new pet

1. 49

   i<3petsposted 13 years ago

   i have a new pet rat it was a gift for my 12 yr old daughter, i just wanted some information on where to get advice for medical needs if in time i need it im all for home remedys or actuall pet rat owners advice
   figaro is at times very hyper out of nowhere hell run from one side of the cage to another sometimes when i put my hand in his cage he'll run comeback and leave making me a bit nervous, im getting over the fear of getting bit thanks to my daughter (she laughed and asked why i was nervous and told me he doesn't bite hard... yes i trusted her)any ways besides that today he seems very lathargic kinda sad i keep finding him laying down,i go to check on him n he starts to lick me??/idk is he ok is this behavior normal?
   another reason i ask is because he is usually in my daughters room and i moved him to our movie room/laundry room/man cave because my daughter is on punishment...is he sad? am i actualy punishing him as well? (thereis a snake cage in there too)
   thx,concerned mom

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   1. 60

      M. A. Hookposted 13 years agoin reply to this

      If he's licking you, he needs salt. Put a little table salt into a small jar lid and put it in one corner of his cage so he can lick it any time he needs to. Also, he's probably short on minerals in general, so it's time to  look up articles on what they eat and don't eat in the wild.
      
      Our refined foods and commercial pet foods aren't the best thing to feed them. They like grain, but not the polished kind. Some grocery stores sell wheat that has the hard husk removed but leaves the inner coating and germ in. That would be my first guess. Do NOT feed him dry commercial serial, it swells it their belly and bursts them open like a water balloon. The people in New Zealand use shredded wheat as a rat poison because it kills them this way. If you do feed him commercial cereal, make sure it has no sugar or sweetener on it, and moisten it with a little water to bulk it up before giving it to him. They don't like cheese, despite what you hear people say. If he's eating properly, he probably won't get sick. If he gets sick, he's not being fed properly. Mice in the wild never need to see a veterinarian.
      
      He might also like one of those "squirrel cage" running tracks. Some use them, some don't.

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      1. 60

         M. A. Hookposted 13 years agoin reply to this

         By the way, snakes are their worst enemy. Rats and mice are terrified by even the faint smell of a snake. Snakes eat mice as their primary diet and the mice know it.

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   2. 71

      mythbusterposted 13 years agoin reply to this

      Please phone the vets around your area and ask THE VET some questions... plus, you'll need to know which vet specializes in small animals and rodents in your area BEFORE any problems occur.
      
      For sure, TAKE Figaro OUT of the room with the snake in it... he could experience extreme anxiety in there with a snake. Perhaps a different form of "punishment/grounding" for your daughter could be arranged, too, so that the new pet isn't away from the primary caretaker (your daughter).
      
      Rats are extremely social creatures. They do well with company and Figaro could definitely be sad AND ANXIOUS being away from people and close to a snake. (You're probably punishing an innocent Figaro more than your daughter right now). If Figaro hasn't bit you yet, he's probably not likely to unless he is very startled by some quick action going on aroud him. What your daughter has told you is true... Figaro won't bite very hard - unless, of course, he feels threatened. He may even lightly nibble your fingers from time to time... it's a bonding "cuddle" thing and will definitely not hurt if you're bonding with him.

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2. 59

   libby101aposted 13 years ago

   You need to keep his cage in a different room than the snake! He will not do well at all in the same room! Animals have instincts for a reason... it's survival! Any animal knows his predators! He will stay in a constant state of fear and it could cause him to go into shock which could kill him!

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3. 84

   psycheskinnerposted 13 years ago

   Running away and back excitedly is play behavior, licking is part of natural grooming.  I would say that it sounds like the rat likes you
   
   When he does the runing away and back try tickling the rat, even gently rolling him over and tickling him tummy.  They like that.

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4. 78

   schoolgirlforrealposted 13 years ago

   Wow! a pet rat!
   
   did you check google or a hub on rats? though, it's more fun if you talk about it here

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5. 70

   kids-toy-boxposted 13 years ago

   A pet rat sounds fun! as long as you dont have a cat too.

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