My Lovely Rats

It’s been a while since I posted, what with home decorating, kids’ birthdays and a weekend visit to London (ie. Camden Lock). As we only went away for two nights, I put in enough provisions for the rats (extra food just in case and a large water bottle). When we got back, the rats were so happy to see us! They were chattering and hopping about all over me, and all seemed well – there was still plenty of dried food left over and half a bottle of water. Then I noticed that Shy-Shy had a bump on his back which I could feel when I picked him up for a cuddle. It turned out to be a scab, probably caused by a scuffle with one of his cage mates (most likely Pip, since he is asserting his dominance at the moment) or possibly from a scratch from his own sharp claw. I haven’t plucked up the courage to clip them yet (I’m too scared of hurting him). The scab looked clean, so I left it alone, and decided that it would probably heal by itself.
The following evening Shy-Shy still looked okay, but Rocky was making weird “foofing” noises through his nose. It was quite comical at first, until it dawned on me that it might be murine Mycoplasmosis again. Myco is an insidious disease affecting rats and mice (we can’t catch it), which is carried by virtually all pet rats. See my post Sneezing for a brief list of the symptoms of mycoplasma pulmonis. The next evening my guess was almost confirmed when I heard Rocky sneezing. I made an appointment with the vet the same week and she prescribed 0.3ml of Baytril per rat for all of the rats for 10 days. The course of antibiotics is nearly finished now, and Rocky is much better, and I haven’t heard any more “foofing” or sneezing from him or the other boys, thank goodness.

Pip and Rocky With Healthy Appetites!

All the Boys Tucking In

Today my rats have been mostly eating raspberries in yoghurt

Tags: Health // 3 Comments »

Yet again I’m having to modify the rats’ cage! Recently one or two of the rats have for some unknown reason decided to “tidy” all the poos in their cage from their toilets to the large “Acroplatform” which is supposed to be a kind of general run around area. Not only that, they have been diligently urinating over the same platform/shelf, so that when it comes to cleaning time, I am almost reduced to tears with the sheer stench of it! I must add that I give their cage a thorough clean every week religiously. The main culprit is Shy-shy, who among other things, has obsessive nesting instincts, and territory issues! An example of this would be the time I tried to remove some spoiled bedding to replace it with new stuff, and Shy-shy lunged at my fingers, mouth wide open and teeth flashing! He didn’t bite me but I didn’t give him much chance! He’s the only rat that is defensive about is home, and is never aggressive outside his cage or to his cage mates, but I give him a healthy respect, and “knock before entering” the cage (let him sniff my hand – and never try to move bedding/food/stuff once he’s claimed it as his!) I’m sure it’s quite common this behaviour and it’s just a natural instinct which serves wild rats very well.

Shy-shy “redecorating”

To combat the problem of messy cage habits, I had the ingenious idea of adding a couple of new levels to our huge cage, which have been filled with cardboard litter to absorb the yucky rat by-products! I have removed the Acroplatform for now and got hold of two cat litter trays which I’ve drilled holes into. The trays are attached to the cage with metal loops. So far so good, the ratties haven’t turned their home into a tip quite yet, but it’s only Monday!

Today my rats have been mostly eating their boring old rat food again!

Tags: Behaviour, Housing, Hygeine // Add Comment »

Yeah! 2008! New Year’s resolution 1: Stop spoiling the rats with naughty but nice food! It’s not good for them to over indulge! 2: Stop making New Year resolutions I won’t keep to!

Here’s the latest pics of the boys:

Shy-shy winning cuddliest rat competiton

Stripe pleading for one more yoghurt drop

Rocky “The Bruiser” Rat

A Pip in the Hand is worth two in the Cage

Today my rats are mostly eating my hair

Tags: Special Occasions // 2 Comments »

For Christmas I decided that just because my four boys were rats, it didn’t mean they should be left out of the Christmas celebrations. So I filled a fabric advent calender (one of those with the little pockets) with food treats. They soon came scampering up to the top of their cage to collect a treat from mum every day!

They also received a wopping big Christmas stocking from ‘mother’ Christmas! They got lots of treats and a few new hammocks and nests from my two favourite Internet rat shops: Acrorats and Fuzzbutt Cage Comforts. Acrorats make the most sturdy rat bunk beds which have lasted longer than any other products I’ve tried. They also sell great rat treats, cereal mixes and medicines. Fuzzbutt make wonderfully original rat furniture which has been well designed and is tested by…..rats of course!

Here are some examples of the rats’ fave beds:

Pip sniffing out new Acrorats Bucket

Acrorats Bunk Bed in April 2007 /Same Bunk Bed in October 07

Fuzzbutt’s Snooze Cube (still going strong,
with extra bolt hole made by the rats!

Today my rats have been mostly eating rodent ‘pizza’ and rodent chocolate drops.

Tags: Food and Treats, Toys and Games // Add Comment »

At last, we have completed work on the shed, which included putting in insulation, plywood, electricity, fittings and lino flooring to make the space “rat-proof”. Thanks to John Clegg for all his hard work installing the plywood, which was a huge task because of our garage sized shed. It looks fabulous, and the rats LOVE it, as do I!

The shed is split up by a four foot chipboard wall, accommodating our bikes, and general storage in one side, and the other portion is devoted just to the ratties! Now my boyfriend who has been suffering silently with his allergy to the rats, can breath freely in his own home at last! Hooray!

We have bought a frost control fan heater to warm the space during the winter months, and it works beautifully. The heater is thermostatically controlled, which is a must if you have pets outside. It gets very cold in the winter months up here in bonny Scotland, so I wanted to ensure the boys were warm enough. A rat thrives at temperatures not below 7 degrees C but I have the heater set to kick in at 10 degrees C minimum, which has proved to be just right.

In fact the rats seem to prefer the cosy space of their new home and are always waiting at the top of their cage for me, ready to come out and play. Even Pip, our shyest rat bounds around the floor and does little excitable “hops” everywhere. I found that the cardboard tube from the lino flooring is just the right size for male rats (even the fatter ones!). I have cut it into three pieces and made large holes here and there for the boys to run in and out of. It might be an idea to ask carpet merchants and fitters if the could spare a tube or two, for anyone who owns rats.

Today my rats have been mostly eating broken up rice cakes.

Tags: Housing // 2 Comments »

Here’s a quick post just to add a couple of cute videos of the boy’s antics.

1 Attack of the Corn Snatcher

2 Rat Bouncers Guard Important Pea Fishing Expedition

Today my rats have been eating me out of house and home.

Tags: Videos // 4 Comments »

It’s not necessary to bathe rats normally, because they continually wash and groom themselves (and each other) several times a day. They don’t seem to bother much with their tails though – as I noticed after the “rat print making episode” when Rocky had purple stains on his tail for about a week! Bucks tend to be a bit wiffier than does and as I have four of them slobbing out together, I thought it might be good to give them a little bath.

I got an old washing up basin and filled it to about a quarter (not too deep!) with lukewarm water and a little squirt of baby bath, which is very mild. I had a nice warm towel at the ready for afterwards.

Shy-Shy was not impressed! He gave out a loud squeak of defiance, so I just gave him a quick swish and rubbed his fur very gently, then I wrapped him in the cosy towel which he loved! I rubbed him vigorously but carefully with the towel, and he went still, and seemed to enjoy it. In fact none of the boys were that struck on the bath, but they all liked the towel drying part.

Afterwards I noticed the rats were all busily washing themselves (probably weren’t keen on the baby bath) , but at least they were all very clean and glossy furred!

Note to self and other rat owners: Don’t bathe rats, it’s a futile exercise! Keep their cage clean, and they will keep themselves clean, it’s a rat thing.

Today my rats have been mostly eating sprouts.

Tags: Hygeine // 2 Comments »

My three daughters are aged between nearly four and nine, and all have regular playtime with the rats. Hannah, the eldest is very confident and relaxed with them and I’ve added some photos of her holding the rats to show how children should be encouraged to handle rats safely and gently. My second child, Skye is a little nervous at times, because the rats like to ‘nibble’ (not bite) her clothes! She is learning to trust them more and more though. My youngest, Maya is a bit heavy handed at times, and needs constant supervision, but we encourage her to be very gentle and not to grab her rats. Also, Maya will throw out her arms towards the rats and this is slightly alarming to them as you can imagine! So I’ve found the best solution is for Maya to sit in a chair, while I pass one of the rats to her. She is becoming more aware of how to act around the rats and they are much more at ease with her, especially Pip, who goes as limp as a blancmange in her grasp!

Young children need to use both hands to pick up a rat, firmly but gently around its middle, as in the following images:

Today my rats have been mostly eating fresh spinach

Tags: Handling and Taming // Add Comment »

At the beginning of the summer we decided to buy a shed, due to my poor long-enduring boyfriend’s allergy to our little furry friends. Well, it seemed like a simple objective at the outset, but we would never have guessed the frustration, anguish and utter bewilderment it would evoke. We bought shed number 1 from a well known DIY store, it arrived late and water damaged with rust on all the fixings, so we asked for a replacement. Three weeks later, no new shed materialised, so we asked for a straight return and refund, which the store agreed, and a full refund was made, but no one arrived to pick up the damaged shed. After another phone call the store promised to send someone out to pick up the unwanted shed. It’s autumn and we’re still waiting, and there’s a big fat pile of wood in our back garden. Well, undeterred, we ordered shed number 2 from another company which specialised in shed stuff. Shed number 2 arrived on time, but considerably smaller than the size we ordered and it was black and damp with weather damage. We refused to accept it and the grim shed stayed on the lorry, and was sent back. Third time lucky, shed number 3 is being built by a local carpenter who makes good sound, only more expensive sheds!

My main concern for the rats living in the shed is the temperature. It gets pretty cold here in the winter months, so I am anxious to find a good solution to keep the cold at bay. Rats are not hardy animals like rabbits and guinea pigs, and thrive best at temperatures not below 6 degrees celcius. At the moment I am adding loft insulation to the shed, which is getting more even expensive and time consuming, but it will be worth it! You can get small wall mounted heaters, so we’re going to try that.

In the wild, rats live in complex burrows with bolt holes, larders and sleeping areas, which gave me an idea – I wanted to create a burrowing box for my boys to sleep in. I thought that ordinary hammock-style beds would be too draughty, so I bought a couple of large plastic food storage boxes. I drilled two holes (big enough for the rats to get through easily), one on either side, so that they had an “entrance” and a “bolt hole”. I drilled lots of small air holes, and four slightly larger holes to hang the boxes up with, because my rats like to sleep high up in their cage, and never on the floor. Then I added their cardboard litter, and plenty of clean hay.

The result was – all four boys were snuggling in the one box the next day, and seemed happy to burrow into the hay, which should keep them warm and toasty when I transfer them to the shed. Hurray!

Today my rats have been mostly eating porridge oats.

Tags: Housing // Add Comment »

There are plenty of hammocks, tubes and ladders on the market, but very few products that are aimed as actual toys for rats. You can get plastic or wire balls which you can fill with your pet’s favourite treats, which they have to roll about in order to get the food. A cheaper alternative to this is to fill a cardboard tube (like a toilet roll) with treats and fold up the ends. Your ratties will enjoy nibbling to get to the food, if it smells enticing enough!

I’ve mentioned “pea-fishing” before, when you fill a paint tray or similar container with water and some peas, or sweetcorn and watch your rats fish with their paws and duck their heads under the water to find the peas.

Young rats love to climb and scout out their territory from high vantage points. A lot of rat owners use old wine racks, or branches from apple or cherry trees, for them to climb on. You can just use your imagination here – my rats like to scramble up my arms from the floor to the table and back again!

Another activity which rats are fond of is digging. Wild rats dig elaborate burrows with nesting chambers, bolt holes and larders. Obviously, it’s not advisable to let your pet ratties dig holes in your garden, but it’s amazing how much fun can be for a rat in big box filled with sterilised potting soil and some culinary incentives like sunflowers seeds or monkey nuts!

A recent game I found my lovely rats love to play is “chase the wild-rag”. All you need for this fascinating and hilarious sport is a long piece of string and some old clothes cut up into strips:

1 Tie a loop at one end of the string.

2 Gather the strips of cloth in a bunch and tie together at the other end of the string.

3 Clasp the loop end in your hand, and drag the “wild-rag” cloth strips in front of your rat.

4 Yank the rag away from your rat in a swift movement, and watch him try and pounce on it!

I’m sure there are lots of themes you could use for this game, like cat-on-a-string (using small cat soft toy), or spider-hider (using black cloth and hide-and-seek technique).

Today my rats have been mostly eating dog biscuits and rice.

Tags: Toys and Games, Videos // Add Comment »