Need a good rat forum please

[Mrs. PBJ]

Ok so I was given a rat and about to add two more to her cage. So I need a forum to help me find out how to get everyone together and how to feed and what not.

 

[Anaira]

Only overseas one I know is goosemoose; I've heard it's a good forum. Personally, the best food I can recommend is Harlan Teklan, but I don't know where you'd buy it over there. Rats need to be free-fed, unlike rabbits, as they have a super fast metabolism.

For intros, I'd put them somewhere neutral, like the bathtub(a towel or something in there, so it isn't scary) and leave them to it. The general rule with rats is, no blood, no foul. Rats powergroom to establish dominance, and the rat pinned down will squeak pitifully, but she isn't getting hurt, unless there is blood. Girls are usually pretty easy to intro though. Once they all seem to be getting along, give the cage a good clean(so it smells more neutral) and pop them all in, and observe.

Picture please!

 

[Mrs. PBJ]

Thank you lucky for me I just ordered a brand new cage. I have a little one and I am going to rescue 2 more from the shelter. I will post pictures she gets 2 salads a day and ox bow rat food. Do they drink better out of bowls like rabbits?

 

[Mrs. PBJ]

Her name is Bella and I prefer not to say how I got her to not upset people. The last one is her new cage I will get Wednesday.

 

[Anaira]

Naw she's a little cutie! Don't know anything about Oxbow, so can't comment on it, but the bottle you have there is just fine. I much prefer using bottles, because they tend to stuff things inside water bowls. *sigh*.

 

[Mrs. PBJ]

OMG those pictures are huge I did them on my phone. I need to resize them anyway. So the second female came yesterday from the shelter and they hit it off great. We wear already able to be put together and are loving each other. Bonding rats has nothing on bonding bunnies that took months lol. There new cage is coming in today and I am going to set it up for them. Today and tomorrow cause some of there stuff is coming in tomorrow.

We names the new addition Eve so we have Bella and Eve. My daughter who is 18 months started calling her Eve so it stuck. She is more a very lite tan I could even say blond wear Bella is black.

 

[Mrs. PBJ]

There new dogs more coming tomorrow.

 

[BlakeandBraxton]

I have visited The Rat Shack forum for a lot of questions I have had regarding my new rattie girl! Your baby looks a lot like mine! Congrats!

 

[molly]

I'm active on both GM and the Rat Shack, I definitely prefer the latter. www.ratshackforum.com/forum

 

[Imbrium]

Her name is Bella and I prefer not to say how I got her to not upset people.

well now I'm really curious

 

[SnowyShiloh]

Congrats on your new girlies! They're very cute. For a forum, I recommend The Rat Shack. I'm members on both The Rat Shack and Goosemoose but the overall tone and community at The Rat Shack is a bit friendlier.

Yeah bonding rats is so much easier than bunnies! I bonded my neutered male to an unspayed female and a group of 3 females to a pair of other females and each time things were just fine. If I recall, the boy did tussle with the girl a bit at first, but they were best buds soon enough