We just got our little Arthur yesterday - such a cutie!This morning when I looked in his cage,it was empty!Have to go through 1 room at time.So sad I was really looking forward holding him again this morning!Any ideas maybe to get him to come out.He is still so young!
Escaped rat!
1 - 7 of 7 Posts
We found him!After 3 hours of looking,moving things gently - he was on the bookshelf on our wedding album,hiding in the corner.But goodness he is a real escape artist!Had to put him in the shower now as we are going to church.What can I do to make sure it doesn't happen again?
Attachments
Joined
·
19,199 Posts
I am glad you found him.
How wide are the bars in his cage? He probably is small enough to squeeze through and until he gets bigger,he will have to be kept in another cage with smaller bars,otherwise he will just keep getting out.
Do you have a picture of the cage?
If you don't have or cannot get another cage right now,you can get mesh/chicken wire to put over the cage until he is bigger.
And just saying,you should get him a buddy. Rats do much better and thrive when they have another rat friend. He is young,so introducing him to another rat now will most likely be a breeze. But I definitely recommend getting a second male rat. Rats are very,very social.
How wide are the bars in his cage? He probably is small enough to squeeze through and until he gets bigger,he will have to be kept in another cage with smaller bars,otherwise he will just keep getting out.
Do you have a picture of the cage?
If you don't have or cannot get another cage right now,you can get mesh/chicken wire to put over the cage until he is bigger.
And just saying,you should get him a buddy. Rats do much better and thrive when they have another rat friend. He is young,so introducing him to another rat now will most likely be a breeze. But I definitely recommend getting a second male rat. Rats are very,very social.
Joined
·
1,365 Posts
I'm so glad you found him!
Yeah...chicken wire would be good. They also have hardware cloth at home improvement stores which is easy to cut and shape. And yes! Get him a same sex friend, preferably younger than six months like him. You and he will both have a much better ratty experience. Once they hit six months, it becomes much more difficult to do smooth intros in males because of all the additional territorial hormones hitting them from that time on. If you do it now, it'll be just two little buddies getting to know a new playmate. If he stays alone, he'll tend toward depression and neurotic behavior as he ages.
Yeah...chicken wire would be good. They also have hardware cloth at home improvement stores which is easy to cut and shape. And yes! Get him a same sex friend, preferably younger than six months like him. You and he will both have a much better ratty experience. Once they hit six months, it becomes much more difficult to do smooth intros in males because of all the additional territorial hormones hitting them from that time on. If you do it now, it'll be just two little buddies getting to know a new playmate. If he stays alone, he'll tend toward depression and neurotic behavior as he ages.
Agree with all the other posters...please get Arthur a buddy. Lone rats get very lonely and depressed. He needs an adopted brother to play/groom/eat/sleep with. He will be much happier with company. Arthur is a great name by the way! He looks like an Arthur! What a cutie. 
1 - 7 of 7 Posts
Join the discussion
Join now to ask and comment!