The BRODENTS! Rodent Enthusiast Thread!

[vileqveen]

finally found the rodent section!! so glad aaa.
sadly i lost one of my ratty boys on the 8th last week ;; he was a twin to my other one so honestly im not sure which one he was but im pretty sure he was steel since he was always bigger. (rip, dont get twin rats unless theres a distinct marking to tell them apart ! :<)
ill have them for a year on the 29th and honestly im so heart broken, i dont understand what happened? he was perfectly fine that day, but i found him passed away in his cage a couple hours later. i feel so bad for his brothers ugh. they dont seem visibly upset(depressed/moping/etc). but i let them sniff his body and told them that they wouldnt see him again and i gave them lots of love and treats. i hope the others are fine, i couldn't stand losing another..

[Kisiel]

finally found the rodent section!! so glad aaa.
sadly i lost one of my ratty boys on the 8th last week ;; he was a twin to my other one so honestly im not sure which one he was but im pretty sure he was steel since he was always bigger. (rip, dont get twin rats unless theres a distinct marking to tell them apart ! :<)
ill have them for a year on the 29th and honestly im so heart broken, i dont understand what happened? he was perfectly fine that day, but i found him passed away in his cage a couple hours later. i feel so bad for his brothers ugh. they dont seem visibly upset(depressed/moping/etc). but i let them sniff his body and told them that they wouldnt see him again and i gave them lots of love and treats. i hope the others are fine, i couldn't stand losing another..

So sorry to hear about his passing. If it was very sudden with no previous symptoms it could have been his heart. Nothing that can be done about it unfortunately, it's just one of those "bad luck" things that can sadly happen to anyone 😔

Tip for distinguishing very similar rats - put some sharpie on the base of their tails!

[synastry]

Has anyone had an experience with red eyed Gerbils? I bought two new Gerbils today and they have red eyes. I researched it before I bought them, and it’s normal in most cases. They seem healthy and alert. Their fur is shiny and soft. Just really skiddish (my first two were too when I just brought them home, so this isn’t an issue to me). I just want to know if anyone else had Gerbs with red eyes. It’s just new to me because I’m used to the black eyes ^^ thanks for any input!

Any rodent with red eyes has nothing wrong with them health wise, it's just the way they were born with genetics and such. There's a lot of myths about red eyed hamsters, rats, and gerbils, but it's completely natural. Nothing to be worried about!

[heartleafed]

quick rat question: my two oldest boys are going to be two next month, and they're getting thinner, benjy especially, i'm assuming it's just age since my younger boys are all a little chubby and they get fed the same (they're kept separate from the younger boys so i know it's not like a case of food being taken from them too). what's a good way to put a little weight on them? they're currently eating maz + healthy treats here and there if that helps.



also @bleedingjay; pink/red eyed rodents tend to have worse eyesight from what i've read, but that seems to be the only real difference. it occurs in almost every domestic rodent though so it's nothing to worry about.


and @kiyah; i'm sorry for your loss, sadly sometimes they just go fast, and it's always heartbreaking. usually they do okay after losing a cagemate if they have other rats to keep them company, though personally i've seen it vary from rat to rat how much they mourn.

[.Coffee]

So I got a winter white dwarf hamster named Alfie and he's finally stopped nibbling my fingers and I think he's chilled out quite a bit which is awesome!

Problem: He doesn't use his wheel. I don't think he knows how it works.

I'm keeping it in there in case he someday decides he wants to but I'm worried about it. Is it normal for hamsters to not use the wheel?

[Keriae]

So I got a winter white dwarf hamster named Alfie and he's finally stopped nibbling my fingers and I think he's chilled out quite a bit which is awesome!

Problem: He doesn't use his wheel. I don't think he knows how it works.

I'm keeping it in there in case he someday decides he wants to but I'm worried about it. Is it normal for hamsters to not use the wheel?

It's possible that his wheel is too small for him! Wheels that are too small are painful to use, and as such the hamster won't use them. The recommended minimum size for a dwarf is 20cm c:

[Eevee]

Has anyone had an experience with red eyed Gerbils? I bought two new Gerbils today and they have red eyes. I researched it before I bought them, and it’s normal in most cases. They seem healthy and alert. Their fur is shiny and soft. Just really skiddish (my first two were too when I just brought them home, so this isn’t an issue to me). I just want to know if anyone else had Gerbs with red eyes. It’s just new to me because I’m used to the black eyes ^^ thanks for any input!

Any rodent with red eyes has nothing wrong with them health wise, it's just the way they were born with genetics and such. There's a lot of myths about red eyed hamsters, rats, and gerbils, but it's completely natural. Nothing to be worried about!

Ahh thank you so much! I’m so happy to hear that!

[keylimecoyote]

I don't have any rodents yet, but I'm going to get mice. Ideally in around two months, but there's a high chance it'll be longer ;w;
I'm just marking this thread to stalk it while I wait for my mice.

[Cialline]

I don't have any rodents yet, but I'm going to get mice. Ideally in around two months, but there's a high chance it'll be longer ;w;
I'm just marking this thread to stalk it while I wait for my mice.

EEEYY congrats!
Females or one male? Do you have a set idea on the ones you'll be choosing? I just adopted my first mouse, a beautiful splashed blue long haired male <3

[Cialline]

Has anyone had an experience with red eyed Gerbils? I bought two new Gerbils today and they have red eyes. I researched it before I bought them, and it’s normal in most cases. They seem healthy and alert. Their fur is shiny and soft. Just really skiddish (my first two were too when I just brought them home, so this isn’t an issue to me). I just want to know if anyone else had Gerbs with red eyes. It’s just new to me because I’m used to the black eyes ^^ thanks for any input!

Any rodent with red eyes has nothing wrong with them health wise, it's just the way they were born with genetics and such. There's a lot of myths about red eyed hamsters, rats, and gerbils, but it's completely natural. Nothing to be worried about!

Ahh thank you so much! I’m so happy to hear that!

It's not completely true, because the lack of pigments in their pupil and sclera make them have a poor vision. I mean, rodents in general have a poor vision already, but albino / red eyed rodents (because not all red eyes are albino, take for exemples siamese genes who often combine with a red eyes gene or create red eyes) have an even less acute sight. Nothing wrong though health wise and they won't be agressive or anything (well gerbils can be feisty anyway, but not because of their eyes), just the eyesight.
And also, they are less loved by people; wich is a shame, so thank you for choosing a red eyed rodent!

Also, they might "scan" their head going from left to right, kinda like a rattlesnake. That's due to their poor vision but it's funny to watch, don't be alarmed when you see it happen!