YOU HAVE GOT TO BE KIDDING ME

mckayleesmom wrote: The other rat just died......How is that possible? Mckaylee sat on the couch and petted her for about 10 minutes and then put her back in her cage...I watched her......Then about 5 minutes ago she came running in here telling me she went to check on her and she is dead.......WTH....I told Mckaylee that we just are not rat people I guess.......

Calimama replied: It may not be you.. but the place you're getting them from? Just a thought?

mckayleesmom replied:
Must be.....I don't see what we are doing wrong. Mckaylee is super gentle with them. I taught her how to pick them up with both hands and she usually sits down to hold them. I usually let her hold them for about 10 minutes before putting them back in the cage. She had food and water and her cage was freshly made. I bought a new kind of house for her and some chew toys.

I don't get it.

PrairieMom replied: Could it be something in the food or water? were they chewing on something they shouldn't? that seems so strange that they would both go so close together.

kit_kats_mom replied: I'm guessing it's one of two things.
1. they have a sick batch of rats at that petstore. Did the rats have red stuff around their noses? Rats have a red fluid that comes out of their noses when they are stressed. if there is a lot of this discharge (or they are sneezing a lot) then they are probably not terribly happy and may be ill.
2. it's something in the cage at home. Tell me exactly what your cage set up is. what kind of toys, food dishes, bedding etc.

mckayleesmom replied:
She came in a fish aquarium type cage....the top is screened...Like the ones they display them in at the pet store. Everything in her cage is what they had in their cage at the store.

The first one had

Water bottle
Edible Hut
Plastic food dish
hampster type bedding.......They even helped me pick out the exact bedding


When I bought the second one I thought maybe the first one choked on a piece of the edible hut so I got

One of those chew tubes for her to sleep in

I cleaned out the origional cage and redid everything for her....and the chew tube came with a couple wooden chew toys.....

gr33n3y3z replied: sounds like a sick batch of rats to me the one you had the first time died and now another died the same day so to speak sounds bad to me.

luvmykids replied: What does the pet store say? I agree, it sounds like something is just wrong with that whole bunch. Are the kids upset?

mckayleesmom replied:
No...I think they are over it. I told them that maybe we are just not rat people after all.

punkeemunkee'smom replied: That is so sad for the kids and so weird too! I would call the pet store again and get your money back if you can! That doesn't seem right that both rats would die so close together. Maybe if they have lost one or more at the store they can figure out the problem!

Kirstenmumof3 replied: That is bizzare! I agree with what everyone else said, it's probably something to do with the pet store. I definately would call and get your money back!

My3LilMonkeys replied: That sucks! Maybe try a hamster or gerbil or something else? Or go to a different pet store?

sparkys2boys replied: Aww that's to bad Bri. I am sorry

mckayleesmom replied:
Its ok...The kids are over it. The rat was only 4 bucks...the replacement one anyways.....The first one was 30 and that included the cage and stuff....So since its an aquarium ..Im going to clean it and get her some fish instead.

~Roo'sMama~ replied: Aww that sucks! I hope you have better luck with fish! Our family had rotten luck with fish when I was a kid, but I have heard of people keeping them alive!