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Cages and Tanks
Cleaning Cages
Rat Diet
Toys
rat Health
My Rats
Cookie MarieStinky|
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| Rat Health |
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| When you want a Rat as a pet you need to know the health problems you could be facing. Here are some of the serious and not so serious things that you need to know. -Rats and Tumors- Rats are very prone to tumors. They can get them at any time in their life, on any part of their body. The more common place a Rat will get a tumor is on its legs or on its tummy. Tumors can grow to be almost or more than the size of your Rat. If you find one on your little buddy, you need to take him/her to the vet so it can be taken off. Now remember, some tumors WILL grow back. Most tumors will not be cancerous, which means they probably won't grow back, but some might, and will grow back. -Rats Teeth- This is a BIG issue when you decide to get a Rat. Their teeth can grow up to (and i have heard of them growing more than) an inch a year. THIS and this alone is why I have mentioned shaving their teeth on so many occasions on this site. If they don't stay small the teeth will eventually grow INTO their jaw. I asume this is really painful for the Rat and the owner as well. If you don't want to have your Rat's teeth filed down twice a year i suggest giving your Rat lots of things it can knaw on. This includes toys and various kinda of foods. Remember if you decide to feed your Rat noodles to help this, they do expand in water, so don't feed too many noodles to your Rat every day. -Rats and Eyesite- All you need to know about their eye-site i it isnt good. They use their nose and ears more than their eyes. In the light Rats can barelly see anything because their eyes are naturally light sensitive, and in the dark they see a LOT better. So keeping them in a cool and dim room is good. -Rats and Hearing- Rats have GREAT hearing. Infact, their hearing is so good that they too can hear a dog whistle. Don't try it though! Rats ears are also sensitive. They don't like a lot of noise. In other words, blasting a radio, yelling in a room, and blowing a whistle of any kind will only hurt your Rat's ears. -Rats and Smelling- Rats can smell anything. As I said before, they use their nose more than their eyes. If you just wash your hands, then stick them in your Rat's cage or tank to pet and play with him/her, don't be shocked when it doesn't know its you and runs away or sniffs your hand for a few minutes. Let it get to know that smell before you try picking it up. If you just ate something and put your hands in the cage or tank to pet and play with your Rat, and it tries to eat or even bites your hand, dont get mad or scared. Its not trying to hurt you, it just can't see that its a hand and not food, so its trying to taste what it smells. Unless you feed a Rat meat all the time, it will not be mean. Infact, Rats are very nice, loyal, and social by nature. -Rats and Claws- Most people are afraid of Rats because they look odd, they have big teeth, and they have big claws. Those teeth are not for biting people, that odd look is just the way they look, and those claws are for climbing and eating. You might get a "little" scratch if you let your Rat roam around your shoulders and neck, but it will only feel like a tickle. Your Rat isn't going to hurt you, so don't be afraid to hold it and let it sit on your shoulder. |
 Carmilla1@hotmail.com |
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