the very last pictures of Rocky. He was enjoying his baby porridge, only stopping to rest briefly. He loved his food, possibly more than any rat should!

Goodbye Rocky, go run free at the Rainbow Bridge. You will be forever in our memories and hearts.

Today my lovely rats are mostly eating a little less in their dish.

Tags: The Rainbow Bridge // 2 Comments »

I found these photos the other day of our first rats which we used to keep about ten years ago.

Ratty

Ratty was my boyfriend’s favourite (before his allergy to rats got worse), and although he was very shy, Ratty felt happy being held by him, especially near the end of his life. Poor Ratty, his story is quite sad.
My other half found him in a local pet shop, being bullied by his siblings. He was the runt of the litter, and on several visits to the pet shop, it seemed that he was being chased away from the food dish. So my boyfriend took pity on him, and took him home.
I remember how scared Ratty was at first, and I held him in my jumper for a long time, until he fell asleep. I guess I was feeling particularly maternal because I was pregnant on my first daughter Hannah, only I didn’t know it at the time!
We didn’t know much about rats, only a friend of ours kept a lone male rat who continually scampered across the cupboards and bookshelves in his flat. I know we had a book about rats, but didn’t have access to the extensive information you can find now, via the internet.
After a couple of weeks of Ratty continuing to be very nervous of us and I was scared of him biting (he kept putting his teeth round my finger), we decided he might be happier if he had a friend. So we went back to the pet shop and bought one of his brothers, Ruby.
They were 11 weeks old when we tried to introduce them, and knowing nothing about the correct procedures of rat intros, it all went terribly wrong. Ratty was horrified that there was another rat in his territory and fluffed right up, making the most horrendous noise. In the end we didn’t know what else to do but to separate them and buy another cage for Ruby.
Ratty never got over his shyness and after a couple of years succumbed to the terrible Mycoplasmosis, his breathing got very rattly, and in the end he had to be put to sleep. I think he was about two and a half years.

Ruby

Here’s Ruby, my dizzy boy. He was content in his own funny way. What he lacked in intelligence he made up for in his gentle quirkiness! He was given the name Ruby because of his ruby coloured eyes, and because of his effeminate nature. Ratty was the big butch boy rat, and Ruby was such a contrast - he was slight and fast, and ran about everywhere, right up until his later months, rather like female rats are inclined to do. He followed his brother to the rainbow bridge within a few short months of old age.

Today my lovely rats are eating cheese wedges.

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I took Rocky to the vets yesterday, because over the last few days he appeared to be losing condition. His fur looked odd (kind of fluffed up and messy) and three days ago I noticed he was an odd pear shape. When I picked him up he felt really bloated around his abdomin and he was dirty under his tail (he had had diarrhoea). Also, the most worrying aspect of all - he felt bony around his upper body and that’s unusual for Rocky - he’s normally quite rounded.

I thought it might be that he was constipated or something, but the vet’s diagnosis was much worse - he felt around Rocky’s body and said that he could feel a hard mass which was most probably a tumour, connected to his bowel (the reason for the diarrhoea). It was such a shock.
It was only a week or so ago that he appeared completely fine. The vet said that he could do an exploratory operation, but that it would be risky and stressful for Rocky, and that if the tumour was attached to an organ there would be little they could do, as it would grow back.
He advised me to let him be for now, and to make him as comfortable as possible and give him his favourite treats etc. He said the fact that he’s lost weight so quickly is not a good sign, and that I should take him back when he stops eating or appears to be suffering. I don’t want to put him through an operation if it’s unlikely to work, but he’s not even two yet. It’s so upsetting.

On the upside Rocky has still got a healthy appetite, and is still doing all his normal ratty things, and cuddling up with his brothers!

Sighhh.

Today my lovely rats have been mostly eating humble pie.

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Here’s a few more great mugshots of my six handsome bucks!

Rocky, 19 months old

Jinx, 5 months old

Shy-Shy, 19 months old

Stripe, 19 months old

Dublin, 5 months old

Pip, 19 months old

Today my lovely rats have been mostly eating apple slices

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I made another attempt to reintroduce all the rats on neutral ground with the following results.
Shy-Shy accepted both the younger two rats, and even groomed Dublin affectionately. Pip wasn’t so sure but seemed to tolerate the new boys for the whole duration, and he actually sniffed them a few times, rather than completely ignoring them like he normally does. Rocky lasted a whole 10 minutes before getting agitated, and I put him in his box before he got aggressive. Stripe was the first to go in the “naughty box” because he fluffed right up and began to chase the younger two. Jinx got in a flap and when Pip ventured too near him he yelped in a squealy voice. I will continue to repeat this, but I’m afraid I will have to consider keeping the new bucks separate for now.

Stripe & Pip sniff Dublin

“Fluffed up” Stripe calms down with mashed banana

Jinx freaks out as Pip approaches

Today my lovely rats have been mostly eating mashed banana

Tags: Introductions // Add Comment »

A little post all about the new boys.

Dublin the Bold

Here’s our lovely big buck Dublin. I think he’s going to be a big rat - but he’s not fully grown so it’s hard to tell. He’s more laid back than his brother Jinx, and more outgoing. After all the traumatizing introductions with the older bucks, he still keeps coming back for more and continues to try and makes friends with them. In contrast to Jinx, who squeaks loudly whenever Stripe or Rocky approach him! He’s people friendly too, and has formed a strong bond with myself especially. His favourite place at free range time is on my shoulders, where he will sit for ages grooming himself, and enjoying his great vantage point! The two rats have also been known to jealously fight for a place there, and I have often had to intervene! I don’t stop their play fights usually, but I intend to keep the back of my neck unscathed and unscratched!

Jittery Jinx

Jinx, or Jinxy as I affectionately call him is a sweet little hyper-active drama queen! He is a bit on the neurotic side and can appear quite nervous at times, but he is human-friendly, and can be easily coerced into an excitable frenzy, by tickling and play-fighting with him. He is sometimes a bit of a tearaway, and in a spritely mood has been seen intentionally irritating his brother or the older bucks, just for the hell of it - then he runs away squealing, feigning complete innocence! He hated being picked up at first - I had to resort to retrieving him from his cage via a bag - but after only a couple of weeks he would stay still in my hands just long enough to be placed on the floor. He just likes to be on the move and has a lot of energy.

Free Range Time

Today my lovely rats have been mostly eating couscous

Tags: Behaviour // Add Comment »

It’s Day 27 of the rat introductions and lots of sniffing rat bottoms going on! I’ve been putting the new boys and older rats together every day (the more often you do this the better) on neutral ground (a place neither set of rats normally go). Shy-Shy and Pip have been great big buddies to the baby rats, but Rocky and Stripe have been demonstrating the common signs of aggression: fluffing up their fur, sidling up and kicking with their back feet. I try to separate them before things get out of hand and give them some breathing space away from the newcomers. It is useful to have a plant spray and thick towel to retrieve the aggressive rat, if a fight breaks out, so that you don’t get bitten.

Pip sniffing Dublin

Shy-Shy sniffing Dublin

For information on the stages of ratty introductions I found these sites useful:

http://www.ratz.co.uk/ratintro.html
http://ratguide.com/care/behavior/introducing_rats.php
http://www.fancy-rats.co.uk/information/guides.php?subject=introductions

Cuddling up to Shy-Shy for Protection

Stripe sniffing Jinx

Rocky and Jinx

Today my lovely rats are mostly eating salad

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Well, it’s Day 10 of the rat intros. It’s becoming apparent that it’s not going to be as simple as I’d envisaged. Getting two strange rats to get along and play nice is one thing but trying to encourage four big bruiser bucks to be best buddies with two complete strangers is another! I’ve had no problems with Shy-Shy and Pip. Pip is the tolerant kind, he doesn’t like any silliness from the two new boys, and let’s them know by giving them a quick power groom, then it’s all over. Shy-Shy has accepted them as his little brothers (he’s even protective of them). Rocky and Stripe however, are acting slightly freaked out, and continually “fluff up” (their fur stands up on end) until they look like tribbles. They then sidle up to the offending new rat, and kick one of their back legs at him. If I don’t intervene, Rocky begins an all out attack, and looks as if he’s going to take a chunk out of Jinx’s neck. I have had to squirt Rocky with a plant mister, to stop him in his tracks, and scoop him up in a towel. It’s a bit scary! I’ve been putting the aggressive rat into a carrier box for ‘time out’ and then trying again later. Stripe acts in the same way and has had a few time outs too, but he’s seems to just want to create a distance between himself and the new rats. I think Rocky and Stripe are actually more defensive than aggressive. There haven’t been any injuries, and hopefully it will stay that way. I’m going to need an awful lot of patience to succeed in this monumental task!

Shy-Shy nose to nose with Jinx

Rocky checking out ‘the Enemy’ Jinx

Stripe is missing from this collection of photos because he was in the Naughty Box!

Today my lovely rats have been mostly eating porridge

Tags: Introductions // 2 Comments »

After scouring the internet for gems of wisdom about rat intros and gaining some sound advice from a local rat fancier, I felt it was time to have a rat party for all the boys. In theory, it is possible to introduce any two rats together, but the age and sex of the rats can make a big difference to the proceedings. Two females (does) is supposed to be the easiest combination, especially two youngsters. An older female may attack a baby rat though if it is too young. With males (bucks) the younger they both are the better. According to my research, an adult buck will accept a baby buck (less than 10 weeks) because the baby hasn’t got the buck ‘hormonal’ smell yet. Therefore the most awkward group to put together are adult males. This is only a basic guide though, because anyone who keeps rats will tell you they are as individual as people, and it is going to be down to personalities whether they get on or not. The most important information I gleaned from various sources was that neutral territory was the key to ratty meetings. Neutral as in somewhere where there are no smells of either the old rats or the new ones. In another room, in the bath, on a table. That sort of thing.

Day 1
So, here we go! On the 23rd July I brought the rats into the utility room. It’s a tiny room and the surfaces are all in easy reach so it’s ideal. I let the two new boys have a sniff around first, then unleashed one of the big boys onto the scene! It was Stripe. I thought he’d be the least likely to make a fuss, because he’s so soft and silly. He’s also at the bottom of the pecking order. All he did was sniff Dublin and then hid under a blanket with the two of them. The same happened with Rocky. He didn’t seemed to notice that the new boys were different. I let Shy-Shy have a look next, and bless him, he gave Dublin a gentle reassuring groom! Pip (the head honcho) was happy to snuggle up to the new lads also. It was almost too good to be true. The first intro couldn’t have gone better.

Today my lovely rats have been mostly eating mixed cooked beans.

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