We now have a shop on CafePress featuring our new design. This store was made to benefit Ratta Muffin Rat Reskue and the hundreds of rescue rats in our care. Every year thousands of rats are bred and euthanized in laboratory environments for teaching and experimental purposes. This image displays a picture of a lab rat (boy or girl? still alive or deceased?). Only we who take them in really know and see the emotional and physical scars they suffer due to testing. Ever rat deserves a chance to experience love before they die and we try to make that possible. Every year we take in lab rats from several Veterinary Medical Programs. Please support our organization's efforts by purchasing an item with this heart-wrenching, but very realistic design.

http://www.cafepress.com/rattamuffin

Luna & Renee Foxx
And all the little Muffinz <:3)~

Is anyone in the New England area looking to adopt any ratties? I have 4 males which all must go together to a good home as something has come up and I can no longer have them here at my apartment. If you do not have a cage that is big enough for 4 large boys, I can provide you with a Martin's Rat Tower for a very small price which will come with all of their belongings. Normally I'd just give it away, but money is extremely tight for us right now and I paid a lot for the cage myself so hopefully you can understand why I'd want a very small fee for it. I am willing to travel up to 2 and a half hours to deliver them to you if you agree to chip in for gas as it costs me a lot to fill up my tank and is rather exhausting to drive such a long distance. I am also willing to meet halfway or work something else out that will be easy for you. I have tons of pictures of these boys if you'd like to see them. I just want them to go to a good home asap. If you know anyone who might be interested, please pass this along. I'd appreciate it.

Please e-mail me directly at EmrldSword@Verizon.net if you are interested or have any questions or anything.

X-posted.

My newest addition, got her like a couple weeks before Halloween seems skinny to me. She used to be the fatter one, however, she is also the one that runs on the wheel the most. She eats normally and drinks normally, they get lab blocks and i've watched and she seems not to get bullied out of eating, so perhaps she is just skinnier because she runs on the wheel and the others don't? She isn't THAT much skinnier, but noticeablly skinnier, as in her skin is a little looser, I can see her ribs a bit easier (mind you they are all hairless rats) and her hips (haunches whatever) easier, just generally a bit thinner.

Is this something I should take her to the vet over? She is eating and drinking normally and still active, her breathing is fine as well. She is generally happy, likes to be held still, doesn't seem in any pain or anything.

I want to clarify this isn't dramatic weight loss, as in just gradually she seems to be skinner than she was when I first got her. Is this perhaps just growing up and running on the wheel more?

Should I perhaps try adding more meat or something to her diet, as in take her out and give just her something more?

This is a commissioned portrait-necklace I got last week for a portrait of a friend of a friend's pet rat. He looks like Finley!

So this is a pretty sad entry for me. I'm EXTREMELY allergic to rats. And it's a recent development. And I have three wonderful babies. I need to get rid of one, because he's the youngest...the other two are pretty old. It's gotten so bad where I can barely handle them without breaking out into bumps and hives and I sneeze uncontrollably because they're in my room (I live with three girls I don't know, so being in my room is the only place for them). There's no way I could ever bring my babies to a rescue or pet store, so I can tolerate it as long as I have too. But if someone I knew would take care of him would take Jack, I would be supremely greatful. I'm willing to go anywhere from Bakersfield to the Mexican Border...in California. So if you have room for a sweet boy, let me know. Feel free to let anyone who doesn't see this know, or repost in other rat communities. This makes me so sad to get rid of my baby, but I have to do what I have to do...


this is jack. he was born spring break of last year, so he's 8 months old...(so increase his size some, but he's pretty small for his age).

Hello!!

I have been a member for a few weeks now and this is my first ever post :)

I shall put a couple of picture up of my babies behind an lj cut at the end of the message, one of the main reasons for this post are because i have noticed people asking questions about keeping ratties warm during winter, well the solution is a snugglesafe pad
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00008AJH9/103-2190955-2460614?v=glance&n=284507
(american site)
http://www.ratwarehouse.com/
(uk site)
Rat warehouse is a wonderful site, the best i have found so far, they have lots of products made for other animals, puppies etc, which greatly benefit ratties. under accessories you will find the 'chin chiller' which is a marble slab which stays cool to keep ratties nice and chilled in summer, and under health you will find the snugglesafe pad.
it basically is a plastic disc that you microwave and it is totally un-chewable, easy to wash, and stays warm for hours.

I wish all my deepest condolances to people who have recently lost their little babies, and lots of congratulations to any new litters/upcoming litters.

heres my babies :) theyre a year old this week!! the dark hooded rat is cybil, and the light hooded rat is polly. these were taken a long time ago, i shall get some more recent pictures soon :)



( my babies, notice polly stealing my custarad cream biscuit!!!! )

Take care all :) and merry xmas!!
lou x

How does everyone keep their ratties cool and comfortable during summer?

I have yet another couple of quick questions (it's hard to be a first time rattie owner!) that I'm hoping someone can answer. I have three girls (Rigatini, Kafka, and Rizzo) that are 7 months old. They're still really tiny compared to most of the pictures I see on here, yet they always have Tekland 14% lab blocks available, as well as regular fruit, egg, and pasta. Should I be worried about their size if they have the option to eat? The other thing is that although they have the same food, cage, etc. I have noticed that one has consistently different poop than the other two, which looks (and smells!) similar to fear poop. What could be causing this? And what can I do?
Thanks for all your help and to make to post better a picture of my girls: ( Rattie Hammock Love )

I am a fairly inexperienced rat owner, I've only owned rats for about nine months and this is the first time I have encountered this problem.

How can you tell the difference between an abcess and a tumor? This morning I fed my rats and they were perfectly fine, but when I got home from school I checked Trillian and she has a big lump at the bottom of her head past the neck and to the beginning of her shoulder. I am scared because it happened so rapidly and it's pretty large so I am not sure what it could be that developed so quickly.

I am thinking it might be an abcess, when I touch it there are no visible signs of discomfort or anything. She looks like a hamster with only one cheek stuffed full of food. It's obviously weighing her down because she's a little lopsided to the side of the growth. Also I am thinking it might be an abcess because for the last few nights her sister has been powergrooming her a lot and right above the area of the growth she has a scab that wasn't there before and only showed up once the growth did.

Any help, please? I am very worried. I don't know about the vet nearest to me is closed already and I cannot make an appointment.

I've been absent here for a while.
But here's a nice picture of 2/3 my boys. Most recent. I'm in teh process of getting a new digi cam.



BTW; this is a tad offtopic... but there used to be someone here who always had great shots of one of their rats (narrows it down, eh?)

What i mean is.. i believe the rat was BLUE, and they used a Minolta Dimage. Sound familiar to anyone?
If so... i'd love to talk to you. I need some help in selecting a camera.

The three amigos haven't had a staring role for awhile. So I present my 3 smallest babies.

( Ratty goodness )
x-posted

So I joined this community back in March then left when I moved in June I had to give up my baby Freya because I couldn't take her with...as heartbreaking as it was, I left her with my friend Hillary who had 4 other rattie girls so she's super happy...I always felt bad that she was alone anyways. Anyways, I have come back because today I responded to an ad about getting a free male rat. I was told hes a biter and is kind of shy around people. I raised Freya from when she could fit in the palm of my hand...I knew her personality and she never bit me. This will be my first time adopting and I'm just wondering what I should do to help him become more comfortable around people and being handled. Also, how different are males from females. I heard they can be a little smelly, but is there a huge personality change? I won't be picking him up for a few more days but when I do I'll be sure to post pictures. :) Thanks!

myself and my 8 ratties:)

I've been lurking here for a while, and decided to finally come out of the woodwork and say hi:-)

I'm lea and I have two gorgeous black berkshire boys called Razorblade and Romance and six girls called Jasper, Sholto, Selkie, Draven, Masquerade and Harlequin.

Masque and Harley are new additions, both masked rexes, hence the names!

if you want to see pics you can go to http://photobucket.com/albums/y180/wererattie/

the babies aren't up there yet, but the other guys are!

Nero bit me again.

I don't think he'll ever trust me. The physical pain will go away, but the mental pain is near-unbearable.

Agh, okay. Three of my girls despertly need their nails trimmed. My roommate and I tend to trim their nails once a week together or so, with me holding them and her doing the cutting, but they're HORRIBLE at it, especially December, who barely lets you cut a single one. Does anyone have any good tricks or tips for nail trimmings? I love my girls but its so hard to have them sit on my shoulders when their sharp little nails are digging into my skin ;_;

Hi!



I have recently been on a rattie kick and after visiting our local crafts store I decided to make some cute rattie charms. They're still being worked on and will probably improve the more I work on them, but I'd love some feedback. They would probably also make fantastic christmas decorations!

I'm also making small figurines of my ratties! I have Dot done, but her head is incredibly large and my mom couldn't tell it was Dot! I failed!

I have always made my own custom chokers (because I can never seem to find any I like!) so I decided I may put a rattie charm onto a choker for my own, personlised, custom rattie choker! I also have letter beads so I can make one for each of my girls with their names on them! Or possibly all on one. I can also make it into a bracelet as well!

I'm sure you're all wondering why I even posted this here.. Well. If any of you are interested in custom rattie charms, rattie charm & chokers, multiple rattie charms, or mini rattie sculptures please leave a message! I'm willing to make some for anybody who would like some and I'm not expecting a lot price wise.

( Read more... )