The BRODENTS! Rodent Enthusiast Thread!

[Nari UwU]

@Team_Dobby sorry to hear you're having troubles, and it takes a loving person to not give up on them so I applaud you! Since you mentioned wearing heavy duty gloves when feeding, may I ask are you always wearing gloves when handling them?

No, I just barely bought the gloves today. They started out just kinda weary and I’d get little nips but nothing that even hurt, but like idk they’ve just been getting worse, my entire middle finger pretty much is bandaged rn bc of how much she went off on me, this is the first time I’ve even bled from it, I dunno what set them off so badly now, they were always really bad about not wanting to be caught but once they were out of the cage they were alright

[MotherMother]

@Team_Dobby hmm. I asked because when I wear gloves (when cleaning their cage) my girls get very nippy just because they want to take the gloves off my hands and they think they're helping me by pulling them off. If they're only bad when they're inside the cage, I wonder if they're just very territorial? Instead of grabbing them to take them out of the cage, maybe consider coaxing them out instead. If they don't come out themselves, you can lure them out with food and treats.
Also, since you have other rats, it's possible they smell the other rats and see them as competition, which sends them into a territorial mode. You can test this out by making sure there's no other rat scent on you. So next time you get out of the shower, change into fresh clothes and visit your girls and see if they behave the same way. If they still nip, it's not because other rats' scent.
If over time they still don't bond well with you, try spending time with them one on one. Rats feed off the energy of their peers and will make each other more scared. If you take away the other one's influence, the rat may learn to seek companionship from you (it well help a lot to have treats ready) I wouldn't actually separate them, but I'd try taking one out of the cage at a time for a while. Then of course you can take them both out afterwords, but a short one-on-one session before playtime might help.

[.Middy.]

I finally went and picked up my new mice and ASFs last night! Two colonies of mice with a trio in each! Then one has 18 babies and the other has 8 lol. With atleast two more litters on the way. The soft furs I got a trio, they haven’t produced any babies yet but hopefully soon! This little one is my favorite, I’ve decided to call it Jester after the harlequin rabbit breed since it has a split like one lol. Need to check gender on it, but it’s staying either way lol.

[cornspurrd.]

so after school today gordons going to the vet, what do i bring along?.

[plot]

Currently missing my girls. Went to the animal hospital and both girls had to be put down today. my room feels so empty and quiet. I missed them coming home today because they always greeted me when I walked in after work with their little heads popping up and checking on me. The cage just isn’t the same without the babies bopping around or cuddled up. Though I guess I should be semi thankful they went out together, because I honestly don’t know how one would have survived without the other. The sisters were inseparable even when I got them. R.I.P Oreo and Gracie. The best girls I could have asked for. (08/23/18)

[Kat]

@plot: I'm so sorry about your two rats. At least they went together. I dread the day that one of mine goes. The other will be absolutely crushed.

---

Has anyone else here ever done this before? The rat cage that I built was becoming way too much of a hassle to clean, but I'm broke and can't afford to buy a big enough rat cage from the store. So, I went on craigslist and found two "guinea pig" cages. One was free and the other was $10. I stacked them on top of the each other, cut a hole through the top of the first and bottom of the second, put a PVC tunnel through them to connect them together (with a ledge to step on under it), and now I have a two story rat cage that is really easy to clean. I plan on finding a 3rd to make yet another story. My two ratties seem to like it. Their favorite place to sleep now is in their orange basket. ;v;

[kami!]

Hello!
I'm getting my first ever pet rats pretty soon and I'm super excited!^^
However, I have a few questions.

In my country it's almost impossible to find people or pet shops that sell rats. I found a seller but the rats they sell are 8 months old, so my question is: are 8 month old rats too old to bond with me and to play with, or will they still bond and play with me like any other rat?

This one is probably a very frequently asked question, but if i get two rats, does that mean that they will just play with each other and won't interact with me as much?

Thank you in advance!^^

[MotherMother]

@ariana; getting older rats is completely fine and you will be able to bond the same way you would with a younger rat! A rat's ability to bond with you is based less on their age and more on whether or not they're used to humans. If they've been handled since they were young, they will bond quickly. If they are only just starting to play with humans at 8 months, the process will be longer but still will happen, with patience and lots of treats c;

You should always get more than one rat. Because they are social animals, rats must live in groups otherwise they will get depressed and lonely. Even if you could spend 24 hours a day with your rat, they would still be unfulfilled because you can't communicate, groom them, or sleep with them the same way that a rat can. Getting 2 rats ensures they are happy and entertained even when you're not home, and they have someone they can do ratty stuff with (: and the effect of playing with you is the exact opposite, 2 rats means twice the love! <3

[spiderfish]

Anyone want to share theirs hamsters favourite toys? Lola is apparently bored of her current lot, and is less easily satisfied than than my other two, and I need new distractions for her before she figures out a way to get out of her cage. Or chew through it, I wouldn't put either past her.

I plan on DIYing her a load of stuff, that will involve a trip to Ikea, and a tackier glue that I currently have, but until then, I need store bough options.

[qin]

Anyone want to share theirs hamsters favourite toys? Lola is apparently bored of her current lot, and is less easily satisfied than than my other two, and I need new distractions for her before she figures out a way to get out of her cage. Or chew through it, I wouldn't put either past her.

I plan on DIYing her a load of stuff, that will involve a trip to Ikea, and a tackier glue that I currently have, but until then, I need store bough options.

honestly my hamster's favourite toy are toilet paper tubes :"0c whenever i put one in his cage he really enjoys nibbling on it, and its at least half gone by a day pft

he also enjoys these pretzel sticks, but i heard that some hamsters will completely ignore them so ?? im not sure ^^;