Handling Test
I wanted to share this temperament test of a wonderful girl showcasing what my goals are during a handling test 💜
This does not show normal handling. This is a handling test to ensure my rats tolerate and stay relaxed during rough handling, health checks, giving meds, etc when necessary. In this clip you'll see me claw hold, dangle hold, check teeth, tap her nose, lightly squish and ruffle her around, scruff her, tickle her belly, and let her free stand on my hand to make sure she isn't inclined to jump after all that. During these tests what I'm checking for is to see if she starts struggling, tensing up, trying hard to get away, squeaking, or getting defensive. She passed with almost flying colors 🥰
I've revamped the play pen a little bit and the rats now have a small "pond" and waterfall to play in! They are having so much fun checking out the new water feature 🥰
Since a few people have asked in comments and DMs, here are the supplies!
It's a low level water filter for turtles. It only needs 2.5" of water to function. The back of the filter has suction cups that stick to my plastic play pen panels very well. The filter will fall over easily if not secured if the rats lean on it or jump on it. It needs to be used with supervision so the rats don't chew it or the cord!
https://amzn.to/3Wa7ymU
Then I have it running into a kitten litter box. The beige ones I use in the video have been sold out for a while, but these are the same size:
https://amzn.to/3E2IKXq
I use these a lot by drilling holes in the corners and hanging them up in cages, but they also happen to be a great size and depth for the water filter!
(These are associate links, I'm required to say - I may get a very small portion of the profit if purchased, it doesn't change the price it costs you)
I put glass pebbles in the water to entice the rats' curiosity. I plan to get a couple smooth river stones to put in there so the rats can walk across them, and occasionally put blueberries, grapes, and peas in for fishing opportunities.
Play Pen Fun
Play pen silliness featuring Eclipse's girls, Mera's girls, and Tundra 💜 I love free roaming these groups, they get so excited and have a blast in the play pen 🥰
Everyone, I have some bad news today.
Unfortunately we've had an exposure to bordetella and Streptococcus pneumoniae and we're now in quarantine to ensure our rats are clean. I do not know when this exposure happened exactly. I haven't adopted out in a couple months and haven't received reports of illness from any adopters so I hope my rats are the only ones affected. If any adopters experience URI symptoms including congestion, weight loss, loss of fur quality, and/or signs of discomfort, please reach out. Those symptoms do not mean your rats have these illnesses, as they are the same symptoms as common Myco flares, but any information is helpful and I'm happy to provide any help and info I can.
I am running this quarantine under the guidance of my vet and will be re-testing in 3-4 months to see if we're clear. Due to the timing, I did have to pair up all my girls who would otherwise age out during the quarantine period, so I'll still be posting baby pictures during this time. Many of these "baby boom" kids may be looking for homes in the event we test clear after the first round of quarantine.
Thank you everyone for your understanding and I apologize for any inconvenience or disappointment! You all know I just want to ensure I'm only sending out happy and healthy rats 💜
I've attached a short video of some girls in the playpen as rat tax 💜
A video of Mera F2 being the cutest little thing 💜
These babies are all 5 weeks old now! These sweet little boys have now moved into a Critter Nation with their babysitters for the time being. I opened the door and got swarmed, and had to take a video to share 💜
Rattery with a focus on health, longevity, and temperament! Check our featured pins for more info!
