Rattie question

Taqroy

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#1
The boys have settled in pretty well and we're getting more comfortable handling them (since we've never had rodents before). They are still having little dominance wars with each other but Sprocket seems to win most of them. Last night I was cleaning out the cage which seems to simultaneously freak them out and hype them up. Sprocket started running around and sniffing things all crazy like and then jumped on Cogswell and started biting him (and possibly humping him). Cogswell was squeaking so I poked Sprocket and he leaped off. Then (important part lol) I reached in to push him a little farther away from Cogswell and when I touched him he went all stilt legged and started huffing at me. I took my hand back out and left him alone but he kept hovering around the edges of the cage like he wanted to jump out and then going all stilt legged when I moved him back.

Is that aggression? And do you think it's hormone based (he's about 10 months) or something else? It kind of freaked me out because he's usually really calm and laid back but I really thought he was going to bite me. I can't get to goosemoose from here and I checked a different forum but can't really find anything. Cogswell seemed fine afterward but I put him in my hoodie pocket for awhile so Sprocket could chill out. Halp?
 

Chewbecca

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#2
I don't have an answer to your question, but do you want me to post your question on goosemoose?

By stilt-legged do you mean he stands on his hind legs?
 

Taqroy

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#3
I don't have an answer to your question, but do you want me to post your question on goosemoose?

By stilt-legged do you mean he stands on his hind legs?
If you could that would be awesome!! By stilt legged I mean his legs go very straight and he sort of sidles around. It looks like his legs aren't bendy anymore. It's very odd and that's not much of a better description but it's all I've got lol. He actually raises himself off the ground and walks around like that for awhile, very tensed up. Like....hydraulics in rat form lol.
 

Chewbecca

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#4
OK, are you unable to reach goosemoose right now due to work or school?
Will you be able to get on it later?
 

Taqroy

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#5
I can access it from home, but I'm at work and they block all the good stuff (except Chaz :p)
 

Chewbecca

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#6
I posted by quoting your post here, and even quoted you telling me what you meant by stilt-legged.
And this is a reply I got:
If she's talking about him standing very straight-legged with his back arched and walking/skittering side-ways, then yes it is a sign of aggression. At 10 months hormonal aggression is a definite possibility. I'm assuming from the wording on her post that she hasn't had them very long? They may just still be settling in--but that may also mean they are getting a bit territorial over the cage.

If it was me, I'd give them another 2 weeks or so to settle in and if she's still seeing that behavior OR if he draws blood on either her or his cage-mate, take him in for a neuter.
 

Taqroy

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#7
I posted by quoting your post here, and even quoted you telling me what you meant by stilt-legged.
And this is a reply I got:
Thank you for posting that for me! Their description is much better than mine and it's very accurate. We've had them for almost a month now so I'd think they'd be fairly settled in. I was thinking that if it continues we could neuter but I'm fairly convinced (due to the humping) that it's hormones. Can you PM me the link to that thread and I'll check it when I get home? Maybe I'll finally register on goosemoose too so I can post my own questions instead of lurking lol. ;)

ETA: Rereading my post I realized that even if it is hormones we may have to neuter. Do you think that's something I would have to discuss with the breeder? There's nothing in the contract about it.
 

Chewbecca

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#8
Here's the thread:
Goosemoose Pet Portal - Odd-ish behavior

And you should DEFINITELY register there! I thought you had already!
I don't even own rats yet, and I'm a member there!:D

They're soooo helpful, and I ask questions ALL THE TIME.

In fact, I've been spending a lot of my time there in the cage area because I was GOING TO get a double Critter Nation, but there have been people lately complaining about their CNs rusting when they hose them off (as it's next to impossible to get between each bar to dry it off), and it has put me off on getting a CN.
So, now I'm looking into a Martin's R-695 for my three future boys.
The CNs DO look more attractive, but the Martin's are more affordable and, I think, make better use of space than the CNs do.
And since they are so affordable, I can simply just get another cage if I ever decide to add more rats to my family.

:D
 

Taqroy

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#9
I lurk there a lot. Lol. I would be registered if I could access it from work because that's really the only time I post. :eek:

People hose their CN's down?? Ours is freaking heavy and it's on the second floor so I just wipe it down. Really the only part that gets icky is the ramp leading up to the second level. The floors are covered in fleece and the only time they climb the bars is when I have the second level or the ramp out. I think if we ever have to get a second cage we'll go with a Martins though, and that's solely because of price. UNLESS they come out with the adapter kit for a two level CN lol. Oh and I don't know where you're located but here there are TONS of cages on craigslist. I see about four a week and some of them do look like Martins. I'm having a very hard time resisting lol.
 

Chewbecca

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#10
Midwest is coming out with an addition for the CN in August.:D

There are NOOOOO cages near me.

And someone on goosemoose was selling a used Ferret Nation that already had hardware cloth over the bars (because the spacing is too wide for babies and for girls), and he told me "No, your new rats will be getting a new cage."

Ok.
That's fine by me!:lol-sign:
 

Taqroy

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#11
Midwest is coming out with an addition for the CN in August.:D

There are NOOOOO cages near me.

And someone on goosemoose was selling a used Ferret Nation that already had hardware cloth over the bars (because the spacing is too wide for babies and for girls), and he told me "No, your new rats will be getting a new cage."

Ok.
That's fine by me!:lol-sign:
Oh oh! I'm telling Matt about the addition when I get home...I already told him that if it comes out I NEED to buy it. :D

I had to order our CN off Petsmart. They had free shipping for all orders over $60 but I dunno if that's still going.

And yeah I looked at used cages but I wanted nice new and shiny....lol. I'm currently trying to figure out a way to rat proof one of our rooms so they can run around in it. I think it's going to involve rearranging the furniture. Yuck.
 

Chewbecca

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#12
Yeah, it would have been cheaper for you in the beginning to just buy a double CN, but at least now you can have a double CN without having to go out and buy an entire whole new cage!!!:D

It's going to cost somewhere around $160 for the addition.
 

Taqroy

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#13
It's going to cost somewhere around $160 for the addition.
:yikes: Ok maybe we won't get an addition. Lol.

Last night with Sprocket went better. I got them both out and put them in a large plastic tub we have and he did fine. I really need to rat proof a room for them though because he rather desperately wants to run all over everything. He can jump ridiculously high too which means I have to watch the little booger every second he's in the tub. I'm gonna keep an eye on him and if he keeps being aggressive I will probably get him neutered.
 
B

Blue_Dog

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#14
Just want to add that I agree that neuter maybe in order.

As for the CN/FN cages they are awesome. I had a double level FN for my girls and it was the best cage I ever had. Much easier to clean then cages such as the martins. Martins cages are so customizable that you can get what ever you need really, though.

As for a rat proofing, have you ever thought of making Coroplast walls? Quote from the Rat Shack forum:
I have my rats in the dining room and let them out there to play. But at one time I used coroplast to make a type of pen like you describe. Coroplast is a flexible corrugated plastic. I can buy them in 8 x 4 sheets and cut to size. Works great and very easy to put away. I attach the panels together using zipties.

 

Taqroy

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#15
I was thinking about doing coroplast! We were using packing boxes but they are PITA to put up and we don't really have enough room where we're trying to do it. Aaaand I think if Sprocket figures out he can bend the top of the box over he will not be in confinement for long and that would be a big problem. Hmmm. Maybe I'll check prices on coroplast later. Thanks blue!
 

Chewbecca

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#17
See, I think CNs look better than Martin's, but from what I've been told on goosemoose, Martin's are by far MUCH easier to clean for a FULL cleaning.
You can pick up Martin's and carry it to your tub and use the shower head to wash off any ickies.
But you cannot do that with CNs or FNs.
And I don't think that if I pay over $200 for a cage, that I should then have to go out and buy a can of rustoleum to assure my cage won't rust.
THEN I have to go spend a ton more on Bass pans if I don't want to have to use fleece for bedding.
Then after I buy a bass pan, I have to find someone locally who can paint it for me.
ICK.
So not worth my time.
Though the cages DO look considerably better and sturdier (but it's not like martin's cages AREN'T sturdy).
 
B

Blue_Dog

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#18
I only did a full scrub down 2-4 times a year, besides that the FN was fine to just wipe down with a warm, soapy cloth.
The pans, shelves and even the door can come off easily for an easy wash too.
My FN showed no signs or rusting nor have I ever heard of this being a problem.
When I got annoyed with using fleece I would juts put yesterdays news cat litter in their litter pans and just wipe down the cases and shelves every day. It took all of five minutes to do. Shavings are pain in the butt, no matter the cage.
The cage is easier to clean, wipe down and access the rats because the doors open right up.
I had a super pet cage before and not having the nice-wide doors made it harder to clean. :/
 

Chewbecca

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#19
Martin's now come with really BIG doors, though.
Granted they don't open AS wide as a CN, but they're pretty big!

Yeah, apparently a lot of people have been complaining that their CNs are rusting from when they hose them down.
And the shallow pans are too much if you don't want to line with fleece.

I plan to get boys, and boys can be nasty (not as nasty as boy mice, though), and lining with fleece is not what I want to do.
:D
 

Southpaw

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#20
See I like the look of the FNs but I'll probably always be a Martins person. I'm impressed with any cage that still looks brand new after 6 years lol (and 4 of those years were spent sitting out in the garage!). I don't have a problem with cleaning but I have a "smaller" model so there aren't as many nooks and crannies. The door on the bottom level isn't BIG because it's an older model, but it's big enough that I can reach everything. And the entire top of the cage flips open so I have access to the top floor... works for me! Once a month I bring it outside for a thorough scrubbing, I'm able to haul it out myself and I'm small... lol. I think my only complaint is that the bar spacing is too small so I can't use binder clips to hold the fleece down, but my girls aren't that bad about moving things around and having to fix a pulled up corner once in a while isn't a big deal.

As far as the original question, I have nothing new to add to that! When I had boys, they could be pretty feisty with each other but luckily it never escalated to a point where I thought a neuter was in order. When I thought they were getting too rough with each other, I would just put them in separate cages for a little while.... it probably didn't help anything but it made me feel better. :dunno:
 

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