The Rat Lovers Club! ~MODS PLEASE LOCK!

[rachaelandrats]

What age is Syria now? Has she had litters before?

[.Middy.]

Any tips on which cage, litter, food ect to get?

Whereabouts are you? I'm in the UK so might not be able to suggest any foods.
You are better sticking to either a good quality rattie mix or even lab blocks... not my favourite food as they do seem a bit boring, but if you made sure to give them a variety of others foods, it would be fine. Mixes made for other animals aren't a good idea, the protien/seed content is all wrong for ratties.

Again I don't know where you are to suggest any cages. As for bedding, sawdust is really bad for ratties respiratory systems. Even if there's no obvious symptoms to start with, even just sneezing, it's not good for them.


http://www.fancy-rats.co.uk/information ... ect=litter

Im in the US, but whatever I buy has to be able to be found at Petco, a grocery store(Though they never have very good food choices for animals) Or a Feed store.

Im planning on litter box training them if I can (besides the marking, since I have no control over that), then giving them some papertowels or other soft things for them to rip up as bedding.

[Metallic Dragon]

Any tips on which cage, litter, food ect to get?

Whereabouts are you? I'm in the UK so might not be able to suggest any foods.
You are better sticking to either a good quality rattie mix or even lab blocks... not my favourite food as they do seem a bit boring, but if you made sure to give them a variety of others foods, it would be fine. Mixes made for other animals aren't a good idea, the protien/seed content is all wrong for ratties.

Again I don't know where you are to suggest any cages. As for bedding, sawdust is really bad for ratties respiratory systems. Even if there's no obvious symptoms to start with, even just sneezing, it's not good for them.


http://www.fancy-rats.co.uk/information ... ect=litter

Im in the US, but whatever I buy has to be able to be found at Petco, a grocery store(Though they never have very good food choices for animals) Or a Feed store.

Im planning on litter box training them if I can (besides the marking, since I have no control over that), then giving them some papertowels or other soft things for them to rip up as bedding.

Personally I use a mixture of rat blocks, several different whole/multigrain cereals, dried cranberries, puppy food, oats, and two different types of noodles(whole grain and three veggie)

[ShadiSin]

Syria is about seven or so months now.

She has had one litter before - which was my accidental litter between her and Oliver. She had twelve pups, 11 survived.

Pistachio is actually her son.

and I was told around six months would be good to breed a female. I've been told this by multiple people now. Since most of my new girls that will be used for breeding are close together, I'm stretching it from 6 to 8 months for a first litter, and none of mine, other than Syria, will go over two litters max. I've actually decided to hold back on breeding anymore (my pups go out as pets with a signed contract that more or less says if you can't care for them, they must come back, blahblahblah) until I get my 8th generation pups from my friend, which should be ready in two more weeks ♥ so excited to have more dumbos in my life.

Sally is veryyy young, maybe uhm.. 3 months? but, her pregnancy couldn't be prevented. I mean, we tried and tried to catch her to no avail outside. Finally she came into our actual house, which is how we caught her. ;/ Syria is due in about.. 13 more days. But I'm expecting Sally-butt to give birth a week or maybe even two AFTER Syria.

Gosh, I best get my butt onto writing down these pups pedigree AND Pistachio's Ped..

[ShadiSin]

Gosh. New plan.

Besides Somba, Savvy, Pistachio and Skunk, I am not breeding ANY of my own personal rats.

I am going to wait for Shea's pedigree rats that are already clear of every 'sickness' possible, clear of rusting and silvering and so on.

I highly planned on breeding Ames, but he's so silvered I'll get a litter no one will truly want unless they stay pets.

I plan on breeding Somba, Skunk, Savvy, Pistachio and that is pretty much it. MAYBE Oliver to Skunk.

Pistachio to Somba.. but other than that? Nope. Waiting all on Shea's stock. Somba & Pistachio might not even happen.

My main reason for breeding, I want to have GOOD quality, healthy rats for pets, not snake food. PETS - and if I can get good enough markings, I would highly like to 'show' my rats. I've always been in love with those PERFECT markings but something about broken and mismarks just make me all warm and fuzzy inside.. maybe it's the quirkyness of their mismark/broken hoods and so on that draws me in.

[-.,]

How are rusting and silvering a "sickness"?

[-PLEASE DELETE-]

What is rusting and silvering?

[ShadiSin]

It is not a sickness, just undesirable for some reason. :c

Rusting is where the fur has brown/red hues to it. Silvering is where they have silver ticking throughout their coat.

What the people want, is TRUE jet black rats.

Personally I like silvers.. but if I want to be able to rehome them I have to try and stay away. :'c

[rachaelandrats]

Silvering can be part of their variety, some dark coloured ratties just end up 'rusting' though, which looks kind of red to their fur. It can be related to poor diet or just to them getting older / their genetics.

ShadiSin why do you need to breed your rats? I know you say you want "healthy, good quality" rats, but unless they are all from some really great breeder - which is hard to find - then they will just be the same as any other rats you have right now. Does it matter that much, why can't they just be pets rather than going through babies, the stress of that for the mums, the money, trying to home check every new home.

[ron]

I have a pet ret that i dont want. Its a uncommon. Trade someone?