They are a distant relative within the superclass....
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Euarchontoglires

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*squeak

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>>5128093

One of my pet rats started limping today. He doesn't put weight on his hind leg and seems to be in some pain. Poor guy can't even scratch his itch ;_;

>>5131366
Vet ASAP, signs of discomfort is a warning here
Any signs of inflammation or are veins more prominent? Note size, colour and track between now and vet visit to establish if it's getting better or worse. Veins being more prominent can help show if there's deep inflammation
Any signs of cuts or splinter? If so check https://neratsociety.co.uk/articles/firstaid.shtml for info on cleaning but a vet appointment is still my recommendation
Have they been eating alfalfa or apple seeds? These cause kidney issues and the back legs getting inflamed etc can indicate that but injury is more likely than kidney problems
Posting pics would help identify care until you get them to a vet

im a new rat owner and losing my mind over how much DOGSHIT info there is on what foods are and arent safe for rats. even the 'good' info will just say vague shit like "fine occasionally in small amounts" with zero actual hard information on what amounts are in the healthy threshold
and pet people online love being insane hypochondriacs saying shit with zero factual basis

yet rats are the most studied animal there is. ive been combing through literally dozens of scientific papers and trying to apply the results in practical terms but even thats hard when so many studies are "we gave them like 3000 mg of this compound every day and they got sick lol" like NO SHIT

if anyone has specific questions or stuff theyre worried about let me know. i might have to make the ultimate scientifically backed hard data guide on 'rat eating yummy treat' to try and shut some of these people up

>>5131938
>yet rats are the most studied animal there is
Yes but it's from the perspective of human health so it leads to
>we gave them like 3000 mg of this compound every day and they got sick lol
I was trying to figure out if small amounts of rooibos tea was safe for a rat with long term respitory issues but no information in medical papers about long term effects on the rats. Just confirmation on the positive effects it has on humans
>make the ultimate scientifically backed hard data guide on 'rat eating yummy treat'
That would be appreciated
Can you post links to anything you've got for good treats? I CTRL+F http when starting fresh bread and try include anything relevant in the OP

>>5132003
>Can you post links to anything you've got for good treats?
Not really honestly, most of my research so far has been on toxicity. But i'd say anything high in protein that isnt too fatty is going to be a favorite for them, like chicken and eggs

There's some inaccuracies i've already found with the link in the OP. It lists yogurt as a good food, but the lactose in it is one of the few things humans can eat that rats can't. rats past weening age almost entirely lose the ability to break down the lactose sugars or absorb it as nutrients, and it can cause a lot of irritation and inflammation even with small amounts. lactose free cheeses like parm/cheddar are surprisingly fine.

A few of the foods listed as 'never' are also safe and fine.
>Chocolate
Dark is fine, even reccomended by vets in some cases. The sugar in regular milk chocolate is bad sure, but not uniquely compared to other foods with it too
>peanuts
listed for reasons that only apply to raw peanuts, which you really have to go out of your way to get
>onions
Fine. I'm actually surprised they list onions here but not garlic. Since garlic is pretty similar but about 3x more concentrated. Again, you'd have to really try. there's anti-feedants in garlic/onion but they really just deter with scent and break down over time fast, and cooking in any form also breaks them down. you'd have to really try and feed in excessive amounts that cause toxicity
>Citrus
same story, the amount given to the male rats in that story was a concentrated amount directly of that specific compound that isn't even that abundant in oranges. If you gave them a whole orange every day? Sure it'd be a problem but literally nobody is going to do that

I'm sure there's inaccuracies with the other ones listed there i havent looked into yet

So I'm going to touch on the rodent part of the thread. The only pets I've ever had were cats and dogs, but I thought about a rodent.

By process of elimination I arrived at a hamster, from what I've read it seems you generally either adapt a terrarium or build your own cage for the dudes because store bought cages are nor really good for them, any other general advice?

>>5128093
why do some rats have human ears? it freaks me out

>>5132701
The better to hear you with

>>5132603
You can get store bought enclosures but similar to building out a vivarium or cage you get what you pay for
Personally I recommend doing your own but only if you're already a little handy
I'm a ratanon so wait about for a hanonster for better advice
>>5132701
That's side angle pics, front in they're like
>>5131042
I'd guess the shape evolves easy to catch sound

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Big if true.
Humancels aren't even getting hugs and kisses but squirrels are.

>>5132918
the fact that every animal bows to pets is proof enough to anyone that we yearn for a physical touch most of us never get

>>5133097
loved it when i gave my guinea pigs neck rubs and they'd tilt their heads right up. i still miss them...

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>>5131380
>>5131366
Late reply, have only been on ip-banned cellular network lately. The doctor ordained rest and pain medication which the little guy is happily taking. His paw is healing nicely and his energy levels are up as well!

That aside, I have an old smaller cage with a detachable top and was thinking if that wouldn't be the best for some safe outdoor play? I think they might enjoy some fresh air and new smells. Think something like pic related with the "cage" part against the ground.

>>5133417
fuark, approaching comf' levels never thought possible

>>5133624
>have only been on ip-banned cellular network lately
try turning airplane mode on then off, i find that resets the IP. Sometimes have to do it more than once but it works.

>>5133707
traversing the vast dunes

>>5133707
>Stock Subaru shames everyone at test hill

>>5133624
I'm glad he's doing good!
Desu, seeing pet rats outdoors makes me anxious. Your idea seems good but they're good diggers. I might just be getting paranoid but it wouldn't take much distraction for one to dig under the frame and get out. If they're still young they might be wanting to explore still and that's been an issue indoors a couple of times for me
The other thing to be concerned about is parasites or pathogens they might get from eating snails or slugs etc.
It's been done but research youtube etc to see what works and what doesn't if you're really going to do it

>>5135263
>I tried the sunflower seed diet for three weeks and this is what happened...

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mischief of rats

>>5135939
The look of utter contempt

>>5133707
You cottonball got loose

>>5133707
muad'dib!
>>5135939
cute unit

>>5136769
I like when they're chill with being held
>filename :(

>>5137131
oh no it's eating them whole!

>>5133624
This probably late, but don't let your rats outside. The rats we have are breed for indoors, not the outside. All you will do is stress them out or worse have them get mites and ticks. Rats are very shy and hate being in the open. Can also get a nasty lunginfection.

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>>5132918
Finnish master race

>>5137461
>>5134629
No, not at all. I carefully considered it again and realized that it just doesn't make any sense. There's too much risk involved and I would never forgive myself if one of the boys get hurt/lost because for any reason. If they wanna paw grass I'll have to bring some inside.

>>5138049
maybe you could set up a dig box with a plastic tub and coconut fiber dirt. they go ape over digging tunnels, very enriching for them.

>>5137609
rat heads are sleek like a sports car

I think I sensed a rat in one of my drawers. How do I get it out of my house?
Dun wanna have to worry about another soul I already am incapable of managing myself

>>5137605
He scream!

>>5137342
Is this popcorning?

>>5138281
Go to >>>/diy/ and search for the stupid question thread
We're here for the care of rats not "taking care of" rats
With that out the way, general advice is look for where they are getting in. It's not enough to deal with the one you know is there, you need to stop more getting in. While you sort that follow the trap advice from diy. However, glue traps are dooming it to starve to death. I assume if you're posting here, that's a thing you want to avoid
Best of luck in diy, they'll be nicer to you if you use the stupid question thread

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I've never owned a ret
Why do rets do this?

>>5138928
They grind their teeth from joy so hard that their eyes pop out of their skulls

>>5138928
pure bliss

>>5138928
it's the rat equivalent of purring

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Jumpscare warning

>>5139236
i'm squooked

>>5139456
I'd get dragged into an ah-ha video any day with this guy

>>5140028
Make way for Rattus Sapiens

>>5138249
kino back

>>5140889
Masaka! Th-This roundness...

>>5140889
i would poke those two crumbs off his snoot

>>5140889
Is he expecting cuddles, food, both?

>visit vet for mild uri
>get antibiotics in flavored suspension
>great, now i wont have to spend an hour 2x daily trying to trick them into taking it
>it's bubblegum flavor and they all hate it and make faces and shake their hands in disgust
Any foods to hide it in I may not have thought of yet? So far coconut oil is the only thing that works, but they have a habit of rejecting medicine mixers a few days after I introduce them. With raw medicine that tastes like diesel mayonnaise would always work, but it must mix with the flavor of this stuff in a bad way because they hate it. Applesauce works ok tier, but they tend to give up on it halfway through. Olive oil is about the same, probably mixes with the bubblegum flavor poorly

>>5142123
maybe try a small portion of buttered toast? i think a foreign yummy food, edible to rats, might trick them into loving their medicine

>>5142123
I just pin them on there back in my lap but with my knees up on a stool, syringe of medicine ready to stick in the mouth and squirt it in
Be ready to rapidly right the rat to the correct orientation without jerking them and give tasty treat immediately e.g. banana chip or anything that smells sweet and tasty to your human nose
It's anywhere from 30 seconds to 5 minutes of struggle followed by glares while they eat their treat and get cuddles
If they get a treat afterwards they'll usually settle down after a few doses, take the medicine and look for the treat

>>5142190
>he angered
>vengeance, plotted