# Kiara "aka" Kiki! Hi! - Found my Pics!



## Loulie (Jun 7, 2011)

Hi everyone, thought I'd introduce myself and my little furbaby kiki, I'm hayley and iv had kiki now for about 2 months and she is the most darling little girl. I'm on my mobile at the moment but ill upload some pics when I get home after work 

She is a black(?) Dumbo ratatat and she clawed her way into my heart.....litteraly, I went origionally to get a male, but none of the males seemed very keen to even be near humans, so I looked ar the females and would you know it, this tiny black ball of fluff clambered up my arm, tucked itself in my top and went to sleep! 

I shall soon be getting another little one, male this time and will update you accordingly

Anyway, just thought I'd say hi! 

Xxxx


----------



## Squitchley (May 23, 2011)

*Re: Kiara "aka" Kiki! Hi!*

Hi Hayley 
Firstly, i'd love to see pictures of her  she sounds lovely.

But, she shouldn't be by herself. You mentioned getting another rat, but a male. I'm hoping you're planning on having them separate if you do get a male, as at this forum, we don't agree with intentional breeding as their are plenty of rats out there that need a home.
With that being said, if they are caged separately, then they will both need a same sex friend to play with. Human interaction isn't enough to keep them happy. I'd recommend just getting another female rat as a friend for Kiki. 

Hope I helped, keep us updated


----------



## Loulie (Jun 7, 2011)

*Re: Kiara "aka" Kiki! Hi!*

HI and thanks, yeah i do realise that, and no i am not in the slightest ever thinking of breeding them. There are so many rats out there that need homes without people breeding. I dont have the knowledge for something like that and it wouldnt be fair to Kiki. 

As for the "hove two at a time" thing, I do realise that it is either the best or the only option, but, I work from home, unfortunately when i got kiki and nala, my two females Nala passed away, the vet didnt know why, but she said it was most probably a heart attack. I was frought because i didnt know whether i was doing something wrong and that it might happen to Kiki too! But she assured me that it had been a very unfortunate thing, and that it happens some times in young rats.

I have been thinking about getting two males together, and im sure that when i go to choose ill end up with more than one, I have tried to introduce Kiki to another female of almost exactly the same age, and she went physcho and tried to do the newcomer damage. I work from home like i said and she is out nearly all the time, I have an office type room that i have made into a rat room. It has toys and a little jungle gym and rope ladders to some wood shelves for her to play on and she has my company a very long period of the time. (and no i dont leave her out of the cage unattended  ) 

But thankyou this is why i joined. I am self admittedly a begginner in rat keeping and of course always welcome anyy advice given, thankyou so much!

xxxxx


----------



## Kinsey (Jun 14, 2009)

*Re: Kiara "aka" Kiki! Hi!*

You could get her spayed, then she could live with the male. 

It would have health benefits for her, too!


----------



## Loulie (Jun 7, 2011)

*Re: Kiara "aka" Kiki! Hi!*

well i shall see how they get on, i went to see them all today, they will be ready a week on saturday and i want them all!

i have definitely chosen one, he has a little grey hood, completely white except for a tiny black spot on the base of his tail, he is ADORABLE, and there was another one that was hanging on to his tail as i was handling him so im pretty sure ill be taking them both home in a weeks time HEHE! 

xx


----------



## Loulie (Jun 7, 2011)

and here are my pics!!! hehehe

can anyone tell me what she is?? I know shes a dumbo but is she a specific colour? or just black (not that it matters, i love her anyway hehehe) just wondering

1) when i first brought her home as a tiny little thing
2) in my hand wondering what the camera is
3) on my friends shoulder outside getting some fresh air


----------



## lilspaz68 (Feb 24, 2007)

So you are planning on having a single female and 2 males separately? why not get another girl? Your girl is very young, but you can do careful intro's so that she is not left alone. Think of it this way...she will be alone ALL her life with no one to groom, play with, cuddle with, sleep with, tussle with and argue, etc. Its like a human living in a room by herself for 70 years with no one to talk to. These rats often end up neurotic and unhappy because rats are colony animals... a minimum of 2 rats is needed if you are going to get rats. 

Rats, especially this young, should never be forced to live alone.


----------



## Loulie (Jun 7, 2011)

Ahhhhh see! I forgot to say!

I have two plans! The first is to introduce her to my boys and see what happens, if they get on ill have her spayed and then let them all live together in the 3ft cage i just bought for them! (it takes up nearly all of my room! nevermind!)

and the second, which is a little sad but.......if it has to happen it will

my friend emz got a couple of girlies from the same litter at the same time as me! Autumn and bop! They still have playdates and get on well, if all else fails i shall rehome Kiki with Emz and go visit her lots and lots! 

I do realise my mistakes, honestly, i shouldnt have had her on her own, even though iv spent almost 12 hours every day with her, and i am trying frantically to fix it. So thanks so much for the concern and all the suggestions! I really really really do appriciate the support! i shant be keeping her on he own for much longer 

thanks again Hxxx


----------



## Squitchley (May 23, 2011)

If you introduce her to the boys, she will most likely end up pregnant. It only takes them a couple of seconds to 'do it'.


----------



## Loulie (Jun 7, 2011)

hum.........thats not so good......i dont want that at all!

what do you think i should do then? should i just arrange for Emz to have her :'(


----------



## Squitchley (May 23, 2011)

Well, the easiest option would just be to get another girl.
Or you could get her spayed before you get boys, I'm not sure how long you have to wait after she's been spayed for her to not be able to get pregnant. 
You could give her to your friend, but that could cause her unnecessary stress. It just seems a bit unfair on her to give her away just because you want boys. :-\
But there's all the options I can think of. Do what you thinks right


----------



## lilspaz68 (Feb 24, 2007)

Squitchley said:


> Well, the easiest option would just be to get another girl.
> Or you could get her spayed before you get boys, I'm not sure how long you have to wait after she's been spayed for her to not be able to get pregnant.
> You could give her to your friend, but that could cause her unnecessary stress. It just seems a bit unfair on her to give her away just because you want boys. :-\
> But there's all the options I can think of. Do what you thinks right


with a spay the girl just needs to heal up then intro's can begin...no uterus, no chance at babies. With neuters it's a minimum of 2 weeks before you can start intro's.


----------



## Loulie (Jun 7, 2011)

XxOk then.......here's the plan 

I will be getting my boys because well.....I'm sure you can understand once you fall for one its hard not to follow through getting it, I have the time, money and room thankfully so.... Ill get her spayed, she is booked in for monday, then that will be a week before the boys even come to me, then a week for them to settle in then intros can begin..... If that fails....I will then see what I can do, wither ill get another female, or I will let her go to her sisters as a last resort, because as I said earlier, they get on already and have play dates so I know settling in won't be too hard for her 

That seems like the best plan unless erlooked something?


----------



## Squitchley (May 23, 2011)

The only thing I can think of is quarantining the boys for 2 weeks in a separate air space than Kiki. Just incase the boys have any illnesses, you don't want Kiki getting ill too. Have you looked at the sticky on introducing rats? It's definitely worth a look. And don't be put off if they don't get a long at first. Just give them some time


----------



## lilspaz68 (Feb 24, 2007)

Mixed sex (one sex altered) of course have always been my happiest and most interesting groups  They dynamics change even with neutered boys 

I think your plan is excellent! The boys are babies right?


----------



## Loulie (Jun 7, 2011)

The boys will be 6/7 weeks old so baby babies  hehehe

And yeah ill read up on everything don't worry! Thanks so so so so so so so much guys! Really really helped! Thankyou a million times over! Xxx


----------



## Kinsey (Jun 14, 2009)

It's good that she'll have friends.

And lilspaz is very right, when I added a spayed girl to my group, it got a lot more interesting. She's very high energy and keeps the boys moving. Both boys are intact and my eldest likes to chase little Rosebud around and mount her. I think he thinks it's a game. They seem like a happy group, and I'm sure all your babies will have a blast being together.


----------

