[ratmamas]

MOTHER OF RAT-GONS! Hey guys! I'm really sorry it's been a while since we've updated, we've been super duper busy. I've been in the process of changing career; I've finally done it! From now on I'm going to be working at a veterinary practice as a Animal Nursing Assistant, and then hopefully I can start training to become a veterinary nurse in the next couple of years! The end game it hopefully to specialise in small mammals because I've seen how difficult it can be to get someone how knows anything about ratties medically - rats are considered exotics so it isn't covered in basic training - and I know I'm just one person, but I'd really like to add to the small number of nurses who are able to potentially save someone's beloved pocket puppy! I'm still settling in and while I'm getting my driving license I'm having to commute so my days are very long and tiring so it might be another month til my week days are a little shorter (I'm out of the house from 5am til 7:30pm because of the time it takes to travel there, it'll be more like 7:30am to 6pm one I get my car sorted!). BUT! There is going to be a very exciting post coming in the next couple of weeks so stay tuned for that!

[ratmamas]

I recently got a rat for the first time from petsmart and I got a scratch. After researching all the illnesses that rats can give out Im v paranoid about getting rat bite fever. Do you have any advice??? I love my rats but I am very paranoic and afraid to get seriously sick

From what I've read, rat scratch fever is fairly uncommon but there are some signs to look out for. Here's some info I found: http://www.goaskalice.columbia.edu/answered-questions/rat-scratch-fever-0Getting scratches is part of ratty ownership. I'm constantly covered in them. If you're worried about getting sick just make sure you clean any wounds as soon as they happen.

[cclecombe]

Life is really good at the moment 🌱

[ratmamas]

Slightly OT but the ratties feature heavily in my Instagram story!

My username is cclecombe and Amy's is amy_blue if you wanna see more ratty stories!

[ratmamas]

Sorry if you get this question a lot, but what cage do you have? It looks perfect for my ratties!

Ours is a Freddy 2 Max! It’s a great sized cage for 4-5 rats if the space is well utilised!

http://www.petsathome.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/en/pets/savic-freddy-2-max-rat-ferret-cage

[ratmamas]

I made the boys some quick no sew sleeping bags. Remus and Onion really digging it! I've attached one to the side f their cage and am keeping the other loose to something to snuggle in while they're outside!

[amybloo]

[ratmamas]

I'd recommend grabbing some extra shelves for your cage. It looks like a ferplast? Try looking for ferplast shelves on ebay or amazon. Savic shelves fit ferplast cages because they have adjustable parts on the bit that attaches to the cage. Ferplast shelves don't have the adjustable part so if the cage is not a ferplast, I recommend going for Savic shelves instead. It just gives your rats extra space and while hammocks are great, it's also good to have shelves as extra floor space.

We do actually still have the levels that came with the cage, however our boys would pee and poop on them and then trample all over it.

We had put their litter trays on the shelves because it seemed that’s where they wanted to go to do their business, so the extra space they had was taken up but the litter trays, only then to be kicked over and poop flicked everywhere and the smell was terrible because it was sitting in the open all day while we were at work and we were having to bathe our boys once a week because they were covered in their own pee and poop, which we were reluctant to do because excessive washing can remove the oil in their coats.

Since removing the shelves, the smell of the cage is loads better, our boys get bathed less frequently because of it, and they’re using their litter trays properly again (on the base level they seem to be harder for them to tip because they don’t slip around as easy.

If I were to put their levels back in, I would have to have some lined fleece covers made, to deter peeing because they love to pee on smooth and shiny surfaces like the shelves (or our phones).

I appreciate the advice though. The plan is eventually to get them in a DCN with fleece liners to maximise floor space and because they look SO much easier to clean than the one we have currently (there’s only one access point which makes cleaning the shelves that come with the cage really difficult to get at?).

- Charlotte

[ratmamas]

His little ear flick 😍

[ratmamas]

I’m going to be making some changes to our homepage in a little while so if anything isn’t working properly, please let me know!

- Charlotte

[ratmamas]

Homepage has now been updated. 

[ratmamas]

I'm going to be making some changes to our homepage in a little while so if anything isn't working properly, please let me know! - Charlotte

[ratmamas]

We've decided to add a couple of new boys to our brood! I was recommended House Onion by some people on a Facebook rat group. I sent them a message this morning and they replied straight away, so now we're in a waiting list for their next planned litter! Our new baby boys are due to be born around August so will be ready to come home in mid-September. They've been really lovely to deal with so far and we have a visit planned before so we can meet the breeder and her ratties! I'm particularly excited because her rats double as pet rats and show rats and I'd love to visit a rat show (I have only ever been to and participated in dog shows!) I'll keep you updated and I'm sure we'll have lots of photos to share from our visit!

[ratmamas]

Cage clean! We've got another hammock to put in but it's currently in the wash!

[ratmamas]

I was taking photos of Remus and clearly someone was jealous all eyes weren't on him

[ratmamas]

[ratmamas]

We bought the boys a ball pit!

[ratmamas]

[ratmamas]

This is rat Marcel im sorry for the blurry pictures he is one wiggly rat. Anyways you may notice he has what seems to be blood on his nose and face. Neither my mom or I know what it is and his brother does not have it. This “blood” appears when I bathe him. Im sending this to know if this as ever happened because I do not know what to do about it.

– To me it looks like porphyrin, which is something that can happen when a rat is stressed, but in my experience not exclusively. It’s a lot more common in albino and white coloured rats - Sage use to get it from time to time. As it’s something that flares up when you bathe him, it might be the stress from taking a bath. I’m not sure what your method is, but maybe think about things you can do to make it less stressful for him; I found putting a towel at the bottom of the bath gives them something to grip onto and they’re less likely to slip in a wet surface of the bath. Here’s some more information about Porphyrin that you can have a look over: http://ratguide.com/health/eyes/porphyrin_secretions_red_tears.php