The BRODENTS! Rodent Enthusiast Thread!

[Kisiel]

What is your bedding? Have you tried switching it?

I used to use fleece bedding, but switched the regular non-colorful carefresh, which I change out at least twice a week.

Anything that could cause allergies?

Well, their food has corn in it (which I've heard that some rats can have an allergy to), but I do my very best to pick out all of the corn before feeding it to them. Could it still be the problem?

Their cage is a seven level wire custom that I built for them. The room that their kept in is warm. Around 75 degrees fahrenheit and mildly humid due to the tropical aquariums which are also in the same room. Also within the same room are a tarantula, a scorpion, a mouse, and sometimes a small dog. I don't know if they could have allergies to any of these other pets? It would just be very difficult to move them elsewhere within the house because I also have two cats (who I don't allow in the room that the rats and other small animals are currently in).

Care fresh is terrible, I wouldn't use it even if given to me for free. Fleece isn't really suitable either. You should look into shavings, klin dried and dust extracted are perfectly safe. You can buy big bales intended for horses which works out super cheap and will last you forever.

Dried corn is a problem if you're in the US, if I remember correctly it's due to fungus issues. It's very unlikely that the rats are allergic to other animals. Are they otherwise acting fine? Any lethargy or discharge?

[meerkat boi.]

my dad keeps throwing alive baby MICE into the bin.

like one that my dog almost killed was suffering and I told my dad to just end its suffering he threw it into the bin. it was still alive.

yesterday a mouse we rescued from my sisters room into the bin.

And this morning he threw another one into the bin.

He has to stop.

The worst thing is, the one from this morning was put in the bin where the binmen were emptying it out into the truck.
my dad has to stop.

[Kat]

Care fresh is terrible, I wouldn't use it even if given to me for free. Fleece isn't really suitable either. You should look into shavings, klin dried and dust extracted are perfectly safe. You can buy big bales intended for horses which works out super cheap and will last you forever.

Dried corn is a problem if you're in the US, if I remember correctly it's due to fungus issues. It's very unlikely that the rats are allergic to other animals. Are they otherwise acting fine? Any lethargy or discharge?

Oh, wow. I was always told that carefresh was one of the better kinds of bedding. I'll definitely have to make a switch!

my dad keeps throwing alive baby MICE into the bin.

like one that my dog almost killed was suffering and I told my dad to just end its suffering he threw it into the bin. it was still alive.

yesterday a mouse we rescued from my sisters room into the bin.

And this morning he threw another one into the bin.

He has to stop.

The worst thing is, the one from this morning was put in the bin where the binmen were emptying it out into the truck.
my dad has to stop.

Can't you stop him? Just take the mice out of the bin and put them outside? I mean, or you could try to explain to him that what he's doing could be considered animal abuse. There are also wildlife rescues that you could bring the babies to, depending on where you live. Either way, he probably isn't going to stop unless you do something about it or have a talk with him. Wild mice in the house is certainly a problem, but one that can be taken care of in far more humane ways. Heck, I'd even consider snap traps to be more humane than tossing them into bins to either starve or be crushed by garbage trucks (even though I myself would never use snap traps either).

[a snoozing skerple]

Some stores sell small outlet devices that emit a constant high pitched sound meant to repel rodents. It's only faintly audible to people so hypothetically if you had enough of them you could block them off from each room. If the grown mice aren't comfortable in your house, they won't be making more babies there.

I really don't think that you're going to be able to talk him out of that. If he's doing that to live animals then he's not going to care about whatever bad label the behavior comes with. Animal abuse charges are meager at most, and you can't teach a grown adult empathy if they've gotten this far into life without picking up on it - especially not if they're an older family figure who's more likely to attribute your disapproval to your age or some sort of phase than to the possibility that you might know anything more than they do.
I'd recommend you be prepared for the likelihood that he's not going to help and you're probably going to have to learn to work around him. Get more involved in finding them before he does, find a way to recover the ones he gets to, etc.

[meerkat boi.]

Some stores sell small outlet devices that emit a constant high pitched sound meant to repel rodents. It's only faintly audible to people so hypothetically if you had enough of them you could block them off from each room. If the grown mice aren't comfortable in your house, they won't be making more babies there.

I really don't think that you're going to be able to talk him out of that. If he's doing that to live animals then he's not going to care about whatever bad label the behavior comes with. Animal abuse charges are meager at most, and you can't teach a grown adult empathy if they've gotten this far into life without picking up on it - especially not if they're an older family figure who's more likely to attribute your disapproval to your age or some sort of phase than to the possibility that you might know anything more than they do.
I'd recommend you be prepared for the likelihood that he's not going to help and you're probably going to have to learn to work around him. Get more involved in finding them before he does, find a way to recover the ones he gets to, etc.

Thanks.
I'm just a little over my teens tho..
Yeah ill tell my dad to stop and maybe we can work something out.

[Kat]

So, small update.

I switched to aspen bedding rather than carefresh. Crossing my fingers that the sneezing will clear up as a result. ;v;

[ghostmaker]

so, my mother still thinks that all small rodents have the plague, but i’m researching a ton and putting together a sort of presentation/binder thing to inform her more about hamsters, and let her understand that hamsters, while they can carry other diseases, are highly unlikely to carry the plague, and most diseases in rodents are caused by contact with fleas or wild rodents.

i have enough money saved up to buy almost everything for a hamster: a comfortable cage (most likely a tank), fresh bedding, water bottles, food bowls, food itself, a decently sized wheel, and many other toys/engaging items.



@kat that’s awesome!! hoping their sneezes stop as well, sneezy rats are not happy rats :c but do be careful with aspen bedding, it’s known to be a bit messy

[cornspurrd.]

Dyson Passed today,
I wish they lived longer.

Me and his brother are just snuggling
together now.

Edit: Sorry the image is large But all 3 of my babies In one picccccccccc

And Another pic of the cat and the ratt

[Kisiel]

I'm sending off some of my girls to a stud this week, gosh the house will be so quiet without them. Only one is being mated but she needs company as she'll be gone about a week, so two others are going with her. I know they'll be taken care of very well but I still can't help but get nervous.

[a snoozing skerple]

anyone else have a problem with their tall cages collecting static? we've moved the cage to a different wall twice now and have no carpet near it but for some reason it still zaps me frequently.
it doesn't seem to ever zap the rats in the cage, but i was just holding one of them and as i walked near the cage - didn't even touch it yet - it suddenly zapped my hand underneath her and scared her.