Super sleepy, antisocial rat?
I got my female rat, Claudio, a few months ago. She's probably very young-looking as she is only about six inches long (not including tail).
My first question is, how much bigger will she win? When I got her, she was about four inches long (not including tail), so she's singular grown about two inches in the last few months. She seem small for her age because I'm guessing she's only about 6 months old or so. (I save her at a pet store from becoming snake food. If I had gotten her at a breeder, I would know how old she in reality is, but I didn't so...) Also, given how big she was when I got her, how old do you ponder she is?
Secondly, my rat is very antisocial. Sure, if I take her out of her hold, she runs around and stuff, but she doesn't like to socialize with me or any other animals or people for that event. How can I make her more social and less... wild?
Thirdly, a couple weeks ago, a cold front come through. (I live in southern Florida, but the temperatures got to around 30, which is cold for around here.) After a few days, I notice her fur was becoming MUCH thicker and she started sleeping much more. It seems similar to now, all she does is sleep. Or clean herself. And when I stick my paw in her cage to pick her up and take her out, or to nurture her, or anything, she scurries into the corner of her giant purple igloo, her favorite sleeping spot and falls back asleep. I have a gearstick in her cage, but she's too lazy to use it. I'll force her to come out of her igloo and out of her shut within but she just sleeps or sits around grooming herself on my lap. What's up?
Also, (and sorry for asking so many questions), I enjoy rats in my walls and under my rental house, which is ancient (90 years old). Will my female rat somehow basis these wild rats to come into my room at night or something? She's a female and I know they run into heat every 4 days.
(Please none of those stupid rat comments like "Why don't you receive a cat?" or something like that. That's just so immature.)
I know I should own another rat to keep her company, but the contract on my house only allows one small pet, such as a bird, reptile, or rodent.
Sorry, but whether the contract says one pet only you shouldnt have a rat. Unless you can spend every wake moment of your day with your rat, and even then, she should enjoy a companion. If you cant have a pair of rats, you shouldnt have one. End of. This is probably the principle your rat is so lethargic in the cage and skittish when she is out...feminine rats are more like that than males however. I suggest you rehome her and get yourself a solitary animal resembling a chinchilla.
Rats wont commonly use exercise wheels, by the way.
well its hard to tel how big she will return with beacuse each family of rats have difrent genes
she will soon become to trust u and love u so u shouldnt verbs right now about her not talking surrounded by the cage just yet =]
um next to ur igloo put some shreeded paper or tissues in there to preserve her warm like alot of paper so it fill up the igloo put she has enough room to barrow in
most rats dont tend to resembling wheels so dont worry about that and within also nocternal animals not like ur dog or horses etc
]and no she wont make those rats come out just dont will ur grain open were they can procure to it
also with her diet give her a mixed diet of fruit etc and vegies frozen peas and corn and pasta at night adjectives cut up in squares
so she will stay nice and healthy also make certain she has grain on the side for during the day approaching
lucerne chaff , breeders wild bird, and dog food <--- best diet for mice and rat altho mice dont get fruit just go and get ur grain store to mix it up advoid the pre-packge stuff u can just feed ur rat the small piece if u like =]
and why dont u get a cat lol jks =]
Answers: Firstly, you ask how much bigger will she get? Based on your clich¨¦ you rescued her from being eaten, I would figure she's a regular run-of-the-mill breed rat (as anti Dumbo breeds which are bred to be bigger & friendlier towards humans/children/other pets -- you can tell them apart by their shorter snouts, bigger ears & bigger bodies). She should stop growing by 7 inches, but don't quote me on it. Nature is funny that way.
As for the anti-socialism, definitely not strange for a regular breed rat to feel uncomfortable by itself. They are highly social creatures and unless you bar them over 8 hours a day, you're almost always going to enjoy difficulty with a lonesome rat. Best to always get them within twos. As I said before, Dumbo rats are bred to be more tame than regular breed rats, and females are much more playful than males, so you can expect her to be a little frisky. Regarding your rudder: rats are generally too bulky to use a wheel, and if they do, it should be at lowest 4 times their size to accommodate. Is your wheel big enough?
Having rats in your walls is a separate issue... you should probably find that fixed right away, regardless of your pet. Rats' droppings can cause respiratory infections & diseases. I'm sure they enjoy plenty of better things to do than to sniff out your rat in heat, anyway.
Hope this help & good luck!
