i was holding my 1.5 week old baby rat and she pooped on me.... and
then i ate a snickers (forgetting she went on me) and now i am worried
about rat poop poisoning if there is such thing... so does anyone know
if there is such thing???
Hi There Dawn!!..
why your very welcome!!..
sorry its taken me so long to get back to you..ive only juist started a new
job and i dont get that much time to spent on the net anymore...
and im soo glad you found that website useful..its got some great info on
it...
phew!..im glad theyre both girls!!....
as for me..well i ended up with a whole family of mice....
but believe me if i could turn back time i wouldnt have it any other
way..having baby mice was a wonderful experience...the babies were gorgeous!!...
oh and females can mount each other, the more dominant one is the one that
starts it up...none of my girls have done that..the one thing i did have was an
infamous whisker biter..(thats what you call one, that bites the other mices
whiskers to show whos boss, its a behavioural problem)..well she shaved all her
sisters whiskers..even her mothers!..hehe..:P
hmm..now as for the smell..well it may be due to the kind of litter your
using...wood shavings absorb alot of urine..i found when i was using it that it
really stunk after 2 days...
so i tried out kitty litter after they suggested it in one of the pet
stores..you can use any kind really, as long as its not toxic or too big for the
mices feet(they need some comfort)...but the one that i prefer is one thats
recommended by the rspca..its called Maxs cat litter ....
i buy a 12 kg bag..(cus ive got a small mouse community going on!!)hehe...
i usually clean my guys out once or twice a week...and only wash they plastic
box out with soup once a month..cus i think they like to have a bit of their
scent or they may feel disoriented...they mark their territory like dogs do...
i dont actullay keep my mice in cages..but in large plastic containers...with
a hole on the side for their water bottle..and they each have their own kleenex
box house..which i change periodically...
i find it much better than a cage cus they have much more space and have more
freedom since their container is clear ..i never use a lid...
hmmm..a good way to check if the have any mites is to get a bit of sticky
tape and try holding one of your girls so that the stick side gets on the
skin..preferebly on their back in the nape area... if you hold it up to the
light or even under a light with a white background you may be able to see some
little red mites..
but if their in egg form you'll only be able to see them under the
microscope..even a toy microscope will let you see them. i had that problem..and
a quick trip to the vet and he gave us this excellent anti mite medication
called "revolution".. you can get it from your local vet.. ..you'll need a tiny
5 ml syringe and all you'll need of the solution is up to the first line on the
syringe (the line nearest the tip where the needle is)..you can just hold the
mouse close so that she doesnt move....then quickly tap the drop of solution
from the syringe onto the skin...make sure the skin is dry ....cus it doesnt
work on wet or damp skin..one application is all thats needed...oh and since the
solution if alchohol based the amount you dont use will evaparate...so you have
to be quick...
you'll have to rewash all their playthings and house... and clean or get rid
of all the material in their house.....do this before you put the mice in their
cage to prevent re infestation..
now pet stores will usually try and sell you anti mite spray thats used on
birds..thats just a waste of money cus it doesnt work(thats what the vet told
me)...revolution is worth it cus the mites will be killed and the chance of them
coming back is tiny...you could reapply a few months later if you like..
hmm..the other thing could be that they have dry skin....so you could just put
a bit of either olive oil or baby oil onto the area they're rubbing...once a day
for about a week should be enough..but you could do it again if you think they
need it... its simple and done in a few minutes :0)...
well anways..i hope ive help you out a bit..let me know how things go...and
feel free to email me anytime..im always happy to be of any help..
Ciao and have a beautiful day!!.. :0)
Kathy :0)
Dawn Brown <sungirl_green@...> wrote:
Hi Katherine
Thanks for responding. I found that web site very informative. Fortunately for
me Holly and Belle climb on their wire cage a lot which means I can get a good
look at them without stressing either of us. My verdict is that we do indeed
have two girls, but even if I'm wrong their private parts look them same to me,
everything close to the tail and no bulges. I don't think I will have to break
the news to my husband that we are expecting the patter of some very tiny feet!
I was very concerned last week when we put them back into a clean cage as we saw
Holly mounting Belle, but the web site said that can happen between girls
sorting out the pecking order. Maybe the smell is because they still haven't
settled that yet. I cleaned their cage out with some disinfectant last week
because our previous mice had lived in it too. Leah and Karli have been gone
over two years, but I only cleaned the cage as per normal before putting it into
storage and then again before putting
Holly and Belle into it. I thought maybe there were still traces of Leah and
Karli that only Holly and Belle could smell. Even though the weather was really
hot last week, and smells usually get worse when it's hot, I didn't think the
cage smelt as strongly. Maybe because of the heat they weren't piddling as much!
I was lucky when I took them to the vet. The nurse took the cage out the back to
the vet who had a look at them and then the nurse brought them back. I wasn't
charged for the check. I intend to clean out my linen cupboard, so I think some
old towels will find their way to the surgery. They were very good with a couple
of our guinea pigs a few years back too.
I have another question. Holly and Belle seem to be scratching a lot and then
cleaning the spot where they scratched. Do you think they may have some
hitchhikers? I can't see anything obvious. Do you have any recommendations for
something I can easily treat them with just in case?
Thanks again
Dawn
Katherine Medina <hellowittykitty@...> wrote:
Hi there..
I had the same problem when i first got mice...they assured me that they were
both female...
plus i even took the one i suspected to be male to the vet..and he assured me it
was female...
well lo and behold..12 babies later..i learnt they werent..
one thing i learnt was to check before hand if the vet has had much dealing with
mice..you'll find alot only specialise in bigger animals..only go to one who's
got experience...or you'll be wasting your money and possibly be risking the
little rodents health....
heres a great site that i learnt alot from..
http://www.fancymice.info/breedfrontpage.htm
its got some great pic to help sex the mice...one thing to remember is that the
males have a bulge where the testis are..near the rear of the tail..and only the
females have nipples....its best to keep them seperate until you know exaclty
what youve got..as the can reproduce from the age of 6 weeks...
hope the site helps...
i wish you and your Li'l Lady Have a Bright and Beautiful Day!... :0)
Kathy :0)
sungirl_green <sungirl_green@...> wrote:
We need expert help! On December 6 my daughter bought two
supposedly female mice from two different petshops. We had kept two
females before (they were sisters) and we had no problems with
smells until the end of the week when the cage was due for cleaning
anyway. These two new mice smell very quickly after cleaning, and
although a local vet said she was fairly sure they were both girls,
I still have doubts. We cannot keep even one boy mouse as my
husband isn't too keen on them anyway and simply won't tolerate the
smell. I thought the smell may have been because the mice didn't
know each other and were trying to sort out who was the boss.
However, after nearly a month together and only a couple of
altercations (none serious), I feel they should be sorted out by now.
I would like to know if there is someone near us who could check
them for us. My daughter would probably want to trade any boys for
girls, and if babies arrive, I'd like to be able to take them
somewhere safe, we can't keep them.
We live in Greenvale, so if there is someone who lives in the
northwest of Melbourne who could help I would appreciate contact
details.
Thank you
Regards
Dawn Brown
Send instant messages to your online friends http://au.messenger.yahoo.com
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
Send instant messages to your online friends http://au.messenger.yahoo.com
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
Send instant messages to your online friends http://au.messenger.yahoo.com
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
Two or One Mouse?
Mice enjoy the company of their own kind, so two related males
(from the same litter) or two females are ideal. Unless your mouse
gets plenty of attention from you then two mice are better than one.
With a cage mate to keep them company your mouse will better
socialized and happier while you are at work or at school. Bored mice
tend to form abnormal, stress related habits such as constant leaping
to the roof of their hutch to get out, biting your fingers, chewing
at the latches or door of hutches, attempting to escape, climbing to
and hanging from hutch roof, excessive chewing of items such as toys
and feed bowls or general inactivity and depression.
Note: These symptoms can also be attributed to lack of space.
Living Requirements - Housing
Make sure you have the hutch/mouse house prepared BEFORE you
bring your mouse home.
Your mouse will need a draft proof, secure home with enough room
for a nesting box, toys, food bowl and water bowl/bottle.
Find out what the mouse will need to eat.
Think about where you are going to keep the cage as extremes in
either heat or cold, or sudden changes in temperature can be fatal to
a pet mouse.
Mice need a cage or tank with at least 70cm. squ. floor space,
and should be at least 20cm. high, this being big enough to house 2
to 8 mice.
Wooden cages are not recommended as these absorb urine and
become very unhealthy. They can also be chewed easily and chemicals
used to treat the wood are harmful to mice. For this same reason we
do not recommend wood shavings as bedding. Naturally occurring
tannin is toxic and it has been linked to liver problems with
domestic rats and mice. Chemicals added later in the processing of
the wood can be equally as toxic.
Mice like to climb about, tunnel and explore, so their home
should be set up to accommodate this instinctive need.
There are multi-story cages with shelves and ladders for easy
climbing and these are much more interesting for your mice. Some of
these cages are made from plastic, glass or wire.
Wire should be powder-coated or stainless steel, as galvanized
wire can be toxic to mice.
Wire cages designed for rodents have narrower bars or wire, about
5mm, than standard birdcages, as mice can squeeze through birdcage
bars.
Wire shelves or floors can cause foot sores, so these must be covered
with kitchen paper towel, cardboard or removed.
Glass tanks can be used and should have a fitted wire lid,
rather than a glass top, which allows for better circulation. Tanks
are not recommended if a young child is doing the cleaning, as these
are awkward, can get slippery when dampened and can be broken if
knocked or dropped.
Plastic tanks, also used for fish, are lightweight and easy to
clean, but don't allow for fixed shelving. Otherwise, boxes and
climbing frames can be added.
There is quite an extensive range of cages, houses and
accessories dedicated solely to small rodents, such as Habi-Trail
environments. These are the luxury of mouse homes with tubes and
houses that extend outside the main cage-space to create an adventure
playground of tunnels and amusements for your mouse. Often extra
fittings are available from Habi-Trail so you can `customize' your
mouse house. Children and adults alike will enjoy watching mice run
about these "designer homes".
Make sure the mouse is at least six weeks old or more.
The code of Practice for the Running of Pet Shops Victoria states
that four weeks is ok for mice to be put up for sale, and so pet
shops may base their advice on this. However mice are barely weaned
at four weeks of age and as such are too young to be away from their
mothers.
Mice come in a "rodent rainbow" of colors and coat types, all
equally as beautiful as the next.
(AMRIS warns against Hairless Mice - as these are genetically
engineered to be extremely susceptible to illness - cancers, colds
and various other viruses. They are a novelty breed and AMRIS
believes an unnecessary breed. Their fragility and inherent genetic
faults makes for short and often unhappy lives in the care of the
general "pet keeping" public. They should therefore NOT be allowed to
be sold in Pet Shops. If you are keen on keeping hairless mice, then
AMRIS recommends you contact Tarron Rodentry - listed above - for
experienced and expert advice)
Choose a mouse with a clean healthy coat, clear wide eyes with
no discharge and one with a clean bottom with no discharge or
staining. Also choose a mouse whose breathing is silent - meaning
no `chattering' or `wheezing' or excessive `sneezing' that may
indicate ill health.
If choosing a childs pet then choose a mouse that can be handled
quite easily without wanting to jump from your hands. Also choose a
mouse that will not try and bite your fingers when you reach into
their cage.
With regular handling in a quiet environment a well cared for
mouse will become tame quite fast.
Boy mouse or girl mouse?
This question is always one of the first for those considering
a mouse or mice as pets.
Well, both are equally as fun to keep. However, before you
purchase either, make sure the pet shop has provided separate housing
in store for males and females.
If not, then you might find yourself in for a nice surprise when
you bring home a pregnant female.
Also, males fighting over females tend to bite each other quite
viciously around the rump and tail.
It is strongly recommended that if you plan to keep male mice that
you house them separately, as they tend to fight. It is possible to
keep brothers together, provided they have never lived separate from
each other. But male mice will fight for territory with new,
introduced males.
Females can, however, get along quite peacefully together and
since mice are colony animals, keeping two is highly recommended.
THINK before you decide to keep males and females together, as
mice breed very quickly and continuously and it is very hard to find
homes for unwanted mice. (Pet shops will often take them - but many
will go as reptile food). Also, if you keep male and female mice in
separate cages, keep them in separate room also, as males will fight
each other if they smell the females in the same room.
Yes, I will not lie, males do have an odor. However, in a
regularly cleaned cage smell should be no problem.
Tarron Rodentry recommends when cleaning cages that they are
rinsed in really hot water as male mice may remark their territory to
mask residual soap smells. AMRIS recommends, for the control of
disease and mites, that mild tea-tress oil can be added to the
initial cleaning water to soak toys, bowls, nesting boxes and to wipe
cages inside and out, then rinse these thoroughly afterwards.
Care and Keeping of Domestic Mice
By Rebekah Blackwolf - AMRIS Rodents and Rabbits/AMRIS Online
http://www.geocities.com/petsburgh/reserve/5824
Notes and References taken from Keeping Mice: Rebecca Topliss -
Registered Mouse Breeder for Tarron Rodentry -
tarronllew@...http://www.ausrfs.org.au
Mice are endearing little creatures and keeping them as pets
can be very rewarding.
However, do not let size fool you into thinking they are simple
creatures with simple care needs. Mice, like dogs and cats, have
preferences, health care requirements and dietary needs, which must
be carefully followed.
Mice live between 18 months to 3 years. Sometimes they have
lived to 5 years, however this is rare.
In Australia, not much information has been available on the
care and keeping of domestic mice in the past, other than the
basic "how to breed", "feed them seed" and "provide water". These
days we are finding out more and more tips on the care and keeping of
mice.
In the following notes we hope to provide you with the best and
most current care and keeping information for the health and
happiness of your mouse. You may visit our websites anytime for new
information, to ask questions or to share your own experiences.
Before you bring your mouse home.
Our best advice is this - DO YOUR RESEARCH - FIND OUT ALL YOU
CAN!
This is not "just a mouse" It is a living, feeling creature capable
of play, happiness and suffering just like a dog, cat or human.
Hi Katherine
Thanks for responding. I found that web site very informative. Fortunately
for me Holly and Belle climb on their wire cage a lot which means I can get a
good look at them without stressing either of us. My verdict is that we do
indeed have two girls, but even if I'm wrong their private parts look them same
to me, everything close to the tail and no bulges. I don't think I will have to
break the news to my husband that we are expecting the patter of some very tiny
feet! I was very concerned last week when we put them back into a clean cage as
we saw Holly mounting Belle, but the web site said that can happen between girls
sorting out the pecking order. Maybe the smell is because they still haven't
settled that yet. I cleaned their cage out with some disinfectant last week
because our previous mice had lived in it too. Leah and Karli have been gone
over two years, but I only cleaned the cage as per normal before putting it into
storage and then again before putting
Holly and Belle into it. I thought maybe there were still traces of Leah and
Karli that only Holly and Belle could smell. Even though the weather was really
hot last week, and smells usually get worse when it's hot, I didn't think the
cage smelt as strongly. Maybe because of the heat they weren't piddling as
much!
I was lucky when I took them to the vet. The nurse took the cage out the back
to the vet who had a look at them and then the nurse brought them back. I
wasn't charged for the check. I intend to clean out my linen cupboard, so I
think some old towels will find their way to the surgery. They were very good
with a couple of our guinea pigs a few years back too.
I have another question. Holly and Belle seem to be scratching a lot and then
cleaning the spot where they scratched. Do you think they may have some
hitchhikers? I can't see anything obvious. Do you have any recommendations for
something I can easily treat them with just in case?
Thanks again
Dawn
Katherine Medina <hellowittykitty@...> wrote:
Hi there..
I had the same problem when i first got mice...they assured me that they were
both female...
plus i even took the one i suspected to be male to the vet..and he assured me it
was female...
well lo and behold..12 babies later..i learnt they werent..
one thing i learnt was to check before hand if the vet has had much dealing with
mice..you'll find alot only specialise in bigger animals..only go to one who's
got experience...or you'll be wasting your money and possibly be risking the
little rodents health....
heres a great site that i learnt alot from..
http://www.fancymice.info/breedfrontpage.htm
its got some great pic to help sex the mice...one thing to remember is that the
males have a bulge where the testis are..near the rear of the tail..and only the
females have nipples....its best to keep them seperate until you know exaclty
what youve got..as the can reproduce from the age of 6 weeks...
hope the site helps...
i wish you and your Li'l Lady Have a Bright and Beautiful Day!... :0)
Kathy :0)
sungirl_green <sungirl_green@...> wrote:
We need expert help! On December 6 my daughter bought two
supposedly female mice from two different petshops. We had kept two
females before (they were sisters) and we had no problems with
smells until the end of the week when the cage was due for cleaning
anyway. These two new mice smell very quickly after cleaning, and
although a local vet said she was fairly sure they were both girls,
I still have doubts. We cannot keep even one boy mouse as my
husband isn't too keen on them anyway and simply won't tolerate the
smell. I thought the smell may have been because the mice didn't
know each other and were trying to sort out who was the boss.
However, after nearly a month together and only a couple of
altercations (none serious), I feel they should be sorted out by now.
I would like to know if there is someone near us who could check
them for us. My daughter would probably want to trade any boys for
girls, and if babies arrive, I'd like to be able to take them
somewhere safe, we can't keep them.
We live in Greenvale, so if there is someone who lives in the
northwest of Melbourne who could help I would appreciate contact
details.
Thank you
Regards
Dawn Brown
Send instant messages to your online friends http://au.messenger.yahoo.com
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
Send instant messages to your online friends http://au.messenger.yahoo.com
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
Hi Rebekah
Thanks for responding and the advice. I have made a note of the phone number.
Katherine Medina also replied and refered me to a web site called Fancy Mice
which has some excellent photos of the private parts of mice. As our mice like
climbing the side of their wire cage I can have a good look at them without
either of us getting stressed. I am pleased to say that with help from both of
you I have decided they are both girls, and even if I am wrong they both look
the same beneath the tail. I had fears of a pregnancy when we observed Holly
apparently mounting Belle, but the web site answered that too. Girls can do
that to girls when trying to assert dominance. They had also just been put back
into a clean cage.
We haven't been feeding them meat or diary products, and not too much in the
way of green vegies, so maybe the smell is still a dominance problem. Although
I thought it wasn't as bad through last week even though the weather was really
hot. Perhaps they just didn't piddle as much! I also cleaned the cage with some
disinfectant as our previous mice (even though they departed this world over two
years ago) had lived in it too. The cage had been cleaned before I stored it
and before Holly and Belle moved in, but I thought maybe they could still smell
traces of Leah and Karli. Time will tell. The most important thing is not
having to tell my husband about the patter of very tiny feet!!
Another question about general health. I have noticed they seem to be
scratching a lot and then cleaning where they have scratched. Do you think they
may have some hitchhikers annoying them? I can't see anything obvious. What
would you recommend to treat them easily just in case?
Thanks again
Dawn
Rebekah Mitchell <lady_azurewolf@...> wrote:
The Rat Fanciers Society of Australia who are listed in the Melbourne
Yellow Pages under Clubs/Pets should have the contact phone number for
a Rebecca Topliss who is a mouse expert and breeder. I do not remeber
where she is located.
Smell can sometimes depend on diet.
Meat based products can make rodents smell. So too can diary products.
Or too many green vegetables.
When male mice develope testicles at about 3 months of age they should
be quite obvious.
Also, on females there is no hair above the vulva and they should have
a slight opening just above the protruding vulva (which is the vaginal
opening). On imature female mice this is often a tiny patch of bare
skin, or tiny indented spot. This needs good eye-sight to check on
mice, and any vet with a magnifying glass should be able to see this or
else they should be in veterinary work...You can often check yourself
by holding the mice bottoms up and gentley pressing the protruding bit
back towards the creatures stomach (in the opposite direction to the
anus. It is addmittably a little hard, especially on wiggly mice or
very young ones, but not impossible.
Males will have hair from the anus all the way down to the penis and a
much greater gap between these private parts than the females do with
their own bits (know what I mean).
Hope this has helped.
Rebekah
Send instant messages to your online friends http://au.messenger.yahoo.com
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
Hi there..
I had the same problem when i first got mice...they assured me that they were
both female...
plus i even took the one i suspected to be male to the vet..and he assured me
it was female...
well lo and behold..12 babies later..i learnt they werent..
one thing i learnt was to check before hand if the vet has had much dealing
with mice..you'll find alot only specialise in bigger animals..only go to one
who's got experience...or you'll be wasting your money and possibly be risking
the little rodents health....
heres a great site that i learnt alot from..
http://www.fancymice.info/breedfrontpage.htm
its got some great pic to help sex the mice...one thing to remember is that
the males have a bulge where the testis are..near the rear of the tail..and only
the females have nipples....its best to keep them seperate until you know
exaclty what youve got..as the can reproduce from the age of 6 weeks...
hope the site helps...
i wish you and your Li'l Lady Have a Bright and Beautiful Day!... :0)
Kathy :0)
sungirl_green <sungirl_green@...> wrote:
We need expert help! On December 6 my daughter bought two
supposedly female mice from two different petshops. We had kept two
females before (they were sisters) and we had no problems with
smells until the end of the week when the cage was due for cleaning
anyway. These two new mice smell very quickly after cleaning, and
although a local vet said she was fairly sure they were both girls,
I still have doubts. We cannot keep even one boy mouse as my
husband isn't too keen on them anyway and simply won't tolerate the
smell. I thought the smell may have been because the mice didn't
know each other and were trying to sort out who was the boss.
However, after nearly a month together and only a couple of
altercations (none serious), I feel they should be sorted out by now.
I would like to know if there is someone near us who could check
them for us. My daughter would probably want to trade any boys for
girls, and if babies arrive, I'd like to be able to take them
somewhere safe, we can't keep them.
We live in Greenvale, so if there is someone who lives in the
northwest of Melbourne who could help I would appreciate contact
details.
Thank you
Regards
Dawn Brown
Send instant messages to your online friends http://au.messenger.yahoo.com
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
The Rat Fanciers Society of Australia who are listed in the Melbourne
Yellow Pages under Clubs/Pets should have the contact phone number for
a Rebecca Topliss who is a mouse expert and breeder. I do not remeber
where she is located.
Smell can sometimes depend on diet.
Meat based products can make rodents smell. So too can diary products.
Or too many green vegetables.
When male mice develope testicles at about 3 months of age they should
be quite obvious.
Also, on females there is no hair above the vulva and they should have
a slight opening just above the protruding vulva (which is the vaginal
opening). On imature female mice this is often a tiny patch of bare
skin, or tiny indented spot. This needs good eye-sight to check on
mice, and any vet with a magnifying glass should be able to see this or
else they should be in veterinary work...You can often check yourself
by holding the mice bottoms up and gentley pressing the protruding bit
back towards the creatures stomach (in the opposite direction to the
anus. It is addmittably a little hard, especially on wiggly mice or
very young ones, but not impossible.
Males will have hair from the anus all the way down to the penis and a
much greater gap between these private parts than the females do with
their own bits (know what I mean).
Hope this has helped.
Rebekah
We need expert help! On December 6 my daughter bought two
supposedly female mice from two different petshops. We had kept two
females before (they were sisters) and we had no problems with
smells until the end of the week when the cage was due for cleaning
anyway. These two new mice smell very quickly after cleaning, and
although a local vet said she was fairly sure they were both girls,
I still have doubts. We cannot keep even one boy mouse as my
husband isn't too keen on them anyway and simply won't tolerate the
smell. I thought the smell may have been because the mice didn't
know each other and were trying to sort out who was the boss.
However, after nearly a month together and only a couple of
altercations (none serious), I feel they should be sorted out by now.
I would like to know if there is someone near us who could check
them for us. My daughter would probably want to trade any boys for
girls, and if babies arrive, I'd like to be able to take them
somewhere safe, we can't keep them.
We live in Greenvale, so if there is someone who lives in the
northwest of Melbourne who could help I would appreciate contact
details.
Thank you
Regards
Dawn Brown
Greetings Everyone!!
Welcome to all our new memebrs nd a big thank you to everyone who
has posted photos in our albums.
If you have not visited the groups photo gallery yet, please do so
as there are some fantastic photos to look at. There has even been some
excellent guinea pig photos added!!! check em out!!
Now on a serious note.
This group has been recieveing some inappropriate spam (dating
adverstisements and the usual viagra ads0. This I appoligise to any
members who have recieved these. I have made reports to both Yahoo and
another anti-spam agencey and these messages and others will be delt
with appropriately.
Spam is NOT welcome in this group and any members who feel they have
recieved inappropriate or offensive messages via this club are asked to
report it to me so I can take appropriate action. I take Spam very
seseriously and will not tolerate pornographic material inside this
group as a result of spammers. Again I appoligise to all members who
may have recieved any such unwelcome messages.
As a means of slowing down Spam, I have changed the member settings
to screen potential members before I approve their membership.
Well, back to more cheerful things!!!
Happy New Year Everyone and thank you ALL for contributing to the
group - I am so pleased with the way members help each other out and
the friendships formed inside this network!!!
Cheers to the future!!!
luv to all Rebekah, AMRIS founder.
Hello, everyone.
I'm looking to re-home four of my rats. Three females and a male. The
females are two six month olds, one cinnamon hooded and one PEW (both
runts so very small) and one 1 year old mink berkshire female.
I'd prefer that the females all go together.
I also have one four/five month old PEW male.
If you're interested please contact me and I'll probably send you a
few questions to answer.
Cheers.
Naomi.
Thought i best introduce myself...i'm a rat and mouse owner...i'm 38yrs
and live in Toowoomba QLD
Currently i have 2 female rats and 22 mice (12 pups & 10 adult)
Happy to find somewhere/people who appear as rodent crazy as me
*L*...looking forward to learning from you all...and imparting any
knowledge you may find useful
Thnak you
Hi There!!
heres another really good vet...the consultaion fee is $65 and the price for
the desexing is $120....
http://www.davidvella.com.au/
hope that info helps you.....
Cheers
Kathy :0)
Naomi <naynaynay@...> wrote:
Hi there. Posted some vets below (stolen from dapper rat site).
Hope it helps.
Naomi.
NSW:
Dr Rob Wansbrough
Old Toongabbie Veterinary Clinic
Shop 2, 11 Picasso Crs, OLD TOONGABBIE
Ph: (02) 9896 3177
Dr Michelle Marquardt
Sydney Animal Hospital
69-73 Erskineville Rd, ERSKINEVILLE
Ph: (02) 9519 4111
Dr Steve Cooney
Balmain Veterinary Hospital
112 Victoria Rd, ROZELLE
Ph: (02) 9810 7544
Website: www.balmainvet.com.au
Dr Barbara Fougere & Dr Sue Hunter
All Natural Vet Care - alternative therapies
292 Lyons Rd, RUSSELL LEA
Ph: (02) 9712 5844
Website: www.naturalvet.com.au
Mobile Vet Central Coast
Terrigal Drv, ERINA
Ph: (02) 4365 4211
Dr Kym Fryer
Cannon & Ball Veterinary Clinic
461 Crown St, WEST WOOLLONGONG
Ph: (02) 4229 8888
----- Original Message -----
From: river444
To: AMRIS_rodents_and_rabbits@...
Sent: Thursday, November 23, 2006 12:01 AM
Subject: AMRIS Rodents & Rabbits yone know of a good vet in De-sexing a male rat
Does anyone know of a good vet in sydney who can desex my two teenage
rats, I cant stop them from fighting and am sick of smelling ratty
after handling my gorgeous boys
----------------------------------------------------------
Internal Virus Database is out-of-date.
Checked by AVG Free Edition.
Version: 7.1.409 / Virus Database: 268.14.5/533 - Release Date: 13/11/2006
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
Send instant messages to your online friends http://au.messenger.yahoo.com
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
hehe...i thought i'd send this cus i think its hilarious!!..
Hope you enjoy.....
its taken from this site...
http://www.dapper.com.au/madratters.htm
---------------------------------
The Rataholics Quiz
Are you a rataholic? Do your rats control your life? Take this quiz to find
out...
1. You go to the pet store to buy bedding, you leave with:
a. Bedding
b. Bedding, yogurt drops and a new chew toy they just got in
c. Bedding, yogurt drops, the new chew toy, a hammock, six new baby feeder
rescue rats and another cage.
2. Someone says "Euuuw!!" when you mention you have pet rats. You:
a. Sigh and forgive them for their ignorance and intolerance
b. Try to explain to them why rats make such great pets
c. Pull two rats from your shirt, kiss their furry bellies and wave their tails
in the persons face
3. The last thing you do before going to bed at night is:
a. Brush your teeth and kiss your partner
b. Say goodnight to the rats and turn the light off
c. You've become nocturnal and stay up all night scritching, bruxing at,
talking to, offering treats and playing with your rats.
4. You've just logged on and received your email. The first thing you read
is:
a. An urgent memo from your boss
b. A birthday ecard from a close friend or relative
c. The entire 200+ messages from your rat mailing list
5. You've just found your rat gnawing on a family heirloom. What do you do?
a. Yell "No!" and confine your rat to his cage to think about what he's
done
b. Think "Oh well! Rats will be rats! I shouldn't have left it there in the
first place"
c. Praise your rat on his artfulness and skill and offer him a yogurt drop
6. When your rat pees on you, you think:
a. Euuww!! And I only just washed this shirt!!
b. <sigh> When will he learn to use the litter tray?
c. Oh! I love you too, you furry little sweetie ratty pie! <kiss>
7. The pictures in your wallet are:
a. Your drivers license
b. Your partner and/or family
c. All 42 of your rats, complete with names, ages, colours, weights, pedigrees,
show awards, etc.
8. You spend your weekends:
a. Enjoying your favourite sports and activities
b. Relaxing and playing with the rats
c. Attending your regular Saturday morning vet appointment, cleaning cages,
going to the pet shop for supplies, sewing hammocks, baking rat treats,
scrounging in neighbourhood bins for construction material for rat toys, etc.
9. What do you do when a wild rat gets into your house:
a. Call an exterminator
b. Trap it and let it go outside
c. Trap it, place it in a cage with treats and toys and call it Binky.
10. How many times did you pause while doing this quiz to scritch/play
with/treat your rats?
a. Not at all.
b. Once or twice
c. My rats are on my keyboard answering the questions for me
Scoring:
For each question you answered (a) give yourself 1 point.
For each question you answered (b) give yourself 2 points.
For each question you answered (c) give yourself 3 points.
If you scored < 30 points:
You love your rats, but aren't a rataholic... yet. Wait another 2 weeks and
re-take this quiz.
If you scored 30 points:
You're a confirmed rataholic. You have no control over your life. But take
heart, with your rat in charge your life couldn't be in better hands. :)
Still not sure if you're a real rataholic? Then try Michelle's Rataholic
Quiz too!
---------------------------------
The Rat Owners Personality Test
A little psychological test to find out what kind of rat owner you are...
All you have to do is: On a blank piece of paper, draw a rat.
Once you've done that, read this interpretation of your drawing:
Interpretation
No cheating now... you must draw your rat before reading the interpretation or
it won't be accurate!
---------------------------------
Are you a ratty veteran?
Have you reached the hardened state of the truly indurate rat owner? Become a
dauntless veteran of the inherent hardships of living with rats? Capable of
dealing with any difficult or unpleasant ratty ordeal without batting an eyelid?
Take this quiz to find out. Simply collect the points for the various things
you have accomplished so far...
Feeding time:
Bought a food you don't eat yourself just for the rats - 1 point
Tasted your rat's lab blocks / dry food mix / treats - 1 point
Tasted Baytril - 3 points
Given your rat some food from your dinner plate - 1 point
Let your rat eat freely off your dinner plate - 3 points
Let your rat eat food out of your mouth - 5 points
Shared an ice cream licking session with your rats - 1 point
Offered your rats mashed avocado from your unprotected fingers - 3 points
Given your rats a more nutritious dinner than your own - 1 point
Baked special treats for your rats - 5 points
Endured a ratty treat pleading session without succumbing - 5 points
Fed your rats live meal worms - 2 points
Fed your rats live meal worms and watched them bite them in half without
shuddering - 5 points
Removed a half eaten cockroach from your rat's mouth - 2 points
Not been concerned when your rat ate a used tissue - 2 points
Spent more on your rat's dinner than your own - 1 point
Bought expensive imported out of season blueberries for your rats - 5 points
Begged chicken bones off friends and family for your rat's chewing pleasure - 2
points
Consider it normal to steal food from someone's mouth - 3 points
Raisins aplenty:
Picked up a raisin with your bare hands - 1 point
Picked up a squishy raisin with your bare hands - 2 points
Picked a hanger-on raisin off your rat's butt with your bare hands - 5 points
Inspected your bed for raisins before climbing in - 1 point
Removed a dried raisin from your bed linen - 2 points
Found a raisin in your bed and slept with it anyway - 5 points
Had a friend or co-worker remove a stuck-on raisin from your person - 5 points
Observed your rat eating a raisin - 2 points
Observed your rat eating a raisin and still allow your rat to kiss you - 5
points
Measured a particularly long raisin and stated it's dimensions proudly in public
- 6 points
Cleaning up:
Let your rat lick clean your dinner plate - 1 point
Washed the rat rags in with your normal clothes wash - 3 points
Changed all your usual cleaning products to environmentally safe ones for your
rat's health - 3 points
Picked up a cageful of scattered pea shells - 1 point
Picked up a cageful of scattered pea shells without complaining about your rat's
messy eating habits - 2 points
Sieved bedding to remove dust before using it in your rat cage - 2 points
Microwaved or froze bedding/food to kill bugs before using in your rat cage - 2
points
Sighed in resignation when your rat refused to use the litter tray - 1 point
Taught your rat to use a litter tray - 5 points
Play time:
Own clothes whose specific purpose are for wearing while playing with rats - 1
point
Endured a scent mark without any negative emotional reaction - 1 point
Felt proud and loved when scent marked - 2 points
Dabbed scent mark pee behind your ears as an alluring perfume - 6 points
Scent marked the rats yourself to show your dominance - 8 points
Wear only yellow clothing so as to disguise pee stains - 3 points
Extracted a rat from your underwear - 2 points
Worn an oversized bra to provide room for your rats - 2 points
Worn an oversized bra to provide room for your rats and you're a male - 6 points
Had a rat bite your nipple - 5 points
Broken up a serious rat fight - 1 point
Broken up a serious rat fight with your bare hands - 3 points
Let your rat lick your lips - 1 point
Permitted full mouth rodentistry - 5 points
Gagged on an overly inquisitive furry rat head - 8 points
Let your rats run about on your bed - 1 point
Gave up an entire room in your house and turned it into a rat playground - 5
points
Discarded all electrical appliances so that your rats can free range the entire
house safely - 8 points
Made your own rat toy - 1 point
Made all the Rat Toy Ideas on Robyn's Rats website - 10 points
Injured yourself while making rat toys - 2 points
Inflicted serious injury to yourself while avoiding treading on your free
ranging rat - 6 points
Spent more than an hour trying to coax your rat out from under a piece of
furniture - 1 point
Above and beyond:
Bought a larger cage for your rat - 1 point
Joined one or more cages to make a bigger home for your ever-increasing rat
population - 2 points
Built a mansion from scratch to provide luxury living for your rats - 8 points
Purchased an air conditioner for your rat's summer comfort - 10 points
Spent more on impulse bought rat toys than the food and bedding you went to the
shop to buy - 2 points
Paid vet bills 10 times the cost of your rat and considered it cheap - 5 points
Social interaction:
Attended a rat show - 1 point
Attended all rat shows within a 5 hour drive of your home - 5 points
Attended a rat show and came home with an unexpected new ratlet - 1 point
Worn a rat as a stunning and provocative fashion item - 1 point
Purchased a garment specifically because it had the right sized pocket/hood for
carrying a rat - 3 points
Proudly worn aeratted (i.e. full of chewed holes) clothes in public - 1 point
Had someone inform you that you may have moths in your wardrobe - 1 point
Gone out in public with copious rat scratches in plain view - 1 point
When asked, proudly stated the scratches are love marks from your rats - 2
points
Gone out in public with a pee stain on your clothes - 1 point
Gone out in public with a raisin/s in your hair - 3 points
Required assistance from your neighbour / friend to remove an entangled rat from
your hair - 8 points
Declined a date so you can spend the evening playing with your rats - 2 points
Declined a date, stating the excuse that you have to spend the evening playing
with your rats - 5 points
Entered "rats" in the hobby section of a job application form - 1 point
Decorated your office with pictures of your rats, a rat themed computer desktop,
a rattie screen saver, etc. - 3 points
Converted at least one colleague to rat ownership - 5 points
You've bruxed during a romantic moment with your partner - 1 points
You've boggled your eyes during a romantic moment with your partner - 5 points
Health Care:
Bathed your rat - 1 point
Bathed your rat wearing a sleeveless shirt - 3 points
Bathed your rat without first clipping your rat's claws - 5 points
Clipped your rat's claws - 2 points
Clipped your doe's claws while she was in heat - 5 points
Clipped a rat's teeth - 5 points
Taken your rat to a vet - 1 point
Taken your rat to a vet experienced in rat health care - 3 points
Known more about rat antibiotic treatment than your vet - 5 points
Successfully applied ointment to your rat's eye - 2 points
Successfully applied ear drops in your rat's ear - 2 points
Hidden baytril in one food item for the entire course without your rat
suspecting - 5 points
Squeezed a pus filled abscess on your rat - 8 points
Cleaned out a waxy plug from your buck's penis - 10 points
Massaged a constipated rat belly - 4 points
Lubricated and manipulated a bulging rat eyeball back into it's socket - 10
points
Inspected a recently mated female - 2 points
Inspected a recently mated female and ended up with a mucus plug in your hand -
6 points
Scoring:
Less than 10 points - you obviously don't own rats.
10 - 50 points - you're a new rat owner, give it time.
51 - 100 points - you've had rats awhile, but they haven't trained you
completely yet.
Over 100 points - you're devoted, you're under your rats' spell.
Over 200 points - you're experienced, not much phases you.
Over 300 or lost count - a true veteran.
With thanks to the following contributors: Missy, Andreas, Claire, Kimberly,
Andrea, Matt
river444 <river444@...> wrote:
Does anyone know of a good vet in sydney who can desex my two teenage
rats, I cant stop them from fighting and am sick of smelling ratty
after handling my gorgeous boys
Send instant messages to your online friends http://au.messenger.yahoo.com
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
--- In AMRIS_rodents_and_rabbits@..., "river444"
<river444@...> wrote:
>
> Does anyone know of a good vet in sydney who can desex my two
teenage
> rats, I cant stop them from fighting and am sick of smelling ratty
> after handling my gorgeous boys
>
Hi There!!....
Heres the details for an excellent vet here in Sydney...up in crows
next..the consultation is $65 and the cost of the procedure per
rodent is $120....eeeks...
http://www.davidvella.com.au/
hmm..when i asked about wether desexing would stop my boys from
fighting it was told it would lessen their aggression but there was
no guarantee that they would stop fighting...but the smell wouldnt be
as strong..
another option would be to just put them seperatly and put them
together to play once a day...
well i wish you the best of luck!
Cheerio
Kathy :0)
Hi there. Posted some vets below (stolen from dapper rat site).
Hope it helps.
Naomi.
NSW:
Dr Rob Wansbrough
Old Toongabbie Veterinary Clinic
Shop 2, 11 Picasso Crs, OLD TOONGABBIE
Ph: (02) 9896 3177
Dr Michelle Marquardt
Sydney Animal Hospital
69-73 Erskineville Rd, ERSKINEVILLE
Ph: (02) 9519 4111
Dr Steve Cooney
Balmain Veterinary Hospital
112 Victoria Rd, ROZELLE
Ph: (02) 9810 7544
Website: www.balmainvet.com.au
Dr Barbara Fougere & Dr Sue Hunter
All Natural Vet Care - alternative therapies
292 Lyons Rd, RUSSELL LEA
Ph: (02) 9712 5844
Website: www.naturalvet.com.au
Mobile Vet Central Coast
Terrigal Drv, ERINA
Ph: (02) 4365 4211
Dr Kym Fryer
Cannon & Ball Veterinary Clinic
461 Crown St, WEST WOOLLONGONG
Ph: (02) 4229 8888
----- Original Message -----
From: river444
To: AMRIS_rodents_and_rabbits@...
Sent: Thursday, November 23, 2006 12:01 AM
Subject: AMRIS Rodents & Rabbits yone know of a good vet in De-sexing a male
rat
Does anyone know of a good vet in sydney who can desex my two teenage
rats, I cant stop them from fighting and am sick of smelling ratty
after handling my gorgeous boys
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Internal Virus Database is out-of-date.
Checked by AVG Free Edition.
Version: 7.1.409 / Virus Database: 268.14.5/533 - Release Date: 13/11/2006
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
Does anyone know of a good vet in sydney who can desex my two teenage
rats, I cant stop them from fighting and am sick of smelling ratty
after handling my gorgeous boys
MICE TAKE THE STRAIN
The Guardian Newsletter Vol 7 No.22 - Summer/Autumn 2001 page 9
For a hundred years, mice have been intensively inbred, artificially
mutated and selected to produce strains with a wide range of
debilitating genetic problems. Generic modification has brought the
total number of strains available to over 2,500.
Strains have been bred that are hugely obese (in 1950); or that have
little or no immune system, thus lacking resistance to infection and
the bacteria to digest food (the nude mouse in 1962 & SCID mouse in
1983). Nude mice are not better models of humane cancer, they are
still mice, but with a depressed immune system, they are certainly
easier to give cancer. Another consequence of mice with a lowered
immune system is that "almost every producer has had to destroy vast
numbers of animals to halt epidemics"
Certain strains are so delicate that sudden noise or vibration can
induce seizures. They could not possibly survive in a natural
environment, and their short lives in captivity have suffering built
in. A procedure developed in 1954, involving the transplant of
ovaries, even managed to bypass the need for mice to survive to
breeding age in order to propagate the strain. As a result, mice
whose suffering is so great that they die young, can still produce
thousands of similarly debilitated offspring to face the same fate.
Over 1.6 million mice were used in Great Britain alone in 1999,
accounting for 60% of all procedures carried out, with the number
rising. This dose not reflect he true waste of life involved in
breeding mice. For example, Lexicon Genetics of Texas "spend 8 months
creating four custom-tailored knockout (lacking specific genes) mice
for each customer." During genetic modification, mice are killed to
harvest eggs and offspring that do not take up the gene are killed.
Data collected in labs by the NAVS shows that even amongst
conventional lab mice, three are killed as surplus for each one that
is actually used.
It is said that "....scientists like mice because they are
physiologically and genetically similar to humans" but there are
fundamental differences between mice and people, including lifespan
and physiology. For example, CF (cystic fibrosis) research led to the
development of genetically modified CF mice. However, one team
admitted that CF mice do not develop the liver problems common in
human CF patients.
Similarly, if a protein called leptin is given to mice with a genetic
mutation leading to obesity, they will lose weight, but such
treatment is unlikely to be effective in humans since obese people
may already have high levels of leptin.
That massively more mice are being used in laboratories that any
other mammalian species (three times as many as rats even) is almost
certainly down to convenience rather than science. Not even the
vivisectors pretend they are the species most like us. Mice are small
and easy to store (twice as many can be squeezed into the same space
as rats), they breed quickly and easily, so there can always be a
full age range in stock. Animal labs routinely overbreed, killing
three times as many mice as surplus as they actually use, simply
because they always want these animals on tap. The vivisectors also
feel they are safer, in public relations terms, to use mice than
monkeys. Consequently, these intelligent, inquisitive animals
probably endure more suffering than any others, whilst researchers
appear to regard them simply as "fuzzy test tubes"
References.
The Rise of the Mouse, Biomedicine's Model Mammal. Science 288 (14th
April 2000): 248-57
Home Office Statistics of Scientific Procedures on Living Animals -
Great Britain 1998.
Nature (1992) 357:31
Peters R.H. et al. (1996). American Journal of Physiology 271: 1074-
1083.
SCRIP 2133/34:23 (May 31st/ June 4th 1996)
Before you bring your rat home.
You will need to have it's home ready. A cage, with a good
secure top, that has enough room for a nesting box, food dish and
toys. Wooden cages/hutches are not recommended as these soak up food
and urine and become unhygienic.
A 2ft fish tank is sufficient room for rat.
A medium sized bird cage can also be used. But rember to remove any
wire base – as continually walking on a wire floor has been
contributed to a condition known as "Bumble Foot" – a swelling and
infection of the feet.
A `gravity' or `dripper' water bottle is recommended for use
for suppling water. These can be purchased at pet shops.
Water bowls are not recommend as rats often tip these over and
they can also be polluted by nesting material.
A solid, heavy dish can be used for food. Or a small saucer. (I
use a clean lid from the Nes Café coffee jars – remove the cardboard
insert – However, these are too light and are better for mice). You
can often find suitable `feed' bowls for a cheap price at your local
opportunity-shop.
Rats need a nesting box to provide them with security. Make sure
this is roomy enough for bedding and the rat itself.
Linning for the base of the cage can be a hay based cat litter.
Clay cat litters are not recommend as the dust from these may
contribute to respritory problems. Wood chips or saw dust are not
recommend as the tannin in these (a natural occurring chemical in the
wood) is poisonous and has been suspected of causing liver problems.
If you use hay or straw, make sure you also spray the cage for "hay
mites" regularly.
For more details and updated information on the best materials to
use visit AMRIS Online at:
http://www.geocities.com/petsburgh/reserve/5824
Hello Kathy,
I just want to say that members like yourself are a valuable part of
this group.
Thank you for assisting Kylie and others with some very useful links.
Thank you to all members who have supported each other and welcomed
newer members over the past few years...
Your all wonderful!
cheers Rebekah.
No Such Thing As A Humane Animal Experiment
Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (USA)
News Release
Thursday, November 18th 2004
http://www.pcrm.org/news/release041118.html
WASHINGTON - Mice, rabbits, rats, beagles, geese and other animals
all show measurable physiological stress responses to routine
laboratory procedures that have been up to now viewed as relatively
benign.
The findings come in a new report published in Contemporary Topics in
Laboratory Animals Science, based on an extensive review of the
scientific literature by ethologist Jonathan Balcombe, Ph.D., of
Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM). For example, a
mouse who is picked up and briefly held experiences several
physiological reactions. As stress-response hormones flood the
bloodstream, the mouse exhibits a racing pulse and a spike in blood
pressure. These symptoms can persist for up to an hour after each
event. Immune response is also affected. In rats and mice, the growth
of tumors is strongly influenced by how much the animals are handled.
Dr. Balcombe's paper will appear in the Journal's Autumn 2004 issue,
expected in late November.
Until now, humane concerns focused mainly on the experiments
themselves. The new findings suggest that routine procedures, such as
blood draws and use of stomach tubes, are terrifying for animals. "In
essence, there is no such thing as a humane animal experiment," says
Dr. Balcombe. "Fear or panic ensues when the animal is touched or
stuck with a needle."
The paper, a review of 80 previously published studies, it
titled, "Laboratory Routines Cause Animals Stress," and focuses on
three routine procedures: handling, blood collection and force-
feeding. Independent of the invasive experiments themselves, these
daily routines can cause an animal to experience elevated bloodstream
concentrations of corticosterone, prolactin, glucose and epinephrine,
all indicators of stress. Impaired immune response has also been
recorded in animals after anxiety-producing contact with lab
personnel.
"Research on tumor development, immune function, endocrine and
cardiovascular disorders, neoplasams, developmental defects and
psychological phenomena are particularly vulnerable to data being
contaminated by animals `stress effects', notes Dr. Balcombe.
Dr. Balcombe's study follows closely a recent paper in the British
Medical Journal, titled "Where Is the Evidence that Animal Research
Benefits Humans?" The authors found that in many cases trials on
humans were conducted concurrently with the animal studies and in
other instances, clinical trials went ahead despite evidence of harm
from the animal studies.
This article was printed in Mobilise! No.62, November 2004
Newsletter for The New Zealand Anti-Vivisection Society Incorporated.
http://www.nzavs.org.nz
Email: phil@...
Yyrkoon, An Old Mate Remembered
By Rebekah Blackwolf
Yyrkoon left to Rat Heaven a few years ago and is still very
missed. He was one of the first male rats I truly got to know and is
definitely one of my favorites. He was a big chocolate brown rat with
two white front paws and white belly. He shared walks in the park
with me, following behind me like a little dog, and amused other
people with his charming and curious nature. I found him to be very
noble and also very generous. We even nicknamed him King Yyrkoon.
He was the largest and oldest of six males – Raister, Gangrel,
D'Vern Da Vermin (Yyrkoon's look-a-like son), Emmon and Conhan
Thus he held the position as head of the pecking order, so to speak.
Like each of his `house mates', he was quite the individual. He
looked like your classic `black rat', as seen in many horror movies,
and this eerie beauty was what attracted me to him in the first place.
Quite often, as we traveled to Melbourne City by train and Yyrkoon
stuck his head out of the front of my shirt, there would be gasps and
exclamations of fright. He was one sure way of clearing a comfortable
space around myself when traveling home on a crowded train. To
comments like, "Yuk. Where did you get that", I'd reply "From a
drain. I saw him sitting there and just put out my hand and let him
crawl on me."
To the more polite queries, I was enthusiastic about sharing
conversation – either about pet rats or Yyrkoon himself.
Yet, he also endeared himself to children who would watch him
from their seats, often asking their parents, "What's that crawling
on the lady?" (The most common answer was "a mouse" or "a big mouse")
or "Can I pat it mum?" Despite the, "I'm not so sure," look of
repulsion most parents gave Yyrkoon, they were happy after my
reassurance to let their children pat him at least.
I was more than willing to let Yyrkoon meet humans of all kinds,
as he was as curious about them as they were of him. Yyrkoon and I
would show them how I could hold the smallest crumb of food between
my fingers, and he would take it so carefully with not even a brush
of his teeth against my skin. And for those whose stomachs I thought
could handle it, I also showed them how Yyrkoon would take food from
my mouth. Yes, he'd stick his whole head inside my mouth and take out
a potato chip.
When I first met Yyrkoon, he was in a pet shop with a dozen
other males. He was rather large, older compared to his mates, and
he was rasping for breath.
The shop assistant immediately tried to discourage me from any
interest in Yyrkoon, as I questioned his apparent problem. I was
offered the younger, healthier sounding, rats, but Yyrkoon was mine
from the start. "He'll be fine once he's out in the open air" I
babbled, picking him up.
Disgruntled and sneezing, Yyrkoon came home to isolation in a
quarantine cage inside and a trip the vet the following day.
About two months later, quite a different rat, he was to be
allowed in the outdoor hutch and soon joined by Gangrel, Raister and
Emmon (who are all brothers) and Conhan (Conhan was incognito,
having been originally named after a certain plant starting with
either C or M, (in this case C) But the name had to change when I
lived as a nanny to small children. `Know's wa I mean')
Yyrkoon soon met Cleo, the lovely daughter of the late Nahdine
(mother) and younger half sister of Conhan.
Apricot and white she was, and sadly she succumbed to cancer about
four months after their litter of nine was born. Three like their
dad, black as a roof rat, and the rest like their mother. I found
homes for all of them, except D'Vern Da Vermin – because he liked to
randomly bite people, especially me.
Yyrkoon was a gentle giant, and this soft-hearted nature was
also reflected in how he treated his fellow rats that lived with him.
Rats have a pecking order within their colony, like most animals and
humans do. Yyrkoon was boss of the hutch, yet he was no aggressor nor
did he harm any of his companions. He protected them.
When I moved from Olinda to my parents in Ringwood, their hutch
was placed in the backyard with the family dog Bianca (a
Staffordshire Bull Terrier X Kelpie). She'd never met rats before.
None of these rats had ever met a dog before either.
On one occasion, shortly after their arrival, Gangrel, my sleek
back hooded boy, was climbing the wire of the hutch and caught
Bianca's attention. Running over to the hutch, Bianca sniffed it
loudly. This caught Yyrkoon's attention as he fed on seeds nearby.
Bianca then snapped at Gangrel who had stuck his head out to greet
her. In that second, I watched as Yyrkoon pounced up to Gangrel's
level on the wire, swatted his friend back to the hutch floor (I
could almost hear him say, "get out of the way boy and let me deal
with this"), and then fixed his big yellow teeth on Bianca's nose as
she had another snap. With a startled yelp, Bianca pulled back and
retreated from the hutch. Yyrkoon hung on the wire for some time
afterward, and I swear he was laughing at her.
I could always leave a spare set of house keys with the boys,
knowing that Yyrkoon and his obnoxious
son, were never too kindly with strangers reaching into their house.
Though Yyrkoon was friendly, only I was allowed to remove him from
his hutch. D'Vern came out when D'Vern wanted to, or with sufficient
bribes of food. Nether the less, they, above the others, were
excellent guard-rats. So I knew I could trust them with my keys:
however the boys would chew their ratty signatures into my key-
rings.
Soon to be joined by Dublin, Loki, Plague, Thorsten, Matthias,
Vincent, old Ezekiel and Laurence (rescued as unwanted pets from my
place of work) the roomy hutch now contained 14 male rats.
Yyrkoon proved himself the perfect host. He would go to the
feed bowl every mealtime and proceed to remove items of food and take
them back to the nesting box. In here is where my more shy rescued
boys would spend a lot of time hiding. Now, I guess you could call
this hoarding except that Yyrkoon didn't seem to care what happened
to his treasures. He never guarded it, he never fought for it, he
never stole it back. It in fact looked as if he would take food to
his waiting companions, then, once they had enough, he returned to
what was left in the bowl and fed himself there.
Yyrkoon showed my friends and me that rats are just as capable
of loyalty, consideration and compassion towards their fellow
species. More so than some humans are to our own. The fact that he
would guard my keys like a well-trained dog would its property,
fearlessly protect his companion, yet tolerate the sometimes rough
handling of human children, proved just how intelligent rats are.
There are many other little tales I could tell of Yyrkoon, yet
I'd be writing forever.
Yyrkoon passed away wrapped in a little towel, lying on a tree
stump in the garden. It was a sunny day on an early afternoon. His
breathing simply grew slower and slower as I prayed next to him for
God to take another soul to peace. Yyrkoon was blessed with two years
of health and adventures with me, and was blessed with a peaceful
passing to the next life.
He was a true noble king amongst his people.
Thank you very much, I will be sure to check those sites out
--- In AMRIS_rodents_and_rabbits@..., Katherine
Medina <hellowittykitty@y...> wrote:
>
> Hi there Kylie!!..
>
> well good for you!!..i became a member of this site back about 2
years ago..when i had my first litter of mice....ive had two more
lots and kept my little mice families together..boys with dad and
girls with mum....
>
> its great to have a new person come along..
>
> hmmmm..i have a bit of mouse wisdom under my belt..but here are
some sites i really really recomment both to you and anyone else who
may read this...
>
> http://www.afrma.org/fancyrm.htm this ones good for identifying
the type of rodent you have..ive got both rex..the curly ones and
the long haired ones..
>
> http://www.rmca.org/ this one has a wealth of information..the
article on euthanasia was particulary interesting..a must read....
>
> http://www.fancymice.info/index.htm Excellent for first time
Rodent owners...
>
>
http://www.utsouthwestern.edu/utsw/cda/dept42789/files/55094.html
Good for scaling how sick your Rodent is..and if maybe they need to
be put down...
>
>
> http://www.ratfanclub.org/megacolon.html This ones a condition i
think every owner should read up on...dont believe your vet if they
say it isnt possible....it can happen..a bit of olive oil (instead
of senekot if not available) twice a day helps move stuff
along....one of my little guys had it....and if i'd listened to the
vet..she wouldnt have made it...
>
> well i sure hope you find these sites helpful...
>
> Have a Bright and Beautiful Day..
>
> Kathy :0)
>
>
>
>
>
>
> Kylie <kyliejordansmum@y...> wrote:
> Hi everyone I just joined up today and wanted to say hi.My name
is
> kylie,I am 34 yrs old and live in Qld. I have 7 rats and 10 guinea
pigs
> so i thought i'd join to share my wisdom(minimal)and pick your
brains
> if i have any questions. Thanks Kylie
>
>
>
>
>
> ---------------------------------
> On Yahoo!7
> Break a world record with Total Girl's World's Largest Slumber
Party
>
> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
>
Hi there Kylie!!..
well good for you!!..i became a member of this site back about 2 years
ago..when i had my first litter of mice....ive had two more lots and kept my
little mice families together..boys with dad and girls with mum....
its great to have a new person come along..
hmmmm..i have a bit of mouse wisdom under my belt..but here are some sites i
really really recomment both to you and anyone else who may read this...
http://www.afrma.org/fancyrm.htm this ones good for identifying the type of
rodent you have..ive got both rex..the curly ones and the long haired ones..
http://www.rmca.org/ this one has a wealth of information..the article on
euthanasia was particulary interesting..a must read....
http://www.fancymice.info/index.htm Excellent for first time Rodent owners...
http://www.utsouthwestern.edu/utsw/cda/dept42789/files/55094.html Good for
scaling how sick your Rodent is..and if maybe they need to be put down...
http://www.ratfanclub.org/megacolon.html This ones a condition i think every
owner should read up on...dont believe your vet if they say it isnt
possible....it can happen..a bit of olive oil (instead of senekot if not
available) twice a day helps move stuff along....one of my little guys had
it....and if i'd listened to the vet..she wouldnt have made it...
well i sure hope you find these sites helpful...
Have a Bright and Beautiful Day..
Kathy :0)
Kylie <kyliejordansmum@...> wrote:
Hi everyone I just joined up today and wanted to say hi.My name is
kylie,I am 34 yrs old and live in Qld. I have 7 rats and 10 guinea pigs
so i thought i'd join to share my wisdom(minimal)and pick your brains
if i have any questions. Thanks Kylie
---------------------------------
On Yahoo!7
Break a world record with Total Girl's World’s Largest Slumber Party
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
Hi everyone I just joined up today and wanted to say hi.My name is
kylie,I am 34 yrs old and live in Qld. I have 7 rats and 10 guinea pigs
so i thought i'd join to share my wisdom(minimal)and pick your brains
if i have any questions. Thanks Kylie
I got a case of GGAR, I am the proud mum to 2.5 furkids. I adopted a new baby
today, my 2 other girls Bella and Drewcilla both mothered my newest edition
Latte, she is 4 weeks old and a really light brown. I will post pictures later
of all of them:)
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
I have a pure black male mouse seeking a loving home.
He was handed to me with 5 other male mice by Pets paradise Glen
Waverly as these mice were all fighting with each other.
Jett, as I've nic-named him for now is a very beautiful looking mouse
who would do very well on his own away from other mice.
Please phone Rebekah, in Blackburn South on 9886 5327 before the end of
October if you are willing to give Jett a new home.
I used to breed hamsters :) but now I live in Australia so we don't
have hamsters :'(
And yes, hamsters are rodents and they are awfully cute!!!
x
Alex
--- In AMRIS_rodents_and_rabbits@..., "lagenialocaland"
<stacyb03@s...> wrote:
>
> Hamsters are rodents, too, right? We have 5 Russian Dwarf hamsters
> that are just as fun as the mice we used to have, along with a broken
> chestnut Netherland Dwarf bunny, and a guinea pig (not sure what breed,
> piggies are new for us). We also have 2 cats and 2 RES turtles.
> Aren't pets fun?!?!?!
>
Hi everyone,
I've just joined the group and I'm a proud owner of a new rat named Mr
Monk. But he's recently started sneezing a fair bit and having
congested breathing... we fed him some vitamin drops and more fruits
and vegies and he seems a little better but I was wondering if anyone
could recommend some vets around the Melbourne city area or offer any
advice on what my rat could be having?
According to http://wererat.net/rathelp/respiratory.htm rats don't get
colds so I'm pretty worried about my ratty!
Love,
Alex
Offline 
Send Email
