--- Sandra Beasley <spazrats@...> wrote: > By
the third day the boistrous activity of the
> babies
> warranted a move to a cage that was twice as big. I
> started them out in a small (made from a
> "Rubbermaid"
> tote) hospital cage to a much larger cage, again
> made
> from tote container. This gave them room for mobiles
> tubes and assorted bird/cat toys.
>
> They still get baby formula, Medivit, baby cereal,
> and
> teething biscuits, but just like a mom rat would do,
> I
> am slowly weaning them off the baby foods. Their
> standard fair, along with the baby foods is
> cockatiel
> gourmet mix, dog biscuits, and fresh fruits and
> veggies. These guys are game for anything.
>
> The RUGRATS, as they are affectionately known as,
> have
> doubled in size since I first brought them home.
> Their
> coats have gone through some dramatic changes in the
> last two weeks....
>
> Doodle (aka Tommy, Lambykins, Bug) went almost
> totally
> naked starting at 4 weeks of age. His coat started
> to
> thin out at either side of his body and continued
> thinning until he was naked except for his head and
> his bum. His coat is growing in again. There's a
> very
> fine, short fuzz all over his body now, except the
> back of his head is bald. Doodle does just that. He
> doodles around like a beetle, nose to the ground
> like
> a little bloodhound. He clings to my hand, or arm,
> like a baby monkey clinging to it's mother. He can't
> wait to be picked up and held. The other day  I saw
> that Doodle was reaching up so hard that I leaned
> into
> the cage bringing my lips close to his. Still he was
> so desperately reaching up...and he planted a kiss
> right on my lips.
>
> Sunny (aka Phil, Blue Boy, Fuzzlit) has made the
> most
> dramatic growth spurt in both size and maturity. At
> 3
> weeks old he seemed more like a 2 week old but in a
> week he had caught up to his sister Natty. At 4
> weeks
> of age Doodle was definitely a boy so I was
> beginning
> to wonder if Sunny was a Sun-he or a Sun-her. Only
> in
> the past 5 days has Sun-HE revealed his true nature.
> Sunny has never lost his coat and it doesn't look
> like
> he is going to. He's Rex, all Rex. As a baby he
> looked
> like a mis-marked hooded but as he has grown it's
> like
> the compactness of a baby coat has stretched and
> reformed. He's definitely a Variberk and his blue
> color has gotten much lighter, to a powder/sky blue.
> Sunny likes to do everything Doodle does, it's just
> that Sunny seems to have a little less smarts and
> confidence.
>
> Natty (aka Lil, Flea) That compact, beautiful,
> speckled Pearl Merle, baby coat is no more :(. It's
> Natty's turn to go bald. Just a week after Doodle.
> She's loosing coat in a different manner then
> Doodle.
> It looks like someone (not me) had taken a hair
> clipper and just took a nice, neat, patch off the
> length of her back. Now she's balding all over and
> there is no sign of a Pearl Merle coat. It'll be
> interesting to see the final outcome. Natty would
> seem
> to be Doodle's sister and not Sunny's. She has the
> same energy and bravado as Doodle, does the same
> things as Doodle. Five days ago she proved a little
> more curious then Doodle. They usually just run
> around
> the rim of the cage but on that day Natty took the
> first step in free-ranging and leaped to the floor.
> Natty earned the nickname Flea, because of her habit
> of sudden and unexpected leaps to the underside of
> the
> cage lid and clinging there, like a flea.
>
> Babs (aka Chucky, Baby Doll, Bobbles, Bubbles)
> hasn't
> changed much, except for getting bigger. She still
> has
> that longish coat. And her coloring and eyes are
> just,
> oh, so pretty. Babs is just a little more
> independant
> then the others. Sometimes she will accept my help
> and
> sometimes she wants to do it on her own.
>
> Laite (aka Angelica, Latty) is huge compared to the
> others, after all she is now a young lady of 8 weeks
> old. Still living those "Stupid Babies".
> Laite's coat had also changed dramatically. Unless
> her
> coat make's another change, I'm afraid that she is
> not
> a Chocolate Smoke. She no longer has the white
> undercoat, it is one color from root to tip and
> very,
> VERY, silvered. I'm thinking Lavender, but I have
> yet
> to find a picture to confirm this. She's definitely
> a
> Satin. From nose to tail her coat just glistens. In
> searching the net for the color I did come across a
> European Berkshire which describes her belly marking
> to a "T".
> Laite is very outgoing, affectionate, and trusting.
> She has turned out to be my Rodentist and ear
> cleaner.
>
> Today, September 23, has been a big day for the
> Rugrats. Now that they are quite a bit bigger I feel
> confident in giving them their very first Free-range
> time in the rat room. They had a blast, but didn't
> stray too far from the cage. They enjoyed the Maze
> and
> came running, well all except Babs, when I entered
> the
> room every 5 minutes to check on them. They were out
> for 20 minutes. The rats love to be tickled and love
> the game of chasing my hand as I move it around on
> the
> carpet. It's hilarious watching 5 ratlets moving in
> unison.
>
> Another big change was that when I put them back in
> their cage, the boys were separated from the girls,
> into their own big tote cage. This is always a sad
> time for me....They will never play together again.
> :*)


=====
Sandra Beasley and the Spaz Rats
Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan, Canada
RC(0.1) 19m27f29+r B- C+ D++ F+ N+ S! O4c1d1f OC(ali)a++
RIP: Willow, Belle, Tar-ra, her Babies, Starr, Marjorie, Chey, Carri, Cori,
Sage, Jazmyn, Curry, N'aani, S'oli, Nog, Baeli, E'lain, Taratoo, S'lar, C'iyou,
Diva, B'bet, K'eanu, S'gel, Jordi, Bhryn, T'tianna, Ch'kotey, J'ulian, Angel
Website: http://spazrats.tripod.com
E-group: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/holistarat
<:3  )~~~~~~   + <:3   )3~~~~~~  = <:3)~~~<:3)~~~<:3)~~~

______________________________________________________________________
Post your free ad now! http://personals.yahoo.ca

Hello, everyone!

I am proud to report that 2 of my mice had babies! Tippy gave birth
to 12 mice on 9/20, but one of them was stillborn. :o( Meggie gave
birth to 9 mice on 9/21. I've been taking pictures of them, so I
will post the pics soon. Stripe, the daddy, is helping Tippy with
their babies, and he is doing fine with them. Meggie has one of the
other girls helping out. It's almost as if there were two mommies!

Anyway, stay tuned for the pics!


Stacy <:3 )~~~

Hi Deb,

Welcome to the group - I am a newby as well. We have a dwarf rabbit too - he is
approximately one year old now and a real character. He is fully house trained
and is quite happy to run around inside. He seems to think he is more of a cat
than a rabbit. The only problem I have with him is his chewing (grrrr) and also
because he is black its very difficult to see where to cut his nails to.

Is your rabbit a house rabbit or an outdoor one?

Kirst


[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

Hello all,

I just joined your group as I am a new bunny mum of a 6 week old Dwarf Bunny,
and thought I would say hello and tell you a bit about myself. :)

My name is Deborah (or Deb for short), I am 30 yrs of age, and I live in Sydney,
Australia with my husband and our 2 daughters. We have a house / yard full of
pets which includes a 6 week old, male Dwarf Rabbit. which you can see photos of
here: http://members.optushome.com.au/deb.richards/rodents.html :)

I also have 1 Guinea Pig,4 Pet Rats, 1 Border Collie x German Shepherd dog, 1
Cat, 1 White Cockatoo, 3 Cockatiels,  5 Goldfish, 1 Yabby, 1 Siamese Fighting
Fish, & 1 Oscar.

I love being surrounded by lots of pets because when I am feeling low or having
a bad day, I know my pets are always there to give me a cuddle and unconditional
love whenever I need it.

You can see pics of me and the rest of my pets at http://deb.richonet.net/ feel
free to have a look and send me any comments or advice on bringing up young
bunnies that have been taken from mum bunny at only 4 weeks of age. Thank you.

I look forward to being a part of your group!

Bye for now.

Deborah Richards
Sydney, Australia.

-----------------------------------------------------------------
Email:
1: deb@...
2: deborah_richards2003@...
Web: http://deb.richonet.net/
-----------------------------------------------------------------


[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

Hi Pyretta,

Thanks for your reply. They have a big bit of wood in their cage but
still have sharp claws! Any other ideas?

Thx

Sharon :)

PB> Sharon,

PB> I have found I don't have to clip my rats toenails as long as I have a
PB> piece of wood in thier home. I use a piece of old fence pailing and
PB> haven't been scratched in a long time.

PB> Pyretta

PB> --- Sharon <sharon@...> wrote:
>> What a great description of your little ratties Sandra - keep us
>> posted!
>>
>> Does anyone know how to clip adult rats' long toenails? My hands are
>> suffering for it!
>>
>> Regards,
>>
>> Sharon (Melbourne, Australia)


PB> __________________________________
PB> Do you Yahoo!?
PB> Yahoo! SiteBuilder - Free, easy-to-use web site design software
PB> http://sitebuilder.yahoo.com

PB> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to:
PB> AMRIS_rodents_and_rabbits-unsubscribe@...

PB> Take a tour of the AMRIS homepage at:
PB> http://www.geocities.com/petsburgh/reserve/5824


PB> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to http://au.docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/

Sharon,

I have found I don't have to clip my rats toenails as long as I have a
piece of wood in thier home. I use a piece of old fence pailing and
haven't been scratched in a long time.

Pyretta

--- Sharon <sharon@...> wrote:
> What a great description of your little ratties Sandra - keep us
> posted!
>
> Does anyone know how to clip adult rats' long toenails? My hands are
> suffering for it!
>
> Regards,
>
> Sharon (Melbourne, Australia)


__________________________________
Do you Yahoo!?
Yahoo! SiteBuilder - Free, easy-to-use web site design software
http://sitebuilder.yahoo.com

What a great description of your little ratties Sandra - keep us
posted!

Does anyone know how to clip adult rats' long toenails? My hands are
suffering for it!

Regards,

Sharon (Melbourne, Australia)

Monday, September 01,2003: SBR Ratties have come
> into
> my life.
>
> Tuesday, September 02,2003: The babies have had 24
> hours to settle in and they've done so very well.
> Though Babs was a little standoffish at first, she
> just needed a few more hours to get to know me. Now
> she climbs into my hand without hesitation.
>
> Only Laite, at 5 weeks old, can jump to the top of
> the
> hut by herself. The 4 babies can only glance up with
> awe in their expressions.
>
> I chose Melita to be the babies' mentor and
> surrogate
> mother. Of all of Hindi's girls Melita is the
> smallest
> and meekest one of the bunch. Melita was mobbed by
> the
> babies, but took it all in stride. She stood there
> with this blank expression on her face while the
> youngsters gave her the royal sniff over. Well,
> Laite
> thought this young lady was the rat's whiskers,
> climbed onto Melita's back and holding on with
> clenched fists began to powergroom the back of
> Melita's neck. It was hilarious, just like in a
> cartoon where the little guy is trying to pin the
> big
> guy down.
>
> Wednesday, September 03,2003: I'm impressed with
> Melita. When I take the lid off the cage she has no
> intentions of leaping out....
>
> This isn't going to work. Greedy Melita is gobbling
> down the baby food and I can't be sure if the babies
> are getting enough. I've been watching Laite as she
> eagerly tries anything new in the way of food that I
> put into the cage. The babies check out what it is
> that she is eating and they follow suit. I think it
> would be safe to remove Melita and put her back with
> her family.
>
> Thursday, September 04,2003: I received a partial
> pedigree from Nathalie and it's awesome to see the
> lineage of these babies. I made one error in my
> introduction letter. Laite too, is a Satin, not a
> Standard, and to prove this to myself I took her
> into
> the bathroom and dampened her coat. A glistening wet
> top coat was made into vertical stripes over a
> creamy
> white undercoat, cool!
>
> Friday, September 05,2003: Well, from day one when
> they couldn't even leap to the top of the hut, they
> are not only hut leapers, but they are now
> rim-of-the-cage leapers.
>
> Doodle started it first. After climbing into my
> hand,
> he would get a grip on the back of my arm with front
> and back feet, flatten out in a desperate attempt to
> hang on, and shimmy up my arm to my neck. Not to be
> outdone by a boy, Natty was soon performing the same
> trick.
>
> THE GREAT GRAPE INTRO! After putting 5 grapes into
> the
> cage I got these weird looks like, "What's a
> grape????"
>
> Saturday, September 06,2003: So, from smallest to
> biggest we have Sunny, Natty, Doodle, Babs, and
> Laite.
> Sunny is the tiniest baby I've ever seen. I can't
> recall my own babies being this small. Although he
> and
> his sister are the same age (3 weeks old), Natty
> seems
> far more mature then he is. There's nothing wrong
> with
> the little guy. He popcorns and wrestles with the
> best
> of them. He has a healthy appetite. He's just as
> cute
> as a button.
>
> Melita and Haley went in with the babies for a day
> visit. Haley wanted out out of the babies' cage real
> bad so she didn't stay long. Gosh darn but those
> kids
> love Melita. Laite contues to power groom her, but
> begs for melita to groom her as well. Other babies
> also went underneath Melita is a plea for
> acceptance.
>
> The babies' main diet is baby formula mixed with
> Medivit water during the day and then the same
> thing,
> only with baby cereal mixed in at night. They get
> baby
> teething biscuits, and every day I add something new
> to the menu: Dog biscuits, grapes, banana, corn,
> peas,
> apple.
>
> Sunday, September 07,2003: Tonight Doodle, Natty,
> and
> Laite are playing follow the leader around the rim
> of
> the cage. They haven't got the nerve yet to jump
> down
> from the rim of the cage. They climb up my
> arm...every
> once in a while Doodle takes a break and runs around
> on my back.
>
> I can't get over how tiny these kids are. Except for
> Laite who is much bigger then the 4 babies, I feel
> like I'm holding mice.
>
> I'm starting to think of these rats as the Rugrats
> children. Laite is Angelica, always saying to the
> youngsters, "Stupid babies". Sunny and Natty are Lil
> and Dil, Babs is Chuckie, and Doodle is Tommy. Fits
> em
> to a T.
>
> Monday, September 08,2003: Well, I've had these
> babies
> for a whole week now, and knock on wood, I haven't
> heard a sneeze or a wheeze out of the lot. They are
> *incredibly* friendly and outgoing, and yes, they
> look
> like they are growing. They certainly are getting
> more
> confident and maturing day by day.
>
> Got my film developed today. Will post pictures
> tomorrow.


=====
Sandra Beasley and the Spaz Rats
Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan, Canada
RC(0.1) 20m24f26+r B- C+ D++ F+ N+ S! O4c1d1f OC(ali)a++
RIP: Willow, Belle, Tar-ra, her Babies, Starr, Marjorie, Chey, Carri, Cori,
Sage, Jazmyn, Curry, N'aani, S'oli, Nog, Baeli, E'lain, Taratoo, S'lar, C'iyou,
Diva, B'bet, K'eanu, S'gel, Jordi, Bhryn, T'tianna
Website: http://spazrats.tripod.com
E-group: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/holistarat
<:3  )~~~~~~   + <:3   )3~~~~~~  = <:3)~~~<:3)~~~<:3)~~~

______________________________________________________________________
Post your free ad now! http://personals.yahoo.ca

40 winks later and I can talk about the new kids
again.

Nathalie had already identified markings and colors
and I went to http://www.ratspacnw.org to help you see
what I am talking about, and to confirm the markings
and colors.

So we have: (yes, their names came quite quickly)

SBR Natural Miss "Natty" 3 weeks old
Since the Rattery is closing I wanted to honor
Nathalie's Pearl Merle breeding efforts.
Dark Pearl Merle Self Velveteen Dumbo Doe
Her coat is much longer then her Rexy brother and
feels softer to the touch. Her whiskers are curly,
but, they too, are much longer then a Rex's.
At first I thought Natty had dirty feet, but on closer
inspection I discovered that even her feet are merled.
Yeah, she has zebra-striped feet and toes.
Natty is my finger nibbler and boy, she has a good set
of choppers...Ouch, ouch, ouch!

SBR Sunny Bleu "Sunny" 3 weeks old
Slate Blue Veriberk Rex Dumbo Buck
Very Rexy boy with a short curly coat and tightly
curled whiskers. He is so tiny. Smaller then his
sister.
Sunny loves to sit in my hand. Just crawls on to do
his grooming.

Natty and Sunny are brother and sister. Their mom is a
Blue Double Rex. Her coat is so short that she looks
like a naked rat with peach fuzz. Their dad is a
gorgous, medium-sized, Pearl Merle. He's the sire of
all of the babies for the past 4 litters.

SBR Baby Doll "Babs" 4 weeks old
Platinum Bareback Satin, Head Spot, Pink-Eyed,
Top-eared Doe.
Out of the 5 babies Babs is the most independent,
preferring to be allowed to be picked up, rather then
walking onto my hand by herself. She's the first one
to try new foods.

SBR Doodle Bug "Doodle" 3 weeks old
Black-eyed White (BEW) Velveteen Dumbo Buck.
Again, a much longer coat and whiskers then Sunny.
Doodle is a very active boy. If there is any wrestling
and popcorning to be had, you can be sure that Doodle
will start it. Kangaroo kicked Sunny into the wall of
the cage during one his bucking bronco popcorn fits
:/.
Poor Sunny, just picked himself up, shook off the
embarrassment, and commenced to grooming.

SBR Cafe au Lait "Laite" (pronounced Lah-teh) my
keyboard doesn't have the option of putting the accent
on the "e") 5 weeks old.
Chocolate Smoke Berkshire Standard Dumbo Doe
A chocolate topcoat with a white undercoat, when she
moves the colors undulate. And her coat is soooooo
soft.
I have lost count as to how many times this girl has
peed on me. At Nat's home I was christened with poo
too. I swear, I have been marked for life in just a
few short hours.
Laite was Nat's gift to me :)

They already use a bathroom corner.

At first I was worried about little Sunny. He didn't
seem to know how to drink baby formula from a saucer
so I fed him by dipping my finger into the formula,
moving my finger closer and closer to the food until
he was lapping on his own. He caught on pretty quick.
They've also had teething biscuits, bumbleberry pie
babyfood and soft, green hay.

All of these babies are a well socialized, very
friendly, popcorning, bruxing, wild bunch, and I'm
happy to welcome them as Spaz Rats.

Welcome: Natty, Sunny, Babs, Doodle, and Laite.

Thanks to Nathalie and Shades of Blue Rattery,
Sandra Beasley and the Spaz Rats






=====
Sandra Beasley and the Spaz Rats
Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan, Canada
RC(0.1) 20m24f26+r B- C+ D++ F+ N+ S! O4c1d1f OC(ali)a++
RIP: Willow, Belle, Tar-ra, her Babies, Starr, Marjorie, Chey, Carri, Cori,
Sage, Jazmyn, Curry, N'aani, S'oli, Nog, Baeli, E'lain, Taratoo, S'lar, C'iyou,
Diva, B'bet, K'eanu, S'gel, Jordi, Bhryn, T'tianna
Website: http://spazrats.tripod.com
E-group: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/holistarat
<:3  )~~~~~~   + <:3   )3~~~~~~  = <:3)~~~<:3)~~~<:3)~~~

______________________________________________________________________
Post your free ad now! http://personals.yahoo.ca

--- In AMRIS_rodents_and_rabbits@..., "Angie"
<angiecare@h...> wrote:
> ...but there are things you can do to help this li'l one.
Hi again Deb,
Keep this bub on the same food (pellets or mix)that he's used to for
the moment, you can gradually swap to a healthy diet.
But for any rabbit and especially bubs, a low carbohydrate and low
sugar diet is imperative.
So definately nothing like rolled oats or bread, and no fruit, no
carrot etc.
These break down to sugars which would feed harmful bacteria in the
gut.
These harmful bacteria then release toxins which are fatal.

So if this bunny is having any high carbohydrate or high sugar
foods, get rid of them immediately.
First sign of loose stools is an emergancy.

Offer water, hay at all times, pellets, and greens.

Examples of safe greens:
Grass,
Dark green leafy lettuce (lettuce mix)
Bok Choy and other Asian greens
Rocket
Carrot ~ tops only (green part)
Cellery tops (leaves), and stalks (cut the cellery into pieces as
the stringy bits can cause problems in the gut)
Parsley Dill Oregano Basil mint
(and many other herbs)

Keep him inside, warm, and the lowest amount if stress possible.
ie: minimal handleing (perhaps just by one person at this stage),
low noise, draft free environment, an environment that he feels safe
in, such as the corner of a room where there is not too much
activity (doors slaming, loud kids/adults), try not to startle this
li'l one as that could set of a stress/panic attack.
Make sure there is somewhere for him to hide, or partially cover the
cage.
He'll gradually get used to the noises smell etc. of your home.
The main thing is to make sure he's eating, drinking, pooping and
peeing.

What are his poops like?

~~~~~

The below couple of paragraphs have been taken from an article about
hand rearing rabbits:

Signs of Trouble:
You need to be very aware of signs of illness as rabbits who are ill
hide these signs very well, and the sooner you realise the kit is
unwell, the sooner treatment can begin (get the kit to a vet) and
the better the chance of survival.
A kit that is not as active as usual, or has some "runny poops",
needs treatment immediately, the longer you wait, the less likely
the kit will survive.

Weaning:
The kit (when it starts to venture out of the nest box (by this time
he needs to be housed in a much larger cage) should have access to
hay, pellets, water, greens.
It will begin to eat and drink in the same way it would if still
with the doe (it would have had access to the doe's food).

> I'll post some links which will hopefully help.

Links about baby rabbits:
http://homepage.mac.com/mattocks/morfz/rabcare.html#baby

Mucoid Enteropathy (a disease common in young rabbits)links:
http://homepage.mac.com/mattocks/morfz/rabrefs.html#mucoid

General care:
http://homepage.mac.com/mattocks/morfz/rabcare.html#gencare

Emergancies and first aid:
http://homepage.mac.com/mattocks/morfz/rabrefs.html#emerg

Sorry this is rushed, I need to get to bed, I have a heap more
info.if you need it or have specific questions.

Good Luck, and enjoy your new bundle of joy! ;)
Angie.

Sent at 1:30am Monday September 01,2003


> Jane's post this morning about getting PEWs and
> calling them all by the same name, and then the
> thread
> that followed was very uncanny timing....
>
> I didn't want to mention anything earlier because
> there were a few ups and downs and I didn't want to
> jinx it.
>
> Today I went to Regina and brought home 5 babies
> from
> Shades of Blue Rattery owned and operated by
> Nathalie
> Boudreau. I bruxed and eye-boggled at all the
> gorgous
> rats, but alas I could not take them all. One boy
> was
> already reserved for me, a blue veriberk, the others
> I
> got to choose for myself, and oddly enough, I kept
> picking out babies that were not already reserved.
>
> The circumstances by which I was able to obtain
> these
> babies are best left to Nathalie's explanation (it's
> a
> longish story), but suffice it to say that the rats
> that TD and I are not taking will all be shipped to
> the USA tomorrow to pet homes and breeders' homes.
>
> Nathalie is a breeder who specializes in Pearl
> Merles,
> a 2 year breeding endeaver, having taken over from
> Ryan Wunch from Leader Saskatchewan. Some of you may
> remember my big boy HGR Jordi bought from Ryan?
> Nathalie's Pearl Merles come from Jordi's lines. He
> was the first generation of Pearl Merles bred in
> this
> province. In 2 years Nathalie has vastly improved
> the
> merled coat. A move to a small apartment does not
> allow Nathalie room to continue her breeding program
> and so these beautiful Pearl Merles and others are
> going to breeders in the USA.
>
> The babies I brought home are ages 3 weeks to 5
> weeks
> old. I would like to say that bringing home babies
> as
> young as 3 weeks old is not a good idea unless you
> have experience. I've had rats since 1997 and I've
> raised 5 litters of rats since that time. I feel
> that
> I have the facilities and the know-how to raise this
> rats right, and like I said, special circumstances.
>
> I'm still waiting for Nathalie to send me the
> pedigrees but to the best of my ability this is who
> I
> have:
>
> ............Oh boy am I wiped. Time to go to bed.
> I'll
> finish this tomorrow.


=====
Sandra Beasley and the Spaz Rats
Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan, Canada
RC(0.1) 20m24f26+r B- C+ D++ F+ N+ S! O4c1d1f OC(ali)a++
RIP: Willow, Belle, Tar-ra, her Babies, Starr, Marjorie, Chey, Carri, Cori,
Sage, Jazmyn, Curry, N'aani, S'oli, Nog, Baeli, E'lain, Taratoo, S'lar, C'iyou,
Diva, B'bet, K'eanu, S'gel, Jordi, Bhryn, T'tianna
Website: http://spazrats.tripod.com
E-group: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/holistarat
<:3  )~~~~~~   + <:3   )3~~~~~~  = <:3)~~~<:3)~~~<:3)~~~

______________________________________________________________________
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AMRIS_rodents_and_rabbits@..., "deborah_richards2003"
<deborah_richards2003@y...> wrote:
> However, my concern is that being only 4 weeks, was he taken away
from mum too soon? >
Hi Deb,
This is becoming so common, and is an issue that makes my blood boil.
People do this because the young ones are easy to sell.
Rabbits should be with their mum for 7 weeks at least, 8 weeks is
better, and some breeds such as Angoras need longer with the Doe
(the Mum).
> He seems happy, and healthy, >
He may seem this way and hopefully he is, and will remain this way.
But his gut is going through a huge change at the momment, he should
still be having Mum's milk, while weaning onto solids.
Having said that,
please DO NOT try to supplement with a milk formula, this would make
things worse.
(I can explain why if you need/want more info.)

The pH is changing and the gut is going from a sterile environment
to being inhabited with the bacteria he'll need to deal with an
adult diet.
Placing a 4 week old under the stress of being moved from Mum,
seperated from siblings, put in the nursery/shop, then adjusting to
a new home is far to much stress for a young rabbit.
Stress alone can be fatal.
Put on top of this all the changes both physically and emotionally
this soul is going through, he's under a huge amount of stress.

Many young rabbits succumb to disease related to this change over
period from milk to solids (often a fatal diarroea)
...but there are things you can do to help this li'l one.

I'll post some links which will hopefully help.

But I also have a few questions for you:
~ what is he eating, in as much detail as you can?
I recommend you don't change diet yet.

~ where is he living? ie: inside/outside, what sort of cage?

> I do plan to put him in with my guinea pig, >
Housing rabbits and G.Pigs together is not recomended.
Rabbits can kill a Guinea Pig (even if accidental), plus they have
different diet requirements.

When this one grows up and is de-sexed, I highly reccommend adopting
a rabbit from a shelter (rather than encouraging the breeding and
selling of infant animals...by buying them).
Rabbits are very social animals and really do need a bunny mate
(both need to be de-sexed).
But worry about that later.
First you need to keep this baby alive, healthy, growing, and to get
him through this difficult and stressful stage.

> But in the meantime, should I do anything special, diet or care
wise to ensure this little baby is raised a happy, healthy little
rabbit? >
Yes..there is a lot you can do to help this little one :)
And you're probably doing the right things already anyway.
I'll post back with some links soon plus more specific information.

I'm hoping you are still online tonight, and will get this message,
as I was wondering if you've had rabbits as pets before (so I don't
repeat stuff you may already know).

> I have owned rabbits before, but never a baby bunny of this age. >
Ok...I just read this, how long since you've had buns?

I'll get back soon with some good links, and look forward to hearing
from you.
Angie.

Hello Sandra! :)
I'm glad you joined up with me. Welcome aboard! :)I am sure that
together we will share some enlightening advice about our furry
little RAT friends, and many other animals, to both new members and
old ones... :)

Cheers from Down Under!

Deb Richards.
Sydney, Australia.
Mail: deb@...
Web: http://deb.richonet.net


--- In AMRIS_rodents_and_rabbits@..., "Sandra Beasley"
<spazrats@y...> wrote:
> Good Morning from Canada. I'm a new member as well. Deb Richards
had
> e-mailed me and told me she had joined your group. I'm an active
> member of the Ratlist, I spend a lot of time researching and
building
> my website, and of course taking care of a small in-home zoo, but I
> will do my best to participate here as well.
>
> You might guess by my name "Spazrats" that my line of expertise is
> RATS! You can find out all about me and my rats, and my cats, and
> dog, and Siamese Fighting Fish too here at:
> Sandra Beasley and the Spaz Rats
> http://spazrats.tripod.com
>
> I think that I am 44, LOL!, ageing has never been an interest of
> mine. Married to a wonderfully animal-tolerant husband (except when
> it comes to the rats where he is intolerodent), we chose never to
> have human children, but my life has been filled with the joys of
> animals, focusing so much on my pets that I become obsessed with
> learning everything about them. With my rats this is reflected in
the
> ongoing project of a very indepth website.
>
> My interest is in all animals and even though I have yet to have a
GP
> or a rabbit as a pet, I do make an effort to learn about them and
> their proper care. I did have a single female mouse at one time,
and
> I've had gerbils and hamsters, and a horse.
>
> Chat at cha later
>
> Sandra Beasley and the Spaz Rats
> Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan, Canada
>
>
>
> --- In
>
AMRIS_rodents_and_rabbits@..., "deborah_richards2003"
> <deborah_richards2003@y...> wrote:
> > Hello all, I just joined your group and thought I would say hello
> and
> > tell you a bit about myself. :)
> >
> > My name is Deborah, I am 30 yrs of age, and I live in Sydney,
> > Australia with my husband, 2 daughters, and a house / yard full
of
> > pets, which include 4 rats and 1 guinea pig and numerous others.
> > You can see pics of me and my pets at http://deb.richonet.net/
feel
> > free to have a look.
> >
> > Bye for now.
> >
> > Deborah Richards
> > Sydney, Australia.
> > deborah_richards@y...
> > http://deb.richonet.net

Hello Angie, & Sandra Beasley (nice to see you! :)

I think I mentioned that I have 1 guinea pig and 4 rats?
Well, today, I adopted the cutest little black and white dwarf baby
bunny from my local Nursery. But, concern is that he was taken to the
pet shop (with other siblings) at just 4 weeks of age.
Isn't that too young? Should I supplement his diet with anything in
particular to ensure he grows up a happy and healthy bunny??
Although I have owned many rabbits in my time it was been some years
since my last bunny, and never have I adopted a bunny so small or
young before. Please help! Any advice you can give me is appreciated.
Thank you in advance.

Deborah Richards.
Sydney, Australia.
Email: deb@...
Webpage: http://deb.richonet.net/


--- In AMRIS_rodents_and_rabbits@..., "Angie"
<angiecare@h...> wrote:
> --- In
>
AMRIS_rodents_and_rabbits@..., "deborah_richards2003"
> <deborah_richards2003@y...> wrote:
> > Hello all, I just joined your group >
>
> Hi Deb and all members,
> I'm a new member too, so I'll join this thread in saying hello and
> introducing myself to everyone :)
> I'm in Melbourne, with 4 bunny companions and 2 Golden Retrievers.
> I've had pet mice as a kid/teen.
> In my adult years, I have had several Cockies, a Cockatiel, a
> gorgeous Duck...and...
>
> Many rabbits have shared their time on this earth with me over the
> last 10 yrs and I'm very passionate about rabbits.
>
> And I am also a Nurse and a Dog Groomer, so I spend a lot of time
> with animals.
> I'm finding myself becoming more involved with animal welfare
issues.
> Which is why I joined this group.
> Looking forward to getting to know everyone, and learning!
> Bye for now,
> Angie.

Hello again,

Today, I adopted a 4 week and 3 days old, baby dwarf rabbit from my
local Nursery. He is a cute little black rabbit with a white patch on
his chest, and he is adapting to solid foods quite nicely, and drinks
water. But he is very small and young, but the owner of mum rabbit
took 3 babies to the nursery on Saturday and the babies were only 4
weeks old. But I figured, that if they were going to be sold so
young, who better to adopt one than someone with time, love and
patience for baby animals and adults.

However, my concern is that being only 4 weeks, was he taken away
from mum too soon?
He seems happy, and healthy, and has been in the Nursery since
Saturday, August 30, 2003 but tonight is his first night by himself.
I do plan to put him in with my guinea pig, when he grows big enough
to look after himself if my big male GP decides to be a bully,
probably wont be for a month or two... (due to settling in, growing
up a bit more, and a safe quarintine period before I introduce him
to my current pets.)

But in the meantime, should I do anything special, diet or care wise
to ensure this little baby is raised a happy, healthy little rabbit?

Any care tips for young rabbits is much appreciated. Please help!
I have owned rabbits before, but never a baby bunny of this age.

THANK YOU IN ADVANCE!!!

Deborah Richards.
Sydney, Australia.

P.S. Please send all email to: deb@...

Hi Kirsten,
No I'm sorry I don't remember the name, but I do
remember it was designed for spraying or painting on
dressings etc so the patient/pet didn't chew it of as
quick maybe a Vet can. Give the salt block a try
though as minerals are a necessity and it will make
them chew and even bite if they smell salts. My son
also tells me that tey sometimmes chew to sharpen
their teeth so maybe an old tree root or something
like that would help, a vet could tell you if it's
safe to do that. And that's the limit of my knowledge
sorry. Good luck
Rgds Willow

Ps You could give Dr Harry a try and become a TV star
for a day. (Ha Ha)

> Message: 2
>    Date: Fri, 29 Aug 2003 16:17:23 +1000
>    From: "Kirsten" <kirstendf@...>
> Subject: Re: Re.Chewing Rabbit
>
> Thanks for that help Wil - Do you remember the name
> of the Herbal spray product that you purchased? (I
> am in Australia)
>
> Cheers
>
> Kirsten
>


http://search.yahoo.com.au - Yahoo! Search
- Looking for more? Try the new Yahoo! Search

--- In
AMRIS_rodents_and_rabbits@..., "deborah_richards2003"
<deborah_richards2003@y...> wrote:
> Hello all, I just joined your group >

Hi Deb and all members,
I'm a new member too, so I'll join this thread in saying hello and
introducing myself to everyone :)
I'm in Melbourne, with 4 bunny companions and 2 Golden Retrievers.
I've had pet mice as a kid/teen.
In my adult years, I have had several Cockies, a Cockatiel, a
gorgeous Duck...and...

Many rabbits have shared their time on this earth with me over the
last 10 yrs and I'm very passionate about rabbits.

And I am also a Nurse and a Dog Groomer, so I spend a lot of time
with animals.
I'm finding myself becoming more involved with animal welfare issues.
Which is why I joined this group.
Looking forward to getting to know everyone, and learning!
Bye for now,
Angie.

Hello to All,

I am Kirsten in Tamworth (not to far away from Deborah in Sydney) - I have a
guinea pig and a rabbit. My son recently got a rat but he died - from a cold we
think!

Cheers to all

Kirsten


[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

Good Morning from Canada. I'm a new member as well. Deb Richards had
e-mailed me and told me she had joined your group. I'm an active
member of the Ratlist, I spend a lot of time researching and building
my website, and of course taking care of a small in-home zoo, but I
will do my best to participate here as well.

You might guess by my name "Spazrats" that my line of expertise is
RATS! You can find out all about me and my rats, and my cats, and
dog, and Siamese Fighting Fish too here at:
Sandra Beasley and the Spaz Rats
http://spazrats.tripod.com

I think that I am 44, LOL!, ageing has never been an interest of
mine. Married to a wonderfully animal-tolerant husband (except when
it comes to the rats where he is intolerodent), we chose never to
have human children, but my life has been filled with the joys of
animals, focusing so much on my pets that I become obsessed with
learning everything about them. With my rats this is reflected in the
ongoing project of a very indepth website.

My interest is in all animals and even though I have yet to have a GP
or a rabbit as a pet, I do make an effort to learn about them and
their proper care. I did have a single female mouse at one time, and
I've had gerbils and hamsters, and a horse.

Chat at cha later

Sandra Beasley and the Spaz Rats
Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan, Canada



--- In
AMRIS_rodents_and_rabbits@..., "deborah_richards2003"
<deborah_richards2003@y...> wrote:
> Hello all, I just joined your group and thought I would say hello
and
> tell you a bit about myself. :)
>
> My name is Deborah, I am 30 yrs of age, and I live in Sydney,
> Australia with my husband, 2 daughters, and a house / yard full of
> pets, which include 4 rats and 1 guinea pig and numerous others.
> You can see pics of me and my pets at http://deb.richonet.net/ feel
> free to have a look.
>
> Bye for now.
>
> Deborah Richards
> Sydney, Australia.
> deborah_richards@y...
> http://deb.richonet.net

Hello all, I just joined your group and thought I would say hello and
tell you a bit about myself. :)

My name is Deborah, I am 30 yrs of age, and I live in Sydney,
Australia with my husband, 2 daughters, and a house / yard full of
pets, which include 4 rats and 1 guinea pig and numerous others.
You can see pics of me and my pets at http://deb.richonet.net/ feel
free to have a look.

Bye for now.

Deborah Richards
Sydney, Australia.
deborah_richards@...
http://deb.richonet.net

Thanks for that help Wil - Do you remember the name of the Herbal spray product
that you purchased? (I am in Australia)

Cheers

Kirsten


[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

My son once had a Guinea Pig that chewed everything
but we could only partly fix the problem. What we bid
was TV, video and stereo cables were put neatly behind
the units, and then the entry points were up blocked
as best as possible. Then a spray we got from the vet
was squirted onto a cloth and wiped around on anything
that we could think of, the spray was a herbal mixture
and tasted foul (yes I did taste it) sort of like anti
nail biting stuff you can buy. If you can get a piece
of salt lick from a stockfeed agent, a broken piece
about the size of a smoke pkt will do, that will help
as they sometimes chew cos they smell the minerals.
But more importantly a bit of supervision does it to

http://search.yahoo.com.au - Yahoo! Search
- Looking for more? Try the new Yahoo! Search

Hello All,

I have searched the internet etc for info on this and have come to the
conclusion that one just puts up with a rabbit chewing but thought asking here
was worth a try.

My bunny is a dwarf and lives inside, he is toilet trained and a real sweety.
The only problem is that he chews and chews. Through cables etc I am worried one
day he will electrocute himself. I remember years ago there was a product
available that one could spray on areas to prevent cats going near them. Does
such a thing exist for rabbits that I could repel him from going behind the TV
etc where the cables lurk.

Kind regards to all

Kirsten




[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

Hi!

I just joined this group because I'm looking for someone with a lot
of experience with mice.  I currently have 17 mice - 13 females and 4
males.

My first question is whether or not it's safe to leave a pregnant
female in with the other females.  Will the others eat the babies,
help out with them, or....?  I don't want to experiment just to have
the babies killed.

I also have a waltzing mouse, and have found 2 differing opinions
about them.  One book said it's a genetic defect and the mouse should
be put down so it doesn't suffer.  The other book said that they are
specifically bred to be that way (running in circles) and are rare.
So which is it?  She is friendly and very funny to watch, but if
she's actually miserable, I don't want to let her suffer.  Please
help!

Thanks,
Stacy

All Members in New South Wales Australia tune into radio 2RPH at 1224
on the AM band (between 2CH and 2SM ) every Sunday and Monday at 5.30
to hear Companions For Life which regularly features articles by
AMRIS and AMRIS members.

These articles are read on-air.

To submitt your own articles on anything rodent or rabbit related,
please send a printed copy to :
AMRIS Radio Articles -
PO BOX 4248 Ringwood Victoria Australia 3134

Animalearn has put together a very comprehensive information pack
which contains all sorts of facts about rats.
You can order your free Rat Pack by emailing:

aavsal@...
with your details.

This offer is for residents in the USA only.

We are looking for cute, clear and cuddly photos of you with your
pets.
Often Animal Welfare groups request photos for use on their websites,
leaflets and magazine articles.
Please add these inside the clubs album - You and Your rabbit or
Rodents

Thank you

Hello members

Next Year in 2004 the Australian Mouse and Rat Information Service is
being advertised in the Melbourne  Yellow Pages Phone Book (Victoria
Australia).
What makes this more excitting is our website is also being printed
in it.
This will no doubt increase the flow of traffic inside this club.

So, if you fancy yourself as a bit of an expert, then please consider
sticking around to assist with answering requests for advice.

I cannot attend the club regularly at the momment, so count on you
more 'gifted' members to help keep this club alive and look after new
members.

Thanks heaps ...
Rebekah Blackwolf

To anyone interested,

I have two female rats, Trish and Victoria, that have been my pets
for just under a year. I love them dearly and under normal
circumstances would never part with them. Unfortunately my living
arrangements are about to be severely disturbed and what was once a
rodent friendly house will no longer be. While I could still keep
them it would not be in what I would consider ideal circumstances
for them and would rather they were somewhere they would be happier,
as in the end, it would make me happier to know they are well looked
after.

They are what I believe are called "Black Hooded" rats, although the
hood is more brown than black. They are very cute and seem as
healthy as a rat could be. They are extremely friendly and love
human contact. Their personality is the best I have ever had in any
of my rats and I haven't recieved one single bite or sign of
aggressiveness from them once, even when I have accidently shut
their cage door on them :) I would rather not have to seperate them
as they seem to be great friends.

I live in the melbourne area and would be willing to drive them,
within reason, to anyone who will love them and take care of them.

Anyone who is interested can contact me on my email address
lucastsmith1979@...

Thanks,

Lucas.

One of my recent litters contains a baby with no tail. Is this known
as a Manx? Is it something I shouldnt breed from?
Can anyone tell me more info about tail-less mice?