am I ready yet? new boys comin'

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Petunia

Petunia

Supporting Member
Supporting Member
Joined
Nov 21, 2009
Messages
6,126
Location
USA
OK I got a super large gpig cage, a water bottle, food dishes, food...have made two hammocks, and made a hut out of a small rubbermaid tote (cut an opening in one side)
I only have one toy hanging up, and I need to find something to use as a temporary ramp so they can get up on the top of the hut to reach the hammock but.....
other than that, what am I missing?

I have veggies in the house for treats.
I have lot of boxes and cardboard and extra packing paper to make toys out of...
I gave away ALL of my rat stuff, and I had LOT but this time, I want to go more eco friendly, esp since the rats I've had have always preferred the handmade stuff more than most store bought stuff


but I feel like I'm forgetting something important...?

any ideas?
 
Litter box?

I find ramps sometimes take up a lot of floor space. Younger rats will climb or if you place the hut such that they can jump from the floor to the hut to the second level, that might be enough.
 
victoria said:
Litter box?

I find ramps sometimes take up a lot of floor space. Younger rats will climb or if you place the hut such that they can jump from the floor to the hut to the second level, that might be enough.
Click to expand...

ah yes litter box! I'm going to use a small cardboard box for now til I can get to a dollar store to get a box, I don't care for most of the things they sell specifically for litter boxes for small animals

and I'll need a new pee rock!! LOL my rats always loved their rock to sit and pee on

ok, well there's no second level yet, I'm getting that from a friend who has the things I used to use for levels in my old gpig cage, that's why I was trying to figure out a ramp, because the container I"m using for a hut is too tall for them to jump up onto.
This cage has a deep base without wire near the bottom so there's nothing to climb on til you get to about 6 inches up.

I am so nervous! I feel like I've never had rats before and am starting all over!
what a weird feeling!

I am also very excited, it's hard to concentrate on the other things I need to do :lol:
 
if you take a pringles or stackable chips container and put a sock over it you can hang that up as a tunnel. or hang a basket.
 
Can you get a wooden bird ladder? We used that to hook to the outside of the cage before we got the ramp. Or lower the hammock using the baby link toys?
 
dspch911 said:
Can you get a wooden bird ladder? We used that to hook to the outside of the cage before we got the ramp. Or lower the hammock using the baby link toys?
Click to expand...


I dont have a bird ladder or baby links, I used to have a bird ladder but gave that away with all my other rat supplies :emb:

I can try lowering the hammock using some ribbon to hang it with for now, I don't know if these boys are big ribbon chewers :giggle: but that would help for temporarily I guess


I'll take a photo later once I get more stuff in the cage
 
Can you put a fairly large box in the cage and it can act as a second level? I did that in a play pen and it worked really good.
Congrats on your sweeties.
 
good idea about the box, I put one in there
:wink:

I haven't put any bedding in yet, I'm waiting to find out what they boys are used to now, if it's fleece, I'll line the cage in fleece, if it's aspen, I'll put aspen in
(I have both, I wanted to give aspen a try, I used to use just fleece)


cage set up by catnapt, on Flickr

so keeping in mind that it will have shelves eventually and more toys etc do you think it's ok for now, til I get more stuff?
 
Petunia said:
ok, well there's no second level yet, I'm getting that from a friend who has the things I used to use for levels in my old gpig cage, that's why I was trying to figure out a ramp, because the container I"m using for a hut is too tall for them to jump up onto.
This cage has a deep base without wire near the bottom so there's nothing to climb on til you get to about 6 inches up.

I am so nervous! I feel like I've never had rats before and am starting all over!
what a weird feeling!

I am also very excited, it's hard to concentrate on the other things I need to do :lol:
Click to expand...

I've kept rats in rabbit cages like that - you'd be surprised how well they manage to climb :)

I don't like litter boxes either, I buy square/rectangular glass/ceramic pans second hand. Cheaper than the dollar store :)
 
smilez_n_hugs said:
Looking good! The only suggestion I have is some chew toys (if you haven't already thought of that). Good luck with your new babies.
Click to expand...


yes chew toys! I have one hanging toy ordered and I can give them all sorts of paper and cardboard but don't have anything wooden yet

I can pick up some of those foam sheets at the drug store.

I've got a fleece pillow that is going to be filled with fleece scraps and a few nuts and a few bits of raw pasta.

I am going to try very very hard not to overfeed these guys. All of my past rats have been too fat.
so I should have a good store of non food treats for them, different toys and what not
will be looking around for ideas for free or nearly free toys.
I know all my other rats have loved boxes. and anything cloth, blankets, sheets, fleece etc, anything they can climb thru, chew holes in and hide under
:giggle:

not to mention, pee and poop on. ah yes, the return of raisins!!
 
they're here! they're here!!
and what gorgeous guys they are!
they're young, somewhere between 4 mos and 6 mos, I'm guessing on the younger side of that.


I'd been told they were skittish (or is it skiddish?) but they are very curious, outgoing and active young men!

they are somewhat hand shy but I think they'll over come that quickly. They explored their new home thoroughly and decided the cardboard box is the best spot (what did I say? they always prefer the cardboard boxes :roll: :lol: )

so they've taken as much adding machine paper as they could get off the roll and stuffed that into the box
I don't know how they even fit in there with all that paper!!

I haven't named them yet. they were called Lingo and Norry/Nori? but I couldn't remember which was which and plan to change the names anyway,
so,
I'm open to suggestions.
One is braver than the other, and he appears to be the alpha

the larger boy with the darker points is more reserved. He's got what looks like a bite taken out of one ear.

will need more time with them to learn their personalities, maybe a name will suggest itself :cheeky:

I got a few quick photos right after they arrived, and then the batteries died on the camera.

there's a short little video:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/catnapt/8516795712/

and an over exposed photo:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/catnapt/8516797210/

this better photo:

new boys by catnapt, on Flickr


this is the lighter boy who is the bravest:

new boys by catnapt, on Flickr

and this is a bit overexposed as well, the boys in their igloo that their foster mom insisted they have cuz they loved it so much (very sweet lady who rescued and fostered these guys!!)


new boys by catnapt, on Flickr

I'm in love and suddenly nothing else is getting done around here :lol:
 

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