Adopted a 'rescue' rat adult from Pet----rt from ISO room.

[dudemom]

hi!
i adopted, at no charge from one of my local petstores a rat they said was very sweet but who had 'self-inflicted wounds' and they couldnt sell.
i could not resist him, he is my only rat and i have had him for a week.
they said he was chewing himself bloody and they had him treated for mites, but that he still did it.
I have seen NO wounds, and he is NOT scratching. I think his coat looks nice, shiny, eyes are clear, he seems to be an adult male maybe 9 months, though I'm no expert I have had rats in the past. I took him to a guy in town who used to breed rats and said he was a nice looking example of an agouti and had no signs of mites that he saw, healthy looking coat, no wheezing, chest sounded good.
He is very docile, but is not eating much and not drinking much.
He is clearly coming out and eating some sunflower seeds but everything else he disdains and I've offered him fresh foods with every meal I have( he's in a cage at my dinner table( let me tell you how NOT thrilled my husband is with THAT!).
I cant get any further info from the petstore, one person said he was handled a lot, and had a cagemate at one time, the manager said he didnt think he ever had a cage-mate.
All he does is sleep in the kleezex box I gave him, comes ut a little early morning and 'i'm sure some late at night but isnt interested in treats of any kind. I would say compared to rats I have had in the past( and I've always had pairs) he is not urinating enough, the cage hardly smells at all, poops look normal though not many of them.
I'm worried, I adore him, I dont' want him to die!
Anyhow, that's my story. i hope to hear from members with any thoughts!
thanks for reading!

 

[hopefloats]

When I want to do a urine check, I wait till they have been sleeping for a while then I grab them and set the on a tissue. They will pee for sure then. He probably wont smell one rat doesnt smell bad a lot dont if you clean their cage but one single rat it would take a while. I have had some rats that took forever to learn that fresh food is awesome. Try something naughty like a chip or something. You can feel him over and see if he tightens up when you hit a certain spot. You can also see his feet and tail is colder than it should be.

I would guess he is probably just lonely. He needs a buddy, some rats are sad when alone but perk right up when they get a buddy.

 

[jorats]

I love that you have him on the table. My parents did that once for a sweet girl they were babysitting. During dinner, they would let her come out and eat off their plates. I'm sure your hubby won't go for that. LOL
He probably needs adjustment. It sounds like maybe he was self barbering. So he was stressed out. If you can afford it, I'd get him to a vet for a full check up. Get a good listen to those lungs. That would be my biggest worry with the symptoms of being listless and lacking appetite.

 

[mamarat]

Welcome!

 

[dudemom]

UPDATE!Templeton is doing GREAT, he's a GREAT rat, one of those very special rats. he is with me almost all the time, in fact right now he is in one of his boxes behind my cpmputer screen, he is like a cat, loves to have his bpdy and head touched and rubbed constantly, but is also independent and not clingy.
smart, smart little man.
i think he's doing great, i am finding the foods that please him, and my husband, who is NOt a rat fancier is being so cool, he is letting me handfeed templeton near the kitchen table when we sit as a family to eat dinner.

 

[jorats]

It's really great that he's coming along great. He should however have another rat buddy. Rats are social within their species and it's more natural for them to be together.

 

[dspch911]

Yea, glad he is making himself at home..... just needed to feel loved :heart:

 

[dudemom]

well dudes, regarding getting him another rat, i took in two little four month old sisters and obviously they cannot be his playmates!
god, they are adorable, i have them in quarantine right now, both are sneezy but seem healthy otherwise. i had no intention of taking them but it was an emergency, friend bought them( and about $200 in supplies!) at petsmart the week before x-mas and feels her 5 year old is seerly allergic, it was me taking them or her giving them to a local( and disreputable) local petstore.
templeton is very very mellow, and i think he will be ok as the only rat though i know its not the best option. right now i like that can focus on him, and his health, knowing the girls are in a cage they've been in since x-mas, have eachother and are just getting used to my voice.

 

[Joanne]

well dudes, regarding getting him another rat, i took in two little four month old sisters and obviously they cannot be his playmates!

I have eight rats right now, 5 females and 3 males. They are all spayed/neutered and live in the same big cage together. He would probably LOVE to have two girls to snuggle with, and it IS do-able! You just need to find the right veterinarian.

 

[dudemom]

i love the idea, but what does it mean, the right vet? they are all so expensive!
lord it cost $500 to spay my dogs, more than that for yearly teeth cleaning, blood panels are $225...... i spend every cent i have n my animals. walking in the door is $65...
i've never met a vet who wasn't pricey. granted mine are very pricey, its a popular practice and i really trust every vet there but where can i get three rats spayed/neutered for under $100? let me know and i'm ON it!
what do you guys pay?

 

[julia_silve:)]

it would be best to get all three fixed but if you do not want to spend so much then you can either spay the females which gives them more health benefits or you can neuter the male which will cost less and fix any thing hormonal or aggressive about him and is a less complex surgery.

 

[Joanne]

Where you have two girls and one boy, the most cost-effective solution would be to neuter the boy and leave the girls intact. However, that being said, it has been demonstrated that spaying the females reduces the incidence of certain tumours...
The prices do vary greatly. Thankfully a vet I have used locally charges less than $100 for a spay or neuter. However, the MOST important part is to find a vet that has experience with rats and surgeries, as unlike cats and dogs, rats are very fragile when put under anaesthesia and surgerized, and can die. So if you have to pay more for an experienced vet, it is worth it.

 

[dspch911]

It just cost me $65/each for a check up and nothing was wrong w/my five guys. I just wanted them looked at while they were in good health so the vet would have a base line to go by should they ever need it. And they wanted $15/each to clip their nails - good thing they didn't need it......... Its called charge it - care credit - 6 months no interest, medical credit care use it for myself too for what insurance doesn't cover......

 

[Aida]

Ha ha! I've never heard of rats needing nails clipped at a vet/salon! Teeth sometimes, but only under very special, health conditions.

Don't let them talk you into that 15$ job. ;P
If your ratties are scratching you up, try putting a brick or rock somewhere they often are(on a favorite roam shelf, or my favorite spot for this: under the water bottle).


As for prices, keep in mind that few vets are knowledgable and experienced in rats. It is much better to pay that extra 30$ and feel safe and secure, than to pay a bit less and get yourself into a risky(and possibly heartbreaking) situation. I pay 80$ for a visit alone.

If you are short on the cash, you can neuter the boy instead, but it has been shown that spaying girls is a lot more beneficial, as it also prevents mammary tumours, uterus/ovarian issues, etc. In fact, many members on here get EVERY girl spayed regardless of age/situation(of course, keeping safety in mind). Hope I could help!

 

[Maple]

I had mine done years ago and although I can't remember the exact price, it was in the $268.00 bracket for the girls. Not cheap but worth it in the long run. The males were much less but still over a hundred dollars.