The BRODENTS! Rodent Enthusiast Thread!

[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.

[womp womp]

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 ^^;

[Lush]

Yesterday we went to the pet store and found the cutest little robo hamster!! He was the only one left, and he is just the cutest! He kind of looks like a grumpy old man lol his name is Freddy, I'll try and get some pictures of him later but he's really shy cause he's still adjusting :) is there anything I should know about robos? We have a Teddy Bear, and we used to have a dwarf, but I'm just wondering if there's anything specific to robos I should look out for?

[ghostmaker]

@howltothewind i don't own a robo, but i was planning on getting one before i got my campbell dwarf so;;

- they're speedy little demons
- they're hard to tame
- they are prone to diabetes much like many hamster breeds


you probably know these, but just in case ^^

[calculator]

urgent!!

i will be taking him to the vet for a professional opinion soon when i can. my hamster has started losing his fur & becoming super skinny. he is about a year old & came from pet smart so im not sure if it’s because of breeder or if something is wrong but im super worried about the little guy. he seems to be eating normally, don’t see him running on his wheel as much. he just seems to sleep a lot. any advice while i wait for a vet visit is appreciated!! (:

[spiderfish]

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 ^^;

I stockpile cardboard tubes. Reva goes through them like crazy, but Lola & Willow are weird, they ignore them for ages then destroy them all at once

Oh, I have stick like that too! The ones I have are apple wood, I always have them on hand for the chinchillas, but Lola likes them too Which reminds me, I need to check whats she's done with them, last I saw them, she was carrying them off into her nest