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rat stuff again...
Sep. 20th, 2006 09:16 pmI think Ben misses his brother. For example he has started to groom me quite often, which on the one hand is nice, because he's all affectionate with me, but he didn't used to do that when he still had another rat for company.
So I've decided to get to get two (or maybe even three) more rats to have a group again. Unfortunately the breeder I got Ben and Dustin from isn't active anymore (she had trouble with her landlord), but she referred me to a friend of hers, whom I mailed, so I might know whether she's planning/expecting any litters in the near future from which I may get some young rats. I just like getting rats from hobby breeders much better than from pet stores, because they are already used to humans, and not nearly as shy and traumatized at first. I mean, in the long run the rats I got from pet stores were also all friendly and tame eventually, but you have to work harder to gain their trust, and can't be quite as certain of their socialization. Besides, I'm not that fond of the basic principle of pet stores which is to treat animals for the most part as any other goods to be sold, rather than as living beings.
Anyway, the other problem is that my current cage isn't suitable to integrate new rats, like, I can't separate it into sections or anything like that. I have thought about getting a better cage for a while now, because mine isn't the easiest to clean either, i.e. I have to separate the upper and lower parts, and the access to remove tubes, hammocks, baskets and such for regular cleaning isn't very convenient, as is the case with many rodent cages you find in pet stores, even those that aren't criminally small. I mean, my current one isn't really large, with having a 80x50cm floor and 80cm height, but considering that it was for only two rats, and mine can come outside for several hours each day while I'm at home if they want to, it's not like I put them in something shoebox sized to rot.
The cage system I have an eye on was designed specifically for rats, and would be much better, but it isn't cheap. It's similar to what many people build themselves when they convert cabinets/closets/shelves to rodent cages, only since it all metal you don't run into the eventual smelling (and potentially chewing) problems that self-made wood-based cages present, no matter how you prepare the wood. Not to mention that the last time I tried to build a rat cage with my diy abilities the result wasn't really great (though the rats didn't seem to be bothered by its aesthetic and other failings) and in the end not that cheap either, so I decided to stick with buying cages from then on. Anyway, the cage system consist of modules which you can divide from each other either permanently or with sheets that are for integration of groups so that they are separated to prevent fights but can see and smell the other rats, and also it has large doors on the front for easy cleaning and access. If you're interested in pictures, I'm thinking of getting either one made of two or of three modules, but the price... just ow.
So I've decided to get to get two (or maybe even three) more rats to have a group again. Unfortunately the breeder I got Ben and Dustin from isn't active anymore (she had trouble with her landlord), but she referred me to a friend of hers, whom I mailed, so I might know whether she's planning/expecting any litters in the near future from which I may get some young rats. I just like getting rats from hobby breeders much better than from pet stores, because they are already used to humans, and not nearly as shy and traumatized at first. I mean, in the long run the rats I got from pet stores were also all friendly and tame eventually, but you have to work harder to gain their trust, and can't be quite as certain of their socialization. Besides, I'm not that fond of the basic principle of pet stores which is to treat animals for the most part as any other goods to be sold, rather than as living beings.
Anyway, the other problem is that my current cage isn't suitable to integrate new rats, like, I can't separate it into sections or anything like that. I have thought about getting a better cage for a while now, because mine isn't the easiest to clean either, i.e. I have to separate the upper and lower parts, and the access to remove tubes, hammocks, baskets and such for regular cleaning isn't very convenient, as is the case with many rodent cages you find in pet stores, even those that aren't criminally small. I mean, my current one isn't really large, with having a 80x50cm floor and 80cm height, but considering that it was for only two rats, and mine can come outside for several hours each day while I'm at home if they want to, it's not like I put them in something shoebox sized to rot.
The cage system I have an eye on was designed specifically for rats, and would be much better, but it isn't cheap. It's similar to what many people build themselves when they convert cabinets/closets/shelves to rodent cages, only since it all metal you don't run into the eventual smelling (and potentially chewing) problems that self-made wood-based cages present, no matter how you prepare the wood. Not to mention that the last time I tried to build a rat cage with my diy abilities the result wasn't really great (though the rats didn't seem to be bothered by its aesthetic and other failings) and in the end not that cheap either, so I decided to stick with buying cages from then on. Anyway, the cage system consist of modules which you can divide from each other either permanently or with sheets that are for integration of groups so that they are separated to prevent fights but can see and smell the other rats, and also it has large doors on the front for easy cleaning and access. If you're interested in pictures, I'm thinking of getting either one made of two or of three modules, but the price... just ow.