Mother of Mischief
Member
Hi! I am looking for recommendations for supplements -- or anything at all -- to help my rats handle the stress of losing 2 buddies back to back.
Some background info: Two of my rats passed away less than 24-hours apart. One had been declining for a while, and the other was a total surprise. It was certainly rough on me (RIP the best rat babies: Nila and Goose), but it has taken even more of an emotional toll on their 4 remaining cage-mates.All 4 have been acting pretty depressed since their friends passed: sleeping a ton, over-grooming, hesitant about leaving the cage/exploring during free-roam time. I am spending lots of extra time playing and interacting with them, adding favorite foods into their daily diet (still base of their regular mix, but giving an extra thing in addition everyday, like berries, cauliflower, eggs, or pumpkin seeds, etc.), offering them more of their favorite toys and chews (I cycle out a few of the toys/chews to keep them interesting) -- and that has definitely made a difference -- but I am worried about my girl, Adora.
Adora was particularly close with the second rat who passed; they were adventure buddies and always the first to leave the cage during free-roam. In the 48 hours after her cagemates' death, Adora groomed off all the fur on her front, right leg. It has been a full week now, and Adora's general demeanor has improved since then -- especially with all the extra free-roam and play time (her absolute favorite) -- but I would still like to offer her more ways to ease her grief and stress, if possible.
Does anyone have any experience with supplements for rats? I have lots of herbs (dried and fresh) that I use for teas for myself, so perhaps an herbal infusion? Any help, recommendations, resources, or experience shared is greatly appreciated 
Thanks for reading!
