The Rat Lovers Club! ~MODS PLEASE LOCK!

[HellyBoo]

I'm going to fight that before I had a mother reject them after 2 weeks. So it happens. And I dont plan on mixing them until I have to. Skitz has been to see Tickles and loves her babies as much as Her own so I think Skitz is the better way to go if any at all.

[ShadiSin]

Today is the day.

My friend, Shea (whom is in charge of Southern Curls Rex Rattery in Alabama for anyone in the area wanting GOOD rats), is bringing me my true black, black hooded female, Skunk, today. ^_^ I'm SO excited to have her!

Other than that..

A while back I rehomed Sally, right?

Well I got her back because her sister had a tumor so bad she had to be put to sleep. Well. When I got Sally, first thing she did was ESCAPE the little bugger. she got outside, has been living in the woods ;/ I could always see her (as she'd run up to you un-afraid) just never CATCH her. I finally bought a live trap, since she decided to find her way back into the house and was living in my cupboards.

Well she was out for easily a month and a half. I caught her with a live gentle & release trap, and.. let's just say this.

She hasn't been eating well. So she's THIN. But she's got that.. baby belly. She is, without a doubt, pregnant.

We have MONSTER wild rats here. And they aren't afraid of people. We actually had one male that'd run up to us for food if we ate outside and he was rather docile for a wild boy..

My question is, I am more than 100% positive they'll be hybrids. She looks as far along as my other momma, but I don't want to mix them together in the same cage as Syri is very protective of her youngins' and Sally is more or less one of those 'loner' rats anyway. I'm having to buy ANOTHER cage, but I don't mind..

anyway, back to the hybrids. IF they're handled and near my scent from day one (well, not DAY day one, I want to give Sally space still) and sociailize them as MUCH as I possibly can.. could I rehome them as pets only? I've been told they make amazing pets, and LOVE the posh life so training should be a breeze for tricks. I'm already planning on keeping at least one pup as my own personal "go around rat" that I take to the stores with me. I bring some of my other girls with me and I've gotten TONS of attention and I've been able to educate people beyond belief (which, makes me feel AMAZING) on them in the time I've been doing this.. BUT. my domestic rats are SO docile, they just fall asleep on me. I've found rats that do tricks draw the 'scared' people in more and helps them understand better that they aren't nasty, scary creatures. My largest male rat is almost 2lbs.. he's starting to be snuggly, but at the moment he's still hesitant and not fully adjusted to me or my parents. My other boys, however, are AMAZING. Oliver rolls over, legit, for tickles/belly rubs now and Ames is super duper licky <3 he likes to touch noses and tickle you with his whiskers haha. Pistachio is growing up rather nicely, still has his baby fur but he's almost the same size as Bentley now, whom is.. well, just a small boy.

back to Sally.. poor girl was terrified last night when we caught her, but this morning she came up to me and just laid down on my hand and allowed me to rub behind her ears with the other. She fell asleep almost instantly.. she's been missing her lovings. She's much more docile than I'd expect being outside for this long.. still the same old Sally ^_^ an escape artist.. but I'm buying a SECURE cage that has a lid and not a DOOR she can magically unlock >.< and I'm going to keep her away from other rats. When she has her litter, I may keep a female pup with her to keep her company and then keep a male for myself and have him neutered so he can stay with his momma and sister. I am really, really hoping she is accepting of this litter. and I am REALLY really hoping that, if not, my other girl has her babies around the same exact time. I feel I could risk mixing the babies with my other girls so long as my scent is on them and they aren't too far apart birth wise..

Oh oh and, Mozart's paw healed up c: he's walking on it, using it to eat and so on now. He's rather jumpy and a whole new rat from what I've been use to in the time I've had him. He flinches when I go to touch him still, though, and that has me a bit worried. I don't know if he's just unsure of it, or what it really is. but after a few seconds he calms down. He LOVES his ears rubbed my god. Mom and dad said I'm crazy putting my fingers near him after he sunk his teeth into my finger the other day but it was my fault, not his.. I even pick him up and snuggle him. near my face.. which if I get bit, it'll be MY fault. I don't want to Not give him snuggles just because he was aggressive a few times. he seems to be doing really really well as a loner male. Is it just normal that some males want to be alone?

[Hyazihr]

i havent posted on this thread wow...

on topic!: jessica did a filp-like thing and almost fell off my hand...scary but lol

[heartleafed]

Shadi, I've heard that wild rats themselves make awesome pets if they're raised correctly by people.
In fact, I know a guy who had a purely wild rat since it was two weeks old (he was brought up by a cat) and he was an awesome pet. He did tricks and loved to snuggle, just an awesome guy.
So, they should be awesome babies c:



On a different note. When I went to check on my boys last night, Spot was running around behind the cage, it was really weird. Thankfully he didn't put up a fight when I had to put him back in.
I really need that new cage for them.

[HellyBoo]

Well I'd thought I'd let people know that one of my babies died today. One of Trixy's babies. I think he might of been sick cause he was very weak and small at birth.

[.Middy.]

Aww poor baby.

Still no news on my new babies birth...

[HellyBoo]

Well let's hope they are okay and born soon. Tickles is being really good. I cuddle her a few times a day and she has starred really looking after them.

[.Middy.]

That's great!

Yeah, I'm hoping their born soon, I have second pick of the litter, which is so exciting!

[HellyBoo]

Awesome! My first lot of babies are having fun exploring and annoying mummy Rory.

[heartleafed]

I'm sorry to hear about the loss of one of your babies. It's always sad.
Nice to hear momma rat's taking care of her babies like she should though.