RatPalace.com - Pet Rat Care and Discussion

Thu Feb 09, 2006 6:14 pm

She is sort of fawn colour - creamy white and brown - but inbetween. She's sort of smokey...I wouldnt say she was brown or white. (the pet shop called her fawn) Her her tummy and the most of her back legs are kind of creamy white and not all that noticable.
She has ruby eyes. Her tail is all pink.
We will put the weights on here for them when they come out sometimes today, but it will probably be in ounces.
How old are they when they stop growing? How long do female rats usually get?
My rats before wen't particually big- but one was really small....she was a hooded. Does it depend on the breed?

Do you have an msn address, so i could send you a picture? Or shall I post mine on here if you have, but dont want to post it?

Thu Feb 09, 2006 7:17 pm

We always appreciate pics of ratties here! Post away, lots of them! Mr. Green

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Thu Feb 09, 2006 7:25 pm

I posted some on the rat gallery and im gonna post some more, but cant seem to post them on here.
they are so cute!!

Thu Feb 09, 2006 8:57 pm

My MSN address is at the bottom of my profile, along with my email address - but do post them here if you want. If you go to http://www.photobucket.com then you can set up a free account and then you can can link the pictures here - either directly using the img tags or just copy and paste the address of your photobucket gallery.

Fawn isn't a recognised colour over here, but is a US colour name - it refers to a ticked rat (agouti based rather than black based) with the RED (red eye dilute) gene. It produces a very orangy fur and ruby eyes. Alternatively, you have buff (what the US folk call beige) which is not really orangy (though perhaps a litte touch) but a browny colour, a kind of tan colour, with ruby eyes.

Hopefully when I check out your new pictures I can give you a better idea.

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Andy & The Rats

~ Darwin ~ Maisie ~ Ella ~ Zak ~

~ Finn ~ Malachi ~ Azrael ~ Newton ~ Charlie ~

Thu Feb 09, 2006 10:45 pm

I went through all the motions of registering and uploading photos etc, and it didnt work. But for some reason after another try I had 2 pictures (instead of the 6 I orignally selected) and one was half grey. It was covering up the whole of the bottom picture. Weird. Anyway, we are making a website about them soon, so I can post the link then.

We are weighing them now.
Mia weighs roughly 3 and a half ounces and Candy weighs just over 4 ounces. How old would you say they are? Candy eats loads

and stashes food all in the bed while Mia is more tidy and prepares nests etc.
We only cleaned them out yesterday and it stinks! So you think shes heavier cos she eats more?
Should they be cleaning their tails now? Ive read they clean their tails alot, but their tails are abit dirty looking.
On the progress report....they are both alot better. Mia especially...shes exploring more and likes to sit on Steve alot.
Candy is so curious. The slightest noise and she pops her head out to see. And when we take dirty bedding out she follows your hand as if to say ' what are you doing to my stuff!'
We gave them noodles today. Candy snatched them as usual. (sigh)
Mia loves them! Mr. Green

One thing im worried about is that Candy likes to explore and she likes to just hang off and drop purposely off everything. If we try to help her when we think shes gonna fall, she doesnt want to know...she goes back...then when we move she goes to the edge again and does it.
She even climbed the cage and did it.
Do you think she's a lemming? :p

Fri Feb 10, 2006 12:02 am

Well no - rats are notoriously bad at washing their tails and while some are spotlessly clean, others have filthy tails. There's a reason why as well.

Weights - ok, that's around 100 and 115 grams - That would make them probably around 6 weeks old, give or take a few days. So if you got them a week ago now, they were probably around 5 weeks (again, give or take a few days).

Do you have them just on paper at the moment? If so, that's probably why. It's not great at absorbing smells (which is why I go for the Biocatolet). Also, do they have solid shelves that are, perhaps, getting puddles of wee that are standing around? If so, that's another possible source.

They sound like they're really settling in well, and doing normal girl stuff - and yes, it seems that babies, particularly baby girls, have no fear when it comes to climbing and exploring. wink

As long as she can't fall more than a foot or so, she's unlikely to hurt herself - especially if she has soft things to land on. But trying to capture a ninja baby girlrat who is scaling the side or roof of the cage (upside down, I hasten to add) a la Mission Impossible is not the easiest of things to do. LOL

So sorry to hear that you're having problems with Photobucket. Confused

I've not seen anyone report those kinds of issues before. Like I said, you can email them to me if you want me to look over them now (until you can post them up for everyone to squee over!).

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Andy & The Rats

~ Darwin ~ Maisie ~ Ella ~ Zak ~

~ Finn ~ Malachi ~ Azrael ~ Newton ~ Charlie ~

Fri Feb 10, 2006 12:21 am

Thankyou. Thankyou to everyone whos been helping us....especially LittleWillow.

They are using a tea towel for bedding at the moment....they wont use anything else lol.
They have got solid plastic platforms, but theres no wee. Candy makes it smell by storing food in the bed. We empty it out every now and then throughout the day.
Mia is the total opposite of Candy- so quiet...almost distant.
Candy eats so much!
Im gonna buy some lego next week for them to play in (building mazes, tunnels, houses etc- big ones of course.)
And um...its also for me to play with too :S
Anyway, moving on. I added you to my msn list

Fri Feb 10, 2006 1:07 am

Sounds like a good plan - the Duplo blocks you mean - the ones for toddlers? I also spoiled them (and me) rotten when I first got them - I got this kit of bits that you clip together to make tunnels and runways and things.... kind of like giant seethrough drainpipe, but wider and with airholes and designed for ferrets. They love that but it wasn't cheap - I think I'll stick to home made games and toys in the future. wink

Baby rats are eating, sleeping, playing poo and pee machines. Much like human children. Have you noticed them, yet, run around in their cage or when they're out, then they suddenly decide they're tired and fall asleep wherever they are? Such as in the food bowl. LOL

Check out if they're bed wetters - some of mine will wake up and just pee where they're lying Rolling Eyes

and that makes their bedding get stinky too.

As long as Mia is eating, drinking, running around with her sister, and seems ok, I wouldn't worry about it - they do have unique little personalities, so she might just be taking a little longer to adjust to the changes, or she might just be more quiet.

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Andy & The Rats

~ Darwin ~ Maisie ~ Ella ~ Zak ~

~ Finn ~ Malachi ~ Azrael ~ Newton ~ Charlie ~