My New Baby! - Paw Talk

APoetCalledAnya · #1 04-24-2007, 07:35 PM

So, I got my new girl. Actually I got her a week ago but I was busy and didn’t have time to sit down and write a new thread. She is light gray with a darker head. She looks like a dusty white. But, most importantly she has black eyes! I named her Guinevere.
At first I got a black-headed cow one. She was as big as a mouse, just like Juliet was when I got her. She seemed very sweet but she kept pooping. Now, my experience with rats (and mice) is if they don’t stop pooping on you every time you go to hold them by the fourth or fifth time they most likely will never stop. (My Dad has two rats like that. They are over a year and no matter what, they will always poop on you. The mom is excellent, she never poops.) So, I gave her the rest of the day and she kept doing it. I wasn’t going to risk it (especially since I wasn’t attached yet) and I brought her back.
That’s when I picked out the light gray one. My boyfriend had pointed to one that was a light tan but had red eyes and I was like, no. Then I saw her, and he said she was pretty. So we got her. She is a little bigger than Juliet but she is very passive. She is such a sweetie, and like Juliet, she doesn’t poop when you hold her!
Only one problem. I think she might be pregnant. This pet store (which I hate but they are the only ones near me who sell colored rats) keeps the males and females together. They also do many other things I do not approve of (basically poor treatment and housing of their rodents) and I mention it to the manager every time I am there. But, she is old enough to breed, she has a round prego belly, and she looked like my other two (who I got from there) who ended up being pregnant. Babies having babies. So, I have to wait it out and see if she is.

I was able to put them together, finally. Juliet is a little imp. She pulls Guinevere’s tail and incites fights. Then they mosh some and wrestle for a bit. Guinevere just wants to cuddle and love on Juliet but Juliet will have none of that. She wants to play and run around. But, other than that, they get along real well. Juliet is a little unsocial and doesn’t like to sleep with her, except for at night. She is not as accepting of Guinevere as Guinevere is of Juliet. (So I am guessing Juliet would have been fine by herself.) Juliet doesn’t seem to want to be held too much any more. She wiggles away and squirms. Maybe she just wants to play. But she used to sit and cuddle. Oh well. Guinevere cuddles.

Hopefully I will get pictures up soon. I have some on my cell phone but I can’t upload them. They are too expensive to upload. (It will be a couple dollars a picture.)

Vanilla_Rat · #2 04-25-2007, 02:47 AM

CongRATS on the new ratty! You BETTER post pics someday!

It's a rule here...didn't you know that??

If you tell us about a new pet,you must post pictures too!

Anyway the pooping thing might of stopped.I never had a rat that continued to poop.I mean,when they are scared for some reason or new,they will poop on you...but once they become used to you,they stop.This is my experiance anyway.I have had many rats and none constantly pooped on me.

I hope that the new little girl isn't pregnant.What are you going to do with the babies if she is?

mulder · #3 04-25-2007, 02:48 AM

lol congrats on your new girlie!

CaliforniaGirl · #4 04-25-2007, 10:59 AM

Congrats, sorry you had to take the first one back. I find my new rat poops every time I pick her up by her tail. Cant wait to see pics!

lilspaz68 · #5 04-25-2007, 12:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CaliforniaGirl


	Congrats, sorry you had to take the first one back. I find my new rat poops every time I pick her up by her tail. Cant wait to see pics!

NEVER EVER pick up your rat by the tail!!!

This can hurt them severely and even cause tail degloving...where the skin peels off the tail. A lot of rats need surgery to have their tail amputated when this happens.

It also is very frightening and is no way a part of getting them to trust you.

Look up socialization techniques!

mulder · #6 04-25-2007, 12:36 PM

yes ditto, you're only being counterproductive when picking up a rat by the tail. my boys hate it, i only do it to separate if they fight, ONLY! and ONLY at the base by the bum, and since your'e there you can just grab around his torso instead

lilspaz68 · #7 04-25-2007, 12:37 PM

Poet Anya, did you do any QT? Did you do any neutral introductions at all? Keep an eye on those rats for any sign of illness.

Btw fear pooping is very very normal with new rats, especially babies and usually goes away once they get to know you and trust you. I can't believe you returned a rat for that behaviour!

CaliforniaGirl · #8 04-25-2007, 01:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by lilspaz68


	NEVER EVER pick up your rat by the tail!!! This can hurt them severely and even cause tail degloving...where the skin peels off the tail. A lot of rats need surgery to have their tail amputated when this happens. It also is very frightening and is no way a part of getting them to trust you. Look up socialization techniques!

I only picked her up by the tail a few times, and it was only because it was the only way. I only pick her up from the base of the tail which is the proper way to do it. I know how to socialize her because I did the same thing with Sherlock, who is very tame and social.

APoetCalledAnya · #9 04-25-2007, 03:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Vanilla_Rat


	I hope that the new little girl isn't pregnant.What are you going to do with the babies if she is?

I am going to try and find homes for them. If I can't, I will take them to the pet store and let them sell them. Now, if I mated her, I would feel guilty about dropping them off at the pet store. But I didn't mate her, and I didn't ask for a prego. I just choose her because she was pretty and sweet. (I hate that pet store. They have enough cages, why won't they separate the sexes?)
And, Yes, I know, pictures pictures pictures. This weekend I will have my mom help me take pictures. She will be more cooperative than my boyfriend.

Quote:

Originally Posted by lilspaz68


	Poet Anya, did you do any QT? Did you do any neutral introductions at all? Keep an eye on those rats for any sign of illness. Btw fear pooping is very very normal with new rats, especially babies and usually goes away once they get to know you and trust you. I can't believe you returned a rat for that behaviour!

Yes, I did everything the right way. QT, Neutral Introductions, and watching them for illness.
I know fear pooping is normal, but like I said, I have noticed with the rats that come from that pet store that if they do not stop pooping in a day or so, most likely they won't. My father has two that prove my theory. They trust him, mark him, and cuddle him. But they always poop on him. So, I made a judgment call and returned her. I know that if she kept pooping my boyfriend would never touch her and not let me touch her. (She pooped on him and he freaked out. He was like, "Get it off me! Get a napkin!" All I could do was laugh and pick her off of him.) Plus, she was tiny so she could easily get a new home (she came out of the pet tank), and I saved Guinevere who is bigger (would have been sold as snake food, she came out of a none pet tank) and might be pregnant.

mulder · #10 04-25-2007, 08:29 PM

good for your saving her! adult pets sure are hard to rehome

APoetCalledAnya · #11 04-25-2007, 09:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mulder


	good for your saving her! adult pets sure are hard to rehome

Oh, she isn't an adult. She is still small (almost considered a medium). But she is big enough to be snake food instead of a pet.
All the adults are mean and sickly. They are just used for breeding and snake food. I really can't wait until I get my license. I am going to shut them down on so many charges.