View Full Version : I got a new rat!
I went into my local branch of Pets At Home to get a new cage for Merry and Pippin yesterday and wandered over to look at the rats (with no intention of buying any, btw). Next to the tank was a sign regarding a rat who was free to a good home as he'd been treated for a respiratory infection but had been left with a head tilt and balance problems. What could I do? I asked to see him and fell instantly in love with the little boy so I took him home with me to live with Merry and Pippin in their new cage. He's now called Bilbo to continue the hobbit theme.
Here are a few pics:
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A lovely smiley pic. :)
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…and a pic of the new cage.
http://homepage.mac.com/lwernham/.Pictures/Ratties%2020070324/0014.jpg
A very nice rat too, I love em but my spouse who must be obayed does not and so I can not have em.
Very nice my grandaughter has two
If ever there was an evil looking rat, it's the bottom pic...
:rofl: Just a bad camera angle. All rats faces look evil from the top due to the angle of the eyes. Merry's actually an old softy. :)
greencreeper
24-03-2007, 21:30
Terrible. Just because he's a tad disabled doesn't make him any less a rat, or any less loveable. We once looked after a baby canary - had a habit of ending up on its back, where it would "cheep" for assistance :D
Very cute, bless. Lovely eyes. And the tails - didn't realise they were so thick and long! And the house - definite des res there.
Terrible. Just because he's a tad disabled doesn't make him any less a rat, or any less loveable. We once looked after a baby canary - had a habit of ending up on its back, where it would "cheep" for assistance :D
I think that by law they're required to give him away for free. I don't think pet shops are allowed to sell non-healthy animals. Doesn't bother me, I'm a sucker for hard luck cases. :D
Very cute, bless. Lovely eyes. And the tails - didn't realise they were so thick and long! And the house - definite des res there.
You want a thick tail? Here's a pic of Sam (all 725g of him). The others' tails are like spaghetti compared to his. :D
http://homepage.mac.com/lwernham/.Pictures/Ratties%2020070224/0001.jpg
greencreeper
24-03-2007, 21:53
Crikey! I don't think they're prehensile so what do they use them for - balance? And what's the award for - being a big chap?
Cute!!!
We have a pet rat named Roland... For some reason, odd name i know. But they're so cute! Completely different from the wild menaces you hear about :D
They're prehensile to a certain point. Sam can get a good grip on a finger with the tip of his tail. They're mostly used for balance and regulating body temperature though.
The award was for being the best example of his variety at that particular show (and he was far from being the largest rat at the show).
greencreeper
24-03-2007, 22:35
Clearly Druchii has never heard of Roland Rat :D
Regulating body temperature, Lew?? Sort of like a radiator :erm: Varieties of rat?? I thought there were just brown and black ones and that was it? What variety is Sam then, and what qualities make him a top rat?
It's interesting is this :D My dad breeds and shows birds - complex hobby. Never thought a similar thing would exist for rats though.
Perhaps it's just me, but it looks like Bilbo has a slight head tilt?
Lol That is one of the reasons he got him, he explains it in his first post ;)
Lol That is one of the reasons he got him, he explains it in his first post ;)
I know that. It was my weird way of commenting on the copious use of visual aids in this thread :)
greencreeper
24-03-2007, 22:51
What about biting - are they prone to it? The bedding looks a bit filthy. Mine's not much better though :p: Do they, er, niff or are they clean? I thought they were neophobic, but they some quite curious??
Clearly Druchii has never heard of Roland Rat :D
Regulating body temperature, Lew?? Sort of like a radiator :erm:
Pretty much, yeah. They have blood vessels in their tails that can expand and contract depending on whether they need to conserve or lose heat.
Varieties of rat?? I thought there were just brown and black ones and that was it? What variety is Sam then, and what qualities make him a top rat?
Easiest if I point you to the NFRS varieties page (http://www.nfrs.org/varieties.html) as it has good photos of each variety. Sam is a Russian Blue (named after the cat breed of a similar colour), although he has a lot of white guard hairs so he gets shown in the silvered class.
Sam has very good type (see below) and nice even silvering without any patchiness (much to the annoyance of the breeder I bought him and his brother from as she now wishes she'd kept him :rofl: ).
The Rat shall be of good size, does long and racy type, bucks being of a bigger build, arched over the loin, firm fleshed with clean, long head, but not too pointed at the nose. The eyes shall be round, bold, clean and of goods size. The ears shall be of good size, well formed and widely spaced. The tail shall be cylindrical and as long as the body, thick at the base, tapering to a fine point. The ears, feet and tail shall be covered with fine hair. The coat shall be smooth and glossy (except for the Rex type). Bucks are longer than does and have a harsher coat.
It's interesting is this :D My dad breeds and shows birds - complex hobby. Never thought a similar thing would exist for rats though.
People have been keeping and breeding rats since Victorian times. :)
aw! Lew's new rat looks a bit camera-shy initially! lol. so cute though. :)
What about biting - are they prone to it?
If they haven't been handled very well they can sometimes be prone to biting, although most breeders regularly handle their babies so that they are comfortable with humans. I have 5 rats currently and none of them has bitten me, not even Merry who is scared of everything.
The bedding looks a bit filthy. Mine's not much better though :p:
Hey! Those towels were freshly washed! :)
Do they, er, niff or are they clean?
They can pong a bit if they're not cleaned out regularly. Mine get a full cage cleaning once a week, with a spot-clean every 1-2 days. My room probably smells more of me than the rats. :D
I thought they were neophobic, but they some quite curious??
Oh, they're insatiably curious. Anything new has to be thoroughly investigated. :)
greencreeper
24-03-2007, 23:23
Thanks, Lew - interesting stuff. Had a quick glance at the pictures of the rats, but will need to settle and read in more depth - seems fairly complex. One thing I did notice was that some varieties have their ears much lower down, such as the "Russian Blue Agouti" (sounds like a cheese!). Oh and feet. Little bit scary are the feet of the Sable Burmese - big things with long, clearly seperated toes. Eeeeep. Some of them have lovely looking fur though. The Rex looks like it survived a spin dry :D Poor thing.
The ones with the ears lower down are known as dumbos. Dumbo is a body type so it can come in any variety, same with rexes (Sam's brother Frodo is a Russian Blue Rex and won the "Brian May Award" in the pet class for his frizzy fur :D). The large feet on that Sable Burmese aren't part of the variety, it's just that particular rat.
greencreeper
24-03-2007, 23:52
The ones with the ears lower down are known as dumbos. Dumbo is a body type so it can come in any variety, same with rexes (Sam's brother Frodo is a Russian Blue Rex and won the "Brian May Award" in the pet class for his frizzy fur :D). The large feet on that Sable Burmese aren't part of the variety, it's just that particular rat.
Complicated! Body types now, in addition to varieties :spin: The large feet though - not breed specific huh :erm: I found them disturbing for some reason - I think it's because they look like hands as oppose to feet. Freaky!
rats. ewww. *shudders*
Never understood why anyone would want to keep them as pets but ho hum... each to his own! Glad you're happy with them Lew... cute i suppose if that's your thing :shrug:
Aw bless..........so kind of you Lew, to give a home to this little creature. You obviously love your pets very much. Pampered isn't the word, their cage is like a palace, I especially like the little hammocks. Bilbo quickly made friends with the other two residents didn't he?, I'm sure you made the right decision.:tu:
Good pictures by the way!
More pics…
http://homepage.mac.com/lwernham/.Pictures/Ratties%2020070325/0001.jpg
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We went out for a Chinese meal today for my brother's birthday, so we brought home some spare rib bones for the rats. Merry was kind enough to let Bilbo share his rather than grabbing it and running off to the corner of the cage as he usually does. :)
http://homepage.mac.com/lwernham/.Pictures/Ratties%2020070325/0009.jpg
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I think Merry's got a new friend. :)
http://homepage.mac.com/lwernham/.Pictures/Ratties%2020070325/0011.jpg
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Awwwh, so cute :) And it seems they get on so so well :D
Here is Roland, our pet rat: (see attached)
I thought you had to keep male rats apart or they fight?
Nah! All rats like company. Just think about the size of a wild colony. :)
---------- Post added at 16:32 ---------- Previous post was at 16:31 ----------
Awwwh, so cute :) And it seems they get on so so well :D
Here is Roland, our pet rat: (see attached)
Lovely! He looks like Merry. :)
I had a friend that had two male rats that were brothers and as soon as they became sexually mature she had to separate them as they started to fight, maybe it was just those two then lol
We used to have a pink eyed white about 6 years ago, loveley thing, used to cuddle up and sleep on your shoulder or lap. Sadly like many of the less common breeds he died from various cancers :( .
I had a friend that had two male rats that were brothers and as soon as they became sexually mature she had to separate them as they started to fight, maybe it was just those two then lol
Ah yes, it does sometimes happen with bucks that they get a bit too hormonal post-puberty. Neutering usually helps in these cases. Merry and Pippin are brothers and are just fine together (Bilbo was accepted easily as he's still a baby so not a threat). Frodo and Sam are also brothers who live happily together (and will be getting 2 new cagemates next month).
---------- Post added at 17:07 ---------- Previous post was at 17:04 ----------
We used to have a pink eyed white about 6 years ago, loveley thing, used to cuddle up and sleep on your shoulder or lap.
Sounds like my first rat, Splinter, who I had back in 1992. He loved nothing better than curling up on your lap all evening. :)
Sadly like many of the less common breeds he died from various cancers :( .
Poor thing. That's the main drawback with rats, they can be very prone to cancer, although that's not a certainty as Splinter died of old age at 3 1/2 years old.
Awwwh, so cute :) And it seems they get on so so well :D
Here is Roland, our pet rat: (see attached)
Roland is lovely, but he looks so lonely compaired to Bilbo, won't you consider getting him a little playmate?
We have a pet rat named Roland... For some reason, odd name i know.Clearly Druchii has never heard of Roland Rat :D
I don't think he's old enough to remember him. :)
Poor thing. That's the main drawback with rats, they can be very prone to cancer, although that's not a certainty as Splinter died of old age at 3 1/2 years old.
Might be worth keeping this stuff (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dichloroacetic_acid) in mind, should any of yours be unfortunate enough to need it.
Might be worth keeping this stuff (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dichloroacetic_acid) in mind, should any of yours be unfortunate enough to need it.
Interesting, thanks. Some of the side effects sound like they could be nasty though.
greencreeper
30-03-2007, 22:11
Saw a dead rat the other day - side of the pavement, on the way to work. I knew there were rats in the area - seen them a few times disappearing into the undergrowth. Looked fairly healthy. No sign of trauma. Interestingly, it's tail was furry and brown, and not pink. Not sure why that is.
Interesting, thanks. Some of the side effects sound like they could be nasty though.
Perhaps, but no worse than chemo I would have thought, not that I've heard of rats being given chemo.
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