The BRODENTS! Rodent Enthusiast Thread!

[cat;;]

Any tips on how to keep a mouse cool?
Brazil has a fan on her, and a frozen rag but I feel like she is still hot inside her cage.

You can always add icecubes to her water and put a rag around it so she is always getting cold water. Also adding a iced water bottle wrapped up in the cage works too so she has an option to lay next to it if she's overheated

Got a small question... what kind of plastics are safe for mice/aren't? I want to make an Animus for when Desmond is here, but I don't know if I would be able to use plastic in it along with fleece, popsicle sticks, and hot glue.

Also, is it safe to dye popsicle sticks with food dye + water?

I wouldn't put any plastic in a mouse cage unless you KNOW they won't chew it. Plastics can be tricky and if they chew/eat too much they can fall ill. A little bit of chewing is totally normal and okay for a healthy rat, but excessive chewing can be very bad for their tummies, and overall health.

If the dye is pet safe, deinately go for it, but as far as I know, most store bought dye that isn't super expensive isn't pet safe. You'd be best to look it up and if you don't know, just make some of your own dye! I know of people doing that and you know for sure it's et safe(:

[Dylan Klebold]

I wouldn't put any plastic in a mouse cage unless you KNOW they won't chew it. Plastics can be tricky and if they chew/eat too much they can fall ill. A little bit of chewing is totally normal and okay for a healthy rat, but excessive chewing can be very bad for their tummies, and overall health.

If the dye is pet safe, deinately go for it, but as far as I know, most store bought dye that isn't super expensive isn't pet safe. You'd be best to look it up and if you don't know, just make some of your own dye! I know of people doing that and you know for sure it's et safe(:

Thanks for the reply!

And I'll go see if I can find some dyes I could possibly use instead of food dye.

[cat;;]

I wouldn't put any plastic in a mouse cage unless you KNOW they won't chew it. Plastics can be tricky and if they chew/eat too much they can fall ill. A little bit of chewing is totally normal and okay for a healthy rat, but excessive chewing can be very bad for their tummies, and overall health.

If the dye is pet safe, deinately go for it, but as far as I know, most store bought dye that isn't super expensive isn't pet safe. You'd be best to look it up and if you don't know, just make some of your own dye! I know of people doing that and you know for sure it's et safe(:

Thanks for the reply!

And I'll go see if I can find some dyes I could possibly use instead of food dye.

Tell me how it goes!(:

[Dylan Klebold]

Okay, I found these three three links... but I do not know what is safe for mice or not. I don't think cinnamon is safe... right?

[cat;;]

Hmm, well whatever food is safe for mice to eat plain is safe for a food coloring, so I say do your research and find out what colors/foods to use

ALSO does noticable sneezing always mean respiratory problem? My new rat baby sneezes quite a lot. I Know she was on cedar before but does sneezing ALWAYS mean an RI?

[darkvoodoo]

@ Cat- Love the names Louise and Lottie!
One of the girls I just adopted out got named Louise. Im so glad you got her. Her last home sounds horrible.
Having a friend really seems to bring some around pretty fast.

@Tipsy- Can you get any granite tiles (from like home depot,etc)? They are cool and they love to lay on them.
Try putting a bucket of ice in front of the fan blowing on her. It makes it feel like an air conditioner.

[olivionary]

ALSO does noticable sneezing always mean respiratory problem? My new rat baby sneezes quite a lot. I Know she was on cedar before but does sneezing ALWAYS mean an RI?

One of my rats, Yogi, sneezes a lot and I took him to the vet with the others for a check up, because Lucifer sprained his 'ankle/wrist', we think as it definitely didn't break. She told me that nothing was wrong with Yogi even though he sneezes a lot, we did ask. I would recommend considering going to the vet about it, just to be sure.

Also, can GPs lose their voice? I think Daryl has, but he appears healthy otherwise.

[cat;;]

Okay thank you! I plan to go to the vet but I wanted to know if that was the only case

and I don't think so, what makes you think he lost his voice?

[Keletheryl]

I have decided it would be better off for my rats if I gave them up to my local animal shelter. I have tried so hard to be able to take care of them the best I could but I just cant afford the GOOD food for them that they go through so fast, and I refuse to buy them the crappy food they sell in store. I have tried selling them, I have tried giving them to four different animal shelters, I ended up giving one of my less bonded rats to my cousin who has two male rats already, and he's doing great and getting along really well with them, which I'm extremely happy about.

I'll have to call up my local animal shelter again this weekend and beg them to take them. I honestly, even with all the research that I did beforehand, did not expect them to cost this much money. I love my boys to death, and I don't want to part with them. But I just can't do it and it's really not fair for them. I feel like a failure.

[spiderfish]

So things with the skinny breedee haven't gone well.
After two weeks of messaging, and clearly stated several times the only date we could collect, and the breeder agreeing it's fine, now it's come to it, it apparently isn't fine.
To be fair, they've offered to keep him for as long as we want, if we send a deposit, but we can't just run up to Scotland whenever we feel like it. Doesn't look like it's going to happen right now.

Looking for other options closer to home, which are all pet shops, that I'm not entirely ruling out.
Or I might just throw the idea of an APH. At least I know I can easily find a reputable breeder for one. Plus, y'know, HEDGIE.