The Cutest Rats You'll Ever See! Look!

[SatanicIntention]

Robin, they are indeed cutie patooties! However, I would get that corncob out of there as dried corn(not fresh, cooked corn or canned corn) can contain a mold that secretes aflatoxins which can build up in their systems and kill them. I think those cobs are made for popping in the microwave anyway, but I still wouldn't give it to them for fear of that icky mold(especially since we haven't been getting adequate rain and the mold is higher).

Oh! And if you want a dog food that has less than 18% protein and won't make them have issues with protein sensitivity(as blue rats are more prone too than others), Wellness Senior, as well as Nutro Senior are both good candidates. I use the Wellness and none have problems(except the Harley coat boy rat, but his inbreeding coefficient is a bit up there...).

Found a good lab block yet? I recommend the Mazuri made by Purina if you have a feed store around that is a Purina Mill. Pet stores sell Mazuri lab blocks, but they aren't the same quality or have the same ingredients as the feed store ones. www.mazuri.com I use Rodent Block 6F for the rats and 9F for my breeding colony of mice.

[rabernet]

Becky, I went to the pet store prepared! I had printed your food sticky, so I have a bag of the Nutro Senior. I didn't get the Mazuri lab block at the pet store, because I couldn't remember if you had the low protein dog food (and the rest of the mix) if you still needed lab block. After talking to Jo, I know that I do need to get some. I need to google and see if there are any feed stores around here.


Corn cob will come out - it was also for sale at PetSmart, so I thought it was something that might keep them busy and entertained.

Any suggestions on keeping rats happy and not bored by the way? They remind me of dogs in their personalities, I am already head over heels in love with these two! I keep telling myself - you WILL not get attached to their babies, you WILL not get attached to their babies! LOL

Karl was convinced they were killing each other when they were wrestling last night, he would not believe me that they were playing and establishing dominance until I gave Ms. Jo a call to confirm! LOL

Anyhow, they are going to be a lot of fun!

[tmlowe5704]

http://www.ball-pythons.net/gallery/...11600x1200.JPG

looks like the one that my BCI downed yesterday

[rabernet]

LOL - Smulkin fixed the picture in the original post and then someone copied the picture and "broke" the thread again! Driving me nuts scrolling left and right!

[rabernet]

OK, this is just too funny. So Becky, I googled Atlanta feed store and this is one of the first that popped up. Name sounded promising - clicked on the link - somehow, I don't think this is the kind of feed store you were talking about! http://www.atlanta-midtown.com/commu...eed/index.html

[4theSNAKElady]

Robin, I used to buy cat toys for my rats,like wagon wheels,bell balls, and other things like that. Also, those flavored potato starch bones made for dogs aare great too,plus they come in "irratzistable" flavors, such as cheese,bacon,and peanut butter. Bird toys also work well too, as do ferret toys.

[Ginevive]

Those are some nice ones yuo have there! One of my mommas had an awesome litter of b/w hodeds like yours; I have been feeding off the few white and creams fmro that litter, but i hate feeding off the pretty skunklike-looking ones! So I know how you feel!

[SatanicIntention]

Robin, you may want to type in Purina dealer, or go to Purina.com and find a retail store that can order the lab blocks for you.

Hm, I usually buy wooden bird toys, the plastic bird toys with bells from WalMart, make some spaghetti noodles, mix in a little butter and they are happy as clams. You can also wad up newspaper and put treats in the center so they have something to find. Hammocks are a favorite(think bandana held up in 4 corners with big safety pins or binder rings). Boxes stuffed with shredded paper are FUN! And you can put treats in those(chocolate chips, raisins, craisins, etc).

I try not to give mine any kind of bread, tortillas included(unless it is hard/crunchy, etc like french bread or pizza crust). They have a tendency to choke on those things as it gets caught on the roof of their mouth or they gobble it too fast.

You can make them popcorn, pressure cook some fresh green beans(or frozen in a bowl of water is fun for bobbing in, LoL) or fresh corn on the cob(never give corn raw or dried, it will make them sick or can kill them. There is a list of no-no foods somewhere. I will find it and post it soon.

[Laooda]

Oh, I LURVE them!!! Congrats on your rattie-roos, Robin...they really do make excellent pets & can be so much fun!!!

Now you need some Dumbo rats...uber rodent cuteness!

Just make sure you get a butt-ugly male to breed them to, so you'll have some not so cute babies to feed off!

K~

Ditto!!! I've got a Blue male... Vergil, and 2 "feeder producers" Lindsay, Chocolate Dumbo, and a Newbie... Black? hairless.. unnamed as of yet. Vergil has a silk purse he rides around in. No lie... I gotta get U some pix. You'll be amazed how smart they are. GREAT pets!!! I've recentlly gotten my frien into pet rats, she's at 6 now? And planning to build them a "Rat-Gratto"!

[frankykeno]

Darn I had that do not feed list on my favorites before I lost my hard drive so I'll try to find it again and post it on the feeder forum if I can remember where I originally found it.

Those look like lovely rats Robin. The blues I think are likely Russian blue as they look like quick dark steel grey in color...one is a Self, the other with the white would be a Berkshire. From what I remember of rat genetics try to avoid breeding those two blue females with a male that has a blaze face or is a Husky in markings as they can both carry a recessive genes for something (Becky help me out here the NyQuil won't let me remember what you told me about that...ACK).

Don't worry too much about feeding off "pretty" feeders. It's bound to bother you the first few times, that's just natural and will likely pass in time whether the rats are cute or not. I still don't care for feeding off fuzzies as they are the most visually appealing to me but it's just a fact of life when you breed rodents for feeders.

Remember our talk about what to look for when you go out male rat shopping LOL.