This is all your fault you know...

All of you people with rats and mice and cute little ferrets.

I found two female rats on CL that someones kids weren't taking care of. And they were in my city. And free. And came with all the stuff they had with them. The parent's were just happy I wasn't going to feed them to snakes apparently. They had a ten year old and a seven year old and the kids just weren't taking care of them like they "promised they would" so the parent's didn't want to deal with it.

I got a 55 gallon aquarium and a whole bunch of stuff with them too. They're really friendly, and seem no worse the wear for not being taken care of and interacted with daily for a few weeks. I've named them Heen and Howl. Heen is the beige hooded and Howl is the black hooded. They are really fun already, and very very social. They came from Petsmart, so I'm surprised at that. I REALLY want them to play in the ball I got for them, but they aren't too keen on it yet.

Howl is kind of a bit skittish, but she still is pretty calm when I'm holding her, and when I had her out to wander around for a bit.

Heen is awesome, and she's definitely my favorite of the two. She's much more bold and outgoing than Howl. She likes Apple Jacks and peanuts and will take them from me without any fuss. Howl prefers I set the treat down first.

Also, they are INCREDIBLY difficult to take pictures of! Oh my god! I need a real camera, and apologies in advance for the crappy cell phone pictures.

So, without further ado, pictures.

Heen;





Thats a book I was using to keep them corralled, lol. They didn't seem to mind.




And Howl;




Almost none of Howls pictures were worth posting though, which is a pity, she's really pretty. They're already using the litter tray I put in there for them, even though they were just messing in their cage. Albus and the dogs are really interested in them, but aside from Albus staring at them, they are leaving them alone. The girls are of course running around trying to get a good look at every body else too.

And girls finally outnumber the boys in this house! Yes!

Omg they're so cute! I rather desperately wanted hooded (and still do) they're sooooo pretty! Maybe later this year I'll try to find two hooded males.......

oh god, they're BEAUTIFUL!!!!!!!!!!
Seriously.
I demand more pics!!!

Also, you'll really want them in a wired cage of sorts, not an aquarium. I don't own rats yet, but I've been doing a bunch of research on keeping them as pets, and glass aquariums do not have enough ventilation for them. When they pee in their cage, it'll cause fumes that can be harmful to their sensitive respiratory systems (can you all tell I've been hanging out at goosemoose.com a lot lately?:lol-sign.
Plus, (especially females), they are curious little buggers who want to climb, climb, CLIMB. And they really do best in a multi-level cage.
And, from what I've gathered from those that have used aquariums in the past, glass aquariums are a PAIN to keep clean.

Good for you for getting them, though!!!!!!
I am so INSANELY jealous of you. I want some ratties sooooooooo badly!

And, also from what I've gathered, girls are seriously active. And they get into everything!:lol-sign:
And they're SUPER smart.

In the rat world, it's typically known that females are the smart, active, and crazy ones who will want out of their enclosures, but not necessarily to see YOU. They want out to explore, explore, EXPLORE!:lol-sign:

And males are lazier, bigger, smellier, but they're also complete lovebugs with their people.

You are soooo lucky!!!!! Give them teh smooches for me.
They're sooo pretty!!!!

Awesome! Yeah, I'd go for a new cage. The good thing is you could probably sell the aquarium to get back some of the money you'd spend on a cage since you got it free.

Oh, thy are sooooo cute!!! congrats on the new additions!! I don't want to sound repetiive, so I won't say anything about the cage :rofl1:

they're so cute!!

i agree with the others on all aspects...

save up some money and get them a good BIG cage, aquariums are terrible for ratties, critter nation or martins are great cages.

and they are super cute!!!

And it's really hard to decide between a Martin's and a Critter Nation (I wouldn't advice getting a Ferret Nation unless you are willing to cover it with hardware cloth). Martin's are more affordable and are more portable, but Critter Nations look better, imo. AND come with their own stand. And have a TON of floor space.

You'd really only need to cover it if you had small rats or babies. Adult males should have no problems in a Ferret Nation. That's what I used

oh, I was suggesting it to her since her rats are females. Aren't female rats still able to slip through the 1" bar spacing of the Ferret Nation?

Oops, sorry! I totally misread that they were males. They looked bigger.
Some could slip through, yes. The females I had probably couldn't have but they were a bit on the large side

Oh, by the way Chewbecca, I just wanted to say how impressed I am with all the research you are doing months before even getting any rats. You are going to be an awesome rat owner. They're so much fun.
I'm in no place to have more pets right now, but I hope Damien wants rats when he's bigger. Daddy could never say no to him

awww, Thank you!!!!
Seriously, though, reading and researching is totally different than actually owning and experiencing rats in person.
So, while I can make everything sound good in type, I'm sure if I got rats, I'd be blown away by how they behave, and I'd probably panic if the tiniest thing went differently than all my research told me!:lol-sign:

I am so scared that when I own rats, if even so much as one dust particle comes into contact with them, I'll be rushing them off to a vet for upper respiratory issues. I'm afraid NOT to wash bedding, but if I do, I'm afraid that what I use will cause them to have some sort of reaction.
I'm scared that I'll be allergic to their pee or fur.
I'm scared that they won't eat the expensive, online-only lab blocks I'll have to feed (because it's what the breeder feeds). I'm scared that I'll feed them some people food on accident that I shouldn't have fed.
I'm scared they'll get bored, but I'm scared that if I put too much stuff in their cage at first, they'll have too much fun in their cool, new paradise, to want to bond properly with me.

UGH. Part of me thinks I should just get rats and learn as I own them.
Because info is so conflicting and is based on each individual case.

Aw, they're really not that difficult. They do require a lot of time and attention, yes, but they're not bad

*hands Chewbecca paper bag* Breathe Becca breathe!!!

CD they're wicked cute! I fostered a hooded rattie that looks just like Heen once, they're wicked cute and very friendly... acted like a mini dog!

oh, hahahaha!
No, I'm sure I'll be fine, I was mainly thinking out loud.
I know if I got rats tomorrow, I'd be able to figure out how to take care of them.
I'm used to get animals that I have no idea how to take care of, and I learn REAL FAST!


OK, I'm done hijacking your thread Milo!:lol-sign:

Your girls are beautiful!

And again, I envy you!

I would be CD, lol, not Milo,

Yes, I know about the aquarium thingy. I've got this one of CL right now actually, trying to sell it to get at least a double level cage. They are SO much fun! I love the pants right off of them already! Heen is content to sit on my lap sometimes, but usually they are go go go all the time, haha.

I got females because I didn't want to have to smell male rat pee. I've had rats before, and it was a bit stinky. They marked eVERYwhere! It was probably because there were also Gerbils in the house at the time, but still. I went to Petsmart to get some chewies for them, and all the male rats that they had there (this store only carries males) were solid black. They were cute, but I definitely prefer the hooded!

I'm currently surfing CL to try and find a nice cage for them. I saw a bird cage that might work, if I made a second or third level for them. I also brought home a crapload of cardboard boxes to make a little critter corral for them, and to make little hide boxes and stuff for their cage right now.

I'm hoping this aquarium sells soon though, lol, I want to decorate a cage for them!

oh, god.
I don't know WHY I called you Milo!!!
D'oh!!! Sorry.

lol! I demand Stagger Lee pictures as an apology!