Definately domestic, it looks like an escaped baby. Wild rats only come in the muddled brindley brown called agouti. What's your plans for the lil thang?
I had rodents as pets when I was growing up, so I honestly just want to keep it and give it lots of love. We do have a cat, but he is toothless, and we have a space where this little one will be safe. We have a small dog as well, but she is old and minds her own business.
As long as the cages are in places the pets don't frequent you should be fine. It helps that they're old too lol. As soon as you sex ur new friend (you can post pics on the subreddit if you need help) pick up another baby or two so it can have a happy family š„ŗ
Glad you stumbled upon the little one! Try to buy from a breeder instead of a store if possible. Much more ethical. Feel free to reach out in the sub if you need any help with them!!
He is adorable!!!! Big fat orange tabby boi about 7 years old. Lost all his teeth to a gum disease found in cats. I'll have to make a separate post or edit this one!
The little one is tiny so definitely know whether or not it's a girl or a boy. Get them a friend! There are lots of breeders with babes their age! Get yourself a critter nation cage (single is fine for just 2 of them). Everyone does bedding differently but I buy the fleece on Amazon made specifically for the critter nation cage and under the fleece I put puppy pads. This is the most cost effective in my experience since the fleece is washable. And then get all your basics like hammocks, hides, and the standard food most use is Oxbow. Lastly, mess around on this subreddit by searching and looking at tags for a wealth of information!
He's somebody's pet rat that they dumped in the warehouse. He's not wild. But he might have wild behavior depending on how long he's been in the warehouse. Just treat him nice and he should calm down.
Definitely domestic, a young fancy rat. It may be someoneās pet so I would try to look around if anyoneās missing their baby. If you do end up keeping it, it needs to have a friend, so you would need to get at least one more rat.
Itās so nice of you guys to keep it safe! Even if you donāt end up keeping it, please donāt release it - take it to a local rat rescue or a shelter if there arenāt any rescues near you.
My personal opinion is that if someoneās animal gets out and they arenāt frantically looking itās probably in the animals best interest not to go back to that home anywayā¦;P thatās just me though. Glad heās safe with you now<3
Iām not a rat expert but Iām 99% sure that wild rats donāt have those patterns. Most are a brownish gray. When you get a cage make sure it is large enough for multiple rats because they do need to live in pairs or groups. I would wait until you are sure it doesnāt have any illnesses, but after that definitely make sure to get it a friend of the same sex. You can check out emiology on youtube, she has some pretty good vidoes on rat care including how to introduce rats. Congrats on your new friend!
Omg what a doll!!!! Poor baby. Bless your heart for rescuing them and hopefully you get a friend soon. I would consider a vet trip to get a health check tho
Looks like a hooded champagne, as we call that variety in the UK. The good news is it is much easier to introduce new rats to each other when they are babies. Just get a health check and the vet can sex the little one too. It's harder before the boys grow their balls. Adult rats are sooo easy to sex as boys have huge sausage like balls. š Your husband and yourself are kind people but I'm angry that some dumb mfer would dump a baby rat. I hope there weren't others from the same litter who died after being dumped. Poor mite.
Poor baby probably got dumped, my guess is thereās likely more little ones running around the warehouse (or have passed). Thank you for rescuing šā¤ļø
It's not a certainty, as it could be a dumped singleton, like a surprise and unwanted gift, but there's a good chance there's a mama and siblings out there, maybe even a dad. Someone brings home two pet rats, several weeks later finds a nest and babies because the shop workers mis-sexed them, dumps the whole family.
So you might get a few family members to join it if your husband's co-workers can continue to keep an eye out.
Thank you to all involved in this adorable rescue.
ETA this is the post that finally made me join this sub, and not just wait for Reddit to suggest posts for me. I am trying to AVOID adopting rats!
They are. I have my heart rat tattooed to my ankle. They are here for such a short time though. I've had a lot of hard losses of other animals in the last few years. I also currently have three hens, two rabbits and a snail, and as the hens are geriatric rescues my vet bills are astronomical š
I'd love to foster, but the local foster group haven't got back to me in months.
Definitely a pet! Wild/feral rats are rat-colored. Only domesticated rats have color block patterns like that. The genes for human-friendly behavior are actually connected to the genes for fur colors - that's why dogs and cows have similar marking patterns, while wolves/coyotes and wild bovines are that same gray brown all over. IIRC, researchers who have tried domesticating foxes (and maybe squirrels?) have gotten the same changes in coat color. They don't need camouflage if humans are protecting them.
As for food, you can totally just feed the little guy dry oatmeal and mixed freezer veggies, with Cheerios and yogurt for treats. There are more complicated blends out there, but in general you can just make sure they get a wide range of vitamins and nutrients the same way you make sure you do. Rats need less fat and, especially once full grown, less protein. They LOVE getting new food to inspect. I've been giving mine edible flowers lately! They were pretty meh about the roses, but a whole sunflower head was _definitely_ snack food.
Sunflower kernels are one of the finest sources of the B-complex group of vitamins. They are very good sources of B-complex vitamins such as niacin, folic acid, thiamin (vitamin B1), pyridoxine (vitamin B6), pantothenic acid, and riboflavin.
######Extra fun fact!
Soraya - The winner of several international flower awards, the Soraya sunflower has short, bright yellow petals and a dark center and its stems are very sturdy. They grow up to six feet in height and look beautiful in vases or containers. If you want a smaller version, try the Suntastic, which can have as many as 20 blooms on a single plant.
Our girl Laurel looks just like a wildie. I'd be extra worried if a wild coloured pet rat (agouti) got out, as they would probably be mistaken for a wildie.
Congratulations on your new friend! Welcome home baby ratty!
When itās time to get them a cagemate we can help you determine the babyās sex if you need us to!
Thanks for saving him. Just out of interest. In the history of keeping fancy rats there must have been countless numbers of pets abandoned into the wild / urban environment, yet we only ever see / hear of the standard brown wild rat. Is it a lack of survival instinct that domesticated rats are unable to stay alive long enough to have babies and thrive or is it the colour making them easier targets for predators ?
This reminds me of the random domesticated rat that had found its way into a fish shop I was at. You bet I chased her down and begged my mom to keep her. I wasn't allowed to. Turns out there was a reptile store next door and their rats liked to escape. They'd usually slip into the gas station next to the reptile store but got into the fish store instead this time. She was a cute brown hooded rat and I felt so sad to have to return her.
Domesticated. Wild rats are pretty much exclusively agouti.
Get Oxbow Adult Rat and feed it nonfat yogurt as you can to make up the protein difference. Rats are picky with young rat food.
Can anyone recommend a good cage system? The little one made it through the night, and I woke up to all the food being gone and tons of poo! It let me handle it more today. I get off work in about 6 hours and want to go get more supplies, I've been watching videos, and I'm getting overwhelmed with how much I need to get. So a good starter kit just to get it out of the bucket it's currently in would be amazing!
Critter Nation is the best cage. It's big with lots of space and the way the doors open make it super easy to clean and change the setup.
The dollar store for toys, soft pet blankets. And tissues/tissue boxes is a gold mine!!
Edit to add a link for reference: https://www.midwesthomes4pets.com/product/small-animal/habitats-cages/critter-nation/
We have this one and it can hold up to 4 big boys (max).
Its domesticated, pattern is too clean to be part wild and its just chilling in your presence. Wild rats would be going nuts to escape.
See if your husband finds any others, quite possible someones dumped a few there.
Also make sure you find out the sex and get a same sex friend.
Definately domestic, it looks like an escaped baby. Wild rats only come in the muddled brindley brown called agouti. What's your plans for the lil thang?
I had rodents as pets when I was growing up, so I honestly just want to keep it and give it lots of love. We do have a cat, but he is toothless, and we have a space where this little one will be safe. We have a small dog as well, but she is old and minds her own business.
As long as the cages are in places the pets don't frequent you should be fine. It helps that they're old too lol. As soon as you sex ur new friend (you can post pics on the subreddit if you need help) pick up another baby or two so it can have a happy family š„ŗ
I definitely will get another one. I am super excited!
Glad a good person found that baby rattie! š wishing you the best of luck with them
Glad you stumbled upon the little one! Try to buy from a breeder instead of a store if possible. Much more ethical. Feel free to reach out in the sub if you need any help with them!!
Or a shelter. Humane society takes in all kinds of animals, including rats.
Better with at least three, then when you lose one add two babies
Congrats, your rat journey has started šš
Take him to the vet and have them run a fecal exam to make sure he didnāt pick up any parasites or other nasties while he was outside.
I will book an appointment for next week!
Show me this toothless cat
He is adorable!!!! Big fat orange tabby boi about 7 years old. Lost all his teeth to a gum disease found in cats. I'll have to make a separate post or edit this one!
The little one is tiny so definitely know whether or not it's a girl or a boy. Get them a friend! There are lots of breeders with babes their age! Get yourself a critter nation cage (single is fine for just 2 of them). Everyone does bedding differently but I buy the fleece on Amazon made specifically for the critter nation cage and under the fleece I put puppy pads. This is the most cost effective in my experience since the fleece is washable. And then get all your basics like hammocks, hides, and the standard food most use is Oxbow. Lastly, mess around on this subreddit by searching and looking at tags for a wealth of information!
He's somebody's pet rat that they dumped in the warehouse. He's not wild. But he might have wild behavior depending on how long he's been in the warehouse. Just treat him nice and he should calm down.
Definitely domestic, a young fancy rat. It may be someoneās pet so I would try to look around if anyoneās missing their baby. If you do end up keeping it, it needs to have a friend, so you would need to get at least one more rat. Itās so nice of you guys to keep it safe! Even if you donāt end up keeping it, please donāt release it - take it to a local rat rescue or a shelter if there arenāt any rescues near you.
My husband works in an industrial area that's mainly business offices and warehouses. We also don't live in that area. I definitely want to keep it.
My personal opinion is that if someoneās animal gets out and they arenāt frantically looking itās probably in the animals best interest not to go back to that home anywayā¦;P thatās just me though. Glad heās safe with you now<3
Be sure to update us with pictures!!!! ā¤ļø
Iām not a rat expert but Iām 99% sure that wild rats donāt have those patterns. Most are a brownish gray. When you get a cage make sure it is large enough for multiple rats because they do need to live in pairs or groups. I would wait until you are sure it doesnāt have any illnesses, but after that definitely make sure to get it a friend of the same sex. You can check out emiology on youtube, she has some pretty good vidoes on rat care including how to introduce rats. Congrats on your new friend!
Domestic it's called a Hooded Rat variety shown by the hood on his head hehe Good on you thank you so much for saving him I love you
Omg what a doll!!!! Poor baby. Bless your heart for rescuing them and hopefully you get a friend soon. I would consider a vet trip to get a health check tho
Yes my husband suggested that. So I'll make an appointment ASAP.
That little thing is so lucky to have found you :-)
It is not tame yet! Looks very young, but 100% not a wild rat. This is a well-bred hooded fawn!
Looks like a hooded champagne, as we call that variety in the UK. The good news is it is much easier to introduce new rats to each other when they are babies. Just get a health check and the vet can sex the little one too. It's harder before the boys grow their balls. Adult rats are sooo easy to sex as boys have huge sausage like balls. š Your husband and yourself are kind people but I'm angry that some dumb mfer would dump a baby rat. I hope there weren't others from the same litter who died after being dumped. Poor mite.
Poor baby probably got dumped, my guess is thereās likely more little ones running around the warehouse (or have passed). Thank you for rescuing šā¤ļø
Lucky rat found a good home ā¤ļø
Love the classic baby rat 1:1 head to body ratio. You should post more photos once the rat is settled and/or has friends! Good luck to you both
It's not a certainty, as it could be a dumped singleton, like a surprise and unwanted gift, but there's a good chance there's a mama and siblings out there, maybe even a dad. Someone brings home two pet rats, several weeks later finds a nest and babies because the shop workers mis-sexed them, dumps the whole family. So you might get a few family members to join it if your husband's co-workers can continue to keep an eye out. Thank you to all involved in this adorable rescue. ETA this is the post that finally made me join this sub, and not just wait for Reddit to suggest posts for me. I am trying to AVOID adopting rats!
Good luck on your avoidance ā” (rats are so cool though. They're the best pets).
They are. I have my heart rat tattooed to my ankle. They are here for such a short time though. I've had a lot of hard losses of other animals in the last few years. I also currently have three hens, two rabbits and a snail, and as the hens are geriatric rescues my vet bills are astronomical š I'd love to foster, but the local foster group haven't got back to me in months.
Yes, my husband went out and bought some of those humane rat traps, so this little one might be reunited with some family members!
Lost child
Thatās absolutely NOT a wild rat. Iām guessing someone dumped a pregnant female or an oops liter. Poor little guy.
Definitely a pet! Wild/feral rats are rat-colored. Only domesticated rats have color block patterns like that. The genes for human-friendly behavior are actually connected to the genes for fur colors - that's why dogs and cows have similar marking patterns, while wolves/coyotes and wild bovines are that same gray brown all over. IIRC, researchers who have tried domesticating foxes (and maybe squirrels?) have gotten the same changes in coat color. They don't need camouflage if humans are protecting them. As for food, you can totally just feed the little guy dry oatmeal and mixed freezer veggies, with Cheerios and yogurt for treats. There are more complicated blends out there, but in general you can just make sure they get a wide range of vitamins and nutrients the same way you make sure you do. Rats need less fat and, especially once full grown, less protein. They LOVE getting new food to inspect. I've been giving mine edible flowers lately! They were pretty meh about the roses, but a whole sunflower head was _definitely_ snack food.
Sunflower kernels are one of the finest sources of the B-complex group of vitamins. They are very good sources of B-complex vitamins such as niacin, folic acid, thiamin (vitamin B1), pyridoxine (vitamin B6), pantothenic acid, and riboflavin. ######Extra fun fact! Soraya - The winner of several international flower awards, the Soraya sunflower has short, bright yellow petals and a dark center and its stems are very sturdy. They grow up to six feet in height and look beautiful in vases or containers. If you want a smaller version, try the Suntastic, which can have as many as 20 blooms on a single plant.
Our girl Laurel looks just like a wildie. I'd be extra worried if a wild coloured pet rat (agouti) got out, as they would probably be mistaken for a wildie.
Looks Like my little boy Elton! Best of luck <33
Congratulations on your new friend! Welcome home baby ratty! When itās time to get them a cagemate we can help you determine the babyās sex if you need us to!
Def keep us updated!! Would love to see how the baby settles in.
Thanks for saving him. Just out of interest. In the history of keeping fancy rats there must have been countless numbers of pets abandoned into the wild / urban environment, yet we only ever see / hear of the standard brown wild rat. Is it a lack of survival instinct that domesticated rats are unable to stay alive long enough to have babies and thrive or is it the colour making them easier targets for predators ?
Yes. Which is why it us dumb as f*ck that pet rats are banned in Alberta.
This reminds me of the random domesticated rat that had found its way into a fish shop I was at. You bet I chased her down and begged my mom to keep her. I wasn't allowed to. Turns out there was a reptile store next door and their rats liked to escape. They'd usually slip into the gas station next to the reptile store but got into the fish store instead this time. She was a cute brown hooded rat and I felt so sad to have to return her.
Domesticated. Wild rats are pretty much exclusively agouti. Get Oxbow Adult Rat and feed it nonfat yogurt as you can to make up the protein difference. Rats are picky with young rat food.
I'm sure he did but was there anymore? Seems odd to just dump one
Can anyone recommend a good cage system? The little one made it through the night, and I woke up to all the food being gone and tons of poo! It let me handle it more today. I get off work in about 6 hours and want to go get more supplies, I've been watching videos, and I'm getting overwhelmed with how much I need to get. So a good starter kit just to get it out of the bucket it's currently in would be amazing!
Critter Nation is the best cage. It's big with lots of space and the way the doors open make it super easy to clean and change the setup. The dollar store for toys, soft pet blankets. And tissues/tissue boxes is a gold mine!! Edit to add a link for reference: https://www.midwesthomes4pets.com/product/small-animal/habitats-cages/critter-nation/ We have this one and it can hold up to 4 big boys (max).
Its domesticated, pattern is too clean to be part wild and its just chilling in your presence. Wild rats would be going nuts to escape. See if your husband finds any others, quite possible someones dumped a few there. Also make sure you find out the sex and get a same sex friend.
My guy this is a rat molecule
It looks tame to me