The Rat Lovers Club! ~MODS PLEASE LOCK!

[MoonfallTheFox]

To treat lice, do NOT use a shampoo. Either use ivermectin (horse paste, given orally, use only the size of an uncooked grain of rice. Do this weekly.), or revolution. (one small drop on the back of the neck, and you're done!)

[Sadies]

....If it is parasites such as mites of lice they are easy to treat. Just go to a pet store and buy some parasite shampoo and bathe all your rats once a week. Keeps the little bugs away pluss keeps your rats clean :)

Is this the only way to get rid of them? When my cats get parasites, I put special flea medication on the back of their necks... Is there a similar remedy for rats? My remaining rat Pixel really hates water, and a bath probably wouldn't go off very nicely.. I just noticed some lice on her this morning. Also, just switched back to Carefresh bedding, after figuring out that the lice might have come from the aspen bedding I bought a few times. People say you should freeze it a few days to kill off any parasites, and I forgot to x.x Maybe that's where she got them ? Not sure how long she has had them, since the last week I've been trying to spend as much time with my other rat Whisper, since she was really sick. Whisper passed yesterday morning, and Pixel and I are devastated.

I spend as much time with her as possible now that she's alone, but I'm really busy with school and can't really be with her 24/7. Any suggestions for something I can leave in her cage to entertain her while I'm not around? She already has a wheel, but she doesn't like to use it for anything besides a bed...

I don't think they make things like that for rats, probably because of the fact that their skin is so delicate. They may have dry bathes, or powder for it. My girls have had a few on them, but I find vacuuming frequently to work well. Dogs or cats can bring in parasites, and even if you don't have any, they can often look for refuge during this time of year in people's houses.

As far as keeping her busy, you could try puzzles or something of the sort, to keep her focused, you know hiding food in something that she would need to knock over or tear apart to get to. Or you could leave something for her to tear apart and nest with, that seems to work. I know you can buy this nontoxic nesting fluff stuff for like under a dollar, it's colorful, soft, easy to tear apart, and my girls love to tear it apart.

They do make it, I bought it for my guinea pigs and said you can use it on rats so I put the spare one on my rats before I got pablo :)

To treat lice, do NOT use a shampoo. Either use ivermectin (horse paste, given orally, use only the size of an uncooked grain of rice. Do this weekly.), or revolution. (one small drop on the back of the neck, and you're done!)

I personally wouldn't use that as it is designed for horses and horses are not the same as rats pluss its quiet expensive pluss if you accidentally give the wrong amount you could harm the rats.

[No Going Back]

I'm learning stuff here, XP.

I was in the petshop yesterday, and they had the sweetest dumbo rat ever. He came right up to me and just sort of....sat there. He was the only one awake, and utterly gorgeous.

[Sadies]

OMG I'm so excited XD might be getting a hairless rat XD

[No Going Back]

LUCKY! Are you introducing it to your other rats, or getting two?

[Sadies]

I would be introducing him into my other three males :) but have to convince my mum first at it's quiet far away from where I live :/

[No Going Back]

Good luck!
I showed my Mum some pictures of a dumbo rat, and she said it was cute. I'm making progress, XP.

[Sadies]

Awsome :D you should show her a Siamese rat, their adorable XD



ohh.. and if she doesn't like the tails you can get rats without tails XD

[No Going Back]

I know, XP. I made up an imaginary conversation with her, lol.

Me: So, can I have rats?
Mum: No.
Me: Why?
Mum: Their ears are....horrible. Their size, and positioning...ew!
Me: We can get dumbos!"
Mum: And they have horrible, greasy fur...
Me: Luckily, there's a hairless variety.
Mum: What about their tails? Horrible and ropey....
Me: A tailless is the solution to our problems.

[Sadies]

lol XD don't worry bout it, took me one year to convince my parents to let me get rats as my stepdad was terrified of them XD I just kept on and on then my "friend" got some rats in spite and I was upset so my stepdad was like alright then I some and got them home and he actually quiet liked them lol XD

Just thought I would note this but I would advise you to get males. I found that my two females I had were much smellier than the three males I currently own. Not sure whether it's normal or not but hay lol XD