HISTORY OF THE FIRST RAT

The idea of ​​getting a rat came up somehow spontaneously. I saw cute photo online, read a couple of forums and it lit up “I WANT”. Having looked here at the rave reviews about this wonderful animal, “Doesn’t smell! Doesn’t bite! Cross-stitches!” I decided to start one. The devil pulled me...

And that’s how I got Gerda. A small, timid creature.

Actually a very cute animal. For a long time I was afraid to leave this box; I squeaked indignantly if they tried to get it out by force. So they put her together with this box in a cage - this was the most correct decision.

Rats purchased from a pet store are not accustomed to being handled, and it is also not clear what their mental health is. These need much more time to get comfortable and get used to a person than those bought secondhand or from breeders.

A couple of months later..

Food lover:

And strange sleeping positions...

They are certainly very interesting:

When I walk near the cage, they catch me with their paws.

STORY OF THE SECOND RAT

Life is boring for a rat alone. This became noticeable in her behavior. While Gerda lived alone, all she did was eat and sleep, she had nothing else to do. I was very drawn to communication, but I didn’t have the opportunity to devote time to her 24 hours a day, so we decided to get a second rat.

This time we bought it second hand. The difference is colossal. It took the rat less than an hour to adapt. The bigger problem was how to get them together. This took me a lot of nerves and a week of time. I will not describe the details of the accommodation; they can easily be found on the Internet. I will only say that it is very important to follow all the rules, otherwise you can ruin everything.

The new girl was named Kaya. She has a very beautiful color. This is how she came to me:

And this is a little later..

Grow instantly!

And of course, curiosity, where would they go without him...

Personnel life together:

Two rats are more interesting to watch. They sleep together, wash each other, play. Sometimes, however, they quarrel! But that's okay... Last time We didn’t share some tasty treat. Squeals, squeaks, roar, I’m already running to pull the corpses out of the cage, and they are licking each other in an embrace after the altercation.

Sometimes after a quarrel they can sleep on different shelves for a day or two, not play, then they will make up anyway.

CHARACTER AND HABITS (DIFFERENCES FROM OTHER RODENTS)

• Rats are very curious! Weasels who need to know EVERYTHING. Try everything, smell everything, explore everything;
• They become more attached to humans than any other rodent;
• They may bite. Sometimes not even on purpose, but without understanding it. It is better not to put your fingers between the bars of the cage and wash your hands thoroughly so that they do not smell like food;
• Sociable, people-oriented. Well, rodents don’t like it when people pay attention to them, pigs, rabbits, hamsters, but rats are completely different;
• They love to chew on everything, thieves. They are constantly gnawing on something. They drag everything they can reach into the cage.
• Clean. They themselves constantly wash and lick themselves.
• Cunning and smart! I have never had a rodent that could learn to open a cage on its own!

1. Cell.

• Must be big! The size of the cage for the number of rats can be calculated.
• Strong rods without paint. They will eat the paint and chew through the rods. Even iron ones.
• Simplicity of design, lightness... Please note that you will have to wash it often.
• Wide doors. And the more, the better. If the door is too small and there is only one, and you urgently need to get a rat that doesn’t want it - rather a hand you'll break it.
• The corners of the cage should go directly into the tray! This is important. Rats don't always go downstairs to go to the toilet. And if they pee from the shelves, the feces will end up in these corners, which will simply IT STINKS HORRIBLY. I know what I'm talking about, this is hell.

2. Veterinary medicine.

It is important to understand that not all doctors are able to treat rats. If you have a large city, then you need to contact a rodent specialist a ratologist in common parlance or a rodentologist otherwise.

Regular veterinarians are not trained to work with rodents! For me this was a fatal mistake. True, not with rats, but guinea pigs. But due to a simple ignorance of the doses of drugs for pigs, the doctor killed my animal. Be careful.

3. Group content.

Rats are much more comfortable living with their relatives. Just give preference to a same-sex relative! Rats reproduce very quickly, in a couple of months they will already be falling out of your cage. There is no benefit from selling them; it does not bring any benefit.

4.Male or female?

Much depends on the character, but:

• males smell stronger;
• Everyone marks, but males are much larger;
• males have very pronounced genitals, which confuses some;
• males are more sociable;
• males are smarter;
• males grow larger;
• with age, males may become bald;
• older males may have problems with joints, it will be more difficult for them to climb the cage (they will need a cage with a horizontal orientation);
• males are less biting;
• females are more impulsive and active.

5.Care.

Let me add that rats cannot be washed. They don’t need it at all and it can be harmful.

Do not place in drafts.

Avoid direct sunlight! It won't last even a couple of hours.

Rats are very fragile creatures! When people talk about the survivability of rats, they do not mean their individual survivability, but their overall survivability, as a species as a whole.

6.Feeding.

Rats eat everything! They choose what tastes better. But you can’t make fluffy trash out of them.. You can read the basic rules for feeding rats

RESULTS

I can’t really describe the advantages of these animals; they are different for everyone. I have already cited the differences from other rodents, and there are the main advantages of rats.

About the cons..

Do I recommend getting rats? Well, probably not. Definitely recommend if:

• you have free finances;
• problems with smell (or a huge house to put them as far away from living rooms, or at least the opportunity to buy special equipment to eliminate odor);
• you are not afraid of being bitten;
• you are not allergic;
• you have a lot of free time;
• you live in big city or do you have transportation to get to the nearest big city;
• love cleaning the house;
• you don’t really care about your furniture, renovations, or other pets (rats pull the hair out of my dog).

Do I regret buying rats? No. I love my animals, but I definitely won’t take rats any more seriously. There are a lot of positive emotions from them, but many times more problems...

Read in this article

Just yesterday your little wavy was happily chirping and flying around the apartment, but today he has become ruffled and refuses to eat? There's clearly something wrong with him. The parrot has been attacked by some kind of illness, and the cause of the illness must be found as soon as possible, otherwise the sick bird may die of starvation. A budgerigar is sick - what to do and where to go? How and with what to treat this fragile creature?

How to determine that a wavy is sick

The first sign of the disease immediately catches the eye: the parrot is not active. If he closes his eyes, sits quietly in the cage and does not try to fly out, then something has happened. If apathy is the usual state of your bird, then you can determine it by the change appearance pet:

• ruffled feathers on separate areas Taurus;
• scabs on the paws and cere;
• liquid droppings;
• unnatural color of the droppings (normally it is green-brown with white);
• mucous membranes;
• watery or festering eyes;
• refusal to eat.

Attention! Most danger sign parrot diseases - sitting at the bottom of the cage. This means that the wavy is so weak that it is not able to stay on the perch.

When a parrot is sick, several symptoms coincide at once. If you find at least 3 of the listed signs in your wavy, contact your avian veterinarian.

Why do budgies get sick?

When a pet settles at home, all responsibility for its life falls on the owners. After all, the climate environment, food, safety - all this is provided by humans. This means that the blame for the fact that the wavy suddenly falls ill also lies with him. What could be the causes of a bird's illness?

1. Poor nutrition. A parrot can get sick due to a change in food or because the owner treated him to something from his table. And if a bird’s diet is high in fat, it can become obese.
2. Poor quality water. If you do not change the water for a long time, harmful bacteria will form in it. A bird can easily get poisoned by them and get sick.
3. Drafts. Budgerigars are very gentle creatures. Any draft for them is fraught with a cold.
4. Stress, fears. This happens if there is a child living in the house who drags the bird, pulls its tail, or constantly screams loudly next to the cage. The parrot will lose peace, stop eating and get sick.
5. Boredom. Another reason for the disruption of the normal psychological state of a budgie. If the owners do not play with him, and there are no toys or mirrors, the wavy may fall ill from melancholy.

What do budgies get sick with?

A wavy dog ​​bought at a pet store may also be sick. They usually don’t care much about compliance with standards for keeping birds, so you need to choose a parrot very carefully. Or buy birds from breeders. When choosing a parrot, pay attention to the following factors:

• smooth plumage;
• clean wax and tarsi;
• clear eyes;
• planting the parrot (it should sit on its legs and not bend over the perch with its tail);
• bird activity.

A lethargic, apathetic parrot should not be taken, even if the seller assures that it is just...

How to treat a budgie

As soon as you notice something wrong, contact your veterinarian immediately. But the problem is that not every city has a bird specialist. In this case, only self-treatment can help. What can and should be done if your budgie gets sick?

Basic steps

A sick bird should be immediately separated from healthy parrots and given rest. Then wash the feeder and drinker, adding fresh food and clean water. A lamp should be placed nearby, because a sick bird is constantly freezing.

You cannot leave a sick parrot alone for a long time. You need to constantly monitor your food levels. If the food does not decrease, it is necessary to feed the bird artificially. Dairy-free baby food or porridge made from ground cereals (rice, buckwheat, millet) are suitable for this. No salt or sugar: dilute the cereal dust with water and inject the wavy into the corner of the beak through an insulin syringe (without a needle!). At one time, the bird should receive at least 1.5-2 “cubes” of porridge.

Possible cures

To always have a healthy and active budgie at home, you need to feed it properly, change the water on time, protect it from drafts and play with it more often. And then your pet will only delight you with its liveliness and enthusiasm.