New pets.

[Dekka]

I wasn't planning on getting them so soon, but there is ONE store in Ptbo where I feel comfortable buying small animals from and they NEVER have rats in.

So I got these two little guys. They don't have names yet. They are so friendly and well handled. One is VERY calm and out going.. the other one protests a bit lol.

Even though the cages are clean they were kinda dirty so they got a quick bath before they went in their new home. (I almost never bathe my rats.. but these ones were dingy.. their sister-in another cage- was not dingy.. boys )

this is their new suite.

Here they are not looking too impressed about the bath.

 

[corgipower]

Are they pets or are they for training the terriers?

 

[SisMorphine]

Ack they are SO CUTE!!!!!!!!!!

 

[FluffyZooCrew]

AWWWWWW!!!!! I love ratties, and they are CUTE!

 

[MafiaPrincess]

Are they pets or are they for training the terriers?

Both. Kerri likes having rats as pets. This new cage is on her dresser in her bedroom where they can see outside, have some sun.

I do plan to school Smudge on go to ground with them.. Dekka could use a little bit of reschooling, she is too smart for 'fake' hunting. She knows if you come out of the tunnel and run around the back ta da there are the rats.

Can't say I'm a rat fan, but they are fairly cute.

 

[Dekka]

I do like rats as pets. I just picked up this cage on Freecycle (isn't it amazing!?) I had rats as my primary pets all through high school. They will not be in danger from the dogs.. they will get barked at though. I will get them used to barking slowly.

 

[Fran101]

Wow! i didn't think rats needed a cage that big, i thought you got ferrets! they keep like 10 rats in 20 gallon aquariums at petco!

Anyway, congrats on the new pets! glad to hear they are friendly and doing well!

 

[Dekka]

Rats need a lot of space to be happy. They are very very intelligent creatures. Those small cages are like keeping a dog in a small kennel run.. yes it can be done but its not healthy.

 

[Ridgeback Guy]

Cool little critters! I bet their in heavon with that giant cage!

 

[FoxyWench]

there adorable, beige/champagne hoodeds are among my fave colors...

and both a WOW and THANK YOU on the cage, too many people keep them in cages way too small.

 

[vanillasugar]

Oooh they're CUTE!! And I love those cages, I've seen them around here and always admire that they're so much bigger than the Superpet cages you find at most stores

 

[setter-chick]

The rats that we used to keep for earthdog practice would fall asleep while the dogs were barking... they get the idea that they will not get hurt if they are in the cage quick. Interesting little creatures!

 

[MafiaPrincess]

Lot of rats get used to the dogs and the barking and know they are safe.

Smudge at the funday tried go to ground, and trailing and locating.. Both had rats at the end.. but the rats were uninteresting to him as they were in cages. We tried getting him riled up to them.. but he knew himself that they were safe and being told to get the rat would then search the ground for a 'new' free rat.

At the farm he constantly searches for rats and is really drivey and into it.. caged isn't the same.

 

[adojrts]

Lot of rats get used to the dogs and the barking and know they are safe.

Smudge at the funday tried go to ground, and trailing and locating.. Both had rats at the end.. but the rats were uninteresting to him as they were in cages. We tried getting him riled up to them.. but he knew himself that they were safe and being told to get the rat would then search the ground for a 'new' free rat.

At the farm he constantly searches for rats and is really drivey and into it.. caged isn't the same.

For the T & L on Saturday, I would have tried trapping a couple of barn rats, as they will scream and hiss at dogs, generally be very aggressive. But I figured someone would have a fit if their dog got bit a rat in the event........so I went and purchased feeder rats.

They are now living in the barn, because I wont have them in the house because my dogs go nuts over them and I don't want to listen to that for a while. Not to mention with regionals on this weekend end I don't need Petie's prey drives flipped on, on any level. At this point I am praying that the horse park has no groundhogs in residence (wouldn't expect they do) because Ottawa is loaded with ghs.

 

[elegy]

very cute. i miss having rats. i have five rat cages in my garage, all empty. it's kind of sad, but i don't have anywhere to keep them safely and comfortably in this tiny house right now.

 

[smkie]

Nice set up. THat is the kind of cages that Spoiled Ratten had her breeders in.

 

[MafiaPrincess]

For the T & L on Saturday, I would have tried trapping a couple of barn rats, as they will scream and hiss at dogs, generally be very aggressive. But I figured someone would have a fit if their dog got bit a rat in the event........so I went and purchased feeder rats.

They are now living in the barn, because I wont have them in the house because my dogs go nuts over them and I don't want to listen to that for a while. Not to mention with regionals on this weekend end I don't need Petie's prey drives flipped on, on any level. At this point I am praying that the horse park has no groundhogs in residence (wouldn't expect they do) because Ottawa is loaded with ghs.

Someone likely would have had a fit.. totally. We are hoping that with some work Smudge will see caged rats as something to work at and that they are rats too.

We are thinking about trapping wild mice if the wild rats haven't eaten all of them to help him turn on. The rats on the farm are too smart for zap traps or for live taps it seems here.

Ouch, good luck at regionals. I hope for a lack of prey for you two. Never anything I've thought of as beign a problem at outdoor events before. That's a pain.

 

[MyHorseMyRules]

They're cute! And the cage is awesome.

 

[adojrts]

Someone likely would have had a fit.. totally. We are hoping that with some work Smudge will see caged rats as something to work at and that they are rats too.

We are thinking about trapping wild mice if the wild rats haven't eaten all of them to help him turn on. The rats on the farm are too smart for zap traps or for live taps it seems here.

Ouch, good luck at regionals. I hope for a lack of prey for you two. Never anything I've thought of as beign a problem at outdoor events before. That's a pain.

Yep, some would have, but it would have made for a more interesting T & L lol.


Lol, we never have a lack of prey drive, just trying to keep it bottled up and surpressed when I need him to run agility :yikes:
Oh good grief, I always have to scout trial grounds for settes (without Petie with me ) and I have to keep Petie away from the hedgerows in case there are settes or quarry in them. Once I have checked it out, then I have to take him over and let him check it out that there is no quarry or settes around in order to have him focused for agility. It is also the reason I can't trial him at Spot On during the fall, too many coons around because of the corn fields around the trial grounds. Hell, he'll turn on when he picks up a scent and there is no quarry to been seen and its not the local BBQ that has him responding that way lol. Someone had a Border Terrier in a sitting up begging position across the trial grounds once, the wind was going the wrong way (no scent) and I had to take Petie closer so he could see that it wasn't a groundhog sitting up lol. He had already flipped the switch and was in full prey drive, until he saw that it wasn't a gh. And if a hog were to whistle at him????

I have a mama coon in my barn right now, I could easily solve that problem. Take a dog or two the barn, but I wont for two reasons. First its baby season and second I don't want to increase those drives in him with regionals so close.

Thanks anyways, we'll see how regionals turns out, Sunday I had him at a trial, he rocked, 2 Q's out of 3 runs, and it would have been 3 for 3 if I hadn't screwed up in the main for Masters Gamblers. Poor dog needs a better handler lol.

 

[thats_how_I_roll]

they wont die will they? like from the terriers
I have two pet rats they are my bubs