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Very smart! Thank you 😊😊

Thank you! We are very blessed to have them! 😊🐁🐀😊

Thank you! ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

Wow! That is unusual. Ours are insane for them. Guess each has its own taste buds! 😆

Thank you, friend! 😊😊

Yep. They definitely aren’t shy! Thank you!🙏 😊

🐀😊🙏

Yeah, she’s a sweetheart. ☺️

Thank you!🙏

Thank you very much! 🙏😊🐀🐁

Thank you!🙏 😊

Thank you!🙏 😊

They sure are! 🙏😊

Thank you!🙏

You’re 100% correct. Unfortunately, their little lives are so short that they develop health issues in their second year. We’ve had some live to 3.5 years while others didn’t make it past one. We just try to enjoy them while we can. Love them so much! ❤️🐁🐀

They are the best❤ I had 2 rats. 1 was healthy pretty much till the end 3+ years and another one was sick from day 2 at home😢 Still the sweetest creatures 🐀🐁

@@sashad.7722 yep. Definitely the sweetest creatures! Just last week we lost Talkeetna. She developed a large tumor and we had it removed. Two months later it came back with a vengeance, growing so large, so quickly. It was so incredibly hard to put her to sleep because she was still so active and happy. We're constantly second guessing ourselves, asking if it was the right time or not.😔

​@@CrazyforCritters-rv8wo Sorry for your loss😢💔

Absolutely. Both are prone to health issues and constant worry. I think rats are more hardy except they often develop upper respiratory infections and tumors. The respiratory issues are typically easily treated with antibiotics but the tumors are another thing. Guinea pigs live much longer but we always worry about GI stasis and bloat. Always afraid we’ll come home from work and find something has happened to one of them.

Fancy rats are very susceptible to upper respiratory infections, so I think rat owners should research exotic animal vets in their area and be prepared for some trial-and error on the best ways to administer antibiotics and anti-inflammatories (mixing liquid meds with thinned-out peanut butter was a solid choice for us :-). Buying a nebulizer and making a nebulizing chamber from of a clear storage bin is also likely a good idea.

Great advice. An exotics vet clinic is crucial to getting proper care. Luckily, we have a couple in our area. You’re right. Nebulizers are really helpful with respiratory infections. The girls hate it when we have to use it, but it really helps clear it up. Baby food is another good source of giving them meds.

@@jefftyzzer Genetic issues?

@@cebruthius That's a big part of it--maybe the biggest. There's also their respiratory anatomy, the omni-presence of mycoplasma pulmonis, a common bacterium, and the ammonia in their urine, among other things (e.g., using the wrong bedding). 🐀❤

That’s awesome! So many people have that negative feeling towards them. We’ve been able to change that view of several folks since having them. Once one sees how personable and loving they are, it’s hard not to fall in love with them!

Thank you! They are incredibly sweet. Sorry that you can’t have them anymore, but a decade of their love created a lot of great memories for you! Little rays of sunshine describe them perfectly!

@@CrazyforCritters-rv8wo thank you!

I can’t understand it either. They are so sweet and make such good pets.

Absolutely! 🐀🐁😊

Thank you!🙏

Aww! They certainly are. Thank you!🙏 😊😊

You’re right about that! Thank you!🙏 😊

Thank you! 🙏

😆😆

😆😆Such a great compliment! The wizard is my wife. Definitely the brains of the operation! 🙏🙏

Thank you!🙏 😊

😊😊So happy to hear that!🙏🙏

Yep. They are trained to use litter boxes just like a cat. They do still urine mark, though, outside the box. It’s a territorial thing and typically very minor.

Thank you. She was a very cute girl, but towards the end she got quite round. ☺️☺️

😆😆😆

Thank you! 🙏 😊

We have six rats currently. We rescued five from folks who were going to sell them as food for snakes. We got Ester from the Humane Society

Thank you!

Thank you!

😊We had to make sure the walls are higher than they can jump. Also had to make sure not to give them any footholds or place items too close to the walls they could use as a springboard.

Thank you! I’m a cat person too, though we don’t currently have any. Happy our little guys made you smile!😊

Hmmm… great question. They all have their own special personalities so I’m not sure. The rats are much more playful and friendly, and like attention. They climb all over us. The piggies are more skittish but one of them likes having her chin rubbed. My wife is especially close to her. The other one doesn’t like being touched but certainly has me wrapped around her paw when she wants a carrot! She just looks at me and stands up with her front feet on the bars. Works every time!☺️☺️

Wow! 7 piggies! That’s fantastic! Currently we just have the two girl piggies and six girl rats but have had dogs, cats, mice, hamsters, and my wife had a bunny and horses when we first met. We’re very partial to rodents too, though.

Thank you!🙏 ☺️☺️

So happy for you to get more! You’re right, their short lifespan is so heartbreaking.

Thank you! 🙏 ☺️They just make life better!

Thank you!😊