[phoebeandizzie]

I just recently bought two new baby female rats around four or five weeks old. The place I got them from didn't tell me anything. Do I need to do anything special for them? Like a special diet or medicine?
I notice them making sniffling/sneezing noises, should I be worried?

 

[jellybeanqueen]

hi!
make sure you have them on either aspen/carefresh/yesterday's news )(recycled paper cat litter safe for small animals)/cloth bedding, as pine and cedar are terrible for rats, and all small animals.
don't feed them the rat seed mixes from pet stores, as they aren't really suitable to their needs..try to get harlan teklad lab blocks, as they are best, or as an alternative make suebee's mix (you can google it for the recipe)
your rats may have new home sneezies, so i wouldn't be too concerned as of yet.
if they seem to sneeze constantly or have red stuff (poryphin) around their eyes/nose, youshould get them to a vet asap as they may have a repiratory infection.

i hope i helped, and congrats on your new girls! :]

 

[Macabri]

I actually am in the same situation as you are right now. I have two bouncing baby girl rats; about 4-5 weeks old right now.

I've been trying to keep away from giving them stuff with too much sugar while they're so young. Everyday I've been giving them frozen peas and have been making them hard-boiled eggs (eggs are great protein). I don't give them a whole egg of course, but I mash up some pieces and let them eat it off of a spoon. They're also getting a good supply of lab block.

Sneezes are okay so long as there is no discharge. Also, what jellybeanqueen said, watch for excessive amounts of poryphin.

Drop me a line if you ever want to compare notes. Rat babies sure are fun aren't they? :wink:

 

[phoebeandizzie]

thanks!
unfortunately, about a week ago one of my girls (izzie) had a stroke and became paralyzed on the left side of her body. i rushed her to the vet but she said there was nothing we could do for her. so i had to put her down.

should i consider getting another rat to keep phoebe company? i'm scared that they might attack each other.

 

[rat_ratscal]

they should be fine

 

[Darksong17]

thanks!
unfortunately, about a week ago one of my girls (izzie) had a stroke and became paralyzed on the left side of her body. i rushed her to the vet but she said there was nothing we could do for her. so i had to put her down.

should i consider getting another rat to keep phoebe company? i'm scared that they might attack each other.

I'm very sorry to hear that. I definitely think you should get Phoebe another friend since rats are extremely social animals. Your best bet would be to go to a reputable breeder or try rescue. You can check Petfinder and see if there are any rats in need of homes around you: http://www.petfinder.com/

Just remember to quarantine any new rats before doing introductions slowly. If you tell me your location I can see if there are any breeders or rescues near you too.

Information on quarantining: http://www.petinfopackets.com/rats/rathealth.html#quarantine

Information on introducing rats:

http://ratguide.com/care/behavior/introducing_rats.php
http://www.ratfanclub.org/newrat.html


Since you're new to rats you're going to want to do lots of research to be sure you're caring for them right. My website is a pretty good place to start I think since it links to some of the best rat care websites and pages.

http://www.petinfopackets.com/rats/ratinfopacket.html