She Makes Me So Mad - Chewer

[Jay_Bunny]

The same female that only had 2 out of 13 babies live is now one of my worst rats. She chewed through her water bottle. There is a gaping hole in her water bottle. NONE of my other rats chew through their water bottles but she is completely psyco. She is the only one that spends her entire day and night trying to figure out how to get out of her cage. She will jump and hang onto the wire top over and over and over and she only gives up to sleep, eat and drink. None of my other rats do this. The only one that comes close is Monk and all he does is sit on top of his water bottle and give me that look that says "take me out and play with me."

[wilomn]

I don't bother with second chances on my breeders. Eat a litter, chew a hole, wreck a bottle, and you're food. No more contributions to the gene pool.

[littleindiangirl]

what do you offer them to play with? wheels, chew blocks, paper towel tubes, etc...? sounds like she's bored and stressed

[Jay_Bunny]

I normally give them chew sticks, cardboard and things like that to chew on. On second look in her cage I didn't find any so I guess I forgot to give her some when I cleaned out her cage a few days ago.

I'm giving her a second chance with being a breeder. She's in with Roo, my berkshire dumbo male. How long does it take for her to go into estrus after weaning off her litter? Since she only raised two babies (the others died before even opening their eyes) I'm not giving her much of a break between litters.

Side-note: The two babies she did raise are eating like champs and are friendly little buggers. They great me at the front of their cage when I enter the room and they love to be held and fussed over.

[Stewart_Reptiles]

Solution: Glass water bottle

[andy6432668]

Give her a introduction to a hungery snake.

[Gloryhound]

We had a female who was in a tub with another female that had a litter that was about 1 week old when she had her babies. All of her babies except one got ate by one of the two moms except one that we found suffocated to death under the litter of the other moms pups. She also had some marks on her that looks like she lost a fight with the other mom. We moved her to a seperate tub and while at the local reptile show we picked up three pups that were about 1 week old and brought them home and put them in with her as an experiment. She is now happily nursing them and fussing over them. Only thing is she has became extremely protective of them. She bit me when I tried to touch one. We are going to give her another cycle to see how she does, but this time we will seperate her for delivery and nursing and see how she does!

[littleindiangirl]

Mom's can be the sweetest girls with no litter, but give her space and caution when she is nursing. Some of my best moms really don't like their pups handled or intruded upon.

As to the bad first litter, always best to give her a second try. Some females just don't know what to do with the rush of hormones.

As to the chewing and trying to get out, after the first litter females tend to calm down a lot. I give my girls a long break in a nice vacation cage, they get a wheel and the companionship of many other females. I spoil my rats I know, but they are awesome moms and give me great plump feeders.

[MarkS]

One interesting thing I've seen with chewed water bottles is that once one of them figures it out, the rest in the cage instantly learn how to do it too. Try to set up your water bottles so they are either outside the cages, or wrap them in hardware cloth or tin cans. Those 'protective' water bottle holders you can buy in pet stores are usually not enough.

[Laooda]

One interesting thing I've seen with chewed water bottles is that once one of them figures it out, the rest in the cage instantly learn how to do it too. Try to set up your water bottles so they are either outside the cages, or wrap them in hardware cloth or tin cans. Those 'protective' water bottle holders you can buy in pet stores are usually not enough.

I'm with ya.... I had a tub chewer After watching to see what female it was, I introduced her to a snakie... and what do you know? I juvi that I was holding back that was in her tub started chewing as an adult.... She actually escaped before I noticed the hole... but then she was accounted for Anyway, I never would have expected them to be able to go through those ODDJOB tubs... but they do!