RatPalace.com - Pet Rat Care and Discussion

Fri Feb 10, 2006 11:39 am

Well I caught Coco (the troublemaker) chewing on the wall. Our walls are textured so I guess that is what attracts her to it. She seems to have been chipping the paint off. I can't find any laying around so I'm assuming she is eating it. The room was painted probably 5 years ago. I'm sure there is no lead in the paint. Do I have to take her to the vet? How do I stop her from doing it? Can I use a spray bottle? Or a bottle of compressed air? I chase her away and she comes right back.

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Crystal...The Ratties..Cocoa & Splinter...The Doggies...Jack & Molly

Fri Feb 10, 2006 9:30 pm

Hmmm .. is there a way you can block off that part of the wall? Maybe let her free range someplace else? Cover the wall with something? I would maybe pin up some kind of cloth over it, or get a large piece of cardboard to cover it. Rats, Ive learned, can be very persistent, and its sometimes very difficult to get them to stop doing something they're not supposed to do.

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Sat Feb 11, 2006 1:38 am

If you painted it 5 years ago, and there were no layers of paint underneath (I think the 70s were worst for lead) then no, chances are good there's no lead. If she seems fine, then I wouldn't worry about it.

With stopping it - really the only good way is to keep her away from that textured wall - either putting something over it, or blocking that part off. You can try a spray bottle of water but she may well just come back. You could even try the bitter apple type products to stop animals chewing, but many rats actually like the taste, so it simply doesn't work. Covering/blocking access to it will probably be most effective though.

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Andy & The Rats

~ Darwin ~ Maisie ~ Ella ~ Zak ~

~ Finn ~ Malachi ~ Azrael ~ Newton ~ Charlie ~

Sat Feb 11, 2006 4:52 am

Goldy was a horrible chewer. I had that same type of paint that you had, and she loved chewing on it. Once she scraped al bunch of paint of the corner of the wall (when we were trying to sell the house!). I used one of those mini spray bottles, and it worked moderately well.

Blocking it off didn't work for me, because I would have needed to put cardboard around my entire room, but it does work for some people.

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Rosie

* * *

I miss you Tut, Goldy, and Raoul Angel rat

Sun Feb 12, 2006 9:47 pm

All four of the walls are textured so keeping her away from it is nearly impossible. I will just have to watch her like a hawk.

Yes the room was painted 5 years ago but there are layers of paint underneath it. However, it looks like she only got the top layer off.

They are very persistant indeed. Gotta love them though. Thank you for your replys everyone.

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Crystal...The Ratties..Cocoa & Splinter...The Doggies...Jack & Molly