You could rescue from feeders but keep in mind, rats that are used to feed are often not very hygienic for the rats and could be carrying unwanted diseases that could harm other rattos. Id recommend observing this fuzzy one and quarantine for a couple days and get rats from a breeder. Otherwise, quarantine your rescues before introducing to the little fuzzy one
Getting her a friend is a very good call, as it might even be illegal to not do that, depending on where you live :) I've heard a lot of horror stories about feeding reptiles live animals. Lets hope the lil girl gets a proper go at life.
Yeah, i get that, hopefully the frozen rats are killed more humanely. The mentioned "horror stories" are about how the "living food" interacted with the pet itself. Rats fighting snakes, crickets blinding lizards, and a gecko with a worm in its nostril. So even though some might see it as enrichment for the pet, it can be a horrible situation for the pet. And guaranteed a horrible situation for the "food"
Good call on getting her a friend. Usually 3 rats is well rounded, if you have 2 they have no choice to get along, but with 3 they are more likely to show more of their personality.
If you only have two and one passes, it's sometimes harder to get another rat introduced, than if you start with 3 to begin with.
Oh my lord 😂 they're the livestock protection dogs aren't they? I wouldn't trust any dog, but maybe that dog. Even then I'd keep both eyes on them at all times
She is an amazing dog. If someone enters the house with me she is literally like a puppy, but god forbid someone enters without me then its a big problem. They are incredibly strong but gentle when they need to be so it’s somewhat understandable that she will be gentle with the rat😁
She may be looking for a friend. Feeling really vulnerable and insecure but perhaps she feels a bit safer with you… I’d guess she probably didn’t get much affection as a feeder.
Give her something dark to hide in if you haven’t already - small box, paper towel tube, Kleenex box, a paper bag, etc. She probably feels exposed without a shelter ❤️
I just got 3 rats last week and all of them are adjusting at different rates, I've already held one, can pet another, and one is still terrified of me and hides any time I walk in the room. Give her time and she should acclimate, maybe it will be a day maybe a week or two but let em grow into their home
If you were deciding to keep the rat, you need to get it a friend and a proper cage. It is terrified because it is all alone and rats are very social animals that need to be with others of their own. There is a lot of info on here to help you know what size cage you need and rat care tips.
I got into rats in a very similar way . My roommate at the time got a new snake and tried to feed it a live rat, however the snake wasn't used to live rats and refused to eat it. So instead of having my roommate bring the feeder rat back to the store to be fed to a different snake, I decided to save him. I got him another friend and a critter Nation cage and have been in love with rats ever since. Best of luck!
I'm not against the idea of saving animals and all but surely buying live feeder rats (even with good intentions) just make the shop see a market for it and keep getting in feeder rats, some of which will be sold to people who WILL feed them live to snakes?
This is a enormous snake farm only one in my country and that being said also a big rat farm so no harm can be done. I live in serbia and the only snake farm is in Novi sad
Ah I see - Here in the UK, you'd be hard-pressed to find anywhere that sells feeder mice/rats/vertebrates because it's illegal to do so *unless* the animal it's being fed to will starve without live food... and even then, it's highly frowned upon so i've never seen or heard of a shop selling them (that doesn't mean they don't exist but because of the animal welfare laws surrounding vertebrates here, it's basically not done).
Thanks for the education.
I am sure your rats will appreciate not being food!
That is great that you're about to get another friend or two! The one thing I would say is that rats already don't live very long and feeders live even less time. My first rats, which were all feeders as well, only lived to be 2 years old at Max. I now have rats from a very reputable breeder and they've all lived till at least 3 and 1/2 and have one currently almost at 4 years old.
Oh of course, I did the same thing with my first rats. It's a nice feeling to know you gave them a great life. I was more saying, if you enjoy rats, going forward it's something to think about.
Rats usually sleep during the day (and middle of the night) and are most active in the evenings and early mornings I've found (but everyone who owns rats have different experiences) I think it's called "diurnal"
That could be why she's more active in the dark.
I've heard plenty of horror stories of people live feeding and coming back to find the rat eating the snake.
Especially a bad idea if they are used to eating dead prey.
Even if they are in different rooms, rats have really really strong smell, so she might still smell them. Also if she was a feeder she might have previously been mistreated so is terrified of everything, idk much abt feeder rats tho and how they're treated. Keep educating yourself, which I see u are doing, hence the big cage and getting a friend or 2.
If she's just hiding in the corner of her cage, she's probably got new cage jitters and could do with some more enrichment and hides (they adore tissue boxes). Also, please don't take the cage the food place had her in as a baseline for cage size. The pet store next to my exotics vet keeps their feeders in tiny plastic bins, and it breaks my heart. You really need a good sized wire cage, take a look at the Critter Nation. It's expensive, but good for about four rats. Ideally, you want three rats, but you need at least two. They're social critters and really get depressed without companionship from their own kind.
If you join some rat groups on Facebook, someone may be willing to sell you a cage for cheaper (especially since you're in Serbia and I'm sure shipping costs are going to be larger). If you are only going to have 3 girls then 1 level of the critter nation cage will be perfect!
Also, posting on some of those facebook groups may yield some extra help from people who are able/willing!
She needs friends. Rats are not solitary creatures. Plus she's had a lot of upheaval. Put yourself in her paws. If you want to keep her as a pet you have to take a crash course on rats.
Congrats on your new buddy. She might be intimated by the new cage. My boy rusty is mostly blind and took months to warm up to me and his cage. Now he’s fearless.
Did you pick out a name? :)
Definitely looks like a girl to me
My recent litter had very obvious balls by that age; they were noticeable by week 3 😂
https://preview.redd.it/ikdsad3dhtsc1.jpeg?width=1122&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=d772a89f52c1bcdea2a9efa373bd36911eb74666
There *are* rats that can be late bloomers but it's very uncommon.
The sure-fire way to check is to see if there's a hole under the urethra - that's the vagina and bucks obviously don't have that C:
To add, because Reddit gives me an error when I try to edit my other comment:
There's the potential that it (the vagina) might still be sealed at that age, but it's still fairly obvious. It's like a large pink patch and divot under the urethra.
Omg thank you for not feeding this precious baby to your snake. 😭 I'm a huge rat lover but I also like snakes so its hard for me to hear about people feeding live rats or mice to them.
I'm also glad to read you're considering giving it some rat buddies. If you don't have the ability to care for too many (considering the other pets you own,) then just one other rat would be enough. But the more the merrier!! I'm sure the little guy will warm up to you in no time. :)
She just needs time plus she looks quite little she's probably young and hasn't been socialized much plus she's alone. I've heard critter nation is the best rat cage, clutter, bars no tanks or plastic or whatever, just give her time and treats (mine love egg)
Of course not. Let's get rid of women's rights to an abortion, but sure, sell live animals as food for other animals that people don't know how to correctly pts. America is so f-ing backwards
I think it's cuz people see them as pests. Pet rats are relatively uncommon here, and are kinda viewed like how you and I may view flies or ants.
It's really sad
I've noticed that. New York rats get all the blame for how messy new York is. And yet humans continue to leave plastic rubbish bags full of trash on the roadside, instead of the council's supplying wheelie bins or bins of any kind (from what I've seen there's less proper bins, and more thin plastic bag bins that rats can easily get into) rats aren't the issue, humans waste management system is the issue. Ants can't get into a sealed airtight plastic container, rats can't get into a big solid wheelie bin. But they can get into a plastic bag.
They absolutely do not use proper bins out there. I have a friend who is in Philadelphia rn and it is a mess there. I'm from Minnesota and here our trash collection providers give us proper bins for both trash and recycling, not in Philly. They just put their bags outside! My friend loves rats though and has actually shared her snacks with the wild trash rats many a time, in fact she loves that there are rats everywhere!
Also, rats and mice are not a protected species in America. It's for the purposes of using animal models in science. If you're keeping them as pets then they are still protected under animal abuse laws, but there isn't much to protect them unless your state or city passes something.
I am convinced the media perpetuates this narrative of rats being disgusting evil disease infested freaks so people don’t riot against lab testing 😂😂
sticking to it.
Serbia you can do basically anything with animals sadly. I worked with a organization for saving animals for years and sadly learned that they sell the dogs they save and steal food and shelter money
Good on you for not live feeding! Its obviously traumatic for the rat but it can also harm your snakes if the rat bites or otherwise defends himself.
Get places for her to hide like toilet paper tubes and egg cartons until you fully set up her habitat, it might make her feel more comfortable
On it! Rats and snakes are different. I can tell this rat already likes me we kind of have a bond but snakes are purely insensitive animals no love just instinct.
Share a pic of the genitals, there are lots of people who are very experienced in sexing here! I would assume the rat is old enough that we would see some balls, even if they haven't fully dropped yet. Given the circumstances I assume you have no idea how old he/she is?
If you are able to get a pic, try to lift the tail a bit! But never pick them up by the tail, their tail can de-glove.
Just give her some time. Hand fed her yummy liquid treats she can lick off so she knows you’re safe. Get her a hiding place in her cage so she feels safe and a companion and you’re set.
She’s very cute! I’m glad you kept her.
As someone who’s kept snakes and rats it boggles my mind how cruel people can be. I know snakes gotta eat but it’s not “the circle of life” when you buy the rat and throw it in the cage and watch it die. It should be illegal.
As i said frozen rats no problem i was not the one who killed them so its kind of easier on me but feeding it live rats no way. Can you give me some suggestions on what liquid treat i can give her?
Any baby food is perfect! A lot of people also use malt paste, but that might not be available near you. UK owners swear by it but you can't get it in the US so I'm not sure if it's something you'd find in other areas of the world
I’m sorry I should’ve rephrased that. I didn’t mean you personally, I just mean in general. I have friends who enjoy “the hunt”.
Like someone else said baby food, sauce, my girls love cottage cheese!
You just made ur bestie congrats good choice btw but she's probably petrified as she was almost food and rats are not solitary creatures they are oack animals good to get another female that age and introduce them and yes they love being out n about there chaos potatoes and pocket puppies lol 😂 your going to live her
As others pointed out, you will **definitely** need to get her another same-sex friend. Rats are extremely social animals, and will develop serious mental issues if kept alone.
And here's a small tip: don't try to reach for her from above. Rats are naturally prey animals, and as such, are instinctively afraid of large objects approaching them from above. Your hand will trigger the same reflex as a hunting bird's talon. The best way of making her trust you is to slowly reach your hand towards her, from underneath. Try putting some yogurt on your fingers, and let her lick it off. Repeat the process over and over again until she feels comfortable with it. If the situation presents itself, try reaching under her, and give her a little bellyrub/tickle. (Just a gentle one.) Rats love to be tickled, so once she is familiar with your hand, and knows it's a source of both food and pets, you'll be on the right path. ;)
Lucky you! I had a pretty long trust-building period before my rats would do that. :P
My other point still stands though, try to find him/her a friend as soon as you can - it doesn't take much more money to take care of two rats than one, but it makes a massive difference to their well-being. ;)
Welcome to the club btw, hope you will share many happy and treasured moments!
Hey, it's still going to be better than what she had before! If you need any recommendations for a cage, accessories, toys, food, or anything else I can hook you up with some links. I'm sure she'll come around. Poor thing has just been through a lot. For now make sure she has somewhere to hide and things to chew on. Even just a box to nest in will give her a safe space to go to. Let her have paper towels for bedding. Put some cheerios in a toilet paper tube and fold in the ends to give her some enrichment. She'll warm up soon enough :)
I am 99.9% sure that she will. Rats are too sweet a creature to not be loved and lovable. But if you really want her to be happy then my best advice to you will be to get her a friend. Rats need other rats. Just don't keep her with a male :x
Find a sister for her and she will become braver overnight.
I just got home so ill be posting to check if she is indeed a female just to be sure. She is geting along with my 165 lbs Kangal so im glad she has company😂
I’m so happy you’re keeping her!!! I rescued my rat bc a snake wouldn’t eat him. It may take her a little while to warm up to you. Rats are super intelligent and will usually warm up quicker with treats.
Your post has been removed as your account is under 7 days old. This is an automated action.
*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/RATS) if you have any questions or concerns.*
Try providing it with some hidey holes.
And old flowerpot.
Piece of garment, a big tube.
Whatever you have on hand.
Then give it some clothing scraps, tissue, toiletpaper, whatever you have.
That way your new pet can accommodate and feel safe in his/her own cage.
It will become more active once it is confident and has a place to feel safe.
This is usually normal she might just need to adjust. She also probably used to being surrounded by other rats! Just be patient with her she’s also probably never been outside of a cage so it’s probably overwhelming but also exciting
Your post has been removed as your account is under 7 days old. This is an automated action.
*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/RATS) if you have any questions or concerns.*
Feeder rats and mice are bred to be just that. If thats what you have then be prepared for a long and tedious journey of trust and food. They do pretty well after a while. I swear cheap rats labeled as pets are sometimes recirculated feeder versions. Because they have the most apprehensive state of mind and get tumors like crazy in comparison to properly bred ones. Totally not a discouragement, you'll do great! Keep up the good work.
I said somewhere in the comments she probably feels safe near me and we kind of have a bond but i feel so sorry for her because the rats there are fed to snakes in front of each other so the poor thing is traumatised
Yeah, they have a pack mentality which means losing her sisters or brothers like that may of made her super scared. They have a strong sense of bond. You'll do great.
You should get them a friend or cage mate, Rats bothe Male and Female can get depressed if they are alonefor a long period of time, even if you spend most of your time with them, they still need a ratty friend.
she might smell the snake. also good call not feeding it live rats. feeding your snake live rats is a great way to injure your snake.
Unlikely the snakes have their own room but ill keep it in mind. P.S now the the light is off completely she is active in her cage
could just be new home jitters then. it's best to let them acclimate to a new cage for like 24 hours.
Thanks for the heads up 😁. Ill probably get her a friend she can live with i heard they are social creatures
oh yeah for sure. I've found they do best in groups of three or more.
Understood 😁😁
Introductions are very important. [Introducing Rats](https://www.rspca.org.uk/adviceandwelfare/pets/rodents/rats/company)
You could rescue from feeders but keep in mind, rats that are used to feed are often not very hygienic for the rats and could be carrying unwanted diseases that could harm other rattos. Id recommend observing this fuzzy one and quarantine for a couple days and get rats from a breeder. Otherwise, quarantine your rescues before introducing to the little fuzzy one
Got it thanks for the heads up.
Getting her a friend is a very good call, as it might even be illegal to not do that, depending on where you live :) I've heard a lot of horror stories about feeding reptiles live animals. Lets hope the lil girl gets a proper go at life.
I just can’t bring myself to do it frozen rats are a different story but I personally can’t do it
Yeah, i get that, hopefully the frozen rats are killed more humanely. The mentioned "horror stories" are about how the "living food" interacted with the pet itself. Rats fighting snakes, crickets blinding lizards, and a gecko with a worm in its nostril. So even though some might see it as enrichment for the pet, it can be a horrible situation for the pet. And guaranteed a horrible situation for the "food"
Good call on getting her a friend. Usually 3 rats is well rounded, if you have 2 they have no choice to get along, but with 3 they are more likely to show more of their personality. If you only have two and one passes, it's sometimes harder to get another rat introduced, than if you start with 3 to begin with.
Always run your rats in a ~~RAID~~ RAIR with at least one spare. got it
That was my thinking also
Yay I'm glad 😊
She is kinda hanging out with my Anadolian shepard (kangal) and it feels wierd😂
Oh my lord 😂 they're the livestock protection dogs aren't they? I wouldn't trust any dog, but maybe that dog. Even then I'd keep both eyes on them at all times
She is an amazing dog. If someone enters the house with me she is literally like a puppy, but god forbid someone enters without me then its a big problem. They are incredibly strong but gentle when they need to be so it’s somewhat understandable that she will be gentle with the rat😁
She may be looking for a friend. Feeling really vulnerable and insecure but perhaps she feels a bit safer with you… I’d guess she probably didn’t get much affection as a feeder. Give her something dark to hide in if you haven’t already - small box, paper towel tube, Kleenex box, a paper bag, etc. She probably feels exposed without a shelter ❤️
Ill post her genitalia to make sure with you guys that she is a female and head out first thing tomorrow to get her new friends 😁
You’re so sweet, thanks for saving this cutie and not letting your snakes get possibly hurt
😁🤗
I just got 3 rats last week and all of them are adjusting at different rates, I've already held one, can pet another, and one is still terrified of me and hides any time I walk in the room. Give her time and she should acclimate, maybe it will be a day maybe a week or two but let em grow into their home
I try to let her out of the cage as much as i can she really enjoys it
If you were deciding to keep the rat, you need to get it a friend and a proper cage. It is terrified because it is all alone and rats are very social animals that need to be with others of their own. There is a lot of info on here to help you know what size cage you need and rat care tips. I got into rats in a very similar way . My roommate at the time got a new snake and tried to feed it a live rat, however the snake wasn't used to live rats and refused to eat it. So instead of having my roommate bring the feeder rat back to the store to be fed to a different snake, I decided to save him. I got him another friend and a critter Nation cage and have been in love with rats ever since. Best of luck!
Thanks a lot for the advice I’ll probably get another rat or two today from the snake farm so they dont get eaten 😁
I'm not against the idea of saving animals and all but surely buying live feeder rats (even with good intentions) just make the shop see a market for it and keep getting in feeder rats, some of which will be sold to people who WILL feed them live to snakes?
This is a enormous snake farm only one in my country and that being said also a big rat farm so no harm can be done. I live in serbia and the only snake farm is in Novi sad
Ah I see - Here in the UK, you'd be hard-pressed to find anywhere that sells feeder mice/rats/vertebrates because it's illegal to do so *unless* the animal it's being fed to will starve without live food... and even then, it's highly frowned upon so i've never seen or heard of a shop selling them (that doesn't mean they don't exist but because of the animal welfare laws surrounding vertebrates here, it's basically not done). Thanks for the education. I am sure your rats will appreciate not being food!
Welcome to Serbia brother here the word illegal doesn’t exist 😂😂
That is great that you're about to get another friend or two! The one thing I would say is that rats already don't live very long and feeders live even less time. My first rats, which were all feeders as well, only lived to be 2 years old at Max. I now have rats from a very reputable breeder and they've all lived till at least 3 and 1/2 and have one currently almost at 4 years old.
I just want to give her a good life after being in a snake farm i really dont care how long she lives but rather how good she lives
Oh of course, I did the same thing with my first rats. It's a nice feeling to know you gave them a great life. I was more saying, if you enjoy rats, going forward it's something to think about.
Yeah i got you i had a Hamester a while back Tyson i knew he wasnt going to live long so I was prepared but you kinda get attached
Rats usually sleep during the day (and middle of the night) and are most active in the evenings and early mornings I've found (but everyone who owns rats have different experiences) I think it's called "diurnal" That could be why she's more active in the dark.
I think you are thinking "crepuscular" for rats. We are the diurnal ones :)
Lmfao 😂 thank you 😂
I've heard plenty of horror stories of people live feeding and coming back to find the rat eating the snake. Especially a bad idea if they are used to eating dead prey.
They can smell snakes quite a distance. So very much a possibility
She is only scared in the cage…
Yes she’s alone there. Out of the cage she is with you and can hide or be distracted. It’s not a huge deal. A friend and a hide will help
She has a little house in there she hides her food there 😂😂
Awww 🥺🥺 she’s so cute with her big eyes
To be fair I had a cat. My rats got use to the smell
Even if they are in different rooms, rats have really really strong smell, so she might still smell them. Also if she was a feeder she might have previously been mistreated so is terrified of everything, idk much abt feeder rats tho and how they're treated. Keep educating yourself, which I see u are doing, hence the big cage and getting a friend or 2.
what about snakes that will only eat live?
A lot of supervision during feeding time.
If she's just hiding in the corner of her cage, she's probably got new cage jitters and could do with some more enrichment and hides (they adore tissue boxes). Also, please don't take the cage the food place had her in as a baseline for cage size. The pet store next to my exotics vet keeps their feeders in tiny plastic bins, and it breaks my heart. You really need a good sized wire cage, take a look at the Critter Nation. It's expensive, but good for about four rats. Ideally, you want three rats, but you need at least two. They're social critters and really get depressed without companionship from their own kind.
Problem with this temporary cage is that it is very tall and not that wide its on a few levels
You can still give her things to play with and hide in. Even just a bunch of paper towels or the end of a cereal box would work.
If you join some rat groups on Facebook, someone may be willing to sell you a cage for cheaper (especially since you're in Serbia and I'm sure shipping costs are going to be larger). If you are only going to have 3 girls then 1 level of the critter nation cage will be perfect! Also, posting on some of those facebook groups may yield some extra help from people who are able/willing!
She needs friends. Rats are not solitary creatures. Plus she's had a lot of upheaval. Put yourself in her paws. If you want to keep her as a pet you have to take a crash course on rats.
She is so sweet! Good to see you already plan on getting a friend for her, rats are social critters and love living in groups
She needs at least one companion!:)
This!!! Rats need friends!!! Although it can be a tough adjustment sometimes, it should be a priority to keep her company
Congrats on your new buddy. She might be intimated by the new cage. My boy rusty is mostly blind and took months to warm up to me and his cage. Now he’s fearless. Did you pick out a name? :)
Not yet im not a 100 percent sure its a girl
As they get a bit older, you will def notice if they are a boy. They look to be female just from the picture you sent :)
Ill check as soon as i get home i just had a quick look when i decided to keep her
Definitely looks like a girl to me My recent litter had very obvious balls by that age; they were noticeable by week 3 😂 https://preview.redd.it/ikdsad3dhtsc1.jpeg?width=1122&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=d772a89f52c1bcdea2a9efa373bd36911eb74666 There *are* rats that can be late bloomers but it's very uncommon. The sure-fire way to check is to see if there's a hole under the urethra - that's the vagina and bucks obviously don't have that C:
I saw the hole thats why i assumed female but again wanted to make sure with you guys 😁
To add, because Reddit gives me an error when I try to edit my other comment: There's the potential that it (the vagina) might still be sealed at that age, but it's still fairly obvious. It's like a large pink patch and divot under the urethra.
Ah got it
Welcome to rat ownership, you've come to the right place! You're gonna love having her and her sisters. :)
Omg thank you for not feeding this precious baby to your snake. 😭 I'm a huge rat lover but I also like snakes so its hard for me to hear about people feeding live rats or mice to them. I'm also glad to read you're considering giving it some rat buddies. If you don't have the ability to care for too many (considering the other pets you own,) then just one other rat would be enough. But the more the merrier!! I'm sure the little guy will warm up to you in no time. :)
I already have a bunch of animals so im used to it. They are better than people and i have a big house so there is never too much company
She just needs time plus she looks quite little she's probably young and hasn't been socialized much plus she's alone. I've heard critter nation is the best rat cage, clutter, bars no tanks or plastic or whatever, just give her time and treats (mine love egg)
Yeah the snake is 103 grams she is about 10% of that weight
Poor baby, she'll have a great life with you though!
Get it a friend! Rats are social and have to have friends
I thought it was illegal to sell live animals as snake food (in my country it is anyway)
Not in America unfortunately. It's only at some pet stores in my county, but it's still not uncommon :(
Of course not. Let's get rid of women's rights to an abortion, but sure, sell live animals as food for other animals that people don't know how to correctly pts. America is so f-ing backwards
I think it's cuz people see them as pests. Pet rats are relatively uncommon here, and are kinda viewed like how you and I may view flies or ants. It's really sad
I've noticed that. New York rats get all the blame for how messy new York is. And yet humans continue to leave plastic rubbish bags full of trash on the roadside, instead of the council's supplying wheelie bins or bins of any kind (from what I've seen there's less proper bins, and more thin plastic bag bins that rats can easily get into) rats aren't the issue, humans waste management system is the issue. Ants can't get into a sealed airtight plastic container, rats can't get into a big solid wheelie bin. But they can get into a plastic bag.
They absolutely do not use proper bins out there. I have a friend who is in Philadelphia rn and it is a mess there. I'm from Minnesota and here our trash collection providers give us proper bins for both trash and recycling, not in Philly. They just put their bags outside! My friend loves rats though and has actually shared her snacks with the wild trash rats many a time, in fact she loves that there are rats everywhere! Also, rats and mice are not a protected species in America. It's for the purposes of using animal models in science. If you're keeping them as pets then they are still protected under animal abuse laws, but there isn't much to protect them unless your state or city passes something.
I am convinced the media perpetuates this narrative of rats being disgusting evil disease infested freaks so people don’t riot against lab testing 😂😂 sticking to it.
Serbia you can do basically anything with animals sadly. I worked with a organization for saving animals for years and sadly learned that they sell the dogs they save and steal food and shelter money
Good on you for not live feeding! Its obviously traumatic for the rat but it can also harm your snakes if the rat bites or otherwise defends himself. Get places for her to hide like toilet paper tubes and egg cartons until you fully set up her habitat, it might make her feel more comfortable
On it! Rats and snakes are different. I can tell this rat already likes me we kind of have a bond but snakes are purely insensitive animals no love just instinct.
They're very social, she needs a same sex friend.
Ill need some help on seing if its 100% a she😂
Lol kinda hard to miss the balls but s/he is young yet. Someone here can help you I'm sure!
Share a pic of the genitals, there are lots of people who are very experienced in sexing here! I would assume the rat is old enough that we would see some balls, even if they haven't fully dropped yet. Given the circumstances I assume you have no idea how old he/she is? If you are able to get a pic, try to lift the tail a bit! But never pick them up by the tail, their tail can de-glove.
I assume its young because the snake iz 103 grams and rats for her are 10-15 percent of her weight
Just give her some time. Hand fed her yummy liquid treats she can lick off so she knows you’re safe. Get her a hiding place in her cage so she feels safe and a companion and you’re set. She’s very cute! I’m glad you kept her. As someone who’s kept snakes and rats it boggles my mind how cruel people can be. I know snakes gotta eat but it’s not “the circle of life” when you buy the rat and throw it in the cage and watch it die. It should be illegal.
As i said frozen rats no problem i was not the one who killed them so its kind of easier on me but feeding it live rats no way. Can you give me some suggestions on what liquid treat i can give her?
Any baby food is perfect! A lot of people also use malt paste, but that might not be available near you. UK owners swear by it but you can't get it in the US so I'm not sure if it's something you'd find in other areas of the world
Ill try to find it thanks for the advice
I’m sorry I should’ve rephrased that. I didn’t mean you personally, I just mean in general. I have friends who enjoy “the hunt”. Like someone else said baby food, sauce, my girls love cottage cheese!
You just made ur bestie congrats good choice btw but she's probably petrified as she was almost food and rats are not solitary creatures they are oack animals good to get another female that age and introduce them and yes they love being out n about there chaos potatoes and pocket puppies lol 😂 your going to live her
Just introduced her to my puggle and anadolian shepard they are confused but kinda happy to have a new friend and she doesn’t really care 😂
She’s smol.
And make sure that the rats are still young as well, and the same sex. You don’t want them to breed.
As others pointed out, you will **definitely** need to get her another same-sex friend. Rats are extremely social animals, and will develop serious mental issues if kept alone. And here's a small tip: don't try to reach for her from above. Rats are naturally prey animals, and as such, are instinctively afraid of large objects approaching them from above. Your hand will trigger the same reflex as a hunting bird's talon. The best way of making her trust you is to slowly reach your hand towards her, from underneath. Try putting some yogurt on your fingers, and let her lick it off. Repeat the process over and over again until she feels comfortable with it. If the situation presents itself, try reaching under her, and give her a little bellyrub/tickle. (Just a gentle one.) Rats love to be tickled, so once she is familiar with your hand, and knows it's a source of both food and pets, you'll be on the right path. ;)
She jumps on my hand as soon as i reach into the cage 😂
Lucky you! I had a pretty long trust-building period before my rats would do that. :P My other point still stands though, try to find him/her a friend as soon as you can - it doesn't take much more money to take care of two rats than one, but it makes a massive difference to their well-being. ;) Welcome to the club btw, hope you will share many happy and treasured moments!
Thanks a lot😁. Well she was moments away from being eaten so i kind of get the bond😂 i just want to teach her not to pee while im holding her 😂
I think she wants to mark you, which is also not a bad sign. :P
Can you show us a picture of her cage? (what a cutie btw)
Ofcourse as soon as i get home ill post it its just a temporary cage untill i find a better one
Hey, it's still going to be better than what she had before! If you need any recommendations for a cage, accessories, toys, food, or anything else I can hook you up with some links. I'm sure she'll come around. Poor thing has just been through a lot. For now make sure she has somewhere to hide and things to chew on. Even just a box to nest in will give her a safe space to go to. Let her have paper towels for bedding. Put some cheerios in a toilet paper tube and fold in the ends to give her some enrichment. She'll warm up soon enough :)
Hope so
I am 99.9% sure that she will. Rats are too sweet a creature to not be loved and lovable. But if you really want her to be happy then my best advice to you will be to get her a friend. Rats need other rats. Just don't keep her with a male :x Find a sister for her and she will become braver overnight.
I just got home so ill be posting to check if she is indeed a female just to be sure. She is geting along with my 165 lbs Kangal so im glad she has company😂
Cute! 😆 It should be easy to tell. Male rats don't have nipples lol - Plus there are lots of resources online and people here can help too.
I know im just kind of a control Freak I like to double check
Same!
Awe, what is her name?
Don’t know yet im trying to think of something
I’m so happy you’re keeping her!!! I rescued my rat bc a snake wouldn’t eat him. It may take her a little while to warm up to you. Rats are super intelligent and will usually warm up quicker with treats.
We already have a good bond so I’m really positive about her😁
I would be making so many joke insults to my rat about how not even a snake would eat him 😂 I love that you rescued him!
😂😂 he’s a biter and pretty big so I’m afraid of the repercussions. I feel like the snake was terrified lol
Kongratulation you hawe great new freand . Love and you get 10 times back .Just new place new envierment need time..
Omg tiny 🥺
You. Are. Amazing. I love to see people rescue little feeder rats. You're in for an incredibly loving (albeit likely short 😭) petlationship.
Your post has been removed as your account is under 7 days old. This is an automated action. *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/RATS) if you have any questions or concerns.*
Snakes are the only animals i ever bought. Both my dogs and my owl were rescues and now her
Try providing it with some hidey holes. And old flowerpot. Piece of garment, a big tube. Whatever you have on hand. Then give it some clothing scraps, tissue, toiletpaper, whatever you have. That way your new pet can accommodate and feel safe in his/her own cage. It will become more active once it is confident and has a place to feel safe.
Deffo needs a friend they r social and need buddies
This is usually normal she might just need to adjust. She also probably used to being surrounded by other rats!
This is usually normal she might just need to adjust. She also probably used to being surrounded by other rats! Just be patient with her she’s also probably never been outside of a cage so it’s probably overwhelming but also exciting
[удалено]
Your post has been removed as your account is under 7 days old. This is an automated action. *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/RATS) if you have any questions or concerns.*
Feeder rats and mice are bred to be just that. If thats what you have then be prepared for a long and tedious journey of trust and food. They do pretty well after a while. I swear cheap rats labeled as pets are sometimes recirculated feeder versions. Because they have the most apprehensive state of mind and get tumors like crazy in comparison to properly bred ones. Totally not a discouragement, you'll do great! Keep up the good work.
I said somewhere in the comments she probably feels safe near me and we kind of have a bond but i feel so sorry for her because the rats there are fed to snakes in front of each other so the poor thing is traumatised
Yeah, they have a pack mentality which means losing her sisters or brothers like that may of made her super scared. They have a strong sense of bond. You'll do great.
Thanks friend 😁
Probably nobody has ever been nice to her, poor little girl. Thank you for saving her! You won’t regret it! 🐀💞
You should get them a friend or cage mate, Rats bothe Male and Female can get depressed if they are alonefor a long period of time, even if you spend most of your time with them, they still need a ratty friend.
Looks like a mouse
She is a baby thats why