my new baby boy shadow from pet store sneezes a lot seems to be drinking and eating should i be worried
Worried no, but keep a close eye on him, watch for red discharge from the eyes and nose.
>>5107809i had another with him but after a few days died turns out the water bottle came with cage they could not suck it well
>>5107811any reccomendations for new bottle
>>5107809this is bedding used
>>5107819https://www.petvalu.ca/product/living-world-fresh-n-comfy-tan-bedding/SCM13302
>>5107811so i only got 1 rat and someone my cousion knows is giving me one free
>>5107808What does the enclosure look like
>>5107808I want a pet rat or two so I joined a couple rat groups on FB to learn a bit first.Every fucking post is either "my rat died today" or "my rat has this festering cancerous wound. Is it serious?"Do rats just constantly get sick? I thought they'd be pretty tough little dudes considering how they live in the wild and the "wild" (cities etc.)
>drinking and eatingit's so over
>>5107922https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jlfBP-jU7nY
>>5107921
>>5107922most domestic rats live about 2-3 years if theyre healthy, and near the end of their life they will tend to grow many cancerous tumors, and both genders are succeptible to this. its a hormonal thing, and it can be delayed by fixing them at great cost, but even then the average life expectancy of a domestic rat is only around 3 years maximum.rats are wonderful little creatures and i love them dearly, but they are very prone to health problems and will almost always need to be put down. anything more than an antibiotic course for them is extremely costly and likely to kill them.
>>5108155This is why I wont have pet rats even though I like themIt would break my heart
>>5108155Yeah, the short lifespan is another thing delaying me from getting rats. I have a hard enough time losing a dog every 12-15 years. If I get a pet that lasts 2-3 years I at least want it to have a good life instead of dying of fucking cancer, though.
>>5108151this looks like a really poor enclosure, but I'm no expert...
>>5107812LIXIT glass bottle for guinea pigs works great for me. No leaks and chew proof.>>5108151They need more things to climb on, and a proper house to hide in so they can feel safe.Don't concern yourself with getting something bigger. I spent $300 and my rats are in an 8 foot long, 4.5 foot tall enclosure that's decked out with a couple inches of bedding and tons of rope and branches to climb in + 4 hides, and all they do is bite the bars and try to figure out how to escape just like they did when they were kept in feeder bins. Biggest waste of money ever.
>>5108585has your pet rats ever sneezed is it normal mine is a baby
>>5108683bump
>>5107808yes, you should be worried.
>>5108585Cages can be built up, I think anon can get there but 1 hide & 1 hammock are needed ASAPYour setup sounds great but there's no predicting what they'll want. Each paycheck or 2 get a new item like a hammock, leave it in the free roam area for then to discover and swap out what they like. Vary materials as well I think some rats prefer the feel of plastic over woodFinally check out the rat general, it can consolidate rodent advice better >>5054258. Well I try
>>5107808Can they get meningitis? That's doing the rounds right now
>>5110148Fuck I'm retarded, rat general is over here >>>5061960Other rodents welcome
