Bitey Rats

The adorable Charmin, from Rat Balls, showing off his chompers

I'm grateful that I've never really had to deal with a bitey rat (yet). Aside from the occasional nip from an over-excited treat retrieval, I don't think Potato and Goma have ever really bitten anyone; they've always been pretty good about pulling back when necessary.

As you can see from these links, not everyone has been as lucky as me.

If you have had issues with your rats biting, there could be a number of reasons for it. The big one, of course, is due to fear or surprise. If you try to pick up a young rat who isn't used to being picked up - or to you - there's a good chance he'll nip you since he doesn't know what's going on. The same goes for surprising a rat who doesn't realize you're there. I've surprised my boys more than once, so I'm lucky that they're pretty chill most of the time. If one of your rats tends toward biting, there are some good suggestions for why, and suggestions for overcoming these issues, here and here. There are also some useful responses in the above links, too.

Some Rats Demand Change

Shephard the rat in action

I wanted to share this video with you a while ago, but managed to lose the link. Thankfully, today I was able to hunt it down once more. My rats have never been big on stashing things and, cute as it is, I'm somewhat grateful, since I imagine more than a few important items could disappear in the paws of a more enterprising rat. According to the video's thread on Rattit, this little girl managed to collect 54 cents before getting bored. What do your rats like to stash?

Hat Your Rat!

Viking hat from A Hat for my Rat

I recently stumbled upon this awesome online store, A Hat for my Rat. If you've ever wanted to outfit your rats in tiny accessories, whether for a photo shoot, celebration, or just for fun, this is the place for you! They have a huge selection of hats and costumes available and have clearly had fun with naming every one. Considering that these are all hand-made items, the pricing and shipping are also quite reasonable. And, on top of everything else, they do custom orders, so you can get the perfect outfit to match your (or your rat's) vision.

I'll definitely be ordering a few things for my boys to wear on Halloween. Be sure to let me know what your favourite ratty outfits are.

The Empathetic Rat

Potato and Goma being "trapped"

This article shows another amazing way that rats are more than they may seem. Two rats were housed together for an extended period of time and were later moved into a new area in which one of them was restrained. It seems that the distress of the trapped rats affected their free cohorts to the point that they quickly began trying to free their cage mates. When placed in the same situation once more, an overwhelming number of free rats immediately moved to free the trapped rats, doing so even before opening a similar container full of food. Experiments like this have allowed rats to join a growing category of animals that are considered capable of empathy.

Keeping a Clean House and Home

Cage base and accessories soaking in hot soapy water

As a general rule, it's a good idea to spot-clean your rats' cage daily and then do a thorough clean each week. For me, this entails a full soak and scrub of the cage base and any loose items, such as shelving or dishes, that can get wet. Then, once a month or so, I also thoroughly wipe down the cage bars to remove anything that may have gotten on them while Goma and Potato were running around.

There are a lot of different ways you can clean your cage and the method you choose to use should be based on whatever's most convenient for your living situation. For example, in the summer, I'll usually disassemble the cage outside and set the rats up an outdoor play area while I literally hose everything down. I put some mild dish soap into the cage base to wash anything that needs a deeper clean. In the winter and on cooler days, however, I tend to load everything into the bath tub for an easy wash and rinse. The latter is clearly the better choice for someone living in an apartment or without easy access to a yard.

The size of your cage is also a big factor. When Potato and Goma were still little, they had a much smaller cage than they do now, and it was easy enough for me to carry it outside or to the bathroom. Their second cage was taller, but still skinny enough for me to manoeuvre fairly easily. Now, though, their cage is much too large for me to easily move by myself - I can manage it, but I need some help if I don't want to get stuck in doorways or bang into walls. I imagine a large ferret cage or something similar would require a lot more work to move or take apart.

One great thing about taking everything out to get cleaned is that, on top of the cage looking a lot nicer for a while and your rats getting out for a bit, you can also take the opportunity to reorganize the overall layout. Changing your rats' environment is a great way to stimulate them for a while as they figure out where everything's been moved to. Although, whenever I clean my rats' cage, they always act like they've never seen it before, reorganized or not.

For more information and suggestions about cage cleaning, check out this page from Rat Guide.

Rats and Chinese Food Safety

Photo from stock.xchng

If you don’t like to think about rats in any form of distress, I suggest skipping this one.

I’m sure many of you have already heard about the Chinese rat meat scandal, but, if you haven’t, here’s a quick rundown. Similar to the way some cultures see dogs as just another meal, it recently came to light that many people in China also consume rats. It’s uncomfortable to think of your favourite furry friends on someone’s dinner plate. Unfortunately, most of the people eating rat meat were just as uncomfortable with the discovery, given that they thought it was lamb. Long story short, at the beginning of last month, a huge crime ring was uncovered in which people were catching rats and refashioning them to resemble lamb meat. Not only were consumers being duped for who knows how long, but they also have no way to know where or what conditions the unfortunate rats came from. Obviously, this mess has caused a huge uproar over food and other regulations in China. You can read more about this event and some of the country’s past food safe issues in this article. It’s things like this that make me glad I live in a country with relatively strict food-related regulations.

The Power of a Rat's Love

Potato and Goma cuddling

When I stumbled upon this story about a rat named Mr. Tiffany (Mr. T for short), I didn’t expect anything deep. I was there for a cute story, some funny anecdotes, and maybe a few photos of an adorable pet. Instead, I got to read about how a fast-paced couple living abroad took in a shivering rat, alone and near death, and nursed him back to health. In the process, they became enamoured with his boundless energy and addicting personality. Mr. T allowed them to stop focusing on work and start prioritizing time at home with each other and their newly-adopted pet, which, even after he was gone, allowed for his family to feel prepared enough to have a non-furry child.

It really is heart-warming to know that one lonely rat found in an alley could have such a profound effect on people. He completely changed their lives for the better. I like to think that all of our pets do the same. I know that my rats have become an integral part of my life – apart from being the focus of this blog, they also act as silent, yet cuddly, confidants, as well as being an endless source of entertainment for my entire family. A rat’s love is, indeed, a powerful thing.

DIY Rat Harness

In the past, I've attempted to use store-bought harness for my rats. You know the ones - they come in a variety of sizes for rats, ferrets, rabbits, and so on, and are built like tiny rodent vests. If you've ever bought one, you also know that rats can wiggle out of them like nobody's business. The main reason for their easy escapes is that their tiny front legs can just slip right out of the holes in the vest and then it's just a matter of squirming until the rest of their body is free. Every so often I go back and try the vest again, thinking that maybe they just weren't big enough when I first bought it. Nope; they're fatties now and it still definitely does not fit.

If you've had the same issues, you may be excited to see this awesome tutorial for a DIY rat harness. Because it wraps around their body and neck separately and meets in the middle, it's a lot tougher for them to get out of it. I imagine it's probably also a lot more comfortable since there isn't nearly as much bulk. I know what I'm doing this week.

Lixit Success!

If you recall, I posted a while ago about why I don't use a water bottle for my rats. Long story short: I had a water bottle for Potato and Goma when I first got them and it didn't actually work, so they wound up being without water for two days and I felt awful and vowed never to risk it again. Thus, they've had a water dish ever since.

Anyway, after reading the Lixit review I linked in my previous water bottle post, I decided that I should give the brand a try if I ever came across one of their products locally. And, last week, I wound up finding a Lixit brand water bottle at Animal House, a locally-owned pet store. It's not quite as fancy as the one in the review, but it's working just fine so far. As you can see from the video, Potato and Goma are both pretty big fans, too.

My only issue now is that I bought them a silent wheel so their running in the middle of the night wouldn't wake everyone up, and now their water bottle is louder than their wheel ever was. Oh well, I guess some sacrifices are worth making.

Still Not Creepy

Goma getting scritches on my shoulder

I just found this blog post by Rachel Dickson over on Offbeat Home & Life. It's funny - I wasn't even looking for rat-related posts and yet this one just happened to jump out at me and it's not even that recent! Clearly, the magic of the internet brought us together.

It's a pretty good read, just highlighting some of the major misconceptions about rats that she has experienced (remember my first post? It's kind of like that). I found it kind of entertaining, though, that we both experienced the exact same thing when bringing our rats home for the first time - a disapproving parent announcing that it would never be allowed under their roof. Unsurprisingly, though, both of my parents have come to find Potato and Goma to be entirely endearing (although I doubt my mom will ever quite get over their tails, nor will my dad ever stop inferring that I let my bigger cat "play" with them). It's nice to know that, when given a chance, rats really can win almost anyone over.

Bath Time Blues

For some reason, I have no photos of my boys taking a bath; I'll replace this once I do.
Photo by PKMousie on Flickr

While it generally isn’t necessary to give rats a full bath, since they tend to groom as frequently and thoroughly as cats, sometimes they just really need it. I’m not talking about wiping down their tails with a damp cloth because they can get a bit messy or rubbing off excess porphyrin. I mean a full-out, wet-whiskers, soggy-rat bath.

So, as usual, it’s story time. Around the end of November 2012 I noticed that both of my rats had developed a lot of scabs across their backs and even one or two on their faces. They had also started to scratch a lot, so it was impossible to tell if they were itchy because of the scabs or if they were scabby because of the itching. Turns out it was the latter, as a trip to the vet revealed they had lice. I was given Ecto Soothe Plus (I'd link their website here if I could find it) to treat them, which surprised me a bit since it’s actually a shampoo for treating fleas and ticks on cats and dogs. I imagine that’s why I was to only use it once a week, had to ensure it was all rinsed off, and needed to avoid any chance of ingestion (which, if you’ve seen a wet rat cleaning, you’ll understand is no easy task).

Thus, for four weeks in a row, once their cage was cleaned, Potato and Goma got to take turns being bathed. This involved placing them individually in one inch of water in the bathtub and then pouring more water over their backs. I then had to lather the shampoo on their backs while simultaneously preparing to rinse it off with the other. The bath was then drained and the rats scooped up into the safety of a towel so I could dry them off and finally return them home. It doesn’t sound like an overly-involved process and it really isn’t that time-consuming, but they’re almost guaranteed to produce at least one fear-induced poop and, more than once, Goma has thrown himself back into the tub from the towel, despite having just finished a desperate escape attempt. Rat baths can get a little crazy sometimes. At least they don’t have lice anymore.

How I Convinced Myself My Rat Was Dying A Day Into Owning Him

Potato silently laughing at me

Rats are pretty small in the general scheme of things, so it’s not terribly surprising that they can suffer from some pretty terrible conditions. Okay, so, in reality, size has very little to do with things, but, generally, smaller things/creatures/etc. come across as more delicate and that’s where I’m headed with this. To make a long story much shorter, in their (far far too) short lifetimes, many rats will suffer from tumors, respiratory illness, or both. Oh, and cancer. Today, though, I just want to focus on the respiratory infection deal since that’s the one that I’ve been the most affected by and it’s the one that I heard about the most about when I was doing rat-related research in my first few months of ownership.

So, yes, rats have very sensitive respiratory systems. That’s why it’s usually frowned upon to keep them in a cage with solid walls – they can get sick from breathing in the fumes from their own urine. Yes, I know, now you just want to frantically clean your cage immediately because that is both an awful and scary thought. It doesn’t help that almost all rats are born with a respiratory disease pre-installed - Mycoplasma Pulmonis is a genetic disorder that can cause quite a bit of distress if it goes untreated (also, hearkening back to the insurance discussion, medication and treatment related to it probably aren’t covered by pet-insurance since it’s something they’re predisposed to). It can be pretty serious, so I highly recommend reading up on it; there is a very thorough write-up about thedisease, symptoms, and treatment here.

Now then, the reason I’m telling you about this is because I was positive that Potato was already suffering from this illness when I brought him home. He was super sneezey and I had no idea what a large porphyrin build-up looked like, but some was present, so that was enough for me. In my mind, he was already on death’s door. Of course, I could have just brought him back to the pet store, but that was just too cruel in my mind, so to the vet we went. We don’t have a specialist in my city, as far as I know, but my usual vet has treated rats before and would just have to do. Anyway, he gets a good once-over and I have to answer a bunch of questions about their food and cage and bedding. After all of that, Potato has never been happy with getting picked up and there wasn’t actually anything really wrong with him, either. He just sneezes a lot for no apparent reason. It’s weird, but I guess it’s better than any other outcomes. And, now that I know it’s not life-threatening, his sneezing’s actually pretty cute.

Rights of the Lab Rat

Photo from lab-rat.tumblr.com

I recently ran across this rather disturbing article. Needless to say it left a bad taste in my mouth. 

Animals not covered by the Animal Welfare Act are not subject to the “3 Rs.” Basically, there are virtually no restrictions on experiments performed on any rats, mice, or birds used for scientific research – scientists don’t need to look into possible alternative research methods, they can use as many animals as they want, and they don’t have to minimize any potential suffering.

Now, I can understand – and accept – that, sometimes, it can be necessary to experiment using animals when it concerns something important and there are no other alternatives. Cancer research comes to mind, or the scientists who grew a human ear on a rat a few years back – that was actually an incredible feat. Weird, but incredible, and I imagine that the rat was still able to function all right despite its extra appendage (though for how long, I don’t know). However, the examples listed in the article simply astound me. It almost sounds as if the experiments in question were selected specifically for their elements of cruelty rather than their necessity. I find it incredibly sad that an animal’s size (and possibly some twisted sense of tradition for the classic lab rat/mouse) can determine whether or not its comfort is considered important or not. As any rat owner knows, they can be intelligent and inquisitive as any dog. So, why can’t they be treated as well as dogs? Definitely food for thought.

To Insure or Not to Insure

Photo from stock.xchng

Pet insurance has always been one of those things that I’m very on the edge about. I’ve had cats for most of my life, as well as various rodents and a dog, and my family has never considered getting coverage. Why? Well, mostly because trips to the vet have always been few and far between, and, when we have had to take an animal to the vet, it’s almost always for something that isn’t covered. Pet insurance usually tends to only cover the unexpected – accidents, unforeseen illnesses, and basically things that aren’t preexisting or genetic. I’m sure, for a lot of people, that this type of coverage would be the perfect incentive, but, for me, it comes down to overall affordability. I could spend $300 (this is just a guestimate) a year on insurance or I could just cover the vet bill when I need to. So far, with my rats, the latter has proven to be a far better choice. Since adopting them just over a year ago, I’ve had to take them to the vet twice – once when I first got them and Potato kept sneezing (it turns out he has nothing wrong and is just a sneezey rat), and once when they got lice from an unknown source. Including vet fees and the cost of lice shampoo, I’ve spent just slightly over $100 on vet time and I don’t mind covering future costs if and when they come up. That’s just what works for me. If you think you’ll be better off with insurance (say, if you have a clumsy animal or a cat who just can’t seem to stay away from your rats), then I do recommend looking into it just in case.

If you want a more in-depth look at the value of pet insurance for your rats, check out this post on the Rat Whisperer.

The Artful Rat

Art and photo by philosophyfox on Deviantart.com

I love artistic endeavours  whether they’re mine or someone else’s. You have a sketchbook you need filled? I’m your girl. You have fabric just begging to be a dress or a stuffed animal or both? Sure, no problem. You just finished making something spectacularly artsy and craftsy and wonderful? I’ll be there with bells on to ooh and aah and cheer you on (and possibly ask how much it costs to get one for myself). You’ve combined rats and art into one amazing masterpiece? Brace yourself because I’m already on my way.

That’s why I so excited when I saw this lovely sculpture of a pair of hooded fancy rats. The level of detail is wonderful, with every hair carefully sculpted into place. Their expressions, too, are fantastic. That rat on top is making exactly the same face Goma makes at me every time I walk by their cage without offering up a treat. The awesome doesn’t stop there, though – this artist’s gallery is chock full of beautiful ratty sculptures. It took me half an hour to actually start writing this post because I got so distracted trying to decide which is my favourite (they all are, by the way, because I simply couldn’t decide on one).

Fancier Fancy Rats

Photo by Tom Callan for the Wall Street Journal

This is just a quickie.

 I came across this photo of a very fabulously-dressed rat from the Wall Street Journal in 2011 (the blurb is at the very bottom of the webpage). Apparently it’s from a fashion show held during the “first-ever Fancy Rat Convention.” I’m a touch sceptical about the first convention ever, since people all over the world have been keeping rats as pets for decades, but I wouldn’t be surprised it was the first rat fashion show ever held. I’m actually impressed by the event on two levels – first, the fashion student in me is excited at all of the design possibilities for rat clothing and, second, the rat owner in me is amazed that anyone could get their rats to wear something for more than ten seconds. I can’t even get Goma into his harness long enough to shut all of the closures. I guess my boys just aren’t cut out for the world of rodent modelling.

Oh, and here’s one for the road: Do you reckon they called the runway a “rat walk?”

The Many Uses of Litter Trays That Don’t Actually Involve Litter

Photo from Rattit

I know, I know, what a long-winded title. But it’s so true. Ask any rat-owner who has attempted the supposedly simple task of litter training and they will tell you that rats love their litter pans to death. Just not for their intended purpose.

I’ve looked at a lot of tutorials and how-tos for litter training rats. One of my favourites, of course, is the one from the Dapper Rat. I find it to be very straight-forward and thorough. It gives you a good idea of what you’re in for and some excellent techniques to try in order to teach your rats that litter trays are the place to go when it comes to pooping.

However, no one told my rats that they’re supposed to follow along with the plan. It is a long-standing fact that male rats are more difficult to train than females. I suspect my boys take this to a whole new level. After a couple weeks of regularly transferring any stray poop into the litter tray and praising any attention they gave it, Potato and Goma did, indeed, learn that it marked the pooping location. Unfortunately, in their minds, this meant that they should poop on the platform beside the tray and then sleep in the litter instead. Strike one.

My next attempt involved using two completely different materials and lowering the tray to the bottom level of their cage. I honestly (and naively) believed the location was the main problem since their old cage didn’t have much floor space and so couldn’t fit a litter pan on the bottom level. The process continued much the same as above and resulted in basically the same thing. Well, except for the fact that they decided to mix the bedding and litter together, along with anything they’d shredded, and turned the litter tray into a luxurious rat bed far surpassing the first. Strike two.

So, here I sit. My rats are not litter trained and seem hell-bent against it. Frankly, they tend to be hell-bent against any training. They’re not big on being actively, unless they’re actively trying to get back to their cage because someone had the gall to try to remove them. In any case, I’m currently preparing for attempt number three. I’ll share the link once I find it, but there was an interesting post on Rattit that was a bit more extreme than my past approaches, so I’m thinking it might be just what I need. Essentially, I have to clear out all of the bedding from their cage and only put it in their litter pan. The bottom needs to be left bare for easy cleaning and maintenance while training them, which I’m a bit unsure of, but I’m willing to take the risk and it might help reduce Potato’s sneezing anyway. After that, it’s just a matter of diligently moving any and all poops into the bedding area. They also suggest using a tissue to wipe up any urine and leave it in the tray so the scent stays in that area.

I have high hopes for this one. Internet research, don’t let me down.

Rat Your Service

Michaelangelo, one of Dani Moore's two service rats

I recently came across this Tumblr post from about a month ago. A student managed to get approval to use his rat as a service animal at school, assuming it has the proper shots and is kept on a harness. I can’t help thinking about how awesome that is. I mean, service dogs and other medium-sized animals can be wonderful, but it can be tough moving with them in a busy environment. With a rat, you basically have your own pocket therapist. Not to mention that it’s a lot easier to avoid bringing attention to yourself if your disability involves having trouble in social situations.

I wound up doing a bit more research on rats as service animal and found some interesting information about a woman who uses her rats to detect and prevent seizures. Apparently there was quite the battle after a change to the Americans with Disabilities Act prevented any animal other than dogs and miniature horses to be recognized as service animals. Read more on it here and here.

Two by Two

Potato and Goma

One thing that I’ve always known about rats – and rodents in general – is that it’s definitely much healthier for them to be kept in pairs (or more if you have the room). When I was much younger, my family and I had no idea. Many a hamster lived out its life with only us for company. Unless you can literally spend almost all of your time with a rodent, you can’t possible give it the companionship it needs to be happy. Thus, I brought home two squirmy balls of fur into an unsuspecting household instead of one (but that’s a story for another post).

I just wanted to make a quick point for any prospective owners that it’s important to do some research before deciding to adopt a rat because you might wind up with twice as much responsibility as you expected. If you don’t want to take my word on it, there’s a great video on Youtube that shows just why it’s so important to buy these guys in pairs. Make sure you read the description, too.

Rats Against Discrimination

One of several adorable rat protest photos

I am absolutely enamoured by this series of rat-based“protest” images. Not only is every critter featured quite adorable, but their tiny picket signs really do address some of the most common misconceptions and just overall bias regarding pet rats.

Personally, the ones I run into the most are connecting pet rats with their wild street-based cousins and the “oh-so-gross” tail. I guess I can understand why someone would be so uncomfortable with a rat’s bare tail – I mean, it is kinda, sorta almost a little bit snake-like and it can be harder for them to clean, so it can also make them look a bit dirtier than they are (it doesn’t help that one of my rats has splotchy markings all down his tail). Luckily, so far, everyone who’s been introduced to Potato and Goma has remarked on how easy it is to overlook their “gross” tails for the rest of their lovable selves. Sounds like a win to me. As for the street rat equals pet rat misconception, almost everyone who even sees photos of my boys either admits that they might be wrong in disliking rats or, at the very least, says that they’ll make an exception for mine. It’s not perfect but I’ll take. Well, at least until I can wear them down.

As you might have noticed, too, this set of photos is the second in a series, so hopefully I can track down the first to share with you.