# Hello, new here and REALLY need some advice



## scubagirl (Dec 4, 2006)

hi everyone  first let me introduce myself, I'm 19, live in san antonio and have 3 ferrets, 2 dogs, one ball python, one fish, 3 lizards, and a cat... lol. luckily I live with my boyfriend and we co-own the pets so I dont have to take care of them alone :wink: but as of a couple of days ago we have added a rat to that long list of pets. I like rats and used to have 3 as a child but this pet was totally unplanned but there aren't many other options for her so I'm just gonna keep her. See, the reason it was so unplanned is becuase she was origanally bought as a feeder rat for my boyfriends ball python(I know I know its awefull and gross but the snake has to eat too) but she was too small, the snake didn't want her so my boyfriend gave her to me :? I know a little about rats, and have been doing a ton of research to make sure I take proper care of her, but there are a few things I need some help with... first of all I don't think she's very healthy. When we first got her a few days ago she was sneezing but other than that she was acting normal(as far as I know anyway, I try not to pay too much attention to the rats when they're in with the snake cuz then I'll feel sorry for them) Well once she was in my care I set her up with a nice clean cage and all that and her sneezing stopped, she eats, drinks, and seems very alert, pretty healthy... ecxept she has this bump on her tail, it goes all the way around her tail towards the middle of her tail. Its not bleeding or anything but its very noticable. So first question is any idea what that is? next is that she seems to be leaning to one side just a little, almost like she doesn't wanna put weight on her one paw. I cant tell tho if her paw is hurt and maybe thats causing it? Or maybe she has something else like an ear infection? so how do I tell if her paw is hurt? next thing is that she's got a pretty round belly, and I know that she was kept in the feeder cage at the store with male rats :? so I'm really hoping that she's not pregnant but is there anyway to tell for sure? from what I read its kinda hard to tell until they're about to pop. and last of all she is a little mean  she tends to bite a little and I would really like to correct that so she can get along with me and become a nice pet, so how do I get her to that point? any advice would be welcome! thanks so much and sorry for how long this is :roll:


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## fallinstar (Nov 26, 2006)

hey wow you have some pets!! if i were you i would take her to your vets and get her cheacked over and your vet will clear up any problems u have she may just be finding it hard to adjust to a new enviroment but its better to be safe than sorry so pop her to the vets. have u got a pic of her or a name for her i go ta new rat 2day and he took a while to get used to my two other rats but after 2 hours hes ok and ive named him roobs (ruben) what does you rat look like? hope she is ok *N*I*X*Y*


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## scubagirl (Dec 4, 2006)

she's really cute, I'll post some pics soon. She's all black with just a little white on her paws  We named her chedder (i know, not very creative but i think its a cute name for a rat)


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## Star (Jun 4, 2006)

I know this might sound a bit bad... but ferrets like baby rats. If she is peggers you can feed them to the ferts as a change of pase.

I own ferrets and rats too. I never let the ferrets near the ratties as they are natrual prey for them.


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## ameliaflame (Nov 28, 2006)

Umm if she is pregnant pleeeeeaaaaaase don't feed the baby rats to the ferrets, it would make me cry >_< Since she is a feeder you will have to take a lot of time to soicalize her, are you up to that? And she will also need a friend since rats are really social animals who need another of their own kind. I would take her to the vet as soon as possible because with coughing and a lump in her tail, her life could be threatened.


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## scubagirl (Dec 4, 2006)

ew, I wouldn't feed them to the ferrets, that seems messy and sad  Plus my ferrets are all past the age that they are willing to try new things, ferrets will learn their foods early in life and refuse to eat anything else. I don't doubt that they'd kill em and play with them tho as they try to kill everything including my dogs  anyway if she is pregnant I'll just find homes for all the little babies and then keep one of them for her for a companion. I don't want to get her a companion until I know if she is sick or not and by then I'm sure i'll know if she's pregnant or not. i wanna take her to the vet, but I probably won't be able to for at least a week due to money issues, so in the mean time I'm hoping she'll improve.


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