The Quick Question Thread

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Anain said:
I have a Q: how often do young ratties (2.5 month) pee? When I am laying on the sofa I often get a whiff of scent, I assume from the rat cage, that lasts for a few seconds and then disappears again. It is hard to tell if it is urine or some other scent they produce. I am used to it, but it is quite strong and I wonder if it would stink for other people. My ratties are completely healthy, btw. It doesn't matter if I just cleaned their cage or whether it has been a few days.
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Just like human babies, rat babies pee more and lesson as they get older. What do you have them on? I find fleece smells a lot more than litter.
 
I just changed to fleece with news paper in the pan. However the rascals always dig underneath the fleece and sleep on the hard bars (there is plenty of fluff and nesting material). Even when I just changed the fleece and the newspaper I get these odors every few minutes. It is not continuous, so it is not the cage. Maybe it is rat farts, lol. I did not think about that.
 
A big, iron bars cage with plastic litter pan. It is bigger than the single floor CN, but smaller than the double. I keep 2 female rats in it. There are 2 levels in the cage. I clean it every week with water and soap, no strong stuff. The newspapers are exchanged twice a week and I pick up the raisins almost every day. I am starting to suspect it is the fleece, it really stinks even after one or two days. I got dustfree pressed newspaper grains, perhaps that works better. The ratties pull the fleece away anyways.
 
Alright then we might be on to something.... Its possible your experiencing the same problem I had with the DCN and couldn't figure out. If the levels separate it is possible there is urine in between the two level and you need to lift the top off the bottom and wipe in between it. I have no idea how they get it in there, but they do. That happened to me with the DCN and it took me weeks to figure out where that smell was coming from.
 
Thank you so much for thinking with me. I don't have a DCN, there is no space between anything, I always wipe every bar and surface on all sides. However now you mention it.. there is some space where the built-in ladder and the bottom bars cross and I cannot wipe the bottom bars. They like to pee in those corners. Time to break out the tooth brush!
 
Also try vinegar and water (half &half) in a spray bottle...it breaks through that pee smell amazingly and its safe to use around them.
 
Anain said:
Thank you so much for thinking with me. I don't have a DCN, there is no space between anything, I always wipe every bar and surface on all sides. However now you mention it.. there is some space where the built-in ladder and the bottom bars cross and I cannot wipe the bottom bars. They like to pee in those corners. Time to break out the tooth brush!
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Oh yes, the toothbrush will become your friend... Hope you find the mystery pee spot it has to be there and once you do you'll have that oh duh! :doh:moment, but never forget to check it again!
 
My rats were born at the beginning of march and haven't gained weight in a month, they're both now about 240g. They do have a wheel that they use a lot. Is it possible that they're not gaining any more weight because they're bored of their food, or is it more likely they're just getting a lot of exercise?
 
On introductions, how can I assess damage to hairless types? I mean obviously if it is bleeding like crazy or the animal is in pain it is a problem. But they get minor scratches so easily I worry how I will be able to tell when enough is enough.
 
As a reply to my own question: it was definitely the fleece that reeked like hell, even after one or two days! I replaced it with pressed recycled newspaper grains and all odors are gone. The ratties seem to be much more comfortable on it too.
 
Sheldon said:
On introductions, how can I assess damage to hairless types? I mean obviously if it is bleeding like crazy or the animal is in pain it is a problem. But they get minor scratches so easily I worry how I will be able to tell when enough is enough.
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A scratch is just a scratch. You can tell a slice because the skin will open up. Or a bite - if it's just some marks on the skin, it doesn't count. We know the damage a true rat bite can cause, so scrapes or marks really aren't bites, just warning nips.
I will look for a pic...
 
I was trying to intro my two oldies to the new group of nakies. This healed quickly and very well, but I did consider this a true injury and after a few days of different rats getting hurt, I stopped intros. (It was always the nakies who got hurt...)

u3ugysu8.jpg
 
My two new girls take ALL the food from their bowl and stash it. I can never tell when they need more and it makes it hard to clean. Not to mention wasteful, since they hide it and dont eat it. They have a buge pile in their igloo. -.- Is there a trick to making them stop?
 
Deer said:
My two new girls take ALL the food from their bowl and stash it. I can never tell when they need more and it makes it hard to clean. Not to mention wasteful, since they hide it and dont eat it. They have a buge pile in their igloo. -.- Is there a trick to making them stop?
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No. Hahaha!
If you know where their main stashes are, then what I did is take all the stashed food and put it back in the bowl. This achieves two things: you know exactly how much food they have so you can decide if they need more or not, and it provides them with a daily activity - stashing the food all over again!
 
Joanne said:
I was trying to intro my two oldies to the new group of nakies. This healed quickly and very well, but I did consider this a true injury and after a few days of different rats getting hurt, I stopped intros. (It was always the nakies who got hurt...)

u3ugysu8.jpg
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Thanks Joanne,

My girl's scratches look nothing like that so I guess it isn't that bad. :)
 

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