The life of a rat

[Happi Bun]

Here is a glimpse into the life of my adorable yet strange rattums.

Starring:

• Bear, Black and White Hooded
• Zee, Himalayan Hooded Dumbo
• Kip, Beige and white hooded
• Sid, Black Rex

[flash=320,256]http://www.youtube.com/v/S4LtfkeRYhg[/flash]


Note: The pictures you see are video links, click on them




Here is some boggling and bruxing action from Zee.



Just because it's freakin adorable, baby video of Kip and Bear (who are brothers).



Babies wresting in hanging hammocks :hearts

 

[hartleybun]

:inlove: thank you for sharing! i love rats and have been a proud servant to two handsome boys in the past sadly hubby doesnt share the love and put his foot down after the death of whiskersssd: tho' now i have buns and dogs which take up way more space:rollseyes

 

[kirsterz09]

Awwwwww I love rats too! They are such social and clean animals i'd love one or two in the future.

 

[Happi Bun]

Oh yes, they are wonderful! Here is the boys cage for those wondering.

 

[Simply_Love]

Happi Bun: Jealous :grumpy:I want that cage. My four live in a Critter Nation, but I'm still itching for a Martin's. I'm currently scheming how I can get one My current plan is to convince my dad that since it has a handle and weighs less, I would go down to visit him more since I wouldn't have to go through the hassle of tanking my CN apart and rebuilding it there haha, I don't think he'll believe me

Hehe, those videos are prescious! I love the one with your Bear(?) on the wheel! Hehe, it's like he's doing a dance! My boy doesn't use the wheel *sniff*, but he will jump on it when my girls are running on it and just sit there and groom :rollseyes:biggrin2everyone is spayed and neutered, by the way)

Kirsterz: Make sure you get atleast two! They need friends

 

[degrassi]

OMG, I wish I could get a rat. I've always wanted one. Stupid alberta laws, Grrrr!

 

[fuzz16]

aww you make me miss my ratty babies so much

 

[mardigraskisses]

Is it true that rats pee everywhere they go?

 

[Happi Bun]

LOL Caitlyn, you want my Martins and I want a Critter Nation! Though I do have to say, I love my 695 and wouldn't trade it for any other, it works great with my messy boys. I just love the the look of the CN.

Jess, nope it's not true. Some rat's like to urine mark though. However, it's just tiny droplets or stream that's usually clear in color with no odor (that I can smell anyway). I just wipe it off, no problem. My Sid LOVES to urine mark, we always joke that he should be named puddles. My other three boys rarely urine mark me and if they do it's a tiny amount.

 

[mardigraskisses]

Happi Bun wrote:

Jess, nope it's not true. Some rat's like to urine mark though. However, it's just tiny droplets or stream that's usually clear in color with no odor (that I can smell anyway). I just wipe it off, no problem. My Sid LOVES to urine mark, we always joke that he should be named puddles. My other three boys rarely urine mark me and if they do it's a tiny amount.

Yay! Very glad to know that.

 

[Simply_Love]

Happi Bun wrote:

LOL Caitlyn, you want my Martins and I want a Critter Nation! Though I do have to say, I love my 695 and wouldn't trade it for any other, it works great with my messy boys. I just love the the look of the CN.

Haha, we can trade

Don't get me wrong, I adored my Critter Nation when it was a two level, since it was like a giant 695. However, my little Bella had some neurological issues two months ago, and now has very limited use of her back legs(her feet kind of "push"her around. It's more of just the motion), so I downgraded to a one level. I miss having two levels, which is why I want a 695. I found an older model with the smaller doors for $45(!!!!) in perfect condition very close to me, but my ma said no *sniff* I only bought my CN in January, so I can see why, but it would have made me money, since I could have gotten nearly $300 for selling both of my current cages. Boo haha

Do all your boys use the wheel? I've only seen a few boys that will use one.

 

[undergunfire]

AHHHH! SOOO cute :biggrin2:. I love seeing videos of other people's ratties!


I recently purchased this barely used from a member on the rat forums....

It is a custom Martin's RUDD, meant to house 8 rats...where as the RUDD houses 9 (is a couple inches taller). I do have 9 in mine, because Spartan is 3 years old and basically counts as part of a hammock, since he spends so much time in one anyway :laughsmiley:.

I LOVE the custom RUDD (it is only $224 new, I got mine barely used for $160).

My rat girls (even since raising them from newborns - Spice is their momma), have always been skittish and unsure of me. Since switching them to the Martin's, their personalities have blossomed and they are now begging to come out of the cage for play time. They still don't want me picking them up, but I am okay with that...at least they trust me more now. I still love my FN for boys...but I like having all of my rats in a cage that doesn't take up so much bulky space.

The CN would always get grimy from pee...for some reason the closer bars seem to pee a pee attractant :rollseyes. You also need a lot of hammocks to make the space usable...but in a Martin's you don't need nearly as many.


Ohhh...and the Martin's is easier for me to clean then the CN, to be honest. The large "new style" doors are a must have...I think it would be a pain with smaller doors. With the 1 level FN & 1 level CN...it would take me about an hour per cage to take every thing out, wash litter boxes/toys/dishes, wipe down the shelves/pan, and then put new stuff back in. I can do the same thing with the Martin's (minus wiping things down, doesn't need to be done if you clean every 3 days) within 45 minutes on "picky decorating days".


:wiggle

 

[Simply_Love]

*glares at Amy* I want that cage

 

[Happi Bun]

Simply_Love wrote:

Do all your boys use the wheel? I've only seen a few boys that will use one.

I've found that if boys are introduced to a wheel at a very young age, then they take to it better. Kip and Bear, who were rescued at 5 weeks of age, were introduced to a wheel very early in life. They enjoy running on it for short periods throughout the day.

My oldest rat, Sid, is a lone rat. All attempts at bonding him with my other three boys have failed miserably. He had been a lone rat his whole life before he was rescued, so he lacks the capabilities of reading other rat behavior properly. This get's him into trouble. Anyway, he doesn't use a wheel at all.

Zee, my second oldest boy, uses the wheel the stash his food under.


Gorgeous cage Amy!!! *drools*