My rat rescue...

[fishycat]

Wow, this is so amazing... you are amazing! It really burns me up that you were screwed over by that girl and her mother. Irresponsible kids are one thing - but the parents!! :irked::mad2::wall::swear::nono:

I've always liked rats, but I'm pretty sure there is zero chance for my husband agreeing to have one as a pet. Then again, if I had every pet I wanted, we'd truly have a menagerie on our hands.

Keep on doing what you're doing... and please keep sharing it with us.

 

[Ratlova30]

Thanks fishycat, it definitely is rewarding rescuing these guys. It's probably a good thing your husband is there to reinforce boundaries. When I was a kid my dad wouldn't let me have anything and then after he decided to dump his family we had an animal explosion. Chickens, ducks, dogs, rabbits, reptiles, rodents of all kinds. I think my fish and rats have expanded the most. Rats are my favorite animal so of course i have a lot and with fish I couldn't choose what I liked best so I think I have over 15 aquariums but I don't know anymore, I try not to count.

But yeah it did make me really upset when they never showed with the cage, it really handicaps(for lack of a better word) my rescue efforts when people do these types of things. Out of the group of ten girls I've managed to name a few of them. Takes time to learn the different marking to tell them apart. There's a girl who mostly black and her name is "Shay". She so obnoxious and spastic that I named her after shay carl(youtube person) and there's a girl with a triangle on her back so I named her "Berma" after the Bermuda Triangle. Then there's an adult and she has a large spot on her belly so I named her Pearl. That's all I've gotten on the names though. Takes a long time for me to name critters.

So here's a rescue that I got a while ago, he's not a rat but he came with rats.

This is George, he's a Black Bear Hamster and he was surrendered to me along with with Norway and Mariah. He was my first hamster I've ever had and he was intended to be a foster as I didn't have much of an interest in hamsters but he grew on me and stayed. He used to be quite active, running on his wheel non stop and now all he does is sleep eat and poop. I never see him eat and poop but I assume he does do those things So yeah all he does is sleep, it's rare for me to see him at all. I'm sure he doesn't appreciate the other hamster Crosby too much. Crosby runs on his wheel non stop like he's the freakin energizer bunny and I'm sure it keeps George awake. Despite his laziness I've really enjoyed having him. He doesn't bite me when I wake his up like a lot of hams do.

 

[Lady Ns]

Aww George is a sweet looking thing.

I do have some advice about Templeton. Treats are always good, but if you can boldy grab him (without getting bitten, of course ), give him a warm bath dry him, then wrap him up in another dry towl & simply cuddle with him for a few hours. Give him treats according too.

Because he will be more intent on getting dry, he'll ignore you for the most part. I've been doing that once a week with the 2 biter girls I have, & I haven't been bitten again in a while. They hate the water, but generally don't kick up as big a fuss about getting held. I'll give it a few more weeks, then I'll offer my arm to see if they're still gonna tear me to shreds. I'm clever like that

Also, mouse bites hurt a lot more, at least for me. I don't know how or why, but those little meecer teeth sink in deeper & I've had some that'll tear at you. Bloody painful.

 

[Ratlova30]

Thanks for the advice Ns,

Well, I don't have any new rescues to post at the moment however I have some worrying thoughts that I've been attempting to deny. For the last two weeks I believe Norway and Mariah have been looking pudgy, too pudgy for comfort...

I am terrified they might be pregnant, how I have no clue. I've been running it through my head a thousand time. None of the males have escaped, they havn't escaped. For the most part their cage has not been next to a males cage except the week that they were in Titans big cage. The big cage is next to Templeton's cage however their cages were at least 4-5 inches apart if not more. I've had male/females cages that close for years and never had a problem. So I don't know, I hope their just gorging themselves.

It's not even the possible number of babies that scares me, although the though of two potential 21 baby rat birth does freak me out, it's the fact the both of them have URI. Absolutely horrible horrible virus, and any kits given birth by them will have weak immune systems and contract the virus. So I'm crossing my fingers that they arn't prego.