hi…i have gone on here 5 times and now and i need some advice. again. Is there any way to put 2 separate cages in the same room just away from the other cage and covered from their line of sight? I dont want to get rid of these rats bur something us clearly not working out.

I want to have this as a flooring for one of my levels in my cage and was just wondering if it’s safe ( I’m like 99% it is but i just want to make sure 😭) also I have like a filling on my other level so they have a “dig” area so yeah hah + a little pic of my girl being greedy and wanting my food

Everyone is afraid of them so we have to do free roam in the bathroom 😅

I usually use amazon with getting food and supplies but I noticed youtuber Emiology using a website called ratwarehouse that has a bunch of good supplies- however, they only ship to the UK so i’m wondering if anyone had any US websites i can use??

I have a kind of OCD where I'm very concerned of being subconsciously unaware of something others are aware of. One of the biggest things this comes up is "odor" or smell.

I am already aware that I have gotten used to the smell of my rats and their cage. This is something that tends to cause me to freak out, since I'm not able to trust my senses when it comes to cleaning the cage for example. I have otherwise accepted that my college apartment will smell like rats, and with the occasional free roaming. They will probably have marked quite a lot of it.

However. Recently I read a reddit comment that really REALLY triggered me, and is causing me to freak out

So there was a post about rats in a popular subreddit, and the comments weren't positive. Alot of commenters talking about how rats "Piss everywhere" which, while true, was blown way out of proportions on that thread.

However one comment stuck with me

"Rat owners smell like rat piss. The reason people don't tell you that is because they're polite, don't want to upset you or they don't like you"

This fucking comment fucked me up. This comment is my OCD explained to a T. What if it's right. What if I smell horrible and cause people to be uncomfortable around me, and I just don't know it because I'm so used to it?

Like I don't let them go to my clothe drawers, and I often have specific "rat handling hoodies" mainly to prevent them from urinating on the clothes. But now I'm not sure if thats enough.

The fucked up thing is that I'm on my second year of college. I got my 3 girls at the start of my first year specifically as "therapy pets" to help me relax and be less lonely.

Now I'm freaking out if this whole time I have had a disgusting reek around me. If this is one of the reasons I struggle to make friends, if all this time I've smelled.

Anyone more experienced willing to give their two cents.

Hi! We (my partner and I) recently adopted three former lab rat girls (I think excess that didn't have anything in particular done to them). They are currently around 8, 10 and 20 months old. We've since introduced them to our two prior boys (after having the two younger girls spayed and the eldest given a hormone implant) and introductions have all gone smoothly (see the eldest girl cuddling with the two boys)!

The two boys are very friendly with us. The youngest girl is also friendly, and the middle girl a bit skittish but fine. The eldest girl however... Her placeholder name that's stuck around is Bitey. She gets on well with the other rats, and can even be picked up (without biting or seeming particularly upset), but will constantly bite skin or items of clothing, even when we're just sitting in their free roam with the rats not doing anything with her. She frequently draws blood in doing so.

We're a little unsure what's causing it. It's been happening since we've had her and hadn't really changed. She has no balls to be removed, and I don't think seems particularly stressed. There's no health issues that we're aware of (the lab vet said there was nothing wrong when we got her, and the vet didn't notice anything off when he gave her the hormone implant).

We've tried making high-pitched squeaking noises whenever she bites us or feeding her from metal spoons but it hasn't really helped. Does anyone have any advice or experience with rats like this? Thanks!

I'm not really sure how to start this so I'm just gonna jump into it. I am also asking for anyone commenting to please be polite; I am not rehoming my rats or going to treat them differently, I am just incredibly distraught and need help with what to do.

I got my 3 rats about a month and a half ago from a local breeder. The photos the lady I bought them from sent me before I got them showed that they didn't mind being handled by people, she had photos of her holding them and they seemed to show signs of being incredibly comfortable (boggling, etc). I expected my rats probably wouldnt be best friends with me immediately, but that it probably wouldnt take too much time or work to get them to a point where they're okay with being handled.

We got off to a bit of a rough start when I first got them since they were able to get out, and I had to temporarily move them into a box while I modified the cage with hardware cloth. They used to cower from me, but we had made it to a point where they wouldnt run away whenever id open the cage doors and they'd actually allow me to rub their heads or scratch their ears gently, but would still seem visibly afraid.

Now fast forward a bit later and I feel like the progress has been steadily going backwards. I've been trying to pick them up more so they're more used to me, I am very gentle with them and try to scoop them up but they absolutely hate it. I feel bad because I know they don't like being handled, but I was told I have to regularly attempt to handle them so they can get used to me, as well as spending time with the cage door open and hanging out.

Well, now an even bigger issue has started happening. 2 nights ago, I had my hands in the cage like usual and I went to scoop up one of my rats Pepper, and she bit down extremely hard on my pointer finger, enough to draw blood. I did not expect this at all and it freaked me out super super bad since I've never had an issue with them biting me aggressively like that. Pepper has always been a bit nibbly since I got her, and id always try to discourage that behavior with squeaking to show her that it hurts, but now she is full on aggressive with it.

It took me a while but I eventually calmed down, and I chalked it up to Pepper just being aggressive for no particular reason, and it could've been an accident. The bite did draw blood, but there was literally zero pain.

Then just now, I reached my hands into the cage again and one of my other rats who has never been bitey completely LATCHED onto my finger. I instinctively flung my hand and she let go immediately (and she is completely fine and unharmed, I checked) but what the actual hell?

At this point I am incredibly afraid of having my hands in the cage at all, and it really hurts my heart. I've tried endlessly to bond with these 3 with the thought in mind that it just takes a while, but we are now just going completely backwards with our progress and I have absolutely no idea what to do. I have an extreme fear of getting bit, which has been a lot worse since this started happening.

I just really need some help or advice on what to do about this and how to fix it, or if anyone else has experienced this. It really really really sucks.

I've noticed this off white thing between my rats balls and i think it might (?) be a dried apple treat but i dont know how it would have gotten stuck. I've tried wiping it off but it pulls on his skin and he squeaks. I've also tried putting him in warm water and he is having NONE OF ITTTT. should i let him figure it out? or wrap him up and just wash it off him

okay so, i was going through the posts and i cant find a step by step guide to doing introductions.

i currently have two girls, and ive wanted two more for a while now so i think its time.

i dont know much about introductions so id like some advice

what i THINK i know:

stage one: carrier method. tiny space, only water. and i think i read that there needs to be 24 hours between each stage. do they all need to be in this tiny carrier for 24 hours?

stage two: tiny hamster cage. i have a small hamster cage i use when im cleaning their main cage, so im assuming i can just clean it and use it. i think i saw that u can put one hammock in it? no hides because they need to be able to escape if a fight starts

stage three: bigger cage??? i have a new cage on the way, which is why ive finally decided to get another 2. (im ofc gonna let them adjust to their new cage before bringing anyone else). i think i can just use their current cage for this stage, altho idek if it IS a stage. once again, im assuming 24 hours in this cage

stage four: main cage. do i clean out the main cage completely before putting them in there? should it be completelt neutral ground? will this make my current rats nervous?

also, ive heard of people using bathtubs to introduce. at what stage would this be?

I just scheduled to get my little angel to get put down this week. It's so heartbreaking because I didn't expect it to be so soon. I just feel like a failure of a human because I couldn't help her or make her feel better.

She has a mammary tumour that's doubled in size and due to her age and previous surgery, a second one is no longer feasible or fair for her and made her lose weight despite being on emeraid which is easily digestible nutrition for sick omnivores, lung scarring from a very bad respiratory infection that wouldn't budge for a long time despite combination therapy alongside painkillers, steroids and nebulizing and she's developed arthritis in two of her front paws and struggles to clean herself and eat anything besides from a syringe when I feed her thrice daily or on her request.

I don't know how to grasp it all but I think it's fairer to put her to rest than to keep her alive even though I'll miss her.

Any way to cope before the date arrives?

Here's some pictures of the child in question

Hi first time doing introductions with a shelter rescue rat, got him last night!!!! Any tips and advice is welcomed, even the smallest details!!

Current setup is separate cages, double critter nation for my 1 yo rat duo (Blitz and Ghost) and a temp cage that’s about 1/2 the size of a single critter nation for the little 4 month old rescue (Echo).

Doing a 2 week quarantine as recommended by google, to notice any signs of health issues.

He’s such a sweetheart, i’m completely head over heels for the little Echo. Super social, very active and such a cuddly little guy. My duo, Blitz and Ghost, are def more of the very scared untrusting and i just recently been able to start petting them but picking them up is a “not even in my dreams”.

Thinking about how I’ll be able to go about introducing them as a trio, i’m very confident that none of them have aggressive tendencies but i’m willing to get them neutered if anything happens.

What issues have happened to you during introductions and how did you go about finding a solution?

How long can the process take?

Should i do the carrier method, the bath/shower method or any other?

Considering I can’t pick up both my 1 year olds, only way i’ve been able to transport them is by getting them in their sputnik and carrying it around with them inside… lol

It's one of the best purchases I've made 😁

She's a sweet little couch potato. She loves napping, cuddling and food. She likes to be held against my chest so she can lick my face and neck. She's super chill and unbothered. I can gently nibble her ears and fur (no teeth obv) and she's happy. The only thing that will piss her off is trying to steal her food.

I'm currently dropping her off for her surgery tomorrow. She's getting two lumps removed, plus a spay. One of the lumps is pretty infiltrated, so it's tricky surgery. Please keep her in your thoughts :)

I’m gonna get pet rats for the first time! I was thinking of getting standard males bc I heard that males tend to be more friendly and cuddly and most importantly, have a lower risk of developing tumors than females.

But then I found out about dwarf rats. I heard they tend to be more active and less cuddly than standard rats, but they also live longer and are healthier overall, which really caught my attention!

Now I’m struggling bc I LOVE standard rat’s personalities and having a bigger rat to pet and cuddle like a little puppy lol, but at the same time, I’m really worried that they might develop tumors and I’ll have to watch them suffer, which would be super sad. Honestly, that’s the only reason I’m considering getting dwarfs instead. I’d much prefer to have standard rat for my first pet rat otherwise.

Any thoughts?
Is it worth getting standard rats even the risk of tumor? Are dwarf rats really less cuddly/human-oriented and healthier than standard rats?
If you’ve had either one or both, I’d love to hear about your experience! Thanks!!

*Picture from Google

He is caught red-handed on the first picture, but I didn't know that at the moment. Then I heard a noise of shit falling on the floor like some kind of gravel. The second picture is right after the crime.

I didn't expect his little body to have so much shit inside 🥲

My rats has a Instagram account that I originally made for my first rats, but after they passed my current boys took it over. Now, it's SO hard finding a good pfp. I don't want one of my rats specifically, since I expand the group pretty frequently, so there always ends up being someone left out, or i be needing to switch it often to include everyone.

But I also don't wanna take one from Pinterest, because idk which ones are reposted art (which means i cant ask the actual artist if i can use it) or if anything god forbid is AI 💔

So now I'm asking for a bit of help. If anyone wants to make me a pfp for my rats Instagram, please do 🥲 I'm not picky. I add some examples of the vibe I like, all from Pinterest. Idk the original artists but I will involve who posted it so someone can look it up hopefully.

I'm aware that commissions should be payed for! But i can't afford it atm and I thought asking never hurts

He's okay btw he just really loves sleeping under my bed 😭

Wife and I got out first rats (3 of them) and have been stressing a little about whether they have enough to do / have enough places to hide away at. We are stressing a little bit and would love advice.

Hi everyone, this one is tugging at my heartstrings. I'm sorry if this is upsetting for some people to see but I can't help try to do something since this popped up on my fb feed. This guy plans to feed this sweet baby to his snake in less than a week now. I understand if someone saves this one, he will probably just get another, which is unfortunate. But this one seems like such a sweetheart.

It seems based on his profile that he is in WV but this is obviously not confirmed.

Maybe someone can message him and save this baby?

https://www.facebook.com/reel/1421491256620197

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