[Zoey]

As I mentioned in my Hello Thread - my Husband and I just adopted our little Zoey from the Pet Store and brought her home yesterday.

She's nice to pick up and handle, doesn't bite or anything like that - so she's been handled before....but our concern is....she doesn't want a thing to do with anything.

She wont come out of her vase we gave her as a house. She wont drink, eat *that we are aware of* and wont come out and wander around her new home.

Is something wrong?

Last night, once we turned off the tv and got ready for bed, lights out - she came out for a breif moment. I got a big smile on my face thinking she'll be active at night - but once I got out of the washroom...she was gone again.

While Hubby and I lay in bed watching tv, I would peak out into the frontroom to see if she were out again, but nope.

What could be wrong? Hubby says we need to give her time.

The little piece of cheese Hubby put in her dish is gone...good sign...but other than that.....*sigh*

She's not at all like I remembered my Peaches *RIP* was. She was out and about constantly and on my shoulders and just enjoyed herself - Zoey is totally opposite of what I remember Peaches was.

Little concerned here.....am I over reacting?

 

[Holly]

How old is Zoey? She's probably just going through a period of adjustment from the move, etc. Apparently, she feels safe inside of the vase, for now. Let her move around her new home as she feels comfortable, and let her take the lead, for now, about playing. Since the cheese is gone, it's a pretty safe bet she's not going hungry.

I'd keep putting in delicious food, and just keep an eye on her for awhile, so she can get used to her new home.

No two rats have the same personality, so Zoey will probably not turn out to be just exactly like your dear Peaches. However, they do seem to go through some predictable "personality changes" as they age, which are accurately indicated by the "categories" that the posters are in, here on the forum. Is Zoey a pink eeper, or a little fuzzy, or a zooming fuzlet? Are you comparing a young Zoey to an older Peaches, like maybe when Peaches grew up into the yogie hoarder or squishy lap rat phase?

I don't think you have to worry at all. Just give it time.

Kisses to Zoey!

 

[Mana]

She just needs some time. She's in a new environment, and probably scared, and just needs a while to get acclimated to her new home. I'm sure someone mentioned this already in your "Say Hello" thread, but you should really get Zoey a friend. Rats are very social and need the companionship of other rats. With a rattie friend, Zoey will most likely come out of her shell more quickly, and you'll have twice the love and cuteness with two rats!

Also, as Holly said, no two rats are ever the same. They all have different and distinct personalities. As you spend more time with little Zoey, you'll get to know her better

 

[lilspaz68]

A lot of rats can be very nervous without a friend (same-sex or altered), as they are naturally a colony animal. Once you add a friend to the mix, they become more confident and happier.

If you got her just recently, can you go back and pick up one of her sisters? If it was recent then there woulnd't be a need to quarantine.

 

[Zoey]

Thank you everyone for your help and advice.

Zoey is about 3 months old. She is a Blue Hooded Female. She's started to come out of her "shell" since I made this post. Yesterday when I came home from the barn and after I picked up Husband from work, we came home and she was out being a silly girl.

Yesterday, before work and barn - we went to the Home Depot and picked up a bunch of "toys" for her. We grabbed the Dryer Tubing as I read as a suggestion here on the forum.

We cut up an old Lead Rope and washed out a Pop Bottle and did some cutting and sringing and she now has a Pop Bottle Hammock hanging up.

Husband grabbed an old Fish Tank Gravel thinggy that lays on the bottom of the tank, then the rocks go ontop - wahed that up, stuck some velro stripping on it and now Zoey has a shelf.

I took a box and cut it up to make her a little house as I heard many here on the forum suggest in other threads, and Husband ripped up a bunch of toilet paper for her.

We put Toilet Paper Rolls in her cage for her as well and now Zoey has a whole ring of activities for her to play with and keep her mind activated.

So - back to what I was saying, we came home and there she was, out of her Vase and eating the piece of pancake I gave her earlier on and was going through her Dryer Tubing and running through her pop bottle.

I was tickled pink

YES - Husband and I will be going and getting her a partner. We wont beable to go back to the Pet Store we purchased her from. That Pet Store is over 1 hour away from us and we'll head to a much closer Pet Store *Same Chain, different location* and we'll pick up a friend for her.

She is actually sitting on my shoulder right now, hiding under my Hoodie, peeking her cute little nose out with her whiskers twitching due to her smelling the air.

I handled her last night while we watched the telly, she was in my sweaters arm sleeve tickling me while she ran up and down trying to figure out which hole she was going to go through.

Thank you for your help! I was worried about her thinking she was either sick or really depressed. I hate it when I don't have the control to fix it you know..so when I see an animal sad or lonely - it breaks my heart.

We should of picked up another Blue Rattie while we were at the pet store when we purchased Zoey. We didn't think to because the Manager told us we didn't need to if we were to spend most of the day with her - but what you say makes sense....poor Zoey.

 

[Zoey]

Hi everyone -

Since my Husband and I purchased a companion for Zoey, she has really come out of her shell.

Her new companion Eclipse has seemed to of brought Zoey out of her shell. They are both running around, EVEN during the day, and playing, and eating and drinking and running through their tubes and chewing and being silly little tots.

I'm very pleased.

Thanks everyone for your help and advice!

 

[Holly]

Awww! Don't forget to post pix of Zoey and Eclipse together!

 

[Zoey]

I've taken tons of pictures, once I get unlazy to upload them on the comp, I'll post them for sure! I even got some cute vids Thanks Holly!

 

[giddy4ratz]

Aaaaw thats sooo cool