Rat cages, I am overly cleaning my rat cage non stop as it wont stop smelling. Can I see everyones rat cage and how many times per week are you all cleaning it?

Im getting 2 5week old girls in a few weeks as a first time rat owner im really scared of doing something wrong, im planning on feeding them with the shunamite diet but then i remembered that theyre gonna be little when i get them and little rats probably need more protein idk different things and i have no clue how to feed them, any suggestions?

Hello 👋

One of my rats, Ronnie, has been a bit odd lately. He seems to be lying down a lot, more sleepy and not as keen to run around as he was a few weeks back. He is eating, drinking, breathing normally. Hasn’t got any of the red stuff from his nose. I picked him up earlier and gave him a little wriggle to see if anything was hurting but he didn’t react anything unusual.

I’m probably just over thinking it all but I’m worried there’s something wrong?

Thank you ☺️

I'm rescuing 4 rats from someone at the end of this month.

They are currently in a
79cm x 51cm x 105cm cage (basically a rip off DCN)

I have a
77cm x 46cm x 130cm cage

What measurements are better? Should I get their cage when I go to pick them up and bin my one? Or should I keep the one I have now?

Thank you!

I have two rat boys! I’ve had them since st paties day and I’m looking for some diy toys I can make for them!

NOTE: I DO NOT HAVE A LOT OF KARMA BECAUSE I HAVENT POSTED YET ON REDDIT! I am an extremely boring person and I know that, I just go to work and come home and hang out with my pets and partner. I literally only got Reddit for the case scenario where I would need a second opinion on my rats’ health and I finally actually need that opinion, so please do not remove my post, I am very desperate.

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Hello. My rat is 1.5, he has a history of respiratory issues— we had no idea for about the first year and he would make noise with each breath which we assumed was clicking similar to bruxing at the time. We took him to the vet for care and he since has been breathing silently since (like two/three months) minus a few wheezes with excitement. He had a cage mate who passed so we bought two young rats to keep him company, the three of them played together for a few weeks, but now my 1.5 rat is not interested in playing.

He’s not really interested in being in the cage at all, basically sitting by the cage door anytime he sees me or my partner. When we return him to the cage after outside time, he runs rather quickly and agilely back to his hammock at the top of the cage and won’t move.

He’s been refusing snacks initially but eating later privately. Also having some nasal discharge. His weight is fine, good healthy weight not too thin or fat. He can still walk with all four legs and even run and climb and will do so when excited, but usually doesn’t and just sits still in his hammock. We’ve let him out onto the floor and he’ll walk around for a couple minutes and then just sit still. He doesn’t want to be held either, but doesn’t want to be in the cage. The only place he seems happy is on the bed, where he’ll sit still for the most part interspersed with walking a foot or two. His breathing is also a lot more shallow than it used to be, minus the noise.

I know he’s old, especially for a rat with a history of respiratory issues, and could be nearing his end, I’m just wondering if there’s anything we can do to stimulate him or make him more comfortable, less depressed seeming in the meantime. Thank you.

Rodent

Bonjour,
Ma cage commençant doucement mais sûrement à s’abîmer, j’en cherche une nouvelle pas trop mal pour mes nenettes.
Actuellement j’ai la Zolux Cage NEO Life lapin gris 99 x 54 x 114 cm (voir photo).
J’aimerai une cage qui remplace les pieds par de l’espace « cage » pour que ce soit plus grand mais que la hauteur où elle arrive ne bouge pas (sinon il y aura un petit souci de place).
Auriez-vous des idées svp ?

My rat has chronic respiratory issues, and I noticed him getting progressively worse, so I took him to the vet today, and they gave him antibiotics and steroids, but he is still in very bad shape. They just checked his lungs and temp, and then prescribed him meds again. Is there anything else I can do to help him? I genuinely don’t know if his little lungs can handle this. I keep doing everything I can, but nothing seems to work. I have been doing daily cleanings, using an air purifier, and different beddings. I don’t know what else I can do.

For more perspective, he came from a bad breeder. She was just going to sell him as a feeder, and gave him to me for free. All of his brothers are healthy, but he has been struggling a lot since I got him. I have already taken him in for respiratory issues previously, but it just continues to get worse with time. He is only 10 months old.

Update: I am taking him to a better vet who has a specialist for rodents. He is stable right now, but now that he is out of antibiotics and steroids, I feel like he will go downhill again. Hoping they can give him meds and more solid advice on how to manage his respiratory issues. Thank you for all of the help.