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Old 01-07-08, 10:47 am
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Rattie Mom Rattie Mom is offline
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Re: May be Taking in some Ratties, Need Help!

So sorry I didn't see your post before now. I'm rather new to the piggie forum and just got my two piggie girls a couple of weeks ago. I've been a rattie person for many years and hope I can help answer most of your questions.

First of all, kudo's to you for adopting these little girls. But my first question for you is, how long have they been separated from boys? Females can get pregnant as early as 5 weeks old. So if they were in with the boys, even for a day....well, you could have your own mess soon. I'd watch them very closely and look for weight gain or if their little nipples start to show. They aren't like piggies in that you can see them all that well, but when they are pregnant, they start to protrude a bit.

It sounds like your girls already love you and are wanting to bond with you. This is GREAT! Also, sometimes it takes them a little while to get used to wide open spaces like a room or bathroom. Make sure you have an igloo or things they can duck in and out of..and that will help. If they weren't socialized much before, it could take them a little while to be comfortable out in the open.

If you have a litter box and can start training them to use it, you may find that having them on your bed with you is also a good way to help social them. Our's like to duck under the blanket, then hang out with us while we watch tv at night. They NEVER go potty on our bed. Typcially ratties pee or poo on you, unless it's done in fear.

Regarding your "special needs" rattie with the "wandering eye syndrome", does she tend to sit in one place and sway her head back and forth in a Stevie Wonder (sorry Stevie) kind of way? This is actually a very common thing in ratties and does not indicate a health issue at all. Ratties have extremely poor eyesite. Ratties with pink or ruby eyes, tend to have even worse eyesite than their black eyed pals. I've had several ratties over time (even some with black eyes) that do the "head sway". It's just their way of trying to see or get focused on something.

I used to be one of the moderators on Rat Palace dot com. The forums were shut down a while back, as the admins were no longer able to keep them. But, the site still has many articles, advice and you can still read many of the threads on the old forum. Their link is:

Pet Rat Care and Discussion

This should provide answers to many of the feeding, housing, socializing etc questions you many have. If not, please feel free to contact me here over via PM. I am happy to help any fellow rattie lover.
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