# Friend's Rat Ate Hemp



## S-Harkey (Feb 13, 2008)

Just got an urgent call from a friend of mine wondering what she should do.
A ball of Hemp twine was sitting near the cage, the rat grabbed onto a loose end and dragged it all over the cage and apparently ate some in the process.
I'm heading over after my next class but that won't be for several hours.
Should we be freaking out? Should I send someone to pick her up and drive her and her rat to a vet?
The rat appears fine- no odd behavior or respriatory issues. Eating and drinking normally.


----------



## ration1802 (Sep 25, 2007)

=/ I'm not sure.

But if you're looking for an urgent answer, perhaps call your (or hers) vet and ask them?


----------



## Jenje! (Mar 5, 2008)

I wonder how different this kind of hemp is from hemp bedding? 

I would put in a call to the vet as soon as possible.  Phone calls are freeee!


----------



## ratbloke (Jan 7, 2008)

hemp itself contains little or no THC, which is the stuff in the plant that gets you stoned. Hemp is the fiber 
from the stems which have low THC.

have no idea how it would or would not affect a rat though. how much twine did the rat eat?


----------



## S-Harkey (Feb 13, 2008)

Not sure how much it ate... she was away from the cage for quite a bit though when it happened.
To Ratbloke: I'm not really worried about her ending up with a stoned rat, just kinda worried about what something strange like that might do.
To Jenje: I wasn't aware Hemp was used in bedding! Maybe I'm worried over nothing.
I called my vet and asked her, she said that the likelyness that anything drastic will occur is slim, but she admits that shes ever dealt with a hemp eating rat 
She basically suggested making sure the rat drinks water to flush out the rope, dark chocalate if anything respiratory happens, and monitering for a few hours.


----------



## Jenje! (Mar 5, 2008)

Yep, here's a link!  

http://www.terrificpets.com/pet_supplies/small-animal/bedding-litter-substrate/hemp/12500.asp


----------



## kancerr (Apr 7, 2007)

it probably just tore the hemp up and didnt really eat it...and if it ate a little i dont think it would hurt it much. how is she sure he ate it? if shes paranoid of the rat getting high or ODing, that wont happen. at the most it would probably just poo some stringy stuff ;p but most likely it was just chewing on it like a toy. my rats love stringy fabrics(only good when supervised, i saw a bird in a petstore getting strangled by a string that came undone on a rope toy, never let mine play with stringy toys unless supervised, but its fun stuff for em.


----------



## Leala (May 31, 2007)

kancerr said:


> it probably just tore the hemp up and didnt really eat it...and if it ate a little i dont think it would hurt it much. how is she sure he ate it? if shes paranoid of the rat getting high or ODing, that wont happen. at the most it would probably just poo some stringy stuff ;p but most likely it was just chewing on it like a toy. my rats love stringy fabrics(only good when supervised, i saw a bird in a petstore getting strangled by a string that came undone on a rope toy, never let mine play with stringy toys unless supervised, but its fun stuff for em.


Kancerr is right. Your friends rat probably just chewed it up as opposed to actually ate it. And we have already decided the reason you can't find any leftovers from chewing is because they have "magical disappearing powers" :lol:
I wouldn't be too worried about it.
Give us some updates and let us how it works out =)


----------



## S-Harkey (Feb 13, 2008)

Its been several hours and shes doing fine
I wasn't there, so I don't know for sure, but my friend said that when she walked in she noticed the rat chewing and swallowing, though she was in the "play pen" while her cage was being cleaned and had no food in there. I asked if she was sure it wasn't burxing and she seemed quite convinced.
Maybe her rat was just looking for something new in her diet? I dunno!
Shes fine though, it seems.


----------



## Jenje! (Mar 5, 2008)

Glad to hear it!


----------



## ratbloke (Jan 7, 2008)

i expect the rat is now into listening to pink floyd!!!


----------



## kancerr (Apr 7, 2007)

lol @ the pink floyd comment.


glad shes doing good.


----------



## dreadhead (Mar 1, 2007)

pop in Half Baked and get her some smores man, gotta have some smores, and a pizza... and lots of water man!


----------



## Neuroticax (May 1, 2007)

lol


----------

