/pp/- Pocket Pets General

I've had a rabbit for about a year, a small-ish holland lop that was neutered, seems fairly chill, lets me stroke/hold him, however sometimes he sort of slowly headbutts my leg when I'm sitting down on the floor and when I pet him his eyes close slightly and he isn't still. Is he ill?

My roomie just adopted a rat from a hoarder. His hundred+ brothers and sisters were mostly put down, but he survived. Unfortunately, he's not really sociable. Any rats/humans that try to interact with him (even a little) get hostility and even biting. Is there any way to help him warm up to us, or if that's impossible, to find some other source of enrichment so he doesn't get lonely?

>>2300581
Just talk to him daily, try to get him to take treats from you. Get a pair of thick gloves to wear when handling him.

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>>2300581
>>2300585
To add to this, I've heard people using yogurt or baby food on a spoon to get unsocialized rats to come around. They have to stay by your hand longer to get all the yogurt/bf instead of being able to snatch it and run away.

Also, in the mornings and evenings (when rats are usually most active) open the cage and sit by the door. Rest your hand in the cage and just sit there a few minutes (maybe 10). The only reason you should move your hand is if he tries to attack. If he comes along and sniffs your hand, don't try to pet or pick him up. After a few times of letting him check out your hand, you can try wiggling your fingers when he comes around. Once he's okay with that, you can try petting.

Get some yogurt drop treats and put just one in his food bowl a day. Rats, especially shy/aggressive most likely won't take new treats, but since he'll have eaten the yogurt drops already, he should start taking them from you.

Just don't rush. This rat apparently came from a bad situation so it will take time. Maybe even a few weeks.

Also, make one of these (pic related) but use a different treat. I like nutro blueberry or apple treats, or bocces dog treats if you can find them. Otherwise, you could use yogurt drops, almond slivers (raw, unsalted usually found with baking stuff), cheerios, dried fruit or veggies, etc

Keep us posted!

>>2300611
>>2300585
Thanks! I'll try both of these and let you know how it goes!
I think I actually have a similar silicone hexagon meant to be a baby toy tucked away somewhere after my nephew left it here on his last visit. If I do, I'll make good use of it for sure!

I approve of all of them because they are cheap to buy and they can fit in my ass. All I need to do is toss a cheeto in there and they come running oh boy! And yes my asshole is big because of bath time with uncle.

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>>2300637
This made me laugh more than it had any right to

My 1 year old male rat "suddenly" lost the use of his lower half a few weeks ago (wrote about it in the last thread) and I took him to the vet where they couldn't find any broken bones.

Well now I've found out what the cause is, a tumor that's grown incredibly fast in the past two days and wraps all the way around his middle. Neither me or the vet could feel it before, but now it's very obvious.

He can't wash his genitals or hold his bladder anymore and it's a real problem for him. I clean him multiple times during the day, but the skin around his groin is still very red and irritated and I can't be there 24/7 to clean it for him.

He still eats, drinks and cuddles like normal, so I don't want to have him put down, but I've also made up with myself that he won't go through surgery for various reasons (already lost the use of lower body, big risk of the tumor growing back or surgery going wrong, he still won't be able to clean himself, it costs a fucking farm, etc)

What would you do /an/, have him euthanized or wait till he stops eating/responding normally?

>>2300685
Probably best to have him euthanized. You can try expressing his bladder several times a day so he isn't laying in a piss puddle for hours at a time, but I've only ever done that for rats that were going to recover in a few weeks. Does he have a buddy to help groom him?

>>2300697
Yes he does have a buddy who sleeps with him and grooms his fur, but it's not enough. He's caked in pee from the waist down when I come home, and fuck, I'm sitting with him right now and I think I can feel multiple weird 'lumps' around his body, not just the one big tumor. .

You're right, I'll have to come to terms with having him euthanized, and find his cage-mate a new friend.

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my hedgehog absolutely hates baths more than anything. he goes into full panic mode whenever i try to even put him in a little water. is there anything that'll make him less afraid of water? the bath only ever comes up to maybe his stomach, and i always hold him so that he doesn't feel like he's gonna drown, but he still hates it. i only put him in to wash his feet, and i dont use soap. should i give him treats afterwards or something?

pic related

>>2300915
why the fuck would you bathe a hedgehog

>>2300922
they cant groom themselves, so youre suppose to give them baths. their feet also get caked in shit because their poop isnt like rodent poop, its a lot runnier and tends to stick to stuff, so you have to wash their feet. any responsible hedgehog owner knows this

>>2300922
Hedgehogs love to track their shit everywhere

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>>2300922

>>2300915
Try slow acclimation. A small super shallow pool of water in a corner might do, maybe even with some treats on the far end. That way it's his choice to step in and he can go as slowly as he likes, even getting rewarded with treats when he does.

I got two new rat's from the psychology lab at my school today, and they're absolutely people friendly but they're shy of my other rat's. I've been with them all day and no fights have broken out and my rat's are being very friendly to them, even bringing them food. But the two new ones are sitting away from the others and not approaching. Will the behaviour stop eventually? For more info the lab keeps them in pairs when they're young but separates them later. Mainly because the cages are very small.

>>2300685
Another question regarding tumors. I've never experienced it before, and read that male rats rarely get them, especially not while that young. My guy is/was rather overweight, could that, combined with being bred as snake-food, have led to it?

>>2300970
Diet, stress, poor living conditions and breeding. Since he was bred for snake food he's probably heavily inbred. While it's not true for all feeder breeders, some are lazy and don't sex the rats and just let them breed. It could also just be bad luck as early lab rodents, like mice, hamsters, and rat's were inbred heavily, which made for problems.

Side note, all domestic Syrian hamsters come from a brother and sister paring, that were the first successfully bred captive hamsters.

>>2301011
>all domestic Syrian hamsters come from a brother and sister paring

Is that why they're so fucked up?

>>2300970
Does their food have corn in it?

>>2301181
No, but I give them meat on occasion. They get blocks they can't sort and vegetables + mysli and nuts as treats His older buddy (2 years) who has been eating the same diet has no walking problems or tumors

>>2300960
Give it a couple days. They have to "get to know each other".

>>2300970
I think I read somewhere that citrus (oranges, mango, grapefruit etc) causes tumors in male rats... or maybe it was cancer. Either way, have you given any citrus?

>>2301138
All hamsters are stupid fuckers. But it's why domesticated ones are more disease prone.

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>>2301213
>Either way, have you given any citrus?
Never.

This is the poor guy, when he was tumor-free.

>>2301248
I recognize that rat from a previous thread :( poor dude. He looks like a male version of my Lola. Maybe it's a genetic thing since your other rat is fine. Are they about the same age?

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>>2301259
>Are they about the same age?
His cagemate is twice as old so I'm guessing genetics too. Though they are from the same pet store. A real shame, he is a cutie and they're great friends.

It's so unfair rats have such shit genetics and live so short lives ;-;

>>2300924
What do they do in the wild? Does the poop just get washed off by rain and walking on grass? Or are they constantly covered in shit?

>>2300581
Google rat immersion training and devote a weekend to it.

>>2301586
It's not a problem in the wild as they shit while foraging and aren't confined to a cage.

>>2301213
Thanks for the advice. The female is integrating great, but I'm putting the male down. He is far too aggressive and attacked our super submissive rat for no reason and then tried to bite my wife. I hate doing it but fuck am I not putting up with that shit.

>>2301794
Please don't put down a male for being aggressive. I've had rats for 10 years and never had to do that, even when some of mine were aggressive. I got them all in with my other rats eventually. Where did you get him from? It takes time to get an unsocialized rat to understand that you aren't a threat. You can't expect it to change in a day.

>>2301794
Reading your original post, it seems you just put them in with the other rats immediately. Introductions take at LEAST a week. You need to have them in a separate cage for a week and do cage swaps first, then slow intros in a neutral territory. I'm on day 7 of face to face intros with two of my boys, and they're doing well now, but it took a looong time to get to that point. Also is your boy neutered?

>>2301794
By attacking what do you mean? Squabbles are completly normal and are going to happen while new rats learn the pecking order. The general rule of thumb when introducing rats is "no blood no foul".

>>2301995
There was blood, the main concern was that it was our ultra submissive rat who won't even play fight.
>>2301991
The psychology lab, apparently their males are all hyper aggressive.
>>2301994
We're gonna keep him for another week and see what happens.

>>2300960
How did you introduce them? Where did the lab get them?

>>2302007
Not sure where the lab got them, but their keeping conditions weren't good. They're were kept in bins the size of a 5 gallon tank and kept alone after they reached a certain size. They were also fed hamster food.

>>2300915
Huh that's funny. Mine used to love them. He'd roll over so I could wash his belly and everything.

>>2302001
>We're gonna keep him for another week and see what happens.

A week is still not very much time to even warm up to you and the humans in your house, let alone a new mischief of rats. I highly urge you to do more research on socializing rats to humans and to other rats. If he were mine, I would give him at least 2 weeks of just me working with him before stressing him enough to be put in with other rats.

Where are you located? I would take him from you if I could. Best of luck to you, please let us know if you have questions or concerns.

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Here's Sookie.

>>2302023
Idaho so I doubt you live here. We'll give him two weeks then. He's fine with me interacting with him, he just seems to hate women and other rats.

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Tiny paw

I'm trying to decide whether or not I want a chinchilla. Probably a baby or two, or an adult male or two.
I've petsat two that were really chill and playful, and then another two that were basically locked up in an attic because they were too stressed to be around the two people in their house so they were missing fur so they weren't really great.

I've had rabbits, ferrets and rats over my life time, as well as petsitting sugar gliders degus, a short tailed opossum, I have experience with a lot of small mammals. So thoughts? If am I to adult an adult male and want to try to add another, would it be better to get a young male? Would neutering help if there's trouble? What I've read about introducing adults is that if they don't like each other then there's no helping it so if I try I'd be up front about a trial period about how I can't keep the second one if it doesn't work out.

Besides keeping them clean, no loud noises, working slow with them, etc is there any other 'keys' for getting a chinchilla to be a chill bombass bro like the two chinchillas I got to take care of? The owner even walked them on a harness and even with barking dogs and cats going by they didn't give a single fuck.
I'm really looking to commit to a certain small mammal species basically forever. I tend to go back to rats but I always take a break because they're short lifespans are breaking my heart. I really liked a rabbit I used to have but I never met a rabbit like him and don't think I could commit to another one who couldnt live up to him.

>>2300915
Don't play Hidrocity Zone near your hedgehog ever again.

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So the lab male ripped his toe nail out today, I cleaned the wound with ice cold water and have super cleaned his cage, anything else I should do? I'm gonna pick up pet antibacterial creme tomorrow. I would today but my car is in the shop.

>>2302371
Rats heal really fast so it should be fine with the creme.

>>2302371
I guess you can double check any platforms, make sure things are padded and that there aren't any little places he can get it caught in, like in between bars. Maybe Epsom salt soaks once it scabs up?

As long as things are clean the other anon is right, he should heal and be fine. Poor guy though!

>>2302574
He's in a temp bin cage while I'm Doing introductions. I clean it everyday already, but I sterilized it today. I think he got it during the fight he got into yesterday but didn't notice until I tried handling him and having him start bleeding on me.

>>2302586
>>>/adv/17977163

>>2302670
Thanks for linking me to your shitty thread. Here's two names though
Comida and filete

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squishy rat

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>>2302886
welcome to the family oliver and chunk. oliver is white one and chunk the other

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>>2303038

>>2302886
so cute wats his/hers name

>>2301248
hope he gets better. i belive all life is precious

My friendliest rat has started to bring me food whenever I let her out to play.

She kept running from her cage to where I was sitting and found a large pile of her shit right next to me, does it mean anything? It was her normal block food and some pieces of crackers I had given her that morning that she had stashed away.

I thought it was odd as I thought rats liked keeping their preferred stuff away from others.

>>2303156
Maybe she knows you won't eat it and considers you a 'safe spot' to put it. Mine will fight with each other when I give them treats, but they clearly know they won't have to compete with me for it.

I often wonder what rats consider us, giant god-like rats?

considering buying a rodent. Had a rabbit before (ex gf kep it), loved it, but the space isn't proper for it. So hamster or rat or guinea pigs?

I've heard pet rats are fucking bros, are they the best?

Bunny at my ex's house is apparently eating and drinking very little; I bring him to my house for observation and he's loving the alfalfa, lettuce and carrots I give her, but she's not drinking a lot of water and I don't see any puddles or wetness in the butt. Has spurts of curiosity but then just feels like hiding in a corner again.
Took her to the vet yesterday, she's not bloated, in pain or "holding it in". Ex takes her to her house again, she's eating and drinking very little again. She's not losing weight or anything. Wtf is going on?

>>2303302
*bring her, typo. She's not spayed btw, could it be related? We had unspayed females before but never an issue like this

Thinking of going to Petco and getting 2 rats, have a few questions.

>Should I get 2 male or 2 female

>Which species is best and how much are they

>What do they like to eat

>How to make them friendly

>>2303372
Depends on what you want, if you want something lazy and cuddly get males. If you want something entertaining and energetic get females.

Generally all you'll find at pet stores are domesticated Norwegian rat's. On occasion you'll find gambian pouched rat's. Norwegians are smaller and easier to care for and are easier to get medical care. Norwegians run anywhere from 5-40$.

They like to eat fresh greens and meats. Good block foods are mazuri, oxbow and native earth.

You make them friendly by interacting with them. It really depends on the rat though.

>>2303162
Kek you're probably right, now i feel bad for messing up her hard work but I can't keep her crap on my bed.

I really have no idea how they see our interactions with them. I was surprised to find out how intelligent rats were.

>>2303298
I've had all 3, for me, rats were definitely the best. They're the most intelligent, they can learn an assortment of complicated tricks and can be potty trained fairly quickly. Unlike hamsters, Guinea pigs and bunnies, I've never been bitten by my rats by mistake or because they got spooked, because they just don't get spooked as easily as other rodents.

Guinea pigs are good if you want a plush animal that doesn't do much, but makes cute sounds, likes being pet, can learn to respond to their name and follow you around. They can also learn simple tricks. I taught mine to spin around for cucumber.

Some hamsters can be very sweet, but many hate or are indifferent to human interaction, so not a good rodent if you mainly want them for cuddling and being bros.

I'd rank rats and pigs as the same on the cuddle scale, but rats aren't scared little shits like pigs and they're much more fun to watch. The only downside is their short lifespan and health problems.

>>2303510
I don't want 5 trillion rats any time soon, so a couple is out of the question. Can I get 2 males / females, or will they fight?

>>2303540
2 is fine, some say 3 is ideal. If you get them from the same pet store/breeder they will already know each other and you should have no problems.

Adult females can usually be introduced to each other with no fighting. With males, one or both of them need to be young, or they might fight aggressively for dominance and territory. If they're babies/less than 3 months there should be no compilations.

Males play-fight with each other, but that's healthy and good behavior.

>>2303542
alright, thanks anon.

do you know any online resource guide for rat caring?

I know I can find tons with a google search, just looking for one with the most information that you can recommend. I like to read a ton before/during keeping a pet so I don't do dumb stuff.

>>2303544
http://www.ratforum.com/index.php
Ratforum has lots of good guides from people who've owned rats for a long time, they cover everything from diet, cage setup and behavior.

Also http://ratguide.com/ is good for reading about health and what to do in case of illness or injury.

>>2303548
thanks, anon.

/an/ really needs a sticky with a link to all relevant pet guides

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>>2303044
ty, her name is Rose

Anybody have/had hairless rats? Do they need any special care different from regular rats?

>>2303581
Warm bedding, blankets, and coconut oil to help keep their skin from drying. If you live in a cold place you'll need to make sweaters for them.

I lost my guinea pig a few weeks ago to a URI. I miss my little buddy but his cage mate shouldn't be alone for too much longer now he's finished his antibiotics. What's the best way to introduce a new pig?

>>2303581
>>2303647
Pretty much this but even in winter my room was warm enough for them and I'd DIY'd a humidifier so their skin didn't get dry.
I'd also suggest a good bedding that isn't very dusty because they get eye infections easily. I've also been told to supplement their diet a little more because it takes more energy for them to keep warm. Just don't overdue it on the protein.

>>2303709
set up a play pen and put them both in it everyday for a couple weeks. You can try putting them in a cage together during that time to see if they like each other.

Sometimes piggys won't accept new friends so just keep that in mind.

>>2302001
>The psychology lab, apparently their males are all hyper aggressive.
What kind of psych lab is this. Female rats are the ones that are a pain in the ass to deal with.

>>2303995
Just like female humans. Huh really makes you think.

>>2302013
If this is in the US, that sounds like something that should be brought up to the IACUC.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Institutional_Animal_Care_and_Use_Committee

What you describe goes WAY against standard regs.

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>>2303741
I have a hairless dog and guinea pig and lemme tell ya- coconut oiling an animal is trickier then it sounds. plus they lick it off. humidifier is the way to go. Also- no sweater for the rats, they will just chew it off and pull it apart. best to give them some warm snuggling material (like a fleece) in the cage and they will burrow themselves in when they are cold.

>>2303557
awwww such a sweet girl

how much rat blocks do i give two rats every day? like a quarter cup?

>>2303995
Just basic behavioral stuff. The female is fairly friendly. She's not to excited about being handled but she's not aggressive and is getting along in the mischief. The male is in qt until his toenail is healed then I'm gonna try introduction again.

>>2304127
3-5 per rat a serving, and it depends on the rat. Mine reached a healthy weight and won't eat more then 5 a day. They neither gain or lose weight anymore.

what is the softest kind of rat? the light grey ones look very soft

>>2304150
Young rats are very soft and fluffy, but the adult coat starts coming in a little before 2 months old and it is tougher and more wiry. Females remain a little bit softer than males. I have a hooded light grey male and as far as I can tell, his fur is about the same as other rats.

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Low teir rodent reporting in

>>2304150
Rex or the insanely rare Harley.

>>2303302
How long have you and the ex been swapping the rabbit? It could be a case where she's just skittish due to changes in surroundings and routine. Could also be a genuine case of missing both of you, and the rabbit is possibly mourning as a result. I'd also recommend changing over to Timothy depending on their age, since alfalfa has lots of calcium, but can be too much for an adult.

How do you give water to the rabbit? Water bottle or a dish? I'd also like to suggest trying to give ice water to mix it up, and see how that works. My rabbit usually runs over to his bowel when I'm pouring the water in with a regular water bottle, since he likes to investigate what's going on, and sometimes lick on me to show the loving as well.

Keep us posted, anon.

>>2304195
She lives at my ex's house, I only brought her to my house to check on her and take her to the vet.
She has a bottle in her sleeping cage, but I gave her water on a bowl.
We're also having a massive heat wave, but we're keeping her indoors in well-ventilated areas, out of the sun. Wouldn't that lead to her drinking more water though?

>>2303510
wow never knew they can be taught tricks how did you teach your guinea pigs that

>>2304670
At first I held a piece of cucumber in front of his face and led him around in a circle to get it, while saying 'spin around'. After doing it enough times, he would automatically spin in a circle when I said 'Spin around'.

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Anyone have advice on introducing a new ferret with current ferret?
I have a very sweet ferret who gets along with our cat and dog, but I feel like a proper playmate would be good for her.

I've owned rats (both male and female groups) in the past and wanted to know if introductions are as complex as with them. I've had rats get along instantaneously and then my last rat would attack any non-human animal to come near her. Do ferrets general get along without trouble?

Pic related, my ferret sleeps like an idiot

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>>2304767
She's cute!

In my experience, ferrets generally get along with each other pretty well. I've never had an issue with introductions. They seem to make fast friends.

So just do a supervised introduction and see how they do. Really the big thing that you need to watch out for is play getting too rough! Some ferrets aren't as sensitive to new playmates' tolerances, so one of them can sort of beat up on the other just because they're too eager/rough when playing. If this happens, just separate them for a minute before letting them interact again, and make sure to watch their playtime and play referee until they get to know each other and understand each others' boundaries. :)

(Old pic from when my first two ferrets were super young. I still have the blaze girl, Yo-yo, but the sable, Otter, passed away of a congenital defect before her 1st birthday. I still miss her like hell.)

One of my rat boys has very coarse fur, he used to be soft and shiny. Is it just buckgrease? He's the 'alpha' in the cage.

>>2304003
>>2304130
Yeah seriously, I'm a behavioral scientist, a member of my schools IACUC and work in our animal facility.

Several things about that:
>not standard labchow?
>single housing without a valid experimental necessity?
>5 gallon cages what the fuck?

>>2304969
How would I get them to fix it? It might be lab chow but they weren't block food and the cages were small. I know lab cages are on the small side but these were ridiculous. They were the amber plastic bins that looked really small.

>>2305053
Usually there's an anonymous tip service. Try contacting the chair of your IACUC?

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>the rat breeders in my area are having a pissing contest over social media and craigslist
>Acting like children aside they all say x has the worst health problems
>One refuses to refund the crappy rats she sold due to temperaments and not developing the colors they were sold as, won't let her rehome them so the other threatens to put them down if she doesn't take them

Man they all have really nice rats but I ain't buying $35 marbles until they sort their shit out. They're the only ratteries around.

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Just bought a new boy from a breeder, I looked at some pictures of her other rats and was surprised to see this dark coat and red eye combination.

They look like cute little demon rats.

>>2304185
high tier if u ask me. ide rank em about the same as rats

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hey, please help guys my rabbit's dying, she won't eat.

I have no idea what happened vet doesn't either, she's just lost the ability to move. She has to wobble around and stays in the same spot maybe moving within .5 metre. Vet says it could've been a heart attack.

I'm fine with that and knowing my rabbit will most likely die anyway but figure might as well make it comfortable and give her the best chance at living without running a crazy bill going to loads of vets asking for help. Please help guys I lift her up and she's so light! She used to be fat and she still kinda looks big because of all the loose skin I assume but now she has to be a quarter the weight.


I know nothing about rabbit nutrition because she's not even mine it's just sorta become my responsibility now. Rabbits can't have simple sugars? I have some fructose, I can't dissolve it in her water and feed her that way? She drinks water but I have to bring it over to her, and when I do he has a lot of it. Mind you my fructose is out of date by like half a year but I don't think sugar's meant to go off.

Her head's flat on the ground really pathetic-like 99% of the time because she can't really stand up properly

tl;dr what to trick rabbit into eating

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>>2302092

Single chinchilla owner here.

All chinchillas are different and do have different personalities. I've heard and seen people with chins who will be super cuddly and others who won't. My guy for example likes being close to us and likes pets but only when he wants pets.

From what I've seen, the best way to get a bomb ass bro is to get the chin young and start taming him very early. We got our's when he was about a year old so he was kinda set in his ways. We've tried training him to be comfortable with being held but he just doesn't like it. That's fine because instead he'll curl up on his little ottoman and sleep by feet like a dog.

As for introducing 2 chins, getting them at the same time or being siblings is the best way I've read. I personally haven't tried to introduce a new one. I've done some research because we've debated on it. Everything I've read has said to keep them separate for 30 days with slow introductions with something between them to prevent fighting. There doesn't seem to be a preference of male/female pairs or male/male. Males generally are a bit more laid back but there's risk of dominance fight. Females can be a bit more aggressive at first and there's the risk of babies unless you fix one or both of them.

>>2305218
That is unusual.

Red eyes usually dilute coat color.

>>2305270
This. I'd love to have a guinea pig (make that 2) if I didn't already have my 4 rats. People just don't take the time to earn the pigs trust but once you do, they are awesome pet.

Just wish they could be letterbox trained.

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>>2305437
I wonder how it was done. The breed was simply called 'Red Eyed Devil'.

>>2305472
What breeder if you're willing to share? the blaze is interesting to.

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>>2305654
http://ratsbycille.weebly.com/
Unless you're Scandinavian none of the text will make any sense though. I've read a bit up on them and it seems they're only bred in Northern Europe.

On another note, this is the guy I bought from her. He's great.

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>>2305664
Oh and also the dark coat apparently fades a lot over time, when they're fully adult it will be like pic related. Still looks really peculiar.

>>2305437
I see dark coated, red eyed rats fairly regularly in US petstore shipments, if you ever feel like teasing out the genetics of the color.
I don't have any pics, but my last female had a coat that was either a dark brown or black with white underparts and red eyes. She exploded in tumors though, so I never bred her.

>>2305122
It seems the school doesn't have an IACUC board. The poor guy had a seizure today while I had him out, at least I think it was. He went completely rigid and wouldn't react when I pet him, called for him, tried to give him a treat and even got my finger close to his eye. He just sat there shaking, slightly but for a good few minutes.

>>2305715
Is this in the US?

It's literally federal law to have an IACUC and to reapply to the OLAW to renew your institutions license every 3 years.

>>2305751
I can't find anything about the specific institution, just only for the main site and not the sister one on at.

Also did the poor guy have a seizure or stroke?

>>2305761
Hard to tell without an actual video. I've never seen either.

>>2305761
The sister site is probably under the IACUC of the main campus.

>>2305671
I knew the coat faded, but still interesting. I have a solid black female. I'm thinking she'll "rust" as she grows.

>>2305691
I wonder if the combo is genetically bad then? I work at a PetSmart and have never seen a dark rat with red eyes. Any rats with ruby or pink eyes were always light colored (white, beige or gray).

>>2305979
There is nothing genetically wrong with them. It's just a rare combo. I think the ones you might find in a store (though I've never seen it) don't have the same intense red eye color and therefore wouldn't be categorized as 'red eyed devils' because that strain/breed is fairly new (2009) and as far as I know, no US breeders have them.

>>2305979
>judging rat genetics based off of a large factory breeder.

Anon any genetic diversity is good for rat's. Some combos just aren't dominate as pink eyed rodents are mainly albino and getting a dark furred rodent with red eyes is rare and hard to breed for consistently.

>>2305986
I misread the post. I thought the tumor ridden rat was one they got from a breeder. Reading it again I see that they were talking about a store bought rat.

Had to put down one of my mice today. Poor guy couldn't walk straight and his head was severely tilted to the side.

>>2306890
i know your pain my man

>>2305405
I'm sorry about your bun. I hope she died comfortably.

new guinea pig owner, any tips to get him to warm up to me?

>>2307549
Be very patient. Pigs are prey animals and startle easily, so don't grab him out of his house or try to catch him if he hides.

Offer treats like cucumbers and carrots, hold your hands very still and move slowly. Once he's okay with taking treats from you, you can try to pet, but make sure he sees your hand coming.

Guinea pigs have shit sight, so they usually can't tell if a person standing over them is their owner/friend or a predator, so even when he starts to trust you, he might try to run and hide when you want to lift him out of the cage.

My rats love friskies cat treats, the ones in the foil packets. I don't give them more than two a day so they last a long time.

I always see people say "rats are like mini dogs". How true is that? I really want to get a few rats desu

>>2308084
I think it's an over-simplification. But they are both intelligent, socially friendly animals that want to bond with you and please you.

>>2308085
This rat seems very doglike, is that normal behavior? Seems like a fun pet desu

https://youtu.be/3Gt3GY_mTgc?t=33s

>>2308088
I'd say so. Rats love their food especially if they're not allowed to have it. I remember one of my girls found a fruit loop on the ground and I had to basically barter some cheerios with her so she'd give it up. She still tried her best to keep both though.

>>2308088
They have very similar food guarding behaviors as dogs. Mine always run off with treats so they can't be robbed, just like my dog does.

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>>2307555
Picture of my pig before I bought him at the pet store. He's so shy. I actually picked him up last night and petted him for a bit. Maybe he'd get used to my scent.

>>2308088
Yeah. rats will steal yummy food off of your table if you let them, and they know when they've taken something they weren't supposed to.

I'd put them in-between cats and dogs behavior wise. But like dogs they can learn a lot of tricks and if they really like you they will lick your fingers and face.

>>2302092
They can go either way, as you've seen. They're a lot of hard work if you don't get the personality traits that you obviously want. Only thing you can do is get one young from a breeder, then handle it/them A LOT.

I went with Degus, people write them off as not being fun, but they're great, personality of a larger animal in a small animal body, really social and fun. Plus they live for around 8 years, meaning you can develop a good bond.

>>2303709
Males are generally the least likely to get on when introducing new ones, but it can be done, just take your time.

>>2304767
Introducing new ferrets is about the easiest I've known, usually fine unless it's highly dominant males and a female is present.

They're hard as fuck anyway, so if they fight at first it doesn't really matter, ferrets very rarely injure each other, even during g a proper scrap.

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>>2304767
When i get a new ferret i just let them all run around and play together. Never had an issue.

>>2308412
>>2308373
thank you so much for the feedback! This is very reassuring

>>2304873
Thank you, and your ferrets are so cute. I am so sorry about the passing of your sable girl.

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You guys like my rat cage? Does it need more furniture?

>>2308526
More ledges and shit would always help. But for 2 rat's it looks good.

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>>2300572
My bunny, Jon.

>>2308527
I've been thinking about putting ledges in. I could get wood ledges and seal them so they don't get pee soaked.

>>2308729
I'm lazy so I always got baskets at the dollar store and put them up with zip ties. Stuff them with fleece and instant new levels.

rabbit is my spirit!!!! Bunny#1

>>2305436
>>2308369
Thanks for the advice. I was looking to adopt but I think I'll look around for a breeder. I've seen some adults for adoption but they all 'need' work' so if I'm going to spend just as much as adopting one I might as well buy.

To the second anon, how do degus compare to rats and gerbils? I have no intention of getting them but I've heard good things. Maybe in the distant future, since I'm digging that lifespan.

I really wish African soft furred rats were just like brown rats but I remember years ago the only people with them used them as snake food and were very clear on that they were terrible pets. Relooking it up now, they're still pretty untamable and seem to have tumors just as much. Makes me wonder is it because of all the bad breeding or if anyone is trying to breed them for temperament. Even more docile I imagine they are more like mice in behavior and skittishness.

>>2309484
Degus are good pets and aren't fucked over genetically thanks to them still being fairly new to the pet world. They're as friendly as rat's but not as smart. Smarter then mice or hamsters but you'll have a hard time teaching them tricks. They're really affectionate though.

ASFs are being used more in nontraditional ways. As in being housed with male mice, since asfs get along with other rodents easily. They make okay pets. I'd put them on the same level as mice. They do have incredibly large litters though which makes them perfect for snake food as a single asf litter can have up to 32 pups.

>>2308526
I'd put some more stuff in there but it doesn't have to be anything special. Tissues, small boxes, paper bags, stuff like that. Use literal trash. Add a new item when they stop being fascinated with the last thing you put in.

>>2308651
Qt bun, very gud bun.

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I need ferret food advice.

I hate to be "that guy", but are there any relatively inexpensive brands of kibble I can feed my ferrets? Their previous owners fed them Meow-mix, and the shelter I got them from fed them Marshall's ferret food. So just about any other kibble will be a hell of a lot better.

>>2309873
Cheap ass walmart shit or the Dr fosters and Smith brand. Mazuri ferret food is cheapish at 15$ for a 5lb bag. Mazuri and fosters are decent choices.

>>2309873
some cat foods are also acceptable, like chicken soup for the kitten lovers soul, Eukanuba and felidae.

these creatures would eat you alive given the opportunity

>>2309908
Not more than any dog or cat.
Also never heard of anyone being eaten by a fucking Guinea pig, or pet rat for that matter.

>>2309924
Rats eat their dead so they would definitely eat you.

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Hey guys,

I'm thinking of getting a new pet and I've thought about getting a pair of rats, but my only reservation is that I'm regularly away for 3-day spans (Friday morning to Monday afternoon, usually twice a month) which I think is probably too long for them to go without owner attention.

Am I right in thinking that I should choose something else? I love rats but I want to put the needs of the animal first. Opinions online seem mixed about this.

>>2309926

>They would eat you alive, because they eat their own dead

???

>>2309934
oops I'm retarded

>>2309929

3 days is quite a long time to leave them unsupervised. Their water would get stale (which is probably not life-threatening, but not exactly nice for them), or worse, there could be some kind of catastrophic failure of the water bottle, meaning they could dehydrate.

There are very few pets I would consider it okay to leave alone for 3 day periods, just because you can never absolutely trust water bottles to work, or some odd thing to not happen within that timeframe.

Maybe a couple of goldfish, in a very large, cycled tank, with live plants, and the lights on a timer. That's just what came to mind as an animal that could safely be left alone for a few days (if they needed food, in a pinch they could eat the plants--but healthy strong goldfish can go several days without food without any apparent ill effects). If the lights are on a timer, the plants will grow normally. If the tank is big and cycled, pollutants won't build to toxic levels).

Goldfish are actually really great pets and live much, much longer than rats. And can probably be safely left alone for several days (as long as you don't leave them alone during the tank cycling process).

Like rats, they're an often-abused and misunderstood animal. They're shockingly bright (the "3 second memory" thing is a complete lie someone pulled out their ass).

>>2309940
Thanks my duder, hopefully someday I'll own some lil rat pals

>>2307555

>TFW my eyesight is worse than my pigs
>when I have my glasses off and he comes over carefully I can see him thinking damn u blind AF

I have a ferret that loves to go nuts on chewy stuff, in particular my ecchi mousepad.

Since its pretty gross already i was wondering if i should gift it to her.

The question: Would she eat the chewy stuff and get sick, or would she just keep biting it and be happy?

>>2310010
She'd eventually destroy it and possibly ingest some.

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>>2309873
>Meow-mix
Oh god why

Anyway, I feed mine Simply Nourish SOURCE cat food (it's a PetSmart brand, you can get it in-store or online.) It's a solidly good food, not top tier but still good stuff for a very good price. They have a couple different flavors, I get the rabbit+chicken recipe and they love it.

Your ferret is super adorable, by the way, I love cinnamon ferrets!

>>2310010
She may swallow some of it and that could be potentially very dangerous. So I recommend letting her have it, but only let her chew it under supervision, and take it away if it starts getting too damaged (pieces coming off.)

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>>2309886
>>2309896
>>2310189

Thanks. Unfortunately he passed away. He was my boy. Here's my old girl Pip who doesn't seem to be aging despite the color of her pants.

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>>2310227
My chocolate 2 year old, Moo. He's one of the rescues. He's finally gaining weight after being very sick and lethargic, and he kisses at any opportunity he gets. Still trying to pkush his coat up, still dull. But he was also bald from fleas.

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And my fat teddy bear Cookie with my baby cinnamon Beemo. Beemo is the wildest, dookiest, war-danciest ferret I've seen in my life. And I've had many ferrets

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>>2310229
I love white fur with black nose.

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Ill dump a few as well. Why are sleeping ferrets so fun?

>>2309929
Is there no way you could get someone to feed them while you were away? What about bringing them with you? Plenty of people have travel cages. I had two when I had rats, one being a cat carrier but only used if I really had no other option and couldn't fit their other travel cage. If weather is fine they would do OK in a car as long as it wasn't too hot or too cold.

>>2310244
You have cute dookers.

guys, if i buy my hedgehog a wheel, will he run on it? his previous owners never gave him one, so i dont know if he will know what it's for.

>>2310480

A lot of them will run on wheels.

>>2310480
yes, he definitely will. hedgehogs in the wild can run quite a number of miles per night, and its very very important that they get this exercise. its quite horrible that his last owner never provided him with one. when you get it, make sure its 12 inches (absolutely no smaller) and hard bottom, no wire. also be prepared to clean it with soap and water daily, as he will poop all over it. i know they are a bit more expensive, but i definitely recommend a silent wheel. they get pretty noisy

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>>2310485
>>2310489
Thanks, i will definitely buy him one then. I was thinking of getting him a Carolina storm bucket wheel like pic related.

His previous owners didn't play with him or socialize him it seems. I think they just got him the cage and only fed and watered him. He's pretty scared of people but i just want to give him a better life. even if he never really ends up liking people completely, i just hope he wont be scared anymore

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>>2310497
Those wheels are loud but don't squeak. As long as he's in a different room it won't be a problem though.

One of our new girls, the store sold her way to young, but that's they're breeders fault. She's about 3and a half to 4 weeks old. So thankfully she only needs milk feedings 3 to 4 times a day, with solid food in there to. She's already getting super friendly.

The other ones are naked rat's which I don't have pictures of yet. Will post them later.

>>2300578
Sounds like he wants some good rubbins and pettins.

I recently got a second bun to keep my other bun company. Problem is that this new bun is younger and my old bun likes to run happily after her and hump her. I've tried stress bonding them, but the oldbun is too resilient and rarely gets stressed out. Any suggestions?

>>2300637
Are you Richard Gere?

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2 dwarf hamster questions

I have my male and one of my females together. I noticed today that the female's vagina seems to be gaping. Is this indicative of mating or could it be gaping for some other reason? I would like to be able to mark it down because I feel better knowing the soonest date at which I should start preparing for a litter. The male is a confirmed breeder, I have my other female separated nursing a litter he fathered.

Pic related is the female's vaginally opening. Keep in mind that I am not stretching it open or anything, although I realize it may appear that way

The second question involves my male. He has a scratch or possible small bite mark on his head, going to his left ear. The scab seemed sliiightly swollen today, and while messing with his fur to check it out, the scab detached, revealing a tiny spot of yellowish substance, which appears that it may have a slight infection.

It didn't seem to bother him that much, and he's acting perfectly healthy, but I was wondering if there was anything I could give him or put on his wound to prevent any potential further infection? It didn't seem bad at all, but if rather ask and be safe than sorry. I just don't know what I could put on there that he wouldn't injest and/or smear all over himself

>>2301995
>no blood no foul

Idk about that man. my three girls are really well socialized and get along very well, but there's fresh blood from them asserting dominance about every 3 days. it's always around the shoulder blades(no visible wound ever though) because they mount, bite, then hump like crazy. to be fair though, the most submissive did turn up with some bad scratches, so we had to keep an eye on them for a week while she healed. and the ones that show blood are siamese so it REALLY shows.

>>2310957
If the gaping goes it away it means the mating plug has passed, which is okay. If it doesn't something could be wrong. I'd seperate them anyways as the female is obviously being aggressive to the male

>>2308729
I don't think sealant would be good. they're going to chew it. that being said, since you have to wash everything in your cage at regular intervals, you can remove the wood decorations and soak them it super hot water(not boiling) while you clean the cage. then return to the wood and give it a scrub. the wood should be heat treated to make it denser/less prone to warping so it likely wont soak through properly anyway.

>>2311004
I'll keep an eye on it and see if it gets readjusted.

And the scratch was just from introductory squabbles, the female must have just gotten him kind of hard. They share food and get along pretty well now, I've had my eye on them. No more injuries since the first night together

>>2309940
>>2309929
I don't really think it's much of a problem, not big enough that anon can't have rats. The rats don't get lonely when they have cage-mates, and it's only once or twice a month. I'm all for doing as much as you can for your pets, but the rats won't give a flying fuck if they drink 2 days old water once in a while.

You simply put op more than one water bottle and provide them with an additional bowl they can't tip over if you're gone for more than a day, in case one of the bottles stops working correctly.

I noticed yesterday one of my rat's eyes is sticking out and has a bit of clear liquid around it. It's shiny and he can still blink, no redness and he doesn't seem bothered by it. I've been cleaning it with distilled salt water and started giving him amoxolin in the hopes it's just a simple eye infection. If it doesn't get better in a week I'm taking him to the vet.

Could it be a tumor pressing behind the eye?

>>2309908
I mean I do the same to them so I wouldn't expect anything else

>>2311157
Post a pic or something, seems normal to me

>>2310501
Gawd she's a cutie

why do ferrets do that thing where they spazz out and start hopping and falling over all the time? It's hilarious

>>2311631
It's a behavior for playing and hunting.

>>2311631
And is called "war dance"

what're the pros/cons of mice as opposed to rats?

never owned either, been considering getting a few mice and starting a little colony to observe and experiment with (nothing malicious)

it seems like rats make a better choice for studying, but would i be wasting my time with mice, or would there be the potential for interesting stuff?

>>2311677
What are you looking to study? Mice are good for basic things like mazes and tricks.

Rat's are much smarter, hardier and can show affection to their handlers. Mice just tolerate you.

But what are you planning on doing?

>>2311680
curious to see how a mouse with preferential treatment by me is treated by the rest of the group

not sure if i should openly treat the choice mouse better, so that the other mice can observe it being spoiled, etc

or have the choice mouse's preferential treatment be known only to it and myself, and see how it interacts/behaves compared to the rest of the normal group

>>2311688
I don't know anything about mice, but with rats, if you feed one specific before the others and give it more attention/treats, the other rats might see it as a sign the spoiled rat is the "alpha", because they eat first in nature. So they will try to challenge it.

Mice are probably easier to care for if you want them mostly for observance, but rats are generally funnier to watch and have more complicated hierarchy and family structures.

I wonder, can rats be jealous like dogs?

>>2311548
I can't get a non-blurry pic of his face atm, but the left eye is definitely sticking out, but not so much he can't blink.

I've heard bunches of horror stories of rat's eyes suddenly popping out and shit, so I'm a bit spooked. So far it hasn't gotten worse or better. I'll try to get a good pic of it later if I can get him to sit still.

>>2311688
The mice will fight if you give one a treat but not the others. Other wise they don't care normally.

Successfully removed a breast tumor from a friends rat a few days ago lads. First time attempting the procedure with nobody in the lab really knowing what to do (we do alcohol reward /ingestive behavior/metabolism). Tumor weighed 50g. Rat has been healthy since with no signs of infection, healing up well, and eating food/grooming properly.

I have pics if you guys want.

>>2311830
Pls share pics

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>>2311839

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>>2311874

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>>2311876

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>>2311879

Last image is too big, ill crop it later. But it's just a close up of the cut being sutured shut.

Gotta go back to labwork.

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How many of you guys have experience introducing bunnies? I have a buck and a doe with a litter of kits. (i thought I had two does, but no) I'd still like to give my buck a friend, so i'm wondering if I could introduce him to one of his sons and try to get them to be chill. With other animals, like rats, introducing younger animals to adult animals generally goes much better than adult to adult intros. Is this true for rabbits? The buck is pretty easygoing as far as I can tell, but the only other rabbits he's known have been ladies.

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>>2311985
Also, this cage isn't her permanent one -- I just brought her in so she doesn't fuck her kids up. She already killed two. Also, bonus question: anyone know what this kits color is?

>>2311985
No.
Rabbits will get territorial as fuck. You can keep them together for quite a long time as they are growing up. But eventually they will start fighting each other. For instance my mom was unable to get the current group of rabbits from the last breeding session to the butcher, because of weather and timing. So the last few weeks they have been sharing their cages do to space constraints. As the weeks progress they will start to bite each other, tear off their fur, fuck up their toes, bite off their tails, chew chunks off their ears, pee on each other etc. It doesn't matter the mix. Does tend to be more territorial with fellow does than bucks do with fellow bucks.
With kids the buck will attack them. The mom may or may not defend them (rabbits are pretty damn stupid at times) and will attack the buck. In general if they are spayed or neutered and don't have ample space rabbits can and will attack and potentially kill each other. Rabbit bucks are not a family animal. They knock up the doe and move on. The doe will even attack the male if he sticks around too long.

The problem with rabbit's temperament is a lot of it depends on handling and the time of year.

You are best giving away the ones you don't want and keeping them separated. I would highly recommend you spay and neuter the ones you wish to keep.
>>2311986
The kit is a broken (spotted) black and will look similar to the mom in your first pic.

>>2312013
I should add.

A huge ass backyard area with plenty of food and water then rabbits will usually do fine. But the less space you have the more aggressive they become.
Also since both the mom and the dad are relatively new to you, their behaviors are still unknown. Rabbits vary greatly in their temperaments with each other. Some will completely ignore each other while others will tear through wire to try and fuck/kill the other one.

Just err on the side of caution. They are cute animals but they will go full Watership Down on each other at the drop of a hat.

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>>2312013
What if he's neutered? He's fine with does and never did anything nasty to momma rabbit, so would he do well with an intact doe or another fixed male? It's also worth mentioning that I'm planning to move them into a 1000+ sq foot outdoor enclosure that's fenced on all sides and digproof, so it's not exactly the same as keeping them together in a 2 square foot petstore cage I wouldn't think. I'm not too fond of the idea of building another enclosure or breaking up the one I already built, so if they'd really need to be separated, I'll either rehome them or butcher them.

Also, here's a more accurate pic of the one I posted. They're the brown one with the darker ears. I don't think it's white, but I suppose there's plenty of animals that change color as adults and I know jack shit about rabbit genetics.

>>2312023
Should've reloaded the page before posting. Anyway, I've had the buck since he was about two days old after I rescued his mother, so he's not very new to me. I've only seen him interact with females who he only wanted to hump, but he's been very easygoing and calm with my current doe. She's a massive cunt anyway, though, so I would not particularly mind butchering her if she caused any issues as far as getting along with other bunnies.
Would you say that spaying the does is a necessary precaution if I have any males I keep castrated? I've heard that they're cunts if you leave them intact, but ideally i'd like to avoid any unnecessary 200+ dollar surgeries. If it's "they're a little aloof" or "pay 200 dollars", I prefer the former.

>>2312049
In some cases Does tend to be more aggressive then bucks are. I would highly recommend spaying her if you aren't planning on breeding. Judging from the pics she is a mixed breed rabbit and is ineligible to be shown. So if you are butchering then that is fine.

Like I said space is the biggest factor. Territorial aggressiveness is inversely proportional to the space. If you get a nice large space for them and monitor them then you should be fine. Look for signs of them trying to establish territory such as pulling each others fur or spraying on them through the wiring.

I did bring it up with my mom over dinner. The papa buck will most likely not try to harm the babies, but he will try to breed the doe again. As soon as a batch is out bucks will try to rebreed the does. The does may try to attack bucks who approach them while they have babies. The other issue is that the babies may get crushed when the buck attempts to breed the doe. The point being to keep the doe and babies separated from the buck.

If your doe already has a ill attitude then she will likely only get worse. After a doe reaches 3-4 years old then they don't really care about being bred anymore. Before that though they like to be bred once in a while. It is pretty rare for them to start warming up to people if they are already snippy.

You can keep siblings together until about 8 weeks if I remember correctly. After that they will start fighting more and more. Weather is a factor though. For instance my mom put two sister rabbits together in a cage from November to January and they did fine. However warmer seasons means increased fighting.

>>2312037
As for the babies. It will likely be a shade of brown. It is hard to tell. Like I said earlier you most likely have mixed breeds so there are a lot of genetic possibilities due to lineage. In a week their fur will come in well enough and you will see their adult coloring.

>>2311886
that's really interesting man, glad the rat's doing well too.

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Had to put down this boy today, no he's not dead in the picture, I guess he couldn't live without his brother. I'm gonna miss the two of them.

>>2309484
Degus are great, I have 2. They need a decent sized cage but other than that they're pretty easy to keep. They're more skittish than rats (generally), but they are playful and have great characters. They're much better than gerbils and hamsters.

If rats had the lifespan then I'd swing that way, but I've kept rats before. The short lifespan and fairly common tumour thing kinda put me off getting more. Degus are fairly new in pet terms, and they seem pretty hardy, nothe really any common illnesses to worry about (apart from having to watch sugars as they can be prone to the diabeetus)

>>2311631
War dance, they wanna play fight you, funny as hell

One of my Guinea pigs has a kidney stone because I am an idiot and didn't know about the dangers of too much spinach. Any ideas on how much the surgery will be? I live in New Zealand.

>>2312708
Depends on the vet, but since he'll need anesthesia at least 500 us burgers. Most likely more.

>>2312713
Ouch. Thank you for letting me know though.

>>2311874
>>2311876
>>2311879
>>2311880
Neat, thanks anon

I dread my rats get tumors some day

>>2312096
I'm not interested in showing, so even if she was purebred i'd still butcher. It's just not worth keeping a nasty rabbit around. I don't intend on breeding any more bunnies; this was an accidental litter anyway.
I'll try keeping all the bunnies next to eachother in their cages so they'll "grow up" together. I'm hoping this will help avoid some issues; this is what I do with rats and it works great. I'm having the male neutered as soon as possible and i'm planning on keeping 2 from this litter, as long as I can find good homes for the rest of them. I think they'll be fine with the amount of space i'm giving them, so I'm hoping all goes well.

About the separation part. The reason this litter even exists is because I'm shit at sexing bunnies. Will a veterinarians sex them for you or something? I don't want to end up with more bunnies or rehome a rabbit of the wrong sex to somebody. I tried sexing them now, but I can't tell the difference between any of them.

>>2311760
yeah,
also my rats were businessmen
they would store snacks they wouldnt generally like and come to the cage with it when i would eat some food they liked as table scraps
they would smell it and try to barter

that same smart ass rat decided he wanted to hunt, escaped my cage, and broke into my hamster's cage only to kill it for sport

>>2313210
That rat is after my heart. I fucking hate hamsters.

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Baby rabbits yawning are just as terrifying as adult rabbits yawning. I thought maybe they'd be a LITTLE cuter, but not even a little.

ok so I bought my hedgehog the wheel (I went for the kaytee wheel since it was cheaper through amazon) but it seems like he doesn't want anything to do with it. he just runs in circles in his cage like before.. what can I do to get him to run on it?

>>2313303
What cage is he in and how big is the wheel?

>>2313352
he's currently in a bin cage, but I'm planning on making a much larger one soon. and his wheel is 12 inches

>>2313360
have you tried putting him on it to show him what its for?

Cat brought a mouse into my house. Seemed a little sluggish and didn't run or react too fast, at least in comparison to other wild mice I've seen. My brother caught it in a pot and put it outside in the cold. The cat might have injured it before it lost interest. Pretty sure it's going to die.

Feels bad.

>>2313815
I put him on it twice and all he does is get right off of it. I put some treats on it to get him to try on his own but he just tries reaching for them and not actually getting on it.

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this is my precious baby Seymour. Becoming a rat mom was the best decision I've ever made.

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>>2313852
never mind the shitty cage set up this was his old cage.

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This is ratboy

>>2300572
Are there any major differences in temperament between FIXED bucks and does? I've seen many people say they've never had a friendly doe, but most people don't neuter their rabbits so I'm wondering if the difference is even noticeable in fixed bunnies.

My rat is really sick (a URI) and he's dying, but taking longer than expected. I might make an appointment for euthanasia tomorrow, but for now am just trying to keep him comfortable.

Today when I picked him up I saw that his penis was out of the sheath. Not completely, but enough to look dry and certainly uncomfortable. Is it a stupid idea to put lube or Vaseline on it? I just don't want him to be hurting more than he has to.

>>2313303
I think you can smear something like applesauce (or some hedgehog friendly food, I don't know anything about them) on it to try to get him to lick it off and as he's reaching for it it will spin and he might get the idea.

>>2314540
Most people lack the patience for prey animals, but spayed does are more friendly as are neutered bucks.

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Prey watch out, dangerous qt on the loose

>>2314662
>>>/adv/18038448

>>2314626
So after they're neutered, there's no huge difference, or are bucks still friendlier?

>>2313819
Thanks for sharing that story

Keep your fucking cat indoors you goddamned trog

>>2314582
A bit of olive oil is a better option, but yes, it's a good idea to try and 'lube' it.

We've had a pair of new fancy mice for two days, and one of them suddenly died this morning.
>eight weeks old
>trying to introduce them to one older mouse
>separated when she drew blood
>decided to keep them apart for a few days before trying again
>the one who got bit was unusually placid last night and seemed to like the warmth of our bodies
>this morning she was frozen in place but still breathing
>suddenly flopped back and had a seizure

Anyone have any idea what did it? Was it the bite?

>>2314966
Not two days, meant to say just over a week

>tfw want pet rats but don't want to deal with all the health issues and tumors and the inevitable slow painful death

>>2314991
Just get one from a good breeder.

>>2314966
Was she kept alone? If so she most likely died of hypothermia, which is a problem with single mice.
Otherwise could of been an illness that it contracted but didn't show until recently. Which is a major problem with prey animal as they like to hide the fact they'd sick. It could of been the bite, but highly unlikely.

>>2315038
No, the two young mice were together and the other one seems to be fine. It has been quite cold here recently though so it's possible.Damn shame.

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>Talk about pets come up in class
>I mention to a classmate I have rats
>Omg ew, don't they smell?
>Aren't they dirty?
>Do you experiment on them?

Still makes me butthurt thinking about that conversation two days later.

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This is zed he was a solo rat for awhile as our other male mischief would not accept him at all. Despite him being super friendly with humans and rat's.

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>>2315391
And this is radar, zeds new friend. He was at a local pet store and since dumbos aren't common here we snatched him up. He and zed are getting along really good.

>>2315384
when I was in middle school I brought in my rats for a project on pet care and stuff. after I explained how they really are like (clean, not sewer rats...) the other kids seemed to like them, though some seemed not convinced in the end

>>2315384
Christ, why are people so stupid and rude?

>>2315551
Fairly certain this post is b8, but I'd like the real source on that video, that's awful

>>2315553
It real, It's a snapchat he sent me

>>2315554
If its real, report it to the police as animal cruelty, since you have blatant proof.

>>2315551
>I gave my friend my pet to take care of, and he just sent me this.
The dude messed up with your property, and that property happens to be an animal. Do what >>2315557 said it'll teach your "friend" that there are pranks that he shouldn't do.

>>2315551
what the fuck man
:( poor ham

>>2315554
If it's real, yeah, contact the police. You've got video proof of him abusing an animal/destroying your property.

Dude's not a real friend if he's doing shit like that. It's fucked up.

>>2315551
WHY!?

>>2315551
That's fucking evil. If that's really your 'friend' flushing your hamster, you should expose him and post it on his FB wall or something where everyone can see it and know what a freak he is.

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Was recommended soy baby formula to help my skinny rat gain some weight. She liked it.

Never had a pet other then a dog but my boyfriend want us to get a pet rabbit. Is there a basic guide somewhere you guys can recommend?

>>2315606
1. don't get one, get two
2. get a pen with lots of space available 24/7, no cage bullshit
3. don't feed pellets
4. neuter

>>2315607
Should they be same sex and are two females better?

>>2315608
male-female is usually the easiest to get socialized

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My rats love sweet potato baby food.

>>2315606
If you have a garden it's ideal to set up a pen. Rabbits can live outside all of the year as long as you provide good shelter.

>>2315606
I'd recommend a house bunny. They're easy enough to litter train and such. Ideally, they'd have a pen or their own room inside the house. Lots of people let their rabbits free range around the home. Do keep in mind that also basically necessary to neuter them. They're much nicer and healthier that way -- especially does. Intact males will piss everywhere and intact females are generally assholes. Unless you love piss and pets who don't like you, neuter your rabbit.
Coming from somebody with outside bunnies, they kinda suck outside. I don't get why somebody would buy a bunny with the intent to put it outside -- you can't spend as much time with them, they get fleas, and they're not as friendly. My pet bunny was a "if you don't take it, it's going to live in a 2 foot by 1 foot cage its whole life at best and die at worst" scenario and the rest are getting eaten. If you do decide to put them outside, a hutch isn't enough. I would not willingly put a rabbit in anything smaller than a 40 sq foot enclosure.

Here's a good care guide for bunnies. http://rabbit.org/care-2/

>>2315607
Aren't you supposed to feed pellets as a suplement? It's only supposed to be a really small part of their diet, though. Mainly leafy greens and hay.

>>2315755
That only goes for breeding/meat bunnies and big breeds. A regular pet bunny has zero need for them really.

>>2315761
Can you give me a source on that? Not calling bullshit, I'd just like something beyond word of mouth to decide whether to cut pellets out of my rabbits' diets.

>>2315793
well, it's in german, but diebrain.de is a very extensive and reputable site about all kinds of small mammals.

>>2315793
>>2315800
a small translation from the part "do bunnies need dry food?

"Under a balanced diet, small to medium-sized bunnies do not need any dry food, even sick or pregnant individuals. Even pregnant females can be fed only with a mix of hay, vegetables, herbs and twigs without issues. Sick individuals who do not eat by themselves can be fed with a pellet mash. As soon as they start eating again, they do not need any more dry food, which just hinders their digestion, but carbohydrate vegetables and herbs, which do help digestion, and different kinds of hay, to help them get strong again. Only very big breeds (German Giants) need dry food under certain conditions. If these animals are fed Ad libitum[they can freely pick from different foods at all times] and get a lot of leafy greens, they can reach a healthy weight as well, but some very big individuals need under regular diet some more additional proteins and fat.

Even juveniles don't need dry food. A varied diet with mineral and vitamin rich herbs, as well as vegetables and of course hay is enough for a healthy development.

Females that are pregnant during winter have an increased energy need, so they can possibly fed some additional cereal flakes, dreid vegetables, herbs, hay pellets and herb pellets.

Hi there !
My rats have access to a whole room all day, i only close the cage by night. But since 3 days they just don't want to go out. Like, i tried to hide treats (carrot, cheese, peas, rice) around the room, and they didn't touch it at all. Everyday at the same hour (around 2-3 am) we play a bit (the three of them and me), where i teach them stuffs, play with them, treat them, ect..
In eight month they never did that, just staying in their cage for no reason. They still eat and drink tho.

What am i doing wrong ? How to make them go out again ?

>>2315815
They make nesting areas and such. They're probably cozy just being in the smaller, more scent-marked space of their cage. Rats usually make that their "safe space"

Hey quick question.
I'm a new ferret owner.
I bought a bell collar so that I can keep better track of my fuzzy buddy while she roams the apartment.
The issue I'm having is actually getting the thing on her. Is there a way that I can put it on her where its secure enough that it won't fall off and so she can get used to having it on, without freaking her out too much

>>2316228
Better to use a harness

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I wish my sweet Gwen still knew how to piss. She hurt herself some time ago while i was out of town. All fixed and doing great except she just kinda pisses a few seconds after you pick her up. Used to be able to hold her for long periods of time...

Hey /pp/ thought you guys would be real helpful with this question

I've had a dog since I was 15 and I was his sole care taker, but now I'm in my sophomore year in college and I miss him to death. He was great for whenever I was feeling kinda depressed, which I've been feeling a lot lately but that's not really important here.

I don't THINK I'd have a hard time taking care of a hamster or other small pet, however I've been wrong before.

TL;DR dog used to help minor depression but dog can't come to school with me. Can an engineering student properly take care of a, as you call them, pocket pet, and will it reciprocate the love?

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>>2316566
>will it reciprocate the love?
Get two rats anon. 99% of hamster won't like you and are for looking at only.

Rats are often described as having dog-like behavior towards their owners. They can learn a bunch of tricks, like to groom you and snuggle when they get older. Very social and affectionate compared to many other rodents. They're very curious and come running to the cage door when you come home.

They're easy and cheap to care for too, you just need a big enough cage and two rats, not harder or more time-consuming than keeping one. If you're gone many hours of the day, they will keep each other company.

>>2316596
I see. what kinda space would these fellas need?

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>>2316606
The minimum required cage size for 2 rats is 72cm x 36cm x 44cm. It's better to have a tall cage if you don't have much floor space, they love climbing and you can utilize all of the space with platforms and hammocks.

Some bird cages can be used, otherwise ferret and chinchilla cages. Pic related is the kind of cage I have, it's 80 x 50 x 70 cm and can easily house 4 rats.

>>2316228
Try and get her to associate the collar with good things. Feed her a treat while putting the collar on her. Does she like salmon oil? Let her lick that while you put the collar on.

If you can get her to sit still eating her treat long enough to get the collar on, great. If not, just baby steps, feed her the treat and touch the collar to her, start wrapping it around her neck, etc. It can take a bit of trial and error but you should be able to get her to be chill enough eventually to get the collar on her.

In the meantime, the other alternative is to have a second person to help you--hold her while you put the collar on.

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so I posted earlier about my hamster's bite wound, not much help on the issue of cleaning it

Well it still isn't doing much better

Outward-wise, it appears clean, but the inside keeps swelling up a bit with pus, even after I clean it. The only thing I've been using is small squirts and dabs of peroxide, which I know isn't the best due to its habit of killing reparation cells, but it's all I've been able to find information on as far as being safe for hamster is concerned

Also, it's on his head, so he can't do much for cleaning it

What can I do to stave off this infection? It doesn't seem to bother him other than me pissing him off having to check it and clean it every night. I have access to amoxicillin powder, could giving him that help fight the infection? It's annoying me and I'm afraid I'm going to accidentally hurt him whilst cleaning it at some point

>>2316852
Maybe try to buy some antibiotic ointment and put it on the wound? go to the pet store and try to find antiseptic or ointment for small animals or maybe other animals... don't use human stuff for it though.

>>2316852
You need to take him to the vet and get antiboitics for him.

>>2316566
Rats are exactly what you want, but if you live in a dorm it might not be feasible. A good cage is pretty big, and you need to provide some space outside the cage for them to explore for at least an hour or two every day. Rats tend not to use exercise wheels, so out-of-cage time is important for keeping them fit and stimulated. Aside from that they're super low maintenance.

>>2317867
An hour to two daily is pretty extensive. I mean the more the better and they love it, but you don't absolutely need to have them out for that long every day. Minimum half an hour, and it isn't gong to ruin them if they have to spend a whole day in the cage on occasion. just hang up a bunch of levels and things they can play with.

I live in a pretty small dorm, but there's plenty of space for a rat cage for 2-3 rats. But that depends on how much space anon has of course.

>stupid idiot gets pregnant because my friend who was house sitting mixed my pigs

Anyone in Melbourne Want free pigs if she survives, please no snake food

>>2318374
Guinea pigs i forgot image and i'm not getting my phone out for more pictures

>>2316566
Rats for sure. Specifically rats from a *good* breeder, as petstore rats are generally sweet but it's a bit of a gamble especially with new rat owners who don't know how to properly socialize them. It wouldn't be super hard to fit a nice cage in a dorm for 3 male rats I don't think -- I'd recommend a single critter nation because they're the easiest to clean IMO and can be disassembled. You can also probably let them run around your dorm when they're fully used to you -- most rats don't fuck anything up when supervised.
No hamsters unless you love aloofness and being bitten.

>>2316228
Aren't you supposed to keep ferrets in pairs or more like rats? I can't imagine a ferret being a good lone pet at all. They're so playful and energetic.
>>2315809
Thanks a bunch, anon. I'll work on switching off it when I feel competent enough to manage their diet without starving them to death or something.

>>2316626
>minimum size is this very specific shape

how about square feet/meters? kind of makes it easier to pick a cage.

>>2318379
Yeah, ferrets do best in groups, becasue that's how they live in the wild but somehow it isn't standard to understand it as a requirement the way it is for rats. I have a feeling it might have to do with the higher cost of each ferret.

>>2318380
There is a cage size calculator here where you can put in whatever numbers you want and it'll tell you if it's fit for whatever of number of rats you have/plan on having.

http://www.rattycorner.com/odds/calc.shtml

But take it with a grain of salt, you can get away with having less floor space if your cage is taller and you provide levels.

>>2318400
This calculator, imo, serves as only serves as a very bare minimum. It's more meant for newbies who don't really know what they're doing and probably think rats can live in a 10g tank. While it says a DCN can fit 12 rats, but I have 7 males in one right now and I'm very uncomfortable with it. It causes a decent amount of conflict between them and I don't feel as though it's at all acceptable to put *12* rats in one. I would really recommend halving the suggestions. You can adhere to the cage calculator's minimum, sure, but if the standard of care you're striving for is bare minimum I'm not really sure why you'd want pets in the first place. Give them the best you can.

>>2318464
Never used calculators myself. It's not really that hard to figure out what's too small once you know rats need chinchilla-esque size cages and lots of upwards space to crawl. Anon who asked didn't specify how many rats. But the bare minimum is just a guideline for what's definitely too small.

>>2318380
Each rat needs minimum 2 cubic feet of space, so for 2, 4 cubic feet of space. .

>>2318379
Yes, ferrets generally do better in pairs or groups. But they can do ok having just one if the owner is really dedicated and has a ton more time to spend with them.

But you would really have to do way more to make sure a single ferret doesn't get bored/lonely, and most people just don't have that kind of time. So in my opinion, except in rare cases, if you want a ferret, you should get at least two. They're much happier this way, and caring for two isn't more work than caring for one (it is more expensive, obviously, but maintenance costs are pretty cheap in general; it's emergency/elderly vet care that really rapes the wallet.)

>>2318543
This. And really, if you don't care enough about your ferret to make its life slightly better than "doing ok" you probably shouldn't own one.

>>2318544
This is a fair point too. Even if you really do have enough time to spend with your ferret to the point of being adequate to prevent boredom/loneliness, he would still be a lot happier with a ferret friend to cuddle and play with!

The only "downside" to having more than one ferrets is if one dies, the other one can get really depressed over the loss and loneliness--sometimes to the point of getting sick and dying themselves. That's why my personal favorite number is three (if one dies, the other two still have each other.) But even if you only have two, if you lose one and the remaining ferret is having problems with depression, getting another buddy for them can help that.

(Also, I say this is a "downside," but it also just demonstrates how attached they get to each other and how much they really do enjoy/need each other's company, so...take that how you will.)

>>2318552
I feel like it's this way for most small animals sans syrian hamsters and such. I remember when one of my mice died and the other mouse lost its shit. She started chewing on the bars, wandering the cage looking everywhere aimlessly, and wouldn't do anything but try to get out of the cage. She even stopped running on her wheel. Got her a new friend and all the nutsy behavior stopped almost immediately. I've heard many stories of animals refusing to eat, drink or play after their cagemates died. They really do form deep bonds with their cagemates and certainly seem to miss them sorely when they go. Companionship is an important part of these animals' lives and losing it or not having it at all can be seriously detrimental to their quality of life.

>>2318564
Yeah, I originally got two ferrets and one of them died at about a year old (far too young) from a congenital defect. The remaining ferret was so lost without her and kept searching for her. She stopped eating and would mope around, and cry in her sleep. I had to feed her wet food via syringe to keep weight on her.And despite not being emotionally ready to get a new ferret, I knew she needed that companionship so I got her two more friends. It helped her immensely and she perked up, started eating normally, etc. Seeing how much they get attached to each other, I would never consider keeping a single ferret by itself, personally.

>>2305405
I'd say just get a Hopper Popper and end it quickly. If she hasn't leaned to much from starvation then you could get some good meat or of it as well.

>>2311761
I remember my grandparents had these two outdoor kittens that had one of their eyes get foggy, pop out of socket, and then shriveled up. The female had it happen to her right eye and it fell off, so they named her Pop-Eye. Her brother had it happen to his left eye, but his sank back into his head, rehydrated, and turned a milky blue color.

>>2319554
Brother = human?

>>2319569
Brother as in the other kitten was a male and her sibling

>>2309873
Good kitten food is ok, but ferrets need more protein/fat than cats or something so you ideally want ferret food. Decent kibble isn't too pricey though I don't think.

I had two ferrets who lived to 8 and 10 years old (with adrenal cancer for 5 and 4 years) and they lived on kibble (and treats). Though I always support a daily routine involving some yummy vitamin goo or something.

>>2319615
Don't feed your ferrets semen

Hey guys, whats a good healthy treat for my rats? Treats are super expensive and it's inconvenient for training.

>>2318481

I have 3 girls in a 4 cubic foot cage and they honestly have no idea what to do with the space. it's been overwhelming for them since day 1, they are significantly more active in the bird cage I put them in while I clean their cage.

>inb4 "you put them in a bird cage and don't let them explore? you MONSTER"
they get a lot of time being handled and I have a large surface area for them to play on. but they can't be on the floor yet because my housemate has a cat with flees. I just don't want to risk it.

>>2319615
You definitely need to pick a good cat food that is very high in protein/fat, but many of them are just as good as a decent ferret food. Plus, a lot of things marketed specifically as ferret food are pretty garbage-tier and don't contain enough meat, protein, or fat and just have a heck of a lot of filler...and they charge more for it than they would if it was marketed for cats because something for ferrets is more "niche"

The lesson to take away from all this is don't necessarily trust the marketing label ("cat food" "kitten food" "ferret food") but look at the ingredient list and the guaranteed analysis for the nutrients and make a judgment based on that.

>>2309873
Try this if you're still looking around:
https://sites.google.com/site/sammysclubhouse/moredooksferretfoodchart

>>2319869
I'm embarassed to say I deleted my "ferret stuff" bookmark when I migrated computers (they've been gone near a decade *sniffle*) but somewhere out there I'm sure is a good chart online where it tells you what %s you want for your ferret food.

...

Or use this chart which looks pretty brilliant!
>>2319896

>>2319840
Of course they're more active in a new place -- any animal would do this regardless of how big it was. I also really doubt your rats are "overwhelmed" by 4 goddamn feet of space.

>>2319840
Eh, I put my ratties in bird cages when I'm cleaning their cages. They also get exploration time to. As long as they're not in it permanently it's fine.

>>2319751
Anything they like that is healthy really. Vegetables, fruit. Mine go crazy for dried oats.

>>2319840
That's not really 'normal' behavior though. Usually, the more space, the better. My 3 boys are very lively when I put them in a smaller cage for cleaning too, because things are happening and they get excited by the sounds, but they def aren't overwhelmed by their 5 square cubic feet cage. and if it was up to them they'd be allowed to free-roam all day.

File: Cockroach.png (1MB, 808x698px) Image search: [Google]

1MB, 808x698px

not the right thread but the closest to a general questions thread

do the spikes on a cockroach and similar insects have any practical effect or just a detterent, could they feasibly hurt something weak enough

>>2321009
I'm guessing the spines on their legs help them climb effectively.