# My first rat! Molly <3



## herper64 (Dec 31, 2009)

So for a while now ive been researching and asking questions ext about rats.. now i finally have everything setup and my first girl EVER!! Heres my 1yr old female tan hooded rat Molly! She loves hammocks, tissue boxes, and yogies lol! she climbs all over the sides and TOP of the cage like shes spider man! When she sees me come to the front of the cage, she looks at me and beggs for food so i give her a little piece of a yogie or a grape 



















Hope the pics work and sry about the quality. she is runnin round exploring her new home XD. I also have a few questions. 

The previous owner told me she was a chewer, and boy is she! She actually chewed one of the welded bars half off at one spot of the enclosure! that worries me a little bit...I can see that for the past half hour she has been knawing at bars all the way around the cage, and i mean seriously working on them taking breaks for water occasionally. what does this mean? new cage stress? Will she stop? 

so far i havent seen her eat any of the 2014 she has, but she has eaten some yogies and a few red grapes. She does store things i give her in her hides tho lol its cute. Will she eat the 2014 when shes hungry? 

Any advice would be VERY much appreciated.


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## Alexc844 (Sep 8, 2008)

Anyone on this site will tell you, you need to get her a friend as soon as you can 

She's a cutie.


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## herper64 (Dec 31, 2009)

shes going to be getting a freind very soon. anybody answer my Qs?


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## Alexc844 (Sep 8, 2008)

Does she really have anything else to chew on? Pet stores often sell like... flavored wood treat type things... Not very specific, I can't for the life of me remember the names of them. They also sell edible huts and logs. Those keep my rats busy.


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## herper64 (Dec 31, 2009)

shes got like 5 apple flavored wood things in there and i think she put em all in her hide. and she stopped chewing the cage. shes sleeping in her tizzue box with cozy cotton in it  ill be getting her more stuff to chew on tomorow. im making trips to petco and petsmart.


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## herper64 (Dec 31, 2009)

take that back. WONT STOP CHEWING THE CAGE!!! AAAAHHHH SOMEONE TELL ME HOW TO MAKE HER STOP!!! IM GOING TO DIE!!!


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## Alexc844 (Sep 8, 2008)

...somehow, I think you will live... 

As far as the chewing, I don't really have anymore ideas.


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## sawyerashton (Dec 14, 2009)

Here are some things that my rats like to chew:

Carrot sticks
Celery sticks
Those edible houses from walmart or petmart or wherever. 
papertowel rolls

so far (knock on wood) they haven't chewed anything they weren't supposed to.


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## lilspaz68 (Feb 24, 2007)

She is going to chew because she is bored and lonely. the reason we keep insisting you get her a friend and soon, is that rats are social creatures who live in the wild in larger colonies, they are not "made" to live alone. They can get neuroses, bad habits, like barbering, cage chewing, even become depressed or aggressive.

But the sound of those teeth on metal is a killer to anyone trying to sleep LOL.

I suggest getting her an edible log house...she will still chew and it will still sound a bit loud but not as ear-grating LOLOL.

This is what it looks like

http://www.pclickonline.com/smallanimal/accessories/gpigrabbitsnakshakloghouse.htm?cmp=shopz

Then I suggest you get 2 baby girls for your lass, she sounds high energy and would LOVE them!!!


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## herper64 (Dec 31, 2009)

ill go buy her one of those log houses today. and well, now im in the process again of having to try and find a breeder in the LA area who will answer my emails... so far nobody. so im not sure how easy itl be.


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## AvaAdoreSmashing (Dec 31, 2009)

Have you tried Craigslist? Theres gotta be people in LA trying to rehome some rats.


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## herper64 (Dec 31, 2009)

but i couldnt just put a rat into her cage right away. it could have a desiese. im going to try my local petsmart. they have good rats.


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## AvaAdoreSmashing (Dec 31, 2009)

Wow now. You think that rats you get from craigslist will be dirty and diseased, but a pet store rat wont be?? True be told, there are deadly germs spreding in pet stores like wild fire. You should always wash your hands after being in a pet store. You can carry things home and give them to your rat. I actually go to the pet store as little as possible because of this. 

~ Any new rat NO MATTER where you get them need to be quarentined. 3 weeks min.~ 

Why not gives craigs a try? Most people who even bother posting a rat ( not as food) has taken some amount of time with them and wants to find them a good home. Not saying this is always the case but if you went to pick up a rat and it was sick, You don't have to take it. If you want help with the chewing of the bars, a friend is the first place I'd start.


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## herper64 (Dec 31, 2009)

i know that that pet stores can carry sicknesses. ive done my research on here and people have gotten rats from petsmart and they have lived for years.

but ill check craigslist.


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## AvaAdoreSmashing (Dec 31, 2009)

Yes people have gotten pet store rats and their fine, It's just something that should be remembered. Craigs and a pet store is a toss up on if they're going to be healthy. I just thought it could be another option for you if the pet store or a breeder doesn't work out. Good luck


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## steffiez (Nov 24, 2009)

It's normal for them to chew on the bars of the cage, but you should buy her some flavored chew toys to keep her teeth healthy and short. Good luck with your new ratty  She's precious.


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## herper64 (Dec 31, 2009)

thank you  i love her soooo much! its only the second day so shes still getting used to me. i have a bunch of wood chews in there and am going to the store tomorow to get her some bird toys and stuff to chew.


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## Stace87 (Jun 24, 2008)

Rat_lady said:


> It's normal for them to chew on the bars of the cage, but you should buy her some flavored chew toys to keep her teeth healthy and short.


Chew toys aren't a must. They can keep some rats occupied, but they aren't required for the purposes of their teeth. Rats keep their teeth to a normal length by bruxxing and eating hard food. If a problem with teeth was going to develop, it would develop with out without chew toys.


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