# Decided having rats is too stressful



## Voltage (May 15, 2013)

I love all my babies to bits but without Zach here I'm so stressed out about caring for them. I feel like every other day a new problem arises and another reason to dash to the vet pops up. First Cappi gets poked in the eye by another rat, then Arya hurts her foot, Toast gets a sneezing fit that gave me a scare, cappuccino had a pyometra/litter scare, Toast gets poked in the eye and now Peanut butter has the start of a Uri by the sounds of it. I can't handle this I want to curl up and cry, what is going to happen next week?
I've realized that any time I could wake up one rat short....and it scares me.... And that all is just while back home. Jorah has had a Uri as well, Toast has had an ear infection and Arya had a Uri as well. 
Normally Zach makes me feel so much better and makes me feel like we got the situation under control. 
And no one will let me take my rats to the vet regardless of whether I can afford it or not because I freak out about everything.
I am thinking I won't be able to have rats again. Even with just the thought of losing them the pain is too great. I couldn't part with them but I just can't handle so many deaths....
I just needed to post about this and get it out of my system. I've been feeling really depressed honestly. With all these scares and being away from my love. Two more weeks til he moves out here....

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## lalalauren (Jul 3, 2013)

I know what you mean. I don't think I could keep my cool with the rats if not for my boyfriend! 

I'm treating my second set of URIs in two months. The vet thinks it could be something more permanent and that one rat may have to be on antibiotics for the rest of his life. Not a huge deal, I thought. When I treated my first URI, I got stressed because I couldn't find anything that Badger would take his medicine in, while the other two took it very easily in whatever I gave them. This annoyed me because Badger brought the infection in the first place! Then I found that he can't resist bread, and giving him his medicine became easy!

This time round, however, he's a lot bigger so the medicine is 3 times as much. I still put it in bread, but it's hit and miss as to whether he actually eats it :/ again, the other boys take it with no complaints, but Badger is giving my so much grief! I hate listening to him sounding all snuffly as well :/ I got really miserable the other night because of it. He's still his happy, bouncy self, but I KNOW he's ill because he sounds dreadful  the thought of having to keep him on antibiotics for the rest of his life is pretty stressful because he's just so fussy!

I hope you can find enough comfort in your rats, who obviously love you, to keep you strong until your boyfriend moves out with you!


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## Voltage (May 15, 2013)

Oh gosh, I had similar issues with Arya when she had her URI, it wasn't they I couldn't get her to take it, just couldn't get her to sit still long enough to stay interested in it.
I really hope badger isn't chronic. I would hate to put one of my ratties through that. But it's better than the infection spreading.

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## nanashi7 (Jun 5, 2013)

When I found out Caius was pregnant and Remus needed a $200 neuter I broke down. I couldn't deal with it. I didn't want rats now or ever again. It was too much. I couldn't handle it. 
My boyfriend, unfortunately was NOT the type that could calm me down. I didn't know what to do.

I took my rats out while I was crying and cuddled them close. I think they could tell how upset I was because they cuddled me back. That helped me. Everytime I get super upset with rat-related things I just cuddle them close and have a love session. 

Pet "ownership" in general is just so hard. Not because of the effort, or the money, or any of that. We grow to love them so deeply and they can return these emotions and then they are gone long before their time should come. I still don't know what I'm going to do when my dog dies. She's up there in age and we had a cancer scare this year.

On to the vet problems; since you have a scale, will they at least purchase meds offline for you to self-medicate some baytril?


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## lcs (Feb 7, 2012)

Voltage, I know how you feel! This summer and fall was rough on us and our ratties. Po became sick the end of May and weren't able to diagnose/treat until the end of June and we still thought he was a goner, but he recovered and (knock on wood) is still doing well on his medications. But then in mid-July, my son's boy became suddenly ill, I'm thinking a stroke, and was dead 24 hours later. _Then_ in August my daughter's rat developed an issue with his eye and a growth on his throat; both kept getting worse and he declined to the point where he was just laying there and breathing and I had to take him to be put to sleep just last week.

We brought three baby girls home just over a week ago and sometimes I think I must be crazy to put myself and my children through the inevitable outcome . . . times three, but then I see how much joy my kids have with them and how much they still love and care for our last boy Po and I remember that, at least for now, it's worth it. Someone _really_ has to figure out a way to make rats live longer!!


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## Voltage (May 15, 2013)

I snuggle my babies when I'm upset too. When I heard the rattling in Peanut Batter's chest last night I cuddled her and spent a, lot of time with her on the bed.

My dogs are only four years old but I still dread the day they just won't be around anymore.... One of my dogs ended up with parvo and my dad came home bawling after taking her to the vet cause they said even with treatment she might not survive. Thankfully she pulled through and is still with us today. Her brother Bones got it as well but the vet prescribed us the same medication for him so we could treat him at home Ginger stayed at the vet however.
I really hope your dog has many years left. My boyfriend's dog is over 15 and I swear that dog seems like he'll never make his trip to the rainbow bridge.

I don't like admitting it but I do buy medicine online and one of my friends helps me figure out dosages for each of my rats. I have amoxicillin and am looking into getting baytril just in case.
It's really my only option because my boyfriend 's mom wouldn't let me go to the vet because it was money I could be using for rent. And my dad won't here because I've been freaking out about every little thing

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## nanashi7 (Jun 5, 2013)

I don't think it is bad to buy medicine online, especially with all the resources available onto how to do it safe and having a scale. Vets for me have always been about What is this and Fix this. You know "what" and you know how to fix it.


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## TexasRatties (Jun 2, 2013)

Voltage have you had luck with Amoxciliin? I spelled that wrong hahaha but ya..... Pets can be super stressful sometimes I love my animals dearly but some days they make me crazy!!!! Also if I had to wait till I could afford everything that my pets will ever need I would never have a pet so I do what I can when I can  Hang in there Voltage


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## Phantom (Apr 4, 2012)

I know how you feel Voltage, just this summer I dealt with two rat deaths about a month apart, both were inoperable tumors that the vet couldn't do anything about. Poor Pastoolio ended up getting really depressed and needed a vet visit due to the stress from the death of his two ladies. Raising Toast was an interesting and fun, yet sleepless experience. I would probably do it all over again if I got the chance too. Toast is also getting neutered in November so I have that to take care of as well. Rats are never boring, especially when it comes to vet bills and the trouble they can get themselves into.


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## cagedbirdsinging (May 28, 2012)

Parting from emotional views, rats are expensive, needy pets that require lots of your time, your money, and your stress. They aren't for everyone.

That said, they are one of the most rewarding pets that you can own. During their few short years with us and all of the hardships that eventually come one way or another, they grab and hold on tight to our hearts.

When I lost my girls, I had to take a break. After a few years, I dug their old cage out of the attic and dove back into the rat world. I don't regret it for one moment, but that's not always the right choice for everyone.


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## Rat Daddy (Sep 25, 2011)

Take a deep breath, then re-adjust your sights. Consider all of the wonderful things you have done for your rats and what you mean to them. 

RELAX....

Then stop beating yourself up! 

Everything will be fine....


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## Xerneas (Aug 6, 2013)

Rats are such great, social and smart pets but I honestly do not recommend them for beginner pets to people who want rodents. Might seem crazy since it goes against what a lot of people think, but due to so much false information out there, the result is rats living in cages much too small for them with little enrichment and awful food and then people freak when their rat has a URI or a tumour and it's just... stop reading the PetCo caresheet. 

They are really expensive animals. Feeding them can be costly, a proper cage for them and all their toys can be costly, the medicine for URIs or surgery for a tumour is costly... unfortunately they are prone to sickness and if you don't have any money for a vet trip it's way risky to have them... they need time outside of their cage... Rats aren't hamsters. They are incredibly intelligent and they become depressed when they aren't cared for properly. People go into it thinking they're hamsters and then are shocked when they are outsmarted by their rat.

I am really sorry to hear about your situation - hope you feel better soon.


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## Minky (Apr 4, 2013)

More than a few people have told me that they stopped keeping rats because the grief of losing them was too much to bear. And if they're ill and require medicine and special care, it can be overwhelming. 

I have cats and rabbits also. I've decided that when my last rat goes, I'm not going to get any more for awhile, and just focus on caring for my cats and rabbits. I can almost guarantee that I'll have rats again, but yeah, it's a lot more responsibility than it seems like at first. But for someone with the time and resources, it can be totally worth it.


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## Rat Daddy (Sep 25, 2011)

That's way too harsh... 

Rats do need and give infinite love and affection. And they need lots of time. Otherwise I find most are pretty durable and require very little care. 


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The total legitimate essential investment for Fuzzy Rat was about $100.00 over the course of her entire lifetime and that included her $2.49 plus tax purchase price, bedding, food, housing and medication. 

Seriously, to read some people's remarks you would figure rats are hot house flowers and only for rich folks. Even nature has a pretty low standard of care for rats. Their own moms will eat them if her litter is too large or she can't find enough food. And just about everything in their environment wants to kill them. You almost can't do worse than mother nature when caring for your rats as long as you feed them and show them love and kindness.

I know we all want the best for our rats, and some rats do have expensive medical issues, but there's about nothing worse you can do to a rat than leave it in a snake food bin or a pet shop or at a rescue.

I'm not arguing that rats should get worse care or that anyone should mistreat their animals, but we shouldn't raise the bar so high that good people who could offer good homes to rats buy gold fish instead. There are lots of rats that would benefit from any reasonable home where they can find a square meal and love and affection.


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## Rat Daddy (Sep 25, 2011)

Forgot to add, the photos of Fuzzy Rat lounging around on my desk were to point out that no fancy cage or bedding were ever required for her to feel comfortable.


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## portkeytonowhere (Dec 24, 2007)

I agree with Rat Daddy. I may not have the most money in the world but I take care of my ratties and give them a loving home. Vet bills are costly yes and some rats need more medical attention than others but Ive had rats live their whole lives and die of old age where they didnt have any problems. I go through my local rat rescue and got my boys there. They came from a very neglectful home (you can still see where Rasputins tail was broken) but they are now very spoiled boys and Im glad I can give them a home for the rest of their precious lives. You can make a difference in a rats life.

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## Ratnan (Jul 14, 2013)

Rat daddy echoed something I have been through, when I first got my rats I became almost obsessed with reading all the forums and pages out there. This left me totally paranoid about everything I was doing and giving my girls. I would watch every move they made and listen to every sound just waiting to see what would go wrong. I was convinced I was doing it all wrong and even thought about giving them up! But then I stood back and really looked at them, they are happy and healthy and loved, that's all that matters isn't it? I would never advocate neglect or being uninformed but use common sense and remember to enjoy your pets.


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## Ltukey (May 28, 2013)

I cant imagine not having rats,, they were there from one of the worst experiences of my life&are like little roommates w/fur. I tend to get the elders, the abandoned&the bad biters but recently I did take a pair from petco that would have been snaked by a very rude shovey girl...who then waited outside the store w/her friends meaning to start trouble(hmm she didn't think it through I learned fighting & weapons culturally before most children wipe themselves & she was in pajamas!) it was the rats eye contact that did it. having a cage meds& preventatives on hand food & love were enough. I've been through inoperable tumors, received abuse cases, etc. if you keep the love in your heart, you can do it. the most rewarding rats gave me that brief feeling of what have I done at the get go but they were the ones I bonded the closest w/&miss the most. give it time. when they are gone your heart will tell you what to do. onto "let you"??? let you? your grown aren't you? even if your not the idea of ever letting another man woman or child feel that much possession of you to "let you" do anything is disturbing to me. (im native American from a matriarchal culture) you will find a way if you want it bad enough even if its not today. having meds at home is a fantastic start, I have grown in a culture doctors more often kill us than heal us so knowing what you can treat at home is fantastic, have you added powdered cranberry to mush in addition to meds for the uri? just open a capsule like you'd take if you got one, just minimize the amounts & use in mush(oatmeal cornmeal etc)for a bit. also offering more fluids(like unsweetened tea once in awhile)helped here. don't ever let a man or woman or the absence of one control how you feel or your creating a harder path for yourself. you will learn to take a step back & be calm w/out him in time. do you have rat friends you can call if you have a crisis at 2am? we all should. we can be a boon to each other in times of trouble after all we surely have one commonality. I hope things have gotten a bit better.


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## Voltage (May 15, 2013)

I agree with rat daddy completely. The only thing I can't do is take my rats to the vet as I have no way of getting to the vet whether I can afford the visit or not. In Michigan the nearest exotic vet was two hours away by car and the "landlord" (my boyfriend's mom) would demand any money I have for her ridiculously overpriced rent of $125 a week to live in a cramped room where apartments were cheaper.... And here the weather is way too hot to even attempt to take the bus to a vet, my poor ratties wouldn't survive. My dad won't let me because so far I've freaked out about EVERYTHING and would have accumulated over ten vet visits by now.
I live my ratties more than you can imagine. My girls are in a Martin rat skyscraper and my boys are in a ferret cage that is bigger depth wise than the skyscraper (same size otherwise) I devote all my free time to my ratties and they get lots of vegetables and snacks now. 
My dad is all about saving money and shopping with coupons and I have a huge stock of soy ink newspaper for bedding and tons of baby wipes for cage cleaning and I always have food available for them. My rats are pretty darn spoiled. Their cages don't have a ton of stuff in them yet but they will.
I just don't think it's fair that people would think I'm not fit to own rats because I can't go to the vet as much as I would like to. 



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## Ltukey (May 28, 2013)

I didn't put an emoticon in but there is one above...how odd


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## Ltukey (May 28, 2013)

toys, you say they don't have a lot but if you get corn on the cob on special occasions you ca make corn husk dolls. of you have kids toys you can pilfer some great rat toys. do you have a free store at your town dump? I find great things for toys(boil first)the dollar store, a few potted plants in the growing season, corks surely you know a drinker or can ask the bottle redemp(I cant recall if my friend in Michigan recycles)may save you some. hammocks are easily made from clothes or fabric...hmm just trying to give you ideas. the afrma had a great recipe for lab block dust treats so I got together w/a friend from up north&adapted the recipe to be cooked over coffee cans(the kind you make brown bread in camping)&made chew houses...there are tricks for attaching two together. im frugal as well when I can be, but if you cut coupons along side your father you will find some astounding deals(bulk is good too)my fondest memories are what I made & received when I had nothing &neither did my kin. if you ever want toy/enrichment hints I am good at that. you obviously love them&were at a low day, here's hoping their health is good so you can fret less. best to you&yours, L&the ratties


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## Voltage (May 15, 2013)

Well I would drive my self but then I'd be breaking the law as I don't have a license. So by not letting me I mean they won't take me. I didn't have any friends there and I don't have any friends here either. I'm not exactly social and I tend to keep my distance from people. The only people who were close enough to be considered friends don't drive. And while my boyfriend could drive his mom sold his car and kept the money and is very strict about where he can and cant drive her spare vehicle. (this woman is pure evil, as soon as Zach moves she will probably sell everything we couldn't take)

I have anxiety and ADHD and it's really hard for me to stay calm about this stuff. If I get sad I lose all will to do anything and I'll just mope around and cry. I always fear the worst and I make a big deal out of everything. 
Having him around really helps because I'm not on any kind of medication anymore. I stress out about everything y'know?

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## Voltage (May 15, 2013)

I actually have a ton of fleece and a sewing machine. I just needed something to hook the stuff I plan on making to the cages and I got some ribbon for that yesterday.
They have wooden blocks (store bought) to chew on and I give them my dog's old knucklebones and eventually other old dog toys that are rat friendly. I just don't have a ton if hanging stuff that is store bought. I like to make toys for them when I can.
But yea as soon as I can find my sewing machine they will have tons in their cages before you know it. 


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## dr.zapp (Dec 24, 2012)

For most health issues, there is no need to go to a vet. Plenty of info and online sources for treatments. The most expensive thing I have done was buying a cage ($60). URI treatments are $35/year. Maybe you just have too many rats for your current situation?

Rats are very adaptable and durable animals. I have used them in research for 10 years, and they continue to surprise me what they will survive that most of us wouldn't. They are the most "successful" mammal on the planet, other than humans, if you look at their geographic dispersion and population.


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## portkeytonowhere (Dec 24, 2007)

I understand about the anxiety thing I get anxious over a lot of things. I have found Dr Foster and Smiths has a lot of rat toys that are so much cheaper than going to petsmart. When I get paid I plan on getting my boys some toys. Have you checked out the section in rat homes about making homemade toys for your ratties? My boys love whatever I make them 

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## Xerneas (Aug 6, 2013)

Sorry about how rude I came off as -- no offense was intended at all and I did not mean to be harsh. I worded my post so wrong.

What I was trying to say is that I unfortunately know of some people who really just don't give their rats the attention that they need and it gets frustrating to watch sometimes. Rats have been incredibly expensive for me because I have changed cages multiple times for a whole host of reasons and I had to change bedding all the time due one of my girls having an allergic reaction and absorbency problems. I 100% didn't mean to imply rats are for rich people and people with years of experience and it was wrong of me to imply that rats are an advanced pet -- they are a lot more responsibility than a hamster though, which is what some people I know have forgotten. I've seen people who don't go the extra mile to take their rat to a vet in emergencies because it's just a rat and that's where my post stemmed from - responsible rat owners who do their research aren't like this!

Again, sorry for stirring something up if I did. I am so happy when I hear people want to try their hand at pet rats because they are amazing pets and I love them! But I think a lot of people overlook the fact they might have to drain an abcess or deal with a tumour or URI and that rats thrive on lots of attention. 

For the most part I don't think rats are overly expensive at all once you get past some initial costs (like the cage and all the toys). Unfortunately this time around I got unlucky and had to pay for a lot of URI and allergy problems, constantly changing things, etc, but I don't think our rats are a handful that you come home and spend 7 hours maintaining. I do not think you need to be head over heels wealthy to give a rat a nice home at all and I apologise if anyone got upset thinking that I do!


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## Rat Daddy (Sep 25, 2011)

I understand, I don't think anyone took offense, we all have pet peeves and sometimes tend to overstate our points. But even if a particular rat is too expensive for a particular owner to care for health wise and it ends badly in the worst case scenario, it's important that we don't freak out a few dozen potential new rat owners that would provide great homes for their rats.


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## Voltage (May 15, 2013)

I honestly have spent a lot on cages and moving my rats from the North East side of United states to the South West. 
I have gone through four huge cages, I had to leave my old ones behind and get new ones here.
I am more than willing to spend as much money as possible on my rats which most people think I'm crazy for. 
It's not always that I can't afford it, it's that the people that I rely on for transportation are skeptical of me spending money on expensive vet bills for a $10 pet as it were.

I wasn't offended just saying I didn't get in over my head. I got my rats thinking I could provide vet care for them. 
I won't let them suffer of course, I do have amoxicillin and I'm hoping to find baytril at some point just in case. Amoxi works for everything except myco related stuff

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## Xerneas (Aug 6, 2013)

Well... My first post wasn't actually directed towards you or being accusatory of _you_ in particular, or anyone on this forum for that matter... It was more just sidetracking and complaining about the people who don't anticipate any kind of vet care for any pet, especially cheap and small ones, really. I didn't mean to make it sound like I was picking a bone with anyone on here for feeling a little exhausted with rat ownership. I was just getting lost in thoughts; I can't think of anyone I could, or would, call out concerning this stuff on this forum, but I know some I can outside of it and that's where the frustration got fueled. My post was poorly written and I tried my best to revise it since I noticed how accusatory and scary it sounded but now I'm just going to drop it since I apologised and I have explained myself better. 

Back to the topic on hand I actually feel for you a lot as I have ADD and anxiety myself. My anxiety is very severe and I've had it since 5th grade. I'm on medication right now and everything is starting to get a lot better but it used to be to the point where I would even stay up until 3AM as a kiddie waiting for my mom to get home from a dinner or something like that because I was so freaked. I hope all of your ratties start feeling better soon.  One of the reasons I refuse to have more than four in a mischief is because thinking about stuff like this is very stressful to me as well. Hang in there!


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## Ltukey (May 28, 2013)

I sure wish you knew other rat peeps near you the internet is ok but its not the same as getting together w/likeminded people over coffee. im sad your family is so difficult. save for a car as soon as you can. its vital in cold climates not to be at the whims of others


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