The BRODENTS! Rodent Enthusiast Thread!

[ede]

Something to keep in mind about rat wheels, the ones labelled for rats are usually too small for them. It needs to be big enough to look like a ferret could run in it.
Rats have very long backs. A wheel that's too small for them to run naturally in will gradually bend their backs and cause problems for them.

agreed, I bought a wheel for my rats when I first got them (when they were quite small) and I don't think they'd fit safely on the wheel now.

[vein]

Hey, rat landlord here.
I live with six right now- two girls, four boys.
Here's a link to their information, but the text is pretty small so my apologies.

[Lincoln]

I'm sorry to say that I have lost two of my best friends late evening yesterday and early morning today.
When I went to feed the rats yesterday evening, Pancake was on the ground in pain. It seemed like he had been there for a while, and he could barely move. I took him out of the cage and cradled him in a fluffy blanket until he drew his last breath. I'm pretty sure he broke his spine, as I inspecting him and his neck was very swollen. I placed him in a cardboard box padded with a floral cloth, and as it was late, I put his body in the freezer to preserve him until it would be safe to dispose of him. Early the next morning, I found Jasper curled up in a little ball. He wasn't breathing. I assume he died of grief, because Pancake was his littermate. So, I'm sad to say, I have lost 2/3 of my little rat mischief, and Lewis is now alone.

[rattitude]

I've just gotten two new male rats today from a woman who had about 100 rats in her home rescue.
they look and act healthy, although one is a little skinny, but the main problem is that they stink.
they both smell like a barn.
do you think bathing would help? how would you go about it?
i have never had to bathe my rats, because they've always been capable of cleaning themselves,
but the stench of these little guys is pretty bad.

she explained it was because they were houses with around 30 males that loves to pile on eachother
and pee on eachother. she had suggested coconut oil to get rid of the smell.

any advice?

[ede]

I've just gotten two new male rats today from a woman who had about 100 rats in her home rescue.
they look and act healthy, although one is a little skinny, but the main problem is that they stink.
they both smell like a barn.
do you think bathing would help? how would you go about it?
i have never had to bathe my rats, because they've always been capable of cleaning themselves,
but the stench of these little guys is pretty bad.

she explained it was because they were houses with around 30 males that loves to pile on eachother
and pee on eachother. she had suggested coconut oil to get rid of the smell.

any advice?

I've owned two male rats in my years of rat owing and unfortunately they naturally smell much more then females. Not sure how to get rid of the barn smell, but the best thing to do is make sure you clean them regularly (their cage/bedding/etc). Bathing does help, but all my rats that I've bathed have not enjoyed the experience much. I've used a small amount of sensitive skin/baby shampoo on my rats, but you have to be very careful about chemicals and such. I'm guessing the smell may go away slightly since they've been taken away from their family and will have time to clean themselves properly.
But yeah, male rats will have their natural smell which can't really be completely cleaned off. Good luck though!

[rattitude]

@ede
Thanks for the reply! the two males I adopted are not my only rats. I have four other males as well, but they don't stink much at all. these new males are far smellier.
I've given them coconut oil in their coats, so hopefully they clean themselves up and smell better. I'm hoping it doesn't have something to do with a poor previous diet.

[The Mad Girl]

Michonne wishes you all a happy Easter.

[The Lost Gremlin]

Michonne wishes you all a happy Easter.

Haha that's adorable, happy Easter to her too ^^

Tonight my elderly boys are getting their own Easter egg hunt, using some small plastic fillable eggs I got at the poundshop. They've played with the larger ones with food inside before, so they know what they're about. I'm going to fill them with some tasty treats, dot them around my bedroom and see what happens... I think Teddy might enjoy them seeing as he's far more active and agile still, but it's hard to say if Jojo and Busby will.
If there are any eggs left over then I'll let my hamster Willow have a couple to chew on too. The eggs are much smaller than what she's used to so she might have a happier time playing with them lol

[Top Ramen]

BROOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
ive found my dudes
look at this dorko piggo

his names charles brown and hes a living memelord
hes literally turning 7 soon tho so like hes technically a senior citizen

[junkmonkey]

@gnarlypapi I love Charles Brown my main elderly man. Please keep us updated on this radical piggo