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Ratties My new babies Roxie and Pixie in new cage built from a coffee table.

Judypie

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Hi I am new to Rats but I am quickly learning how wonderful they are. I went to pick up my daughter from her friends and saw they had a ton of cages full of animals. Sugar gliders, one Guinea Pig, hedge hog, a bearded dragon, one nasty monitor lizard (big one) and a cage full of rats.
I saw the rats were very friendly and I asked about them. Well I was upset to learn they were dinner for the lizard. I rescued 2 of them. I wanted more but I couldn't. (Now I wish I would have taken maybe 4 of them.)
Well I am going to give them a lovely home now. here is what I built them out of a coffee table I found out by the trash down the street.

P1010924.jpgP1010925.jpgP1010937.jpgP1010939.jpgP1010943.jpg
 

OllieandFriends

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They're adorable and your cage looks amazing! :) I think it's great what you did, resucing those rats, even if you could just save two it's more then what others would do. It's sad that their using them as food, do they feed them to the lizrad live? :eye-poppi
 
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Judypie

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I didn't ask details about how they feed the lizard. I didn't want to know :(
 

skinnyguineaus

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Awesome cage for a rat! I converted a kitchen cupboard this Summer :) I love how it turned out.
Now I have ideas for my coffee table. My husband wont like that. LOL
NICE JOB!
 

kathlaaron

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What a darling little home for them ! :eek: I don't know anything about rats, other than I have heard and read that they are usually very intelligent, affectionate, curious, engaging animals. I have also heard they chew through everything !
 

skinnyguineaus

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Judypie said:
Hi I am new to Rats but I am quickly learning how wonderful they are. I went to pick up my daughter from her friends and saw they had a ton of cages full of animals. Sugar gliders, one Guinea Pig, hedge hog, a bearded dragon, one nasty monitor lizard (big one) and a cage full of rats.
I am thinking about getting a couple hairless girls. How strong is their urine, poop odor? Can they be litter trained or does it work like GP (lucky catch under food bowl)?
Is the food expensive? How about life span?
Sorry for all the questions ;)
 

trexgorawrrrrr

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I am thinking about getting a couple hairless girls. How strong is their urine, poop odor? Can they be litter trained or does it work like GP (lucky catch under food bowl)?
Is the food expensive? How about life span?
Sorry for all the questions ;)

These questions can be easily looked up..
Urine/Poop oder I always say is in the eye of the beholder so to speak... I had rats, and did not notice any urine or poop odor, but that could also be because I cleaned/changed their cage, hammocks, and things frequently. I'm not sure if you know that guinea pigs can be litter trained, but they can to an extent... As far as rats go, they can be litter trained to an extent also, it's individual. I was able to get my rats to poo in a certian area, but they peed where they slept. The food costs aren't as expensive as guinea pigs. Guinea pigs require hay and veggies on top of pellets where as rats need a quality lab block. You can research those. The average lifespan of a rat is about 2 years.
 

skinnyguineaus

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Thank you! Research is always an option. I was opting to research with an owner :) Somehow seems more real that way. Thanks again
 

Inle_Rabbit

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Rats are so awesome! I had girl rats when I was in high school. They seemed to only smell when they were on their cycle which is every two weeks. They are very smart and very social little things. I remember after one rat had passed, I bought a friend for the remaining rat but the friend was still young and could fit through the cage bars. One night that rat crawled out of the cage, out of the laundry room, went down the hall, through the living room, through the dinning room, into the kitchen and picked up a piece of dog food and brought it all the way back to her cage, but she couldn't climb back into the cage (it was on a base) so she spent all night going from the laundry room to the kitchen bring dog food one piece at a time leaving it under the cage base. In the morning when I went to check on them the little rat came up to me and stood on her legs looking at me like, "Well, put me back in my cage!" Under her cage she had probably acquired a cup or so of dog food over the course of the night.
 
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skinnyguineaus

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I love your story!!! I really want 2 girls... I'm learning about the hairless now. I LOVE my hairless Skinny bunch and would love to add a couple of Rats to my hairless family :)
 

kathlaaron

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Oh my gosh-Inle_Rabbit, what an adorable story about your little girl rat! Thanks for sharing that with us ! lol
 
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suzilovespiggie

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Rats are wonderful little creatures. I or my daughter has had rats most of her growing up and some of her adult life. They are loving, very intelligent and a pleasure to have.
A good site for rats is (broken link removed) At this site is an awesome diet for the rats. They need more than just lab blocks. They enjoy a wide varitey of foods, fresh and otherwise. Mine would not eat hay.

As far as skinny rats: my daughter was given 1. He was bought at a petstore. The lady who bought them named them Harry and Curly. Curly died early and she gave my daughter Harry.
Harry was sick also. No matter what we did Harry died too. His skin was a big problem also.
It got scratched alot and we had to be very careful with it. As cute as they are, Skinnys are a special needs animals and need alot of care due to their skin.

There are rat rescues around if you look hard enough. The Humane Society has them as "pocket pets".
 

Judypie

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Thanks to all of you ! I am very pleased with them and I feel I am going to get a lot of enjoyment from them. I already cant stop smiling just being in the same room with them. I love letting them out to run in my office. I had to (RAT PROOF) gosh they can get in to everything.
 

kathlaaron

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I have considered getting rats for a long time now, way before we got guinea pigs. I have really really wanted one, too ! The only reason I have never gotten one is because I can't get past their long skinless tail ! I can't help it...it just grosses me out.

I sure wish I could get past it though..for other than that, I KNOW I would thoroughly enjoy having one (well knowing me, I most likely would rescue/adopt two). You what's funny ? I love mice and lizards too...go figure !
 

suzilovespiggie

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Many don't like rats because of the tail. Rats are smart. You can teach them tricks. They like piggies will do just about anything for treats. My daughters treats, were cheetos. They would do anything for a cheeto. She had ferrets also. One loved broccolii. She would raid the fridge for broccolli. (We would leave some out so she could get it, when we opened the fridge)

My daughter would love to have rats now. She so loved her rats. They would cuddle with her. Her husband is not an animal man so she just has a rescued dog.
The only drawback, is they can get tumors easy and only live an average 3 years.
 

Judypie

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I think the tail to a rat is like a tail to a monkey and is used for so many things. I know when they are reaching out they use it for balance and to help hold on. It does not feel gross and actually its not the primary thing about them since you wouldn't want to pick them up by the tail anymore than we would like being picked up by our heads.
I'm just trying to say the tail may not be pretty but it is as useful to them as hands. The cuteness I get from them out ways any other feelings about the tail. Again I am very new to them, but I am so attached already :)
 

Henrysmommy

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Was the guinea pig they had a pet? :(
 

Judypie

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Yes it was but sadly it was in an all wire cage. I saw no hay or anything comfy. It did not look sic and was chipper and talking to us and the girl fed him and gave some hay to him while I was there so despite what i thought was not good , the guinea pig looked as if he was doing just fine and acted happy.
In fact all the animals looked quite well and the cages were clean... I just wish they didn't have that big lizard and that the adorable Rats were not on the menu.. Everything has to eat i guess but how can they say they love some of the rats and still feed the lizard.. I don't know I guess.
 

skinnyguineaus

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kathlaaron said:
I have considered getting rats for a long time now, way before we got guinea pigs. I have really really wanted one, too ! The only reason I have never gotten one is because I can't get past their long skinless tail ! I can't help it...it just grosses me out.

I sure wish I could get past it though..for other than that, I KNOW I would thoroughly enjoy having one (well knowing me, I most likely would rescue/adopt two). You what's funny ? I love mice and lizards too...go figure !

Haha... I haven't rescued a couple because I'm still grossed out by the tail too! Yesterday I went to a rescue near by and just held a girl and each time the tail touched me unexpectedly I kind of freaked :) I'm desensitizing myself... It's a process!
 

skinnyguineaus

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The short life span is an issue too... I get way way attached :( 3 years goes by SO fast!
 
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