Cute rat contest! DUW

[cassandra]

Your boys won't fight when put together? I've not had any luck keeping them together and if I don't have them with a female (sealing the deal) they are all alone in their cage. I do worry about them getting lonely.

Cassandra, I might have a snack for Lawrence to send home with you when I see you.

Thanks Laurie! But I think you mean Lourdes...=D

***
Fighting: I haven't seen any "bad" fighting between either my adult males nor the males in the grow out tubs but I certainly have been watching for it. I have seen both "play" fight, but it's never looked vicious, certainly not a mean as male mice (little bastards).

[anendeloflorien]

Hey I've got my submission for the cute rat contest

Check this butt out!

http://www.ball-pythons.net/gallery/...warts_butt.jpg

And here's the face for all you people who say I'm sexist

http://www.ball-pythons.net/gallery/...warts_face.jpg

But let me just say I have a newfound respect for anyone who takes pictures of rats. Maybe it's just mine but (except for this guy) they DO NOT STAND STILL! Lol I love em though just got this guy yesterday from Kara at NERD. Love you too Kara j/k Kev would feed me to a retic lol

[littleindiangirl]

Your boys won't fight when put together? I've not had any luck keeping them together and if I don't have them with a female (sealing the deal) they are all alone in their cage. I do worry about them getting lonely.

Cassandra, I might have a snack for Lawrence to send home with you when I see you.

I have.... 9 male rats, 7 are breeders, they all rotate in and out of the breeding racks and have NEVER fought for blood.

They all get along very well. All rats have to reestablish the pecking order when reintroduced, but I have never seen them actually fight. They squabble, they might be loud, but they have never fought for real.

I find the females are actually a lot more bossy than males and will tussle more often.

My males are all peachy!

[marmie]

I have.... 9 male rats, 7 are breeders, they all rotate in and out of the breeding racks and have NEVER fought for blood.

They all get along very well. All rats have to reestablish the pecking order when reintroduced, but I have never seen them actually fight. They squabble, they might be loud, but they have never fought for real.

I find the females are actually a lot more bossy than males and will tussle more often.

My males are all peachy!

My males are huge compared to my females. I have 3 and 2 of them are well over a year old and the third just fathered his first batch.

I'd love to put them together. Any suggestions on how I should introduce them? I suppose I should also note that I don't handle mine with the exception of cleaning the cages and that's a quick lift from one cage to the next.

In addition to the males I have at least 12 breeder females. I got nailed by a couple of females and now I'm scared. I'd love to make friends with them because I do love them and want them to have a good life but I really don't know how to socialize with them and the bites I got really hurt and bled a lot.

Also, how do you know when a rat is depressed?

[littleindiangirl]

I'd love to put them together. Any suggestions on how I should introduce them? I suppose I should also note that I don't handle mine with the exception of cleaning the cages and that's a quick lift from one cage to the next.

In addition to the males I have at least 12 breeder females. I got nailed by a couple of females and now I'm scared. I'd love to make friends with them because I do love them and want them to have a good life but I really don't know how to socialize with them and the bites I got really hurt and bled a lot.

Also, how do you know when a rat is depressed?

Separate the males from the females for at least one night before you introduce to minimize the chance that they smell like females.

Get a nice big well ventilated cage, clean it well, and put all 3 in the cage. They will be so excited over a new clean cage, new smells, and other new guys they generally won't tussle at all.

As to socializing, that's something you have to work on when they are young. From the weanling size I start handling them, playing with them, giving them treats. They learn in just a few sessions that you aren't going to hurt them, and in fact bring them treats!

You can try to socialize adults, the best bet is to use food as a motivating factor. They loOOOOOOOve sweet treats. Don't bother to do this with nursing mothers, as they are already protective and if they try to bite, will still try it.

The chances are slim that they'll take to you, but some of them very well may. Don't hold back any offspring from the ones that bite you. It is pretty inheritable. You'll want to focus on the outgoing rats that are healthy and robust.

I like to single out the animals I want to work with and have single sessions with them. We just sit in the living room and chill. I usually get it to work after only 3 sessions of this one on one. Hoodies are especially useful to be wearing during this.

Also, rats that are really playful and outgoing sort of rub off on the other shy ones. I like to put the skiddish and shy ones in with the rats that practically jump out to me.

I've only had a rat singled out when he was sick. He was mopey, lethargic, his fur was looking dingy and unkept. It's like they just lose interest in the world and will start to decline in health.

[anendeloflorien]

.

I like to single out the animals I want to work with and have single sessions with them. We just sit in the living room and chill. I usually get it to work after only 3 sessions of this one on one. Hoodies are especially useful to be wearing during this.

Also, rats that are really playful and outgoing sort of rub off on the other shy ones. I like to put the skiddish and shy ones in with the rats that practically jump out to me.

Actually my hoodie that I posted pics of up top is without a doubt the sweetest and most hand tame of my rats. Is that maybe a genetic thing with the hoodies? He will be my breeder so hopefully that trait will breed through. I haven't really had any problems with any of mine so far as being skittish really except for the unnamed blue (we're thinking Lois any comments?) who likes to bury herself in the substrate when I try to get her out of the tub but she comes around after a couple minutes of trying to run away. Its funny cuz I did so much research on rats before I got these guys but I'm doing 10X more now!
Love y'all

[littleindiangirl]

Actually my hoodie that I posted pics of up top is without a doubt the sweetest and most hand tame of my rats. Is that maybe a genetic thing with the hoodies? He will be my breeder so hopefully that trait will breed through. I haven't really had any problems with any of mine so far as being skittish really except for the unnamed blue (we're thinking Lois any comments?) who likes to bury herself in the substrate when I try to get her out of the tub but she comes around after a couple minutes of trying to run away. Its funny cuz I did so much research on rats before I got these guys but I'm doing 10X more now!
Love y'all

I don't think it's genetic to a pattern or color.... When i said hoodie, i meant a hooded sweat shirt. It's easy to keep a rat in the pocket or hood.

Most rats are awesome if handled from a young age. I go out of my way to play and hold the more skiddish ones. Hasn't failed me yet.

[anendeloflorien]

I don't think it's genetic to a pattern or color.... When i said hoodie, i meant a hooded sweat shirt. It's easy to keep a rat in the pocket or hood.

Most rats are awesome if handled from a young age. I go out of my way to play and hold the more skiddish ones. Hasn't failed me yet.

Lol oh that makes much more sense than what I said I'll have to give that a shot I got a closet full of freakin hoodies I'm sure I could designate one the "rat hoodie"

[littleindiangirl]

Lol oh that makes much more sense than what I said I'll have to give that a shot I got a closet full of freakin hoodies I'm sure I could designate one the "rat hoodie"

haha, the rat hoodie? Afraid they'll pee all over you?

[anendeloflorien]

haha, the rat hoodie? Afraid they'll pee all over you?

Lol well, I can't say it hasn't crossed my mind, heck we've only had em a day and I've gotten pooped on once and peed on twice takes a little more than that to really bother me but I'd rather confine it to one hoodie