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Peace Fire posted:Well I'm pretty sure at this point that she's Cinnamon Pearl, though genetically there is no Pearl that we know of (and we can trace back about 4 generations on both sides for this line). Mom's an agouti and Dad's a mink so originally I believed this litter to be a mink, agouti, blue and PED carrying litter. Possible colors would be mink, lilac, agouti, cinnamon, champagne, fawn and silver fawn, given the pedigree behind it. We figured somewhere along the line Pearl was thrown in and not documented. Hmm. I guess the determiner will be her eye color- if her eyes are *truly* black, she could be a cinnamon pearl, but if they're ruby (I really, really suspect they are from the first pic) she's a cinnamon. I have a feeling she's a cinnamon as based on the first pic, I don't think she has black eyes. If you're really not sure, take a pic of her eyes with the flash on- if they flash red they're ruby, if not, they're black, and that will be the determiner. quote:But while we're playing the guessing game, any ideas on this guy (from the same litter): He does look pearl, but he's got that darker undercoat- maybe he's lynx? What color are his eyes? Lynx rats have very dark ruby eyes, so determining eye color is very important there again. He's interesting, because the yellowish/reddish tone to him does make me want to say pearl, but the undercoat is throwing me off. Since pearls always have black eyes and lynx always have dark ruby eyes I'd let that be the determiner. Again, you caan use a camera flash to solve that one. 
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Nov 28, 2010 09:11
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I'll get the flash out tomorrow and throw it on to get some pics. I'm fairly certain both have black eyes (which created the big confusion with the buck's breeder). I have another with very dark ruby eyes and when comparing the two there is a distinct difference but I should be sure and use the flash anyway. So that's on the to-do list for tomorrow night (after football, of course!). ETA: I wanted to quickly point out the black spot on the lynx/peal's back. He also has a spot on his head and one on his lower back which implies Merle only there is absolutely no merle at all in the 6 or so generations we've scoured through. It completely baffles both of us. I'm a new breeder but the buck's breeder has been around since 2005 and she's never seen a rat like him either. The master plan right now is to breed him (Falcon) back to Raven (the Cinnamon?) and see what happens. It'll be my first (and hopefully only) OMG what is it? mystery breeding. Here's a final pic of him before I head to bed. I'll be interested to see what others think for sure! 
Peace Fire fucked around with this message at 09:22 on Nov 28, 2010 |
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Nov 28, 2010 09:18
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Man you know, I have a two and a half-year-old rat I basically spent the past few months just waiting for him to have enough trouble moving around to take him to put him to sleep, then one day the giant tumour on his leg just falls off and he's romping around, happy as a clam. Then I come home from work one morning to find a dead rat in the cage and is it him, or his brother of the same age? No, it's the year-and-a-half-year-old happy, friendly, cuddly, licky one, who's never had a health issue in his life that I could tell. Almost exactly a year after his brother, too. And the worst part was that it's so cold and snowy outside all I could really do after was put him in a shoebox with some kleenex and take him out to the garbage can. 
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Nov 28, 2010 14:42
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awwww, I'm sorry neongray that's really sad  at least he got to be happy and cuddly and licky with you, and will be missed. He was much luckier than most rats to have such a caring owner.
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Nov 28, 2010 16:54
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neongrey posted:Man you know, I have a two and a half-year-old rat I basically spent the past few months just waiting for him to have enough trouble moving around to take him to put him to sleep, then one day the giant tumour on his leg just falls off and he's romping around, happy as a clam. Oh, neon, I'm so sorry, I always liked your ratlings. Was he one of the Kool-Aid mohawk boys?
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Nov 28, 2010 16:55
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Amiss posted:Oh, neon, I'm so sorry, I always liked your ratlings. No, actually, they're both perfectly fine... those are the two older ones. I ended up changing from Kool-Aid to food colouring and haven't dyed them since the tumour thing, though, since they're both pretty identifiable from each other now... But there they are, grumpy old men, totally fine, enduring lickings from my landlady's dog when she sneaks in here, etc. I'm worried about little Varael, though... I got him from the same breeder as the two who've passed on, though he's only half-related to them... 
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Nov 28, 2010 22:04
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Aw, man, this thread is great. I used to breed rats - got none now, 'cause once you have 42 at once you sort of get tired of the effort. Two of my prettiest boys from back then, just chillin' : 
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Nov 29, 2010 01:12
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^^^^ oh my god  but in other news.. :-( Bartmouse died... time to find a new friend for Linus. Maybe one day I'll get a rat with good genetics.
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Nov 29, 2010 04:11
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Superconsndar posted:Hmm. I guess the determiner will be her eye color- if her eyes are *truly* black, she could be a cinnamon pearl, but if they're ruby (I really, really suspect they are from the first pic) she's a cinnamon. I have a feeling she's a cinnamon as based on the first pic, I don't think she has black eyes. If you're really not sure, take a pic of her eyes with the flash on- if they flash red they're ruby, if not, they're black, and that will be the determiner. I was very surprised by the results... Raven (The Cinnamon/Cinnamon Pearl):  Falcon (The Pearl/Lynx):  I'm still unsure about Raven. Are those REALLY dark Ruby eyes or black? Like I said, there is no Pearl in this line so I'd be very surprised now if they were black since Falcon is more obvious- looks like he's a Lynx! I'll have to research those genetics a bit. And I wonder if he's Lynx Merle or do Lynx rats usually have spots? I guess I need to take pics with flash more often. I have a dark ruby eyed rat and his eyes like so much more red than these two so I assumed both were black but I guess looks can be deceiving.
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Nov 29, 2010 07:36
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I don't know what they are but they are cuties
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Nov 30, 2010 10:12
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My girlfriend just got her first two female rats about 2 1/2 weeks ago. They're both incredibly cute, but one of them is starting to worry me a little bit. It looks like she's starting to produce some porphyrin and she's seemed a little subdued for the last day or so. Thing is the two rats have been doing some traveling over the past week, as she had to take them on a three hour car trip to and from home. She's also been the "quiet one" ever since we got her, with this being just a minor drop in her activity. Is this something worth worrying about immediately and taking her to the vet for right away, or should I watch and see what happens for the next day or two and then decide?
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Dec 1, 2010 06:26
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Is she more active during the night? My guys lay around all day and run around all night. But I've never had girl rats. Mine also produce porphyrin from time to time and it doesn't seem to mean anything much on its own. I've heard it said that if they have old porphyrin (indicating they are too weak to clean it off) its more of a worry. But second-hand advice there, sorry. I'd say its possible she is tired but keep a close eye on her. Might be good to take her for a vet visit anyway if they are new rats and her activity level's always been low. For your peace of mind 
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Dec 1, 2010 07:07
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Big Bug Hug posted:Is she more active during the night? My guys lay around all day and run around all night. But I've never had girl rats. Mine also produce porphyrin from time to time and it doesn't seem to mean anything much on its own. I've heard it said that if they have old porphyrin (indicating they are too weak to clean it off) its more of a worry. But second-hand advice there, sorry. They usually are, but they went on a three-hour bus ride during the day and were kept up for a bit, so I think their sleep cycle is a little off. She's looking a lot better now, but I'm going to look into local vets and maybe finance a peace of mind visit there. The other one, on the other hand, is a ball of energy. She's climbing all over the cage walls whenever she sees us.
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Dec 1, 2010 07:48
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Does anyone know any good tricks to getting my rat to drink her medicine? I just got it today for her respiratory infection, but getting her to drink it is quite the challenge...
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Dec 2, 2010 03:33
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What form is the medicine - powder you mix with water? Or is it a syrup? I've not had a lot of luck getting my guys to eat medicines that don't taste good(nice tasting ones are fine  ) but people recommend mixing it with fruity tasting baby food. Try that?Golashes, glad your little one seems to be feeling better
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Dec 2, 2010 03:37
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Big Bug Hug posted:What form is the medicine - powder you mix with water? Or is it a syrup? I've not had a lot of luck getting my guys to eat medicines that don't taste good(nice tasting ones are fine Ok, I'll try that then, thanks. It's a syrup with a syringe, by the way.
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Dec 2, 2010 05:05
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I have no patience for medicating rats. I scruff a rat, stick the syringe behind their teeth, squirt it in, and continue scruffing them until they inevitably swallow. Dicking around mixing it with stuff and trying to get them to politely eat it is so much  in comparison.
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Dec 2, 2010 05:11
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Superconsndar posted:I have no patience for medicating rats. I scruff a rat, stick the syringe behind their teeth, squirt it in, and continue scruffing them until they inevitably swallow. Dicking around mixing it with stuff and trying to get them to politely eat it is so much Agreed. You're how many times bigger than them? Make them do what you want. Until you get enough practice in, they can be squirmy bastards and get the medicine everywhere. I recommend having a partner to immobilize them while you cram the syringe in.
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Dec 2, 2010 05:23
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Oh yeah I can only imagine the medicine flying all over the place if I attempted this Luckily mine will eat anything even if laced with medicine. Don't need to shove it down their throats if they'll willingly eat it.
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Dec 2, 2010 06:11
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Tias posted:Y'all are really making me want some rats. I went to a neat little pet store and got to carry around a baby rat for like half an hour. She was so sweet and kept licking my fingers. My dog would eat them though
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Dec 2, 2010 06:56
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I've had a lot of luck mixing doxycycline powder with Torani raspberry-flavored syrup.
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Dec 2, 2010 07:10
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LadySage posted:Agreed. You're how many times bigger than them? Make them do what you want. I feel like that's a quick way to making her really afraid/upset of me so I'm kind of reluctant to try that... :/
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Dec 2, 2010 09:51
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Definitely try the more pleasant method first, then hopefully there'll be no need for force feeding.
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Dec 2, 2010 10:38
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Our rat Trudy had a hurt jaw from trying to jump on the coffee table and her medicine adventure was like over a month of taking up to 4 medicines at once. At first she just took it and would lick it off your finger. That didn't work so we mixed it with different things, those would all last a few days. Applesauce, ice cream, etc. Eventually she just knew how much medicine she had to take and was not interested at all so we'd have to have one of us hold her and squirt the medicine into her mouth. Eventually she had to get rat surgery because the abscesses wouldn't go away and they ended up figuring out it was a dead tooth that was part of the cause of the problem. So now she just has one bottom tooth and she looks super cute when she yawns.
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Dec 2, 2010 12:56
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Shadow0 posted:I feel like that's a quick way to making her really afraid/upset of me so I'm kind of reluctant to try that... :/ I really don't think rats will hold a grudge for very long if you've had to do something a bit mean to them a couple times, especially if you fuss them afterward. Medicate them, pet them and give them some kind of treat and they won't be too bothered. My rats have to put up with a mammary check daily and I know for a fact that one of them absolutely HATES it, she'll struggle madly to get away from me because she hates being held still. She doesn't hold a grudge against me though and she doesn't avoid me, she puts up with it because I'll fuss her afterwards. Maybe it helps that I do it at a random time rather than a set time every day?
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Dec 2, 2010 16:02
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dog days are over posted:I really don't think rats will hold a grudge for very long if you've had to do something a bit mean to them a couple times, especially if you fuss them afterward. Medicate them, pet them and give them some kind of treat and they won't be too bothered. Yeah, this. That kind of handling might set back a completely unsocialized rat a bit, but the average pet will get over it in about 30 seconds. The hundreds I've done it to over the years certainly haven't minded.
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Dec 2, 2010 17:25
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Rodent Mortician posted:She's gonna need a buddy. Rats are super social! Sorry, I know I am quoting from another thread but I didn't even realise there was a thread entirely for rats. I will get her a buddy tomorrow from the same pet store, so the new rat will have met her previously (they were both in same cage). Given there would have been a day's difference, how do I go about introducing them to each other? Will they be OK straight off the bat or do I need to do a proper process? Also decided on a name for her: Rosaline. 
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Dec 2, 2010 21:15
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Superconsndar posted:Yeah, this. That kind of handling might set back a completely unsocialized rat a bit, but the average pet will get over it in about 30 seconds. The hundreds I've done it to over the years certainly haven't minded. Unfortunately I have reason to believe that forcing medicine into Atahualpa may have contributed to his death He fought me really hard when I was trying to treat his pneumonia, which was amazing given how lethargic he was the rest of the time, and the vet suspected that he may have done himself some kind of harm which resulted in a neurological episode (stroke or similar) that paralyzed the back half of his body. I'm sure for 999 out of 1000 rats there's no reason at all to worry about that, but it still made me feel pretty bad that I might have caused him to hurt himself like that.
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Dec 3, 2010 03:34
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That really sucks, don't blame yourself though. Just one of those things.
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Dec 3, 2010 07:32
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Angelwolf posted:I will get her a buddy tomorrow from the same pet store, so the new rat will have met her previously (they were both in same cage). Given there would have been a day's difference, how do I go about introducing them to each other? Will they be OK straight off the bat or do I need to do a proper process? Aaaw Is this your first time having rats? If so double aaaw as you find out what awesome little buddies they can be. As for the introduction if it was me I'd pop your cage on some neutral ground (bed is good for this), let Rosaline out and then introduce the other rat to her while she is out of the cage exploring. TBH I think they'll be fine right away .Angelwolf posted:despite there being bedding for her, she would rather sleep on the sawdust. Try and get her on some different bedding as sawdust is not that great for rats. Having said that, one of my first ever rats (Winston) lived to nearly 3.5 years on sawdust. He also came from a big chain pet store and had 2 surgeries for tumours but despite that he was awesome and kept on trucking through it all. It was my Mum who strongly suggested I get a pair of rats rather than a hamster and 11 years on I have always had rats around me
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Dec 3, 2010 11:05
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ElectricSquire posted:Aaaw Yep, this is my first time having rats! I've always been more of a mouse person but they've become quite hard to find around this area and someone recommended rats to me instead. And so far it's been great! I'm just a little worried that they'll get too cold not sleeping in their little hut or in the bedding. I'm in the UK and it's really quite cold right now - it's been snowing a fair bit too. However, I woke up this morning and Rosaline was sleeping on top of the bedding which I guess is a bit better than just on sawdust. I noticed at the pet store that bedding wasn't used for the rats - they just had a log they all stayed under. Is this something I should do with mine too? Thank you for your advice on the introductions, I'll be sure to do that! And I'm sorry about Winston, he certainly sounded like a trooper.
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Dec 3, 2010 11:31
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No bedding at all, just a log? Were they on pine shavings? Well, I use recycled paper cat litter to line the tray of the cage and then give them various cardboard boxes to renovate to their liking, and on the top level have a hammock (pretty much a must for rats, they love them!) and some fleece. If its cool they bundle up together in the hammock and if its warm they sleep out on the shelves or down the bottom in/on the boxes. Don't worry too much about temperature, they'll sleep where they're comfy, especially when there's two or more then they can snuggle up and keep warm. I'm betting you won't need much of an introductory period either, they're both young and all. Dont forget the pictures! Big Bug Hug fucked around with this message at 12:23 on Dec 3, 2010 |
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Dec 3, 2010 12:18
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Because of the snow in the UK I'm not getting my rats this weekend as the rat show I was picking them up at has been cancelled! Luckily my breeder is a very nice lady who is going to bring them to where I live from the very north of Scotland. So fingers crossed the roads are clear by then.. I am too excited and just want my girlies now. For those in the UK who litter train - what do you use in the litter tray? I really want to litter train my girls when I get them if possible, but I'm having a hard enough time deciding what bedding to use never mind litter!
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Dec 3, 2010 13:56
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Chakattack! posted:Because of the snow in the UK I'm not getting my rats this weekend as the rat show I was picking them up at has been cancelled! Luckily my breeder is a very nice lady who is going to bring them to where I live from the very north of Scotland. So fingers crossed the roads are clear by then.. I am too excited and just want my girlies now. Following the advice of Big Bug Hug, I decided to make a hammock. They're not sure what to do with it at the moment but I am sure they will learn. Originally I bought some cotton woolish stuff (like the stuff used for hamster and mice) but they don't seem that interested in it. Bug Bug Hug posted:No bedding at all, just a log? Were they on pine shavings? They were on some sort of papery cat litter. They'd all just chill under this log thing. Picked up the other play mate for Rosaline today too. She is a white albino and despite being apart for less than 24 hours they're still not too sure about each other. I suppose it's because Rosaline has been in there for that time and she thinks she owns the place. They're not fighting, however - they're... humping. I guess that's just a sign of dominance?
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Dec 3, 2010 14:54
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Angelwolf posted:Following the advice of Big Bug Hug, I decided to make a hammock. They're not sure what to do with it at the moment but I am sure they will learn. Originally I bought some cotton woolish stuff (like the stuff used for hamster and mice) but they don't seem that interested in it. I have got to get me a working sewing machine so I can get back to making hammocks for sale again...
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Dec 3, 2010 16:33
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I'm planning to try making some hammocks this weekend - seems a good way to get into sewing too! As to the litter though, I meant litter specifically for training them to go to the toilet and not substrate/bedding. Does it matter what it is or is it just important that it differs enough in texture from their bedding that they can associate it with pooping?
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Dec 3, 2010 16:58
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Angelwolf posted:I'm just a little worried that they'll get too cold not sleeping in their little hut or in the bedding. I'm in the UK and it's really quite cold right now - it's been snowing a fair bit too. However, I woke up this morning and Rosaline was sleeping on top of the bedding which I guess is a bit better than just on sawdust. I imagine that if they ARE feeling cold they'll start using their hut or making nests with the bedding, but maybe right now they're not cold enough to feel the need. None of my rats were ever interested in any kind of bedding I gave them and were quite happy just to sleep on the hammocks, but since it has started getting colder they love to take shredded kitchen roll off me and make nests with it. They just didn't feel the need to do it earlier, I suppose. I also gave them some scraps of fleece tonight but they're not really sure what to do with it. I stuffed it into one of their hammocks and they'll either leave it there, or Guna will push it out like she usually does when I try to do some housework for her. :p
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Dec 3, 2010 23:27
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I found quite a bit of dried blood in the cage yesterday Nobody's acting weird and I did a pretty thorough check and didn't find any wounds. Since one of the bloody objects was a carrot I'm kind of wondering if somebody broke a tooth, but they're eating normally and a cursory mouth check didn't reveal any missing teeth (although maybe shortened? It's hard to tell).
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Dec 4, 2010 01:27
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daggerdragon posted:I make hammocks. You should use fleece and plunk their butts in there. Mine don't use bedding much either. The one exception is Dexter who is like a little homemaker and likes to rearrange everything. He drags all the fleece scraps inside his box down on the bottom floor, or sometimes into the hammock. Only if the weather is cool though Chakattack! posted:I'm planning to try making some hammocks this weekend - seems a good way to get into sewing too! Give them stuff to shred if they want to and some soft cloth and they will learn to keep themselves warm and be happy ratties. Big Bug Hug fucked around with this message at 01:55 on Dec 4, 2010 |
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Dec 4, 2010 01:29
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BABIES   PC020028 by danslelac, on Flickr  PC020016 by danslelac, on Flickr  PC020009 by danslelac, on Flickr  PC020019 by danslelac, on Flickr  PC020018 by danslelac, on Flickr  PC020029 by danslelac, on Flickr Malcom, Reese, and Dewy. Heck yeah craigslist rat babies!! And big ole Linus, who was abandoned by a friend's roommate~edit sorry about the poop, Linus was a lil anxious. eig fucked around with this message at 02:29 on Dec 4, 2010 |
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Dec 4, 2010 02:24
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