OT: All that is ratty

[vetme]

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Hey all you rat lovers out there....I have just aquired three ratty companions. The are just the cuttest wittle fings. I was wondering if those of you with these same companions have litter trained them? I have been trying for a couple of weeks now, with not much luck. Shall I continue trying or just give in to a complete litter bottomed enclosure? They are females and 6 1/2 weeks old today. What say you?

 

[jlindp]

Congrats on your new babies! Rats are very awesome, underappreciated pets. I had three rescued females myself. They all had mycoplasma, which was part of the reason they came to me. Sadly, they are no longer with me. I was able to litter train them, however. It just takes patience! It took my gals about a month to finally start being consistent. A few things I did was to have a separate type of bedding for the litter tray, so they wouldn't confuse it with the rest of the cage bedding. Also, if I ever saw "raisins" outside the tray, I'd scoop them up and put them in the litter...as kind of a reinforcement. Also, whenever I caught them using the litter pan, I'd praise them like there was no tomorrow!

Good luck and have fun with them! 🙂

 

[vetme]

thanks jlindp, I will keep at it then.....

 

[PetPony]

I had two female rats a while ago. Secretly. Sadly I had to give them away after my mom found out after 3 months. They were the cutest pets ever. So smart and sweet. I had a great time with them and as soon as I get my own apartment, I will get some again. 🙂

 

[BlackDog618]

I have to agree with jlindp. I used to foster rats and would litter box train them. It just takes time and lots of encouragement. If you see them using the litterbox, have treats available or just praise them. Putting soiled litter in the box will also help to train them.
I know this sounds strange, but I used clicker-training with my rats. There's lot of cool videos online of tricks they can learn and they pick things up pretty quickly with the right kind of treats. Good luck!

 

[goldnretrivrgrl]

I got soooo excited when I saw this thread! My avatar is my Abby. I had 4 female rats (two sisters and their two nieces) for about 3 years. Sadly their line was horribly prone to tumors and all have since passed on. They're fantastic pets and I miss mine terribly. Enjoy them! 😀

 

[vetme]

I got soooo excited when I saw this thread! My avatar is my Abby. I had 4 female rats (two sisters and their two nieces) for about 3 years. Sadly their line was horribly prone to tumors and all have since passed on. They're fantastic pets and I miss mine terribly. Enjoy them! 😀

I'm sorry to hear about their misfortune, but wow, I hope I can keep mine for 3 years. I heard from the person I got them from that they MIGHT live for 2 years. They have been a joy already! I posted some pics in another thread.

http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showpost.php?p=11423316&postcount=46

 

[goldnretrivrgrl]

I'm sorry to hear about their misfortune, but wow, I hope I can keep mine for 3 years. I heard from the person I got them from that they MIGHT live for 2 years. They have been a joy already! I posted some pics in another thread.

http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showpost.php?p=11423316&postcount=46

They had happy lives, so don't be sorry!🙂 I LOVE your pictures!

 

[pethuman]

It's nice to meet other rat lovers!

At one point I had 7 rats at once. Each one had a distinct personality. (It's so hard to think of them as a pest species, although I'm sure the rats we get are different from wild ones). I love big, fat, squishy boy rats that smell like popcorn 🙂 I guess I am weird.

My last little boy made it to 2 years and 3 months before succumbing to some kind of pneumonia that wouldn't respond to antibiotics anymore. It's heartbreaking to lose them so soon after becoming attached. I don't have any rats because of that 🙁

I did litter train my boys, but I found that they pooped so much it was pointless to keep a smaller box in their three-level cage and just filled the bottom floor with swheat scoop or something similar. So they'd go down there to do their business and I'd just dump it all later.

 

[dyachei]

If you would like to start a thread about rats, please feel free. However, the original post for this thread was asking for medical (behavioral) advice. Closing thread - sorry about the time delay