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Post by Kala on Feb 28, 2005 2:24:21 GMT -5
Kailua and Cream were my pet rats. I knew Cream had to be PTS soon, she had a big cancerous tumor between her front legs. But Kailua I though was fine, but the other day she got really sick. She was having really really labored breathing. The vet thinks she had internal cancer. Cream I wasn't that attached to, but Kailua was real sweet.
So, can anyone guess what is crawling around my neck and shoulders while I'm typing this?
I've got a new baby rat. I haven't named him yet, but he is a cream and white hooded boy. I also have a baby gerbil that also needs a name. Any suggestions?
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Post by Mary Ann on Feb 28, 2005 7:42:49 GMT -5
Kala, I'm so sorry about your loss. I know how painful it is to lose a sweet pet.  What color is your new little gerbil? Can we have some pics of the new guys? It might make it easier to come up with names if we see them. |
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Post by ExLibris on Feb 28, 2005 8:53:24 GMT -5
I'm so sorry for your loss, Kala! No matter how well we try to prepare for these things, it never hurts any less when it happens.  Personally, I always liked Rizzo for a rat name. Rizzo the Rat is Gonzo's best buddy on the Muppet Show.  I'm not sure about gerbils, though...we need pictures!  |
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Post by Kala on Feb 28, 2005 14:48:34 GMT -5
Thanks, I will try to get pics soon, if my digital will work right. It likes to wash things out on close ups when inside. The gerbil is dark gold with darker colored ears.
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Post by linda on Feb 28, 2005 15:00:44 GMT -5
Rats are neat pets--I am sorry that you lost your older ones, but the new guy sounds like a lot of fun.
What is the life expectancy of rats? I have heard people saw that rats make one of the best pets for yound children because they are so tough, so friendly, easy to care for and love to be handled.
Linda
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Post by Deleted on Feb 28, 2005 22:39:41 GMT -5
Kala, I am so sorry. I've had to put down rats over the years and it is really hard. Good luck with the new little guy!
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Post by Kala on Mar 1, 2005 1:31:21 GMT -5
Linda I found this on the net. And Tee Thanks. My baby rat is on my shoulders and crawling up the back of my neck again  Life Expectancy Survey I decided to do a survey of rat life spans. I did this because a lot of people say that rats live to 3 years, and from what I have read and experienced this is rarely the case. The survey was based on 240 rats that lived between 1993 and 2001. The data was retrieved from the National Fancy Rat Society bi-monthly journals, which have obituaries sections. Members recorded their rats birth and death months and years. The data should represent a good cross section of rats; The members are from all over the country, with rats kept in different conditions, fed different diets and are from different backgrounds, i.e. breeders, pet shops and rescue centres. The Results Their life spans were calculated and plotted on to a bar chart to show the results. Conclusions Out of the 240 rats only 13 lived to 3 years or more! Out of the 240 rats 145 died before or at 2 years of age! Out of the 240 rats 18 died before the age of 1 year! From these results the average life span for a fancy rat is 21.6 months, just under 2 years. |
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Post by linda on Mar 1, 2005 12:29:21 GMT -5
I am shocked by the survey results. I know that rats reproduce at a rapid rate, but I really thought that they should live 5 years or so.
I am glad that you have a friendly new baby rat--they are such sweet little guys.
Linda
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I'm not sure about gerbils, though...we need pictures! 
