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Anonymous
Can it be rat thread tiem now plz?
>> Anonymous
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>> Anonymous
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>> Anonymous
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>> Ratties cj
About time! Rats are the BEST pets ever!
>> Anonymous
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>>85888
Less talk, more posting.
>> Anonymous
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>> Anonymous
>>85901
wins
>> Anonymous
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Hindus <3 rats.
>> Anonymous
>>86021
only those rats are vermins, flea and disease infested and bite the fuck out of your toes.
i love rats, but not those rats.
>> Anonymous
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My new baby rat with one of my mice.
>> Anonymous
>>86095

is that mouse okay, what with the rat being next to it and all?
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hay guys whats going on in this thread 8)==~~~~~
>> Anonymous
>>86120
They where sleeping together. I saw no problems with them. -shrugs- But whatever I put the mice in their cage.
>> Anonymous
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>>86121
nuttin much lolz
>> Anonymous
Im thinking about getting a hampster... i hear some people say that rats are a million times better. is this true y/n?
>> Bitter Anon !!WJLRQ1cwCyZ
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>>86187
Plz see like every other fucking thread on /an/

Rat loev ice cream
>> Anonymous
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>>86187
Rats > all other rodents
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wezz hates meece
>> Anonymous
>>85793

Holy FUCK that rat is cute
>> Anonymous
I had two male rats once, and the bigger one raped the smaller. They also piss everywhere, but have really cool personalities. I would go with Hamster though, even though they only live a couple of years I believe.
>> Anonymous
>>86202
It's a trap!

Hamsters are for pansies. And kids.
>> Anonymous
Since someone posed the question, here's my experience after working for almost two years in a small animal department at a pet store:

Hamsters can end up being good pets if handled constantly and really 'tamed down.' But they have to be kept solitary, even siblings raised together should be separated. Why do I say this? I've seen a lot of hamster homicide.. and we kept our animals in good condition. Straight out of the box, they're just nippier and I've never seen one playful like a rat.

Rats, I've been bitten by rats maybe twice? As opposed to the many bites and narrowly dodged nips from hamsters. Rats I've known for maybe a day or two could be coaxed into wrestling with my hands, being complete goofballs and flipping around, licking my fingers.. Okay yeah they pee on stuff but that's mostly the males that do it really badly.

If you go to a pet store, ask to handle/put your hands in with your possible future pets. Pick something that comes to you, is curious, and doesn't chomp the hell out of your fingers. I've never met a hamster that's done that. :<
>> Anonymous
>>86228
whenever i buy an animal from the petstore, may it be a rodent, reptile, spider, etc, i ask the person who is helping me to pet the creature or pick it up just to give me an idea what i will be dealing with.
>> Anonymous
>>86228
Always a good idea.
You seem like an expert, so I have a question.
Owning rats is pretty much illegal where I live, and I've been looking at Gerbils. Are they a lot like rats behaviour-wise?
>> Anonymous
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I feel this is relevant to the thread.
>> Bitter Anon !!WJLRQ1cwCyZ
>>86202

Actually there was unlikely to be any real raep. Animals tend to hump one another to show dominance, regardless of gender. The big one was just saying 'i'm boss'.

Course, he could have been gay. Rats kinda don't care what they ahve sex with.. I had a young male rat and an older female, and the boy would molest her all.the.fucking.time. She just kept right on walking, paying him no attention. I didn't stop it because she didn't care, and it made him happy.

Anyway, rats will let eachother know when there is a problem. If one is screaming, not just a little squeak, then you should intervene. Otherwise.. they're either playing, or sorting out who is boss.
>> Anonymous
>>85901


this thread is now about rat nom nom nom
>> Anonymous
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>> Mice vs rats... CJ
Coz someone asked. Rats are perfect pets, but they will KILL mice. Don't put them together at all.

And never buy a solitary rat, unles you plan to spend 80% of your waking time with them.
>> Anonymous
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>>86187
YES. Rats are. I've owned Rats Hamsters and Guinea pigs.
Rats are like puppies and seem to be the best overall pocket pet out there. Enjoy this cute video...: http://youtube.com/watch?v=09DckaeOW8M

Some people will tell you to get two if you get any, and this is good if you wont be home much, but if you want the absolutely best baby ever known to man and have a lot of time, You can get away with only having one. The best rats I ever had were singles and I could trust them with smaller children due to their extensive one on one socializing. I work in-home, for anyone interested.
>> Anonymous
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>> Anonymous
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>> Infidel !!qiClNei5oRk
>>86357
>>86358
>>86359
>>86355
>>86356

You're an asshole.
>> Anonymous
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>>86362

SILENCE!
>> Anonymous
>>86200
Ah, but do you hates meeces to pieces?
>> Anonymous
so do females not piss all over the place? i'm not down with piss of any variety.
>> Anonymous
>>86446
Some do. I've known a female couple that started tinkling every-fucking-where after their "Big Sis'" (not really, she was just older) died. Maybe they were traumatized by her dying, I dunno. I know they seriously spazzed out when it was clear even to us humans that the older one was dying. She couldn't move or hold her waste in anymore, etc. The other two were just panicky. :I
>> Anonymous
>>86450
Just a theory:

In wildlife, the dominant rat controls the others with pheromones.
For this purpose she leaves marks with her excrement and piss.
Now, if that does not function properly anymore, it may upset the others.
>> Anonymous
>>86454
She also controlled the others with BITCH-SLAPS! YEAH, BABY, YEAH! ...Or not.
...But yeah, that is one possibility, or one of several factors. Plus rats are very sensitive as well as being affectionate (once status has been settled). So them surely recognizing the fact that the Head Honcho is sick and dying probably scared them in itself. They *were* rather upset and confused after the elder was taken to the vet to be put away. Now I'm not saying they were sad put it definitely changed their little pack/world.
So after that they were even more anxious to get out of their cage and under our shirt, on our shoulder, etc., etc... Too bad that was also when they started weeing a few drops every other minute. :D
>> Anonymous
>>86248

Gerbils seem to be a lot less nippy, too. I imagine you could get a really sweet one/pair/whatever if you did a lot of looking around. They're a bit more hyper, active during the day, and have some really unique needs compared to some of the other small animals. They typically recommend keeping them in pairs/more, I'd probably go same sex siblings+ just in the hopes of keeping aggression down.

Do a little research, things like dust bathing, burrowing, chewing.. all very important to gerbils. I've had a lot of people come back with gerbils and plastic cages because they just get chewed to shreds. A glass tank might be a better option, some people will even fill it up like halfway with shavings to give them plenty to do.

Another thing to keep in mind with gerbils is that they're little desert critters so while you obviously shouldn't withhold water or anything, they won't drink as much and their waste is smaller than rats/hamsters. On the flip side of this coin, I think you have to be careful not to give them too many treats with a lot of water (fresh fruits/veggies).

If this seems a little unorganized forgive me, just woke up, but overall I think you could still have a really good experience owning a gerbil over a rat if your situation demanded it.
>> Anonymous
>>86473
Hmmmm.
Are they as affectionate/people friendly as rats? That's kinda my main concern. The trainability thing is also a downside. I'd love to have a little furry thing riding on my shoulder.
>> Anonymous
>>86486

Honestly I'm not sure, I don't think they have the same mental/emotional 'depth' that a rat does, but maybe you could still do basic training via positive reinforcement, and as long as you were a constant, benign factor in your gerbils' lives I don't see why they wouldn't get attached to you as if you were one of their own. :<

If someone browsing /an/ has kept gerbils, I'd love to hear about your experiences with them.
>> Anonymous
>>86301
i has a sushi :3=
>> Anonymous
>>86301
Either that's a very huge rat, or somebody out there makes a damn tiny sushi.
>> Anonymous
I'd have to recommend getting two female rats if you do go with rats. Males fight more, smell worse, and grow bigger. They usually live longer due to a lesser likelihood of developing cancer, but females tend to stay cute for longer.
>> Anonymous
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ello my name a toki
>> Anonymous
>>86532
'Ello, Toki! You're small!
>> Moo !XBOXgikTFw
>>86532
Not a bumblebee?
>> Anonymous
>>86302

Ok I just came home with another male to put with my rat. Both are males so I know they'll fight a little but how do I know when to infere? Right now the new one is wimpering slightly. But when is it too much?
>> Anonymous
>>86538

Win
>> Bitter Anon !!WJLRQ1cwCyZ
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>>86454
Has it right. Rats tend to leave little trails of urine to mark territory and keep track of where they have been and where they are going. Usually it is the more dominant rats that do the most marking, but a solitary submissive rat will leave lines. The alpha rat usually lays on the top of the rat-pile (The first rat breeder I ever met once told me that the best pillow for a rat is another rat), and they will often pee all over the other ones. It's like saying "hey this is my spot, i like you, you're mine"
Also, if you are cuddling with your rat, and it gets up and starts to wander off, put it back in the cage for a bit, it needs to "do its business".

>>86546
If there is a scream, shrill and death sounding, intervene. If there is blood, interevene. Other than that, they are likely boxing for dominance, and rolling eachother over(The submissive gets shoved on its back, the same way dogs roll over to show you they submit). Rats will tell eachother, usually with a little squeak or whimper, when they are biting too hard or being mean. And the other rats WILL learn, if rat A bites rats B, and rat B squeaks but A doesn't let go, they won't play with A anymore. They don't tolerate bullies.
If you have to break them up, usually a loud noise (yell "No!" or "Stop", obviously) will cease things, but occasionally they won't quit from that. Put a sock on your hand for protection, then just shove your hand between them and roll the agressor over onto his back. You can pinch the back of his neck a bit too, if he fights. Basically, by doing this, you are saying in rat language that "I'm the boss, and no one fights unless I say they can".

This is Gus, the hairless, filthy, six year old warrior rat. He actually killed antother male rat by *biting his penis off*.
>> Anonymous
>>86578
what the fuck is that tumor on his ass
>> Anonymous
>>86582
Do you mean his tail or his testicles? Probably the latter. :D Yeah, they're HUEG.
Oh wow, Gus be some mad dawg fighter.
Now let's imagine a fight like that between humans.
-"YOU ARE HUGE. YOU MUST HAVE HUGE GUTS."
-"Yo, I'mma fuck you up, you puta! What you messin' about?"
-"I'LL MONGLE YOUR COCK!"
-"Foo'! What the- YEEEARRGGH!"
-"RIP AND TEAR!"
>> Bitter Anon !!WJLRQ1cwCyZ
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>>86578
Actually, most rats have skin folds like that. Its just that you can see them easy because of his lack of fur. Touching him felt like petting a clammy baby or something. He had scars and old spots from cysts and tumours all over, because his previous owner didn't take good care of him. Thats why he was so badass.

>>86590
Something like that, yes. I adopted them both, but from different people, and put them together cause... well they were old gents, and I thought it would work. I'd never had boy rats before and didn't know any better. Dee, the white rat shown here, lasted for about a week before he died. What I guess happeend is they fought and Gus bit his penis off, but because of the way they're built it.. uh, stayed inside, I guess you could say, and got all infected and gross. I didn't know wtf was wrong with him until a few hours before he died, and by then there was nothing to do but put him to sleep. I now give a glance to that section of the body whenever my rats are sick, just incase.
>> Anonymous
>>86590
death by mongling
>> Anonymous
Looks like my junk freshly shaved
>> Anonymous
>>86578
Ok well they've stopped fighting. The new male, I named him scrapper, is the submissive and Wesker, the not so new one, is the boss. Which is kinda funny since I think Scrapper is older since his balls have actually started to drop already. Oh well.

And I'm so glad I got Scrapper because he actually uses the wheel I bought for Wesker. I love the squeaky noice it makes. <3
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Sadly this is all I have right now for my rat babies. I feel like crap but I swear I'll build them something much bigger when they get older.
>> Anonymous
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Wesker! :D He's the younger but he's the boss. >:0
>> Anonymous
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And here's scrapper. He's shy but hey I've only gotten him today. Does anyone have some tips to make them friendly? I know to hold them for an hour or more a day. But maybe something to speed it up?

Also I've been trying to give them fruit along with their rat blocks but they don't seem to eat it much. Although Wesker does enjoy his peanut butter. But he only gets a tiny bit every other day or so.
>> Anonymous
This reminds me, my snake is hungry.
>> Anonymous
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pwns
>> Anonymous
timestamp test
>> Anonymous
>>86688
fail
>> Anonymous
>>86660
Did you try hand-feeding him? It might help.

Also... PEANUT BUTTER? I'm pretty sure I remember reading somewhere that rats have no gag reflex, so peanut butter is too sticky for them. You can cut it with honey or something to make it more liquid, though.
>> Bitter Anon !!WJLRQ1cwCyZ
>>86716

Watered down or warmed peanut butter is fine. Fruit goes right through their systems, even just a couple raisins will.. well, make the cage a mess later.

To tame them, there are two general techniques. Tolerance and Smothering. You can be nice to them, let them have a few days of minimal contact to get used to things, just putting your hand in to let them smell it every now and then. Give them treats (cheerios, toddler snacks, etc. if its healthy for babies, its healthy for them, mostly) whenever they come near you and generally encourage them to associate you with delicious good things.

OR you can grab them and hold them with you for several hours a day. Just put them down your shirt or hold them aginst your neck and pet them. Don't be hostile with it, just make it clear that they have no choice but to do what you want. After a day or two, they won't be afraid of you, if you don't hurt them. Basically, they can only fear you for a short time before their brains stop assocating you with scariness.

I go with a mixed approach: I have their cage next to my computer, and the door is open whenever i'm near. there are treats just out of their reach. I reach in and pet them and hold them for a few minutes, and its been a week, and my new boys are already so docile they don't seem like the same rats I got.
>> Anonymous
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shoprat
>> Anonymous
>>86676

Oh my sweet jesus.
>> Anonymous
>>86782
Bad shop is baaaaaaaaaaaaaaaad
>> Anonymous
>>86676
I hope you clean EVERYTHING religiously..
>> Anonymous
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>>86195
OBJECTION!!
>> Anonymous
>>86971
Bunny ain't rodent though.

Okay, they -were- rodents until reclassified some time ago. What has science done etc.
>> Anonymous
>>86966
creepy post is creeeeeeeeeeeeepy
>> Anonymous
>>86971
Hamsters can be downright nasty, and rabbits are not rodents, they're lagomorphs.
>> Anonymous
>>86657

thats so tiny :[
you really should make it a point to invest in a larger habitat. they like to roam around and they need exercise...a lot of mice/rats won't use wheels either. (by experience i speak)
>> Anonymous
>>87151(like Yoda i speak)

Fixed
>> Anonymous !.X9p7owdWI
>>87151
I know I know it's tiny. I'll get something much bigger soon. As for the wheel Scrapper, the tan one, uses it like crazy. He'll spin as fast as possible and then stop and flips over a few times. It's so cute.
>> Behold! Lancelot! Porkchop Sandwiches
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Lancelot says, "Wudup?"
>> Behold! Galahad! Porkchop Sandwiches
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Galahad says, "Yo."
>> Anonymous
>>87151

I disagree. Every mouse I saw come through the pet store I worked at was a wheel fiend. They all loved the thing. The rats on the other hand, yeah it comes down to your individual. I had rats that ignored the wheel and others that ran on it several hours a day.
>> Anonymous
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