Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I said further down I didnt think it was wild rats and I now know that is whats happening..My older ones have bitten toes and feet and I am missing a whole litter of babies that should have been born last night some time.Also I saw the tracks in the mud under the cage..I am not sure what Im going to do. I guess I will bring in the ones I want to keep as pets and put all the rest down. Its obvious keeping them outside is not working and I dont really want a bunch of stinky rats in the house..This kinda bums me out because frozen thawed are soo expensive with shipping..Anyway thanks for the info as I would never have guessed it was wild rats....

>>I said further down I didnt think it was wild rats and I now know that is whats happening..My older ones have bitten toes and feet and I am missing a whole litter of babies that should have been born last night some time.Also I saw the tracks in the mud under the cage..I am not sure what Im going to do. I guess I will bring in the ones I want to keep as pets and put all the rest down. Its obvious keeping them outside is not working and I dont really want a bunch of stinky rats in the house..This kinda bums me out because frozen thawed are soo expensive with shipping..Anyway thanks for the info as I would never have guessed it was wild rats....

Glad you got worked out what is going on. We ended up not really solving it at that store, as the access was such a pain. And the building was INFESTED. (she is out of business now)I would hate to say it but either moving yours or totally rodent proofing the place. How about a nice terrier? Sorry I can't help more. I have mine in the cellar and the cats keep the wild ones out of there totally.
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Sonya

Haven't we warned you about tampering with the structure of a chaotic system?
Mrs. Neutron

rats really aren't all that stinky (unless you don't clean the cages)mine on the other hand.......lol
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1.1 Ball Python, 0.1 motley amel corn, 1.0 western hognose, 1.0 red blood

>>rats really aren't all that stinky (unless you don't clean the cages)mine on the other hand.......lol
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>>1.1 Ball Python, 0.1 motley amel corn, 1.0 western hognose, 1.0 red blood

I don't think so either. I have a cage with 5 or 6 at any given time...the "pets" in the livingroom, right next to where you sit to watch TV. I change it (with rabbit pellets) once every week to ten days and there is no problem. Now the hedgehog!!!That animal is something else. Mice/hamsters.....they smell.
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Sonya

Haven't we warned you about tampering with the structure of a chaotic system?
Mrs. Neutron

Oh no, the hedgie stinks? My mom wants one and I've been thinking about getting for her but her only concern was how they smell. I asked on a forum and was told they don't have any particular bad odor. Is it just the waste or do the have musk glands like mice and ferrets?
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Anna

The Zoo
Corns
1.0 Snow - Cornelius
1.1 Ghost(pastel) - Gray Ghost & Pink
1.1 Amel - Parker & Scarlet
0.1 Hypo - Nikko
0.1 Anery - Missy
0.1 Hypo Motley - Cordelia aka Cordy
Boas
0.1 Columbian (BCC) - Bella
Lizards
1.0 Leopard Gecko - Leo
Rats
I have two pet rats and about 14 breeders
Cats
1.1 Siamese - Blue & Fiona
0.1 Gray DMS - Druscilla aka Dru
Plus 3 kittens
Horses
1.0 Thourghbred (Hunter/Jumper) - Morgan's Majesty aka Cody
Plus whatever animals I am fostering for the local shelter!

>>Oh no, the hedgie stinks? My mom wants one and I've been thinking about getting for her but her only concern was how they smell. I asked on a forum and was told they don't have any particular bad odor. Is it just the waste or do the have musk glands like mice and ferrets?
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>>Anna
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It is just the poop. Some, I am told, will use a single corner and or a litter box. Some, like my son's, poops as he walks around....or, more correctly, as he is running on his wheel all night. The wheel is solid plastic and coated constantly, so his feet, well not filthy, aren't clean either. They do also tend to annoint themselves (lick stuff) with whatever. Sometimes Scout has poop in his quills.
I would recommend going and seeing as many hedgies as you can before buying. Some people are thrilled with them. Some decide not to do it once they meet them.
I also find they are very variable with personalitys. Scout is grumpy if interrupted when sleeping, doesn't like his routine violated and only cares to be open with family members. He loves to lick my son, his hair his clothes. My step mom has Scouts full sister and she is outgoing, unrolled all the time, goofier but nibblier. Though no 'bites' from any of them hurts.
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Sonya

Haven't we warned you about tampering with the structure of a chaotic system?
Mrs. Neutron

Thanks for the response. I think that's the most I've gotten out of anyone about them. The PetHobbyist Hedgie forum was not moving really fast the last time I checked it. I did read somewhere about the anointing thing though. That sounds like fun; hedgehog drool...yyyuuummm.
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Anna

The Zoo
Corns
1.0 Snow - Cornelius
1.1 Ghost(pastel) - Gray Ghost & Pink
1.1 Amel - Parker & Scarlet
0.1 Hypo - Nikko
0.1 Anery - Missy
0.1 Hypo Motley - Cordelia aka Cordy
Boas
0.1 Columbian (BCC) - Bella
Lizards
1.0 Leopard Gecko - Leo
Rats
I have two pet rats and about 14 breeders
Cats
1.1 Siamese - Blue & Fiona
0.1 Gray DMS - Druscilla aka Dru
Plus 3 kittens
Horses
1.0 Thourghbred (Hunter/Jumper) - Morgan's Majesty aka Cody
Plus whatever animals I am fostering for the local shelter!

I am in Florida and the heat IS unbearable, and still early in the summer. My rats are outside, under cover and last week I lost about 6 adult females due to the heat, I am sure. I felt terrible about the situation and bought a 20" fan (at home depot, $34.00), not industrial but not a dinky weak one. This fan is REALLY strong and on the weakest setting ventilates ALL the tubs in my 21 tub freedom breeder. Since I began using the fan I have not lost any animals and they seem much happier ... also, as a byproduct, the smell seems more under control, for some reason.

Thought I'd share.

in the tubs, they can be refrozen when they melt and used again.I used to do that with my rabbits in the hottest parts of summer. My rats were in a cage so I just used an old pan and filled it with crushed ice on the hot days.Even the dogs love a pan of crushed ice.

>in the tubs, they can be refrozen when they melt and used again.I used to do that with my rabbits in the hottest parts of summer. My rats were in a cage so I just used an old pan and filled it with crushed ice on the hot days.Even the dogs love a pan of crushed ice.<

Plastic bottles? In a rat bin that bottle would be whole for a few minutes and then it would be holey, no?

>>>in the tubs, they can be refrozen when they melt and used again.I used to do that with my rabbits in the hottest parts of summer. My rats were in a cage so I just used an old pan and filled it with crushed ice on the hot days.Even the dogs love a pan of crushed ice.<
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>>Plastic bottles? In a rat bin that bottle would be whole for a few minutes and then it would be holey, no?

Not necessarily, they need somethat that can grab on to in order to bit. A round plastic(frozen) bottle doesn't really offer much for them to grip. I usually ductape a small towel around mine so them dont come in contact with the ice cold bottle. I use this method with monitors as well when the temps goes up too high which is why i started wrapping the bottle with towels.
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Jaye- " When you try of all your forces to make your own way, you will help some of others and will be helped by others. As long as you do not make your own way, you cannot help anybody, and nobody can help you. " (Shunryu Suzuki)

>>>>>in the tubs, they can be refrozen when they melt and used again.I used to do that with my rabbits in the hottest parts of summer. My rats were in a cage so I just used an old pan and filled it with crushed ice on the hot days.Even the dogs love a pan of crushed ice.<
>>>>
>>>>Plastic bottles? In a rat bin that bottle would be whole for a few minutes and then it would be holey, no?
>>
>>Not necessarily, they need somethat that can grab on to in order to bit. A round plastic(frozen) bottle doesn't really offer much for them to grip. I usually ductape a small towel around mine so them dont come in contact with the ice cold bottle. I use this method with monitors as well when the temps goes up too high which is why i started wrapping the bottle with towels.
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>>Jaye- " When you try of all your forces to make your own way, you will help some of others and will be helped by others. As long as you do not make your own way, you cannot help anybody, and nobody can help you. " (Shunryu Suzuki)
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Jaye- " When you try of all your forces to make your own way, you will help some of others and will be helped by others. As long as you do not make your own way, you cannot help anybody, and nobody can help you. " (Shunryu Suzuki)

I put my one male and female in a rubbermaid tub for now and the other two females into a fairly large bird cage in the laundry room.Only one female doesnt have any bites. The poor male has the tip of his tail bit as well as a toe and one of the females has an infected toe. I put neosporin on all the injuries but am worried about diseases that could have been tranmitted, I do have a 3yo son who loves to hold the rats. Should I quarenteen them or just watch for signs of illness? What could they catch from wild rat bites besides rabies, which I hope would be unlikely.

If it were me I would deffinitely quarentine them for a couple of weeks and watch for any illness - the probability of them actually having anything is minimal but a quick look at only the zoonotic disease they could have picked up is scarry. Just the list of bacteria has some nasties; Tuleremia, salmonella, Yersinia (the Plague - although depending on where you are at it may not be endemic in your area) Strep pneumonia etc. Again, the probability is low but since your son likes to play with them it might be best to play it safe and watch them.
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Russ

I would wash thoroughly after handling them for a month, but I honestly wouldn't sweat it too much unless they picked up fleas or mites etc. No point quarantining one rat from the others bites or not...since they were all together anyway.
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Sonya

Haven't we warned you about tampering with the structure of a chaotic system?
Mrs. Neutron