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  1. Evermore

    Help! Bonding scared rat

    For a few days, set their cages side-by-side (but far enough apart they cannot reach each other) so they get accustomed to one another's presence and scents. Once a day, or once every other day, swap a blanket or hammock from each cage into the other. Don't bother with the neutral bathtub again...
  2. Evermore

    Thoughts on Oxbow?

    Hey! I have a bit of a long answer to this. I'll start with the short one: Garden Select vs Essential. I prefer Essential. Or, I should say, my rats do. Oxbow knows what they're doing with feeds - but there is little benefit to one over the other, it's a personal preference and that of your...
  3. Evermore

    What are you doing these days? New Ratties? Trips? Making things?

    Plotting activities and a possible walk-in enclosure for my mismatched colony (various ages, colours, genders [males neutered], etc.). Setting up the house for upcoming foster ratties & orphaned kittens. If my eldest rat didn't have a PT currently (loses her balance so easily), I'd take her for...
  4. Evermore

    Fostering Orphans & Littles

    Hey gang. So I've had rats for many years now, and recently in addition to my routine adoptions, I am going to be going through a foster orientation and part of the small animal fostering I've agreed to is orphans and pregnant mother rats. I already have a separate space, where resident pets...
  5. Evermore

    I need help! Male rat has a lump!

    So it could be a few things, depending on location - tumor (benign or malignant), a penis plug (about as fun as it sounds), a cyst or abscess. There are some recommendations and videos online for checking for and clearing plugs, but a general rule is if you're not comfortable (and are afraid of...
  6. Evermore

    Disoriented Rat

    It does sound like a pituitary tumor (PT), but if it's out of the blue and he's not an old rat (mind you, young rats can still get them) it sounds like it could be respiratory + ear infection. Ear infections can cause serious disorientation, especially if it's deep or severe. Antibiotics should...
  7. Evermore

    How to help a Grieving rat.

    I'm so glad to hear they're doing better. It's hard to tell what are projections and what they are feeling, but, most social animals seem to show some form of grief (or at least, awareness, when a family member goes missing or passes). Elephants, primates, and birds in the corvid family are good...
  8. Evermore

    Enema

    I am also glad to see the breeder will take her back. Rat pedigree tracking is virtually useless - 50/50 at best - as it can be 20 generations before a recessive/genetic health issue appears in the line. It just needs the right combination of factors, and sometimes there are just anomalies as...
  9. Evermore

    Lump: cyst, abcess or tumor?

    Good to know she's doing well. There are definitely some pain management options for rats out there (from very lowkey to heavier duty stuff) depending on what she needs. For the HLD, the main thing will just be to make sure the cage is safe and accessible. Lower the angle of any ramps, make sure...
  10. Evermore

    Lump: cyst, abcess or tumor?

    A delayed response, but I can weigh in from personal experience and as a rat wrangler. I would err on the side of caution and consult the vet. But - particularly if your vet is not experienced with exotics - come with some questions of your own. They may be willing or able to do a bit of deeper...
  11. Evermore

    Color help??

    Honestly that's one of the best aspects of getting young ones (I personally have a draw to adopting older rats, but when I do get babies, I love taking pics and then looking back on them a year later to see how the coats [and size!] changed). Best of luck with them!
  12. Evermore

    Small scabs on neck and head

    Scabs on the head and neck, at least in my experience, are usually from mites or lice. If you use any kind of commercial bedding they can come from there (to avoid this freeze the bedding for 48 hours before using it), or even just from you tracking them in from outside on your way to/from shops...
  13. Evermore

    Neutered male rat

    Hey there! The humping / genital sniffing/touching, as weird as it is to us humans because we have boundaries, is 100% normal for rats. Neutered rats, intact rats, males and females all do it (you'll get a rare individual that won't). It's a different way of establishing and maintaining their...
  14. Evermore

    How to help a Grieving rat.

    Hey, I know this comes a bit late, but I'm so sorry for your loss. RIP, Jub Jub. Remy is definitely grieving (Pablo as well, but likely in his own way). The grief process and stress may be impacting his immune system. If he's being skittish, try a quieter/calmer approach. You may have to start...
  15. Evermore

    Boy in with girls!

    No problem; that's a stressful situation for sure - more so when you were trying to keep them separated properly. As someone who has rats that were near-identical as babies (now that they're 2 years old, one is significantly larger), I can understand how the mix-up happened in the moment...
  16. Evermore

    What to do with 2 seperate groups?

    I would say the free range area can be the same for both groups - as long as they do not have access to the cage of the other (i.e. can't climb up the cage or anything). That should be fine. You might notice if the little ones can smell Timbit in the play area (since he's been there) they may be...
  17. Evermore

    Boy in with girls!

    There is absolutely a chance that all 3 - or at minimum one of the three, or two of the three - are pregnant. That said it is just a chance. Right now, I would be treating them as if they are pregnant and planning accordingly; whether that means surrendering the others to a shelter so you're not...
  18. Evermore

    New rat quarantine help

    Oopsie! In my opinion, I would continue the quarantine as normal and just keep a close eye on your 13-week-old boys to ensure they didn't catch anything or get mites or something like that. There is a chance that in that 30 minutes they did not contract anything, even if the 7-week-old is...
  19. Evermore

    Color help??

    Ooh, beautiful lovelies! Those are merle babies! Their patches may become more or less defined as they age, but they're gorgeous. Rats tend to darken as they lose their baby coats (usually by 8-10 months, but sometimes up until 1 year), so the patterns may become more blended over time. Here's a...
  20. Evermore

    What to do with 2 seperate groups?

    Goodness... that's so heartbreaking, I'm so sorry for your loss - and also for the emotions that come with that, including being unsure what to do with Timbit. They're very very quick and despite their small size, we can't always intervene fast enough. I've done a lot of rat intros over the...
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