Ratties Pics of my rats!

[mia9_28]

I'm new to guinea pigs, but I'm a longtime rat lover!
Here are some pictures of my current ratties:

Diego, neutered male, 29 months old



Enjoying the view, apparently!



Milo, intact male, 23 months old






Ryder, intact male, alpha, 23 months old



He didn't feel like staying still that day, so here's a cute pic from another day



Casper, neutered male, 16 months old






Fiji, spayed female, 18 months old






Ezra, neutered male, 11 months old

 

[spudsthepiget]

They are so adorable!! I love the look on Fiji's face in the second picture; she knows she's cute!

 

[Xopher]

EEEEEEEEEP, so adorable! Do they do pea washing? I've always wanted to see that.

 

[korryn92]

Oh my goodness I love rats! I had one a few years back and she was so sweet and loving

 

[mia9_28]

Yes, they do pea fishing! (I think that's what you meant)
They love it on a hot summer day. They also love to dig in their digging box (bin full of dirt and planted bird seeds)

 

[RubyRain]

Do they all live in one big cage or separate ones? I'm imagining a giant rat condo!

 

[mia9_28]

Haha, yes they do have a giant rat condo!



Here's the rat room (We have more rats in the cages seen in the pic, which I haven't posted picture of yet! We have 12 rats)

 

[mia9_28]

Here's two more of my babies:

Dexter, intact male, 8 months old
I like this picture of him.. the poor thing was so scared.. lol... he worries too much



He finally looked over my way for a second and I was able to capture this



Nemo, intact male, 13 months old



His head looks too big for his body in this picture, hehe

 

[Rabbit_Lover]

Very cute you should cover those stairs though, at least for now get long socks and shove them on there. One day I came home to a screaming ferret, my poor girl had got her toe caught. After the vets checked no broken toes or feet, just w badly chipped nail. I'd rather be safe then sorry.

 

[pinky]

I like Ezra and Dexter the best but they're all really cute! Which is the friendliest? Do they ever bite?

 

[rsgymjam]

Cute ratties! I wanted rats at one point but my mom is a bit....skittish

 

[mia9_28]

Very cute you should cover those stairs though, at least for now get long socks and shove them on there. One day I came home to a screaming ferret, my poor girl had got her toe caught. After the vets checked no broken toes or feet, just w badly chipped nail. I'd rather be safe then sorry.

I do have stair covers but I don't always use them! I mostly use them to absorb their pee. I can understand why ferret feet would get stuck in the ladder, but rat feet are too small to get stuck in it.
I've never heard of a rat getting his feet stuck in the ladder, but it has happened with the older style shelves for the Ferret Nation cage if you don't cover them properly with fleece. Thanks though! I appreciate the advice

I like Ezra and Dexter the best but they're all really cute! Which is the friendliest? Do they ever bite?

Ezra and Dexter are both squishy men.
It's actually really hard to say which is the friendliest... they are all very friendly, social and affectionate. But, I did have one rat that was especially friendly, Keno, but he was just euthanized recently due to illness. :'(
But to answer your question, I think the friendliest right now would have to be Fiji. She is very licky (gives kisses) and loves cuddles, especially as she ages.

Oh, and rats never bite! It is extremely rare. If a male rat bites, neuter it and he will never bite again! It's not them, it's their crazy hormones making them aggresive. I had one boy, Charlie, who was a biter.. I neutered him and I swear, I've never met a rat who loved to cuddle with me as much as he did!
They actually seek the attention of their owners, unlike most pocket pets. They're just like mini dogs!

 

[Rabbit_Lover]

Oh I don't know. I have the new style.
I just know I wouldn't wanna walk on hard stairs like those

 

[Starthecavy123]

They are so cute and I'm so jealous. I love the pic of the one looking out the window lol

 

[mia9_28]

Oh I don't know. I have the new style.
I just know I wouldn't wanna walk on hard stairs like those

The older style shelves have a pretty dangerous gap between the plastic and metal parts. If not placed or covered correctly, it makes a small enough gap for a rat foot to get stuck in it. It's personally never happened to me, but I've lots of stories about it.
And about the ramps, I have actually noticed that my rats have an easier time going up them without the covers, as they will use their little hands to grab the bars and pull themselves up quickly. With the fleece, it takes them longer to go up those ladders, and they pretty much rely on their nails to hook on the fleece. But oh well, it's all just a personal choice.
I prefer them bare, especially if my group is young (once they're aging, I always have a cover on the ramps and I lower the shelves. I currently have covers on as my group is getting old) and some people prefer them covered; especially for ferrets with large enough feet to get stuck!

 

[mia9_28]

Your rats are so beautiful. I couldn't pick my favorite, because they are all adorable. However Ezra is quite the handsome young man. I have to admit I'm partial to the black ones. I had an all black female named Sabrina that was the light of my life. When she passed away at three years of age I cried for weeks. I love rats so much. They just make such wonderful pets. You said it well when you called them mini dogs. They will bond to you just like a dog.

You're so lucky to have so many. The most I ever had at one time was nine. I have three of them now and that is usually the most I ever have at one time. Between my four pigs, my three rats and my lone canary that keeps me busy.

Thank you so much for showing us your pictures of your babies.

Ezra is quite the heart stealer! I rescued him and Fiji from a terrible home. They had clearly been trying to breed them, and when Fiji wouldn't get pregnant, they decided to get rid of them. They were living in a filthy bare cage with no food or water. Apparently they had been eating cookies and chips since they had run out of food. Ezra was healthy but skittish, and Fiji was very friendly, but so skinny.
We took them home, separated them, hoped for no babies, got them spayed and neutered once Fiji was healthy enough, reunited them and introduced them to our other ratties! They are so special to us. They are both so great. Oh, and Ezra took months to overcome his skittish ways, but now he's a big cuddly mommy's boy!

I love being surrounded by ratties, but I feel like 12 is too much. They are just so addicting and I can never turn one down on Kijiji! My ideal would be 6 rats.

And I'd love to see pictures of your ratties!
I too have a preference for black rats... and dogs, and cats, and anything else! lol

 

[Starthecavy123]

Haha, yes they do have a giant rat condo!

View attachment 57379

Here's the rat room (We have more rats in the cages seen in the pic, which I haven't posted picture of yet! We have 12 rats)
View attachment 57380

Where'd you get that cage and how much did it cost you. I've been thinking about getting a rat or two next year.

 

[mia9_28]

I got mine from a classifieds ad for $100.. but here it is on amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Midwest-Critt...qid=1384398139&sr=1-1&keywords=critter+nation
It's on sale %50 off right now, if anyone's interested! LOL
I wish I lived in the states, I would jump on that deal like there's no tomorrow!

Mine's a "Ferret Nation' which means the bars are 1" wide.. which is only suitable for male rats and large females. I linked you to the Critter Nation, which has 1/2" bar spacing (the picture shows the Ferret Nation though, for some reason) which is perfect for rats of all ages!

And btw, make sure to at least get two rats. They are extremely social and will get depressed alone, even if you take them out often. Don't worry, they will bond with you just as much as a pair as if they were alone. My rats love me just as much as they love eachother