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RE: Anyone ever have pet rats? - 3/21/2008 9:23:24 AM

dollparts85

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pretty funny when grown men are afraid of harmless little animals.

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RE: Anyone ever have pet rats? - 3/21/2008 9:55:18 AM

BBWnNC72

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i had rats a few years ago, two cute males that i baught. i was told by the vet and the pet store to keep them together and them being from the same litter it would be even worse to seperate them. They would fight some, the bigger one picking on the smaller one, but when i did take one out, the other would act so sad.
Rats are great first animals for kids. They are clean if the cage is kept clean, smart, fun, lovable, and they dont live all that long. one of mine passed away about a year after we got him. The other lasted over three years! Then passed away from tumors.

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RE: Anyone ever have pet rats? - 3/21/2008 10:09:00 AM

dollparts85

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They are a lot more friendly than like hamsters or gerbils too. Rarely bite. My two dumbos have never bit (cept on accident when they thought they were getting treats through the bars of their cage LOL) but they let go as soon as they realize what happened. I actually have a scar from a hamster bitting me like 15 years ago...LOL he bit my finger and would NOT let go...had to shake my hand...and he went flying...LOL evil little bugger! (he was fine, btw. LOL) Rats would never do that.

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RE: Anyone ever have pet rats? - 3/21/2008 11:12:20 AM

mhawk

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best bet since they are getting older(this is coming from a rat owner in the past). if they are fighting as you say they are it may be your better interest to buy another cage for one of them instead of putting them in a larger one,that would just give them more room to fight i would think.plus on a side note is one should get sick another cage is a good idea anyway,less risk of one passing illness on to the other,i know i've had that happen, and considering a domestic rat only has a life span of 3 to 4 years each one needs plenty of room anyway.

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RE: Anyone ever have pet rats? - 3/21/2008 11:26:02 AM

dollparts85

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my older rat (hes about 3 and a half years old) should be dying soon...he has his own cage...so I may just wait until he dies and then move one of the other ones into his cage.

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RE: Anyone ever have pet rats? - 3/21/2008 11:28:47 AM

BBWnNC72

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i was bit one time by my rat, but i had just put on some oatmeal lotion. My son was bit by on on the tongue, the kid had just eaten a cookie or cracker and stuck his tongue through the bars, LOL, he never did that again. The rat didn't break the skin either time. i loved it when they would lick things off my finger, it was the neatest feeling.
We also had a guinea pig, grr, she was quite the little bitch. Bit my nipple one day while i was giving her a bath, little furry brat jumped and bit right through my shirt, i bled a lot! The guinea was also so very anti social.

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RE: Anyone ever have pet rats? - 3/21/2008 2:01:41 PM

RCdc

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Totally suprised by the pig, guinea pigs are thee pet recommended to new young owners as they are well known not to bite. I have had pigs for 13 years and only once did I have one that bit but he was a 'fancy' pig and very tempremental(and we called him 'rat'). In all I have kept over 15 pigs throughout that time and currently the two I have are both six years old. I adore guinea pigs, they are great lap pets and very loving and get used to being hand held quite quickly.
Gerbils are fun! Much more interesting the hamsters. Good at identifying different voices and commands. We lost out last gerbil in 2007.
My only animal to bite was my dwarf rabbit, and that was because she was pregnant at the time. I am totally in love with the though of purchasing a couple of degus now, if Darcy ever lets me! Plus I have my two parakeets who are will be three this summer.

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RE: Anyone ever have pet rats? - 3/21/2008 2:40:55 PM

dollparts85

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My dwarf rabbit used to bite when I first took him in...but he was abused at his old home. He even broke the skin one time...hurt like hell LOL usually he would just leave a bruise though. He doesn't bite anymore though. He even charged me a few times when I first got him.

My larger rabbit will bite sometimes but not to be mean...he loves to chew clothing LOL he has a habit of bitting boobs and digging at your shirt and stuff LOL he isn't doing it to be mean though and doesn't break the skin.

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RE: Anyone ever have pet rats? - 3/22/2008 12:16:39 AM

chellekitty

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i have had all kinds of rodents for pets, rats, mice, hamsters, gerbils, rabbits, guinea pigs...i like rats the best...if i read correctly all your rats are male? because that would be the only problem i could think of that was not "personality" related if they are well fed, have water and are in a cage bigger than a shoe box (rats really don't need much room to live in) - is that two males are fighting over "rights" to a female...and if they are all males, my suggestion would be to seperate them....

i want another rat...lol...i have had 6 rats over the past 12 years... 2 pairs of 2 i got at the same time and 1 over lapped with one of the pairs...i had a problem with a female and two males...i had to put them on opposite ends of the house to end the fighting...

good luck
chelle

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RE: Anyone ever have pet rats? - 3/22/2008 11:49:07 AM

eros393

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them peeing on them meant they really liked them. they were proudly marking them as their territory

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RE: Anyone ever have pet rats? - 3/22/2008 2:21:03 PM

velvetears

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If your older rat is female the two may be smelling her scent and fighting because they smell her. Rats are very social creatures, loving, playful and very intelligent. i would say take them out and play with them a lot. or get them those plastic balls they can roam around the house in.

Hairless rats are a mutation and they don't generally live past 9 months. They usually die of kidney failure and when it happens it comes on fast. i adored my one hairless Rufus, he would curl up in the crook of my arm and sleep as i watched tv. the female i have now, Abby, is sweet - she is tan. i have had her for about 3 months and shes n ot even a year yet. She is still fearful when she comes out of the cage. She knows her name though and knows when i come home she gets a treat. If i hold her she burrows under the blanket. She put her teeth on my finger once but i think she thought i was giving her a treat she let go when she realized it was me. i wish i could let her roam but i have a cat. The cat has no real interest as shes very old now and has eye cancer but i think the rat smells her scent and feels vulnerable when she is out and smells her scent perhaps?

i did have three male mice once, they were brothers and one day my um went upstairs and found one splayed open like a half gorged Thanksgiving turkey, head missing and blood all over the faces of the other two. She came running down the stairs, hand over chest, her chest heaving from not being able to catch her breath and screamed out what she found in the cage

. They used to fight but i never thought two would gang up on one and eat him! We have 8 mince now all seperated males and females, and the males fight i am always on edge. We had to put the bully in his own cage - he attacked all the others, i guess he was the dominant one lol. Not very domly if you ask me lol. So far the rest get along fine - males are upstairs and females downstairs.

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RE: Anyone ever have pet rats? - 3/22/2008 4:59:16 PM

dollparts85

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quote:

ORIGINAL: eros393

them peeing on them meant they really liked them. they were proudly marking them as their territory

LOL true...they pee on EVERYTHING! I always have to change my clothes after I play with them LOL

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RE: Anyone ever have pet rats? - 3/22/2008 5:06:19 PM

dollparts85

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quote:

ORIGINAL: velvetears

If your older rat is female the two may be smelling her scent and fighting because they smell her. Rats are very social creatures, loving, playful and very intelligent. i would say take them out and play with them a lot. or get them those plastic balls they can roam around the house in.

Hairless rats are a mutation and they don't generally live past 9 months. They usually die of kidney failure and when it happens it comes on fast. i adored my one hairless Rufus, he would curl up in the crook of my arm and sleep as i watched tv. the female i have now, Abby, is sweet - she is tan. i have had her for about 3 months and shes n ot even a year yet. She is still fearful when she comes out of the cage. She knows her name though and knows when i come home she gets a treat. If i hold her she burrows under the blanket. She put her teeth on my finger once but i think she thought i was giving her a treat she let go when she realized it was me. i wish i could let her roam but i have a cat. The cat has no real interest as shes very old now and has eye cancer but i think the rat smells her scent and feels vulnerable when she is out and smells her scent perhaps?

i did have three male mice once, they were brothers and one day my um went upstairs and found one splayed open like a half gorged Thanksgiving turkey, head missing and blood all over the faces of the other two. She came running down the stairs, hand over chest, her chest heaving from not being able to catch her breath and screamed out what she found in the cage . They used to fight but i never thought two would gang up on one and eat him! We have 8 mince now all seperated males and females, and the males fight i am always on edge. We had to put the bully in his own cage - he attacked all the others, i guess he was the dominant one lol. Not very domly if you ask me lol. So far the rest get along fine - males are upstairs and females downstairs.

I didn't know that about hairless rats :( I never would have got one if I did...it's so upsetting when they die. She was so cute though! She was an adult when I got her...not sure how old...but full grown. She did get fatter though while I had her LOL ended up getting a pretty big belly actually

she wasn't the most friendly or calm rat...I figured she would turn around the more she was handled...she seemed to be really stressed out when we did handle her.

I've had a few mice over the years...but God, they smell awful! LOL I thought rat pee was bad but damn...mice are a lot worse LOL I'm always afraid of hurting them too b/c they're so small. They don't live that long either...for me at least...I think I may feed them too much b/c the ones I've had would end up getting SO fat LOL

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RE: Anyone ever have pet rats? - 3/22/2008 8:05:11 PM

angelbluewingsz

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Oooh I love rats! My big guy Homer is 3years old, he is litter box trained so he doesn't live in a cage but he does have a house to sleep in. mostly he sleeps in my bed though. I have to lock him out of my bedroom at night or I wake up with his nuts on my face- friendly little cuss- he thinks my hairless dog is his girlfriend wich sometimes causes problems cuz he bites her to hold her still while he is trying to hump her and with no hair to protect her is leaves pretty ugly scabs for awhile. Maybe your bigger rat is trying to be sexually active with the smaller one?

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