RatPalace.com - Pet Rat Care and Discussion

Wed Nov 30, 2005 6:39 pm

Im just so excited, its like early christmas!

I had ordered a martins cage, one of the rat lines (the lodge or cabin or some woodsly name..I dont remember..the one that would hold 3ish comfortably). I ordered it in powder coated and then I had them alter it to have a pull out tray. I was so excited when the box showed up on my door yesterday! Weve had these two babies for two days in this small little cage that I felt terrible about (we just had them out most of the time).

So I put it together and have jam packed it with toys. I tiled the bottom floor, and theres a chinchiller (peice of granite) on both levels. I have my two hanging tubes, my two igloos, my two wooden perches, the food bowl and two water bottles. I also have a raw hide bone thats shaped in a circle of braided raw hide tied up in a corner, the big pee rock, a rope ladder from the bird section, and also a seed stick thingy from the bird section. Then last night I ordered a cloth tube and a hammock from petsmart online.

I dont think butterfly even knows shes in a different cage, I picked her igloo up and moved her blanket and then just sort of put her back in the igloo in the new cage, and she sorta looked at me with a grumpy "What was the point of that?" stare and went back to sleep. The food is on another level and I dont think she'll find the bowl, but thats okay, because blueberry takes care of her and brings her food (or tries to stash it in the igloo..one or the other, good intentions or not, shes feeding butterfly!) and the water bottle is right because the igloo door, so once in a while her old head pops out for a drink.

Blueberry doesnt even seem very excited about the new cage, but shes found her favorite hanging tube again and now sleeps in it.

The two that benefited from the cage (other than myself) are the two new babies whos names are still a mystery to us. They are like..hyper hypos..all over the place at the speed of light..zoom zoom zooooom. They are black berk with dumbo and champagne berk with dumbo.

We've thought about berry names.. blackberry..dingleberry..huckleberry.. we've thought about other names..none of them seem to fit yet. Im not sure what to call them.

As for the two adult girls that we got FROM the petstore, I just do not want two cages. I gave away our last male rat because I did not want two cages. I bought this new cage because its powder coated and cool, but it only really fits three rats, and in my mind set, those three for the next few years are blueberry and the two babies. Butterfly is old, and is welcome to her igloo until she falls sleep for good. But there just isnt room for these two rats that are a. mean b. afraid, etc. I know there are posts everywhere that say..give them to someone who is used to unsocilized rats..but those sorts of people are uncommon around here, or there wouldent be such a feeder bin issue at the petstore. Im the only rat lover in our town I think, lol. But anyway, I took them to the petstore, explained that I tried to make them pets but had recently gotten two babies and they just wernt getting along, and they wernt getting along with me, and I warned them to be very careful with them because they do bite and I didnt want any other people getting bitten, and as far as Im concered, I cant save every single rat in the world, and atleast I gave them a chance.

Its not like I bred them and then gave the babies to the petstore, hence worsening the problem. When I brought them home, my intentions were good, they just couldent understand that I was trying to help them. I would feel bad, except that every letter typed hurts do to multiple bites, nice. lol

Anyway, my rat situation is happy again, I can reach in and play with them without having to worry, cleaning and care is easy as pie with just three girlies, and socilizing babies is much funner and easier as they do not bite, and mostly just squirm in a cute way. They have all learned in TWO days however, that kissy sounds means "RUN, RUN TO THE DOOR OF THE CAGE CAUSE THERES TREATS! HORRAAAY!" and they are one of the first ones in line. Poor blueberry, lol, shes the rest of the line.

Anyway, I love my cage, its awesome, I love my rats- even if I cant name them and of course I love buu and butterfly the most, and Im sorry to the two girls who just couldent understand how to not be..scary and mean, but I tried!

Im not getting anymore rats, I love my situation right now, and three rats vet bills is enough for me! But I feel bad for the rats int he pet store, which means..I just need to never go to the petstore again. Atleast unsupervised. Ever. Because my heart is too soft, and then I bring these rats home who need more work and experiance to deal with than I have, and suddenly my rat situation is bad again.

I will take pictures of my cage and of my two babies on a day that its not rainy so I can get some decent nonyellow light in my house after work.

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Megan and the Hyper Hoppers. Blueberry and Butterfly, Naked Evee, and Chii.

Wed Nov 30, 2005 8:50 pm

Congrats on the new cage! I love getting new stuff for me ratten, it's so exciting Mr. Green

And the new babies sound adorable! It's too bad about the biter girls, but not everyone can handle such tempermental rats, and I commend you for trying.

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~Mikaela and the RitterRatten~

Blaze~Shadow~Luna~Chinchilla~Malt~Merry~Pippin~Nim~Tiri~Cinder

Wed Nov 30, 2005 9:26 pm

I did try, and I have a problem with giving up to easily, I know its my weakness. When things dont work out the way I wanted, I get dejected and depressed and want to give up. It happened in school, it happens with horses all the time, Its just my weakness/faults. When those two rats kept biting me, instead of being determinded and loving, my urge is just to...give up, and get away from the problem. To 'make the situation good again', so I can stop being sad about it. I know it wasnt the fair answer to the rats, but I did atleast try, and no body is perfect.

I just adore these two babies, its been about a year and 1/2 since Ive SEEN a baby rat, and it brings back all these warm feelings. Im sitting at work and a memory makes me think about their sweet little faces and I end up smiling at work. I have a feeling I am going to be very attached to these three rats!

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Megan and the Hyper Hoppers. Blueberry and Butterfly, Naked Evee, and Chii.

Wed Nov 30, 2005 11:37 pm

You wouldn't happen to, uh, *cough* shall we say....have any pics perhaps? wink

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~Mikaela and the RitterRatten~

Blaze~Shadow~Luna~Chinchilla~Malt~Merry~Pippin~Nim~Tiri~Cinder

Wed Nov 30, 2005 11:57 pm

I go home from work in abooouuut..2 hours- Ill take some as soon as I get there Mr. Green

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Megan and the Hyper Hoppers. Blueberry and Butterfly, Naked Evee, and Chii.

Thu Dec 01, 2005 1:16 am

Congrats on the cage! :pics?:

I thought Cranberry was a sweet girl though?

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Rosie

* * *

I miss you Tut, Goldy, and Raoul Angel rat

Thu Dec 01, 2005 1:23 am

She at times would appear nice..we I snatched her out of the cage, and beleive me I had to be QUICK about it, and held her, she would sit there and poop, but not bite. But soon she would start to struggle and flail, so Id have to put her back real quick. If my boyfriend Josh held her, she would sit very still and chatter, but I think now that that chatter was nervousness. She I guess had a lot more potential than raspberry! but she bit me with my hand in the cage 2-3 times, and her fur would puff all up. I think if she had been hand raised, she would have been a good pet, but I guess a whole life of fear can really mess a rat up. :/

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Megan and the Hyper Hoppers. Blueberry and Butterfly, Naked Evee, and Chii.

Thu Dec 01, 2005 3:50 am

Well here are the pictures of my cage that is now POWDER COATED! *dance of glee*

Oh my, I tried very hard to take pictures of the rats- how do you all get them to sit still!? I couldent.

All I can catch are speed blurs..so..enjoy my speed blurs! You can..almost see my babies!

....I need a better camera. >.< Or I need to learn to stand still? My camera takes about 3 seconds to take the picture..any SLIGHT movement blurrs it. Crappy huh? Ill try using something to set it on so I can take an unblurry picture..lol Ill keep trying!

Cage in better light

Again

Sweet old butterfly cleaning herself. Shes out of the igloo!

You can ALMOST see the black baby on the igloo! lol

You can ALMOST see the champagne baby in this one too.

Just use your imagination to fill in the details? lol sorry.

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Megan and the Hyper Hoppers. Blueberry and Butterfly, Naked Evee, and Chii.

Thu Dec 01, 2005 6:56 am

Aw the babies are itty bitty

Nice cage, too! The tube on the top looks fun...

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~Mikaela and the RitterRatten~

Blaze~Shadow~Luna~Chinchilla~Malt~Merry~Pippin~Nim~Tiri~Cinder