The Rat Lovers Club! ~MODS PLEASE LOCK!

[broker]

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Username: TheDarkCynder
Have you ever had a rat?: Have two currently, used to have three.

Ratties!

Welcome!
And milliemouse, which pet store did you buy your previous rats from? (Not location, the company.) Call me a dope if you already stated it.

[LadyCrowsong]

All of my females came from petco and my male came from petsmart.

My gerbil came from a breeder (apparently anyway, we got him from the humane society but were told his owner who gave him up got him from a breeder) and he's living longer than my ratties (relatively speaking, I do believe gerbils aren't supposed to live as long as rats. Gerbils are what, 1-3 years and rats are 2-5, correct?)

[broker]

All of my females came from petco and my male came from petsmart.

My gerbil came from a breeder (apparently anyway, we got him from the humane society but were told his owner who gave him up got him from a breeder) and he's living longer than my ratties (relatively speaking, I do believe gerbils aren't supposed to live as long as rats. Gerbils are what, 1-3 years and rats are 2-5, correct?)

Yup, you are correct.
And if you're still looking for ratties,
You could try craigslist.org
I dunno what you'll find but it might help.
And, are there other pet stores in your area you could try? Of course I wouldn't doubt you already thought of that.

[LadyCrowsong]

I'm fairly certain I wanna go with a breeder when I get more. My petstore rats are amazing, they just aren't the healthiest. Which, I've read online it'd be that way, but I could never find a breeder near me when I got my rats before.

[rachaelandrats]

Rats don't live until 5 years old hehe.
Not calling you a liar at all but is it just me who has noticed on some forums and I think previously on this thread people have had rats reach 4 and 5?? ;/ It's really not likely to happen.... my oldest girl right now is Nell, who turned 3 years old in March.... I think if they reach 2, you've got them to a good age. If they reach 3 years old, you're really lucky.

[rachaelandrats]

@milliemouse, I hate to say it but if I was you I wouldn't get more rats. What if they end up sick again? Your parents didn't let you take them to the vets and your poor girl was so skinny, so sick, and got no vet attention at all. I know that you want rats, but if you love rats you surely won't want any to suffer.

[broker]

@milliemouse, I hate to say it but if I was you I wouldn't get more rats. What if they end up sick again? Your parents didn't let you take them to the vets and your poor girl was so skinny, so sick, and got no vet attention at all. I know that you want rats, but if you love rats you surely won't want any to suffer.

Of course there is the fact that they may be healthy. Not all rats are sickly, but if they happen to be, that doesn't stop us from trying to help them. Vets are not the answer to every pet problem. A clean cage, healthy diet, good company and exercise keeps the rattie alive and well. And if the rattie is weak, and very sickly, yes, that is necessary vet attention. But I doubt every single pet store is going to be selling sick, sick, rats. Oreo's tumor didn't faze me to bring her to the vet. Oreo was two years old once she got the tumor, and lived for another one and a half years without any medicine, pain killer, or vet treatment. I keeped a clean cage everyday, fresh vegetables, kept her away from high places, and she passed softly in her sleep. Absolutely no signs of pain were shown during her disease.
And my siblings previous rattie did live up to four years. xD It may be lucky for them to live up to five, but four is no sweat.

[rachaelandrats]

If a rat gets a health problem giving them vegetables and a clean cage won't help it. If we got a respiratory infection, would the doctor just say oh it's fine, keep your house clean and eat vegetables?

I totally agree with this article: http://ratshackforum.com/ratroom/experi ... d-the-vet/
Rats do get sick very easily. They all carry myco and I personally don't believe that so many people have rats that never go to a vet but live until 4. It's really not going to happen. Rats average lifespan is 2 years old.

[rachaelandrats]

Also I'm not saying rats don't live until over 2, a lot will and mine have.

[LadyCrowsong]

Let me clear a few things up. Right now, I'm not intending on getting new rats, but I really want to interact some little ones. And I read online that rats can reach up to five years old. I know that most will not, but it is a possibility, surely.