#and as much as I'm pro home ownership since like... my house is pretty much what's made my life feasible

[medicinemane]

"DIY tiny home you can build in weeks", ok... now lets see the cost

...seven and a half minutes later, the answer is $75k... so when you include land and all the rest of it, so basically nothing right?

This is my problem with tiny homes stuff, it's for rich people

#and as much as I'm pro home ownership since like... my house is pretty much what's made my life feasible #like I know two things for a fact; we don't have room to give every last person a house #(especially if they're basically one bedroom sized things dotting the land) #and not everyone even wants to own a home #but like... lets say that everyone did want to own a place... we can't even do single family stuff let alone infinite tiny homes #so you'd need to have at least some homes in the form of basically owned units in an apartment complex which... sounds like condos #and so... I legit don't even come close to having the answer for this #but the sad thing is... a commie block kind of beats a tiny home if we're honest I think #not even in some like... brutalist dystopian shoving people together kind of way #like I think I'd rather live in a well maintained commie block style apartment than in one of infinite tiny homes doting the land #I really really really like tiny homes as a concept... but every time you look at them you realize... it's all for rich people #and half of them are just gentrified trailers or closet sized apartments getting dressed up by an architect to up the price #like I'm not even trying to shit on this company cause like I'm for assembly line style home production #especially compared to the cheap shit we throw up now; it makes me with I could puke in anger and disgust at it #they showed clips to contrast with of a home being tossed up and the shit materials they use disgust me #seeing massive... whatever you call those new home blights... communities I guess; springing up they always look like they're made of trash #so yeah... I like this building style better than shitty single family homes 'from the low 300s' #but I think that these people are either doing a sales pitch; missing the big picture; or both when they talk about this #like this can't fix the housing crisis cause... one no one can afford shit even if it's... lets say $175k; that's a lot to ask most people #but two is it won't work long term to just dot a million little houses across the land #cause quite apart from finding all that land; think of all the electric grid and water infrastructure you have to lay #(or are these people expected to be able to afford solar and all that? cause... they ain't poor if they're doing that) #(and I'd kind of like poor people to not be screwed by the housing problems we have; the rich can get bent honestly) #I like living on my own in a tiny town in the middle of nowhere; I wouldn't want someone right next to me #so I'm literally the kind of person people bitching about rural folks is bitching about; so know that's not what I'm saying #but let's be honest... we need better and cheaper urban infrastructure and we need less suburbs and housing communities #and that's where the solution is gonna lie; not in reinventing the single family home (or smaller) #eh... I really really really like tiny homes and think they're neat... but I can't help but see they're rich people play things #...and that's my thoughts on this #it's kind of like how solar is nice and all... but just a few good nuclear plants would be a better solution than solar on every roof

[hella-free-space]

Hi :) I'm pretty new to rats I kept one when I was a child poor rat, my main questions are what bedding and food people use for their rats I'm really concerned about bedding because of their respiratory issues. What fun activities you can do with them and whether to get 2 or 3 and make or female for a beginner. I have a local breeder who desexes, vet checks and everything before they go, and what size cage I currently have a 2 story but will upgrade as they grow but not sure to what :)

@notalltreellamas I want to preface thisentire reply by saying that The Rat Gugu on Youtube is one of my favorite resources for rat care! TheRatGuru hasa playlist called “Rattiepedia | The Ultimate Guide to Pet Rats” and it coversall of the questions you asked PLUS a ton more stuff! :) I highly recommendchecking out the channel!! Also, Ratblr exists so I’m sure there are a ton of blogs that you could peruse or send asks to if you have any other questions or want to know about specific setups or ideas they’ve posted on their blogs :DThere’s also an INSANE amount of DIY enrichment, hammocks, and other cage decor on pinterest. Rattie toys don’t have to be expensive, either, since there’s a ton of “Dollar Store DIY” toys and enrichment ideas out there! Google is your best friend when doing research so don’t be afraid to ask questions or dig a little deeper to find an answer! more under the cut

HOUSING

[ Source: julieszoo74 ]I’m not sure what cage you have, but I highly recommend looking into whether or not your specific cage is a good fit for ratties :) Some cages that are labeled as rat appropriate by pet stores are not (same goes for hamsters, birds, bettas, etc.) so it’s a good idea to check that out or upgrade asap! :)The rule I’ve heard mostoften is 2 sq ft/rat but bigger is always better! Also keep in mind that ratslove to climb so make sure your cage has some vertical space to hang shelves, hammocks,tunnels, etc. The Critter Nation is personally my favorite rat cage. You canbuy a single or double critter nation and a single will comfortably house 2-3adult male or female rats! I definitely recommend using no-pill fleece bedding (shelfcovers + ladder covers + litter box) with this cage, since it makes cagecleanup a breeze. You can buy the shelf/ladder covers (usually on ebay or etsy) or sew them yourself! This cage has plenty ofspace to hang toys, hammocks, shelves, perches, baskets, and whatever else youcan think of :)

(note: you can buy a single critter nation, which has the shelfunderneath and the rolie feet, or the “add-on” which has no shelf or roliefeet. The add-on is usually a little cheaper, but the single critter nation’s shelf and roliefeet are handy dandy)

Martin’s Cages areanother popular choice among rat owners! :) Lastly, you can even DIY a cage!

[ source: reachthestars ]

I’ve seen C&C cages,cages made out of old cabinets or book shelves, and even custom-build ones!

Bedding

My twofavorite types of bedding are the Carefresh paper bedding (nonscented andnoncolored) and no-pill fleece bedding! Rats have sensitive upper respiratorysystems, so they shouldn’t ever be kept on any type of bedding that gives offdust (like cedar or pine shavings). You can use Carefresh if the cage has adeep enough litter pan at the bottom. You can also use fleece strips since they’rewashable/reuseable :) Whenever you use fleece bedding (whether it be asshelving covers or as strips) I’d recommend using a litter box (Yes! It’s possible to litter-train rats!) as well to helpkeep the fleece clean longer and to minimize having to shake out thefleece/pick poop out of the fleece strips before washing.

Food

Blocks arebetter than mixes when it comes to feeding your rats! If you use a mix, therats will probably just pick out what they like and leave the rest of the fooduntouched, which can be an issue since they wouldn’t be getting propernutrition! I love Oxbow and Mazuri for rattie staple diets! :D Now, youngratties and older ratties have different protein requirements and it’s veryimportant to make sure those needs are met! After I discovered this, I changedmy rats’ diet so I wanted to mention it to you since it might not be listed inarticles you find online! The Rat Guru covers this issue more in this video: 

Treats

Rats can eat a TON of different “people-foods” so varying a rattie diet is pretty easy! The video above lists some treats and foods to avoid, and this list is also pretty extensive! :) (dark chocolate seems to be debated and I don’t have any personal experience with feeding it to my rats, so if anyone has some resources or opinions about feeding rats dark chocolate, leave a comment or reblog!)

Water

Waterbottles work better than water bowls imo :) I like to have at least 2 waterbottles in the cage, usually one near the food bowl and one somewhere else inthe cage (like, one on the ground floor and one on another level). You can use water bowls, however, for enrichment! I’ve seen people give their rats a bowl for bobbing-for-frozen-peas! :p

Pairs vsTrios vs Groups

I had pairsgrowing up! However, my mom adopted a trio (and then a pair, for a total of 5ratties) so I feel like how many rats you own depends on how much time you haveto devote to them :) I don’t think I could have 5 rats out at a time unlessthey had their own room or tall large pen, and when I interacted with her rats,I’d take them out one or two at a time since that’s what I felt mostcomfortable with :) If you feel like 3+ rats would be overwhelming or if youwant to start with just a pair, that’s perfectly OK :) As long as they’re notkept alone, you should be good!

Males vsFemales

I’ve alwaysheard that males are a lot more laid back and relaxed than females. I’ve onlyhad 1 pair of male rats growing up, and they were older from what I canremember so that may have also played a part in their activity level. Youngfemale rats are super energetic for sure though! :D Adult males are also alarger than adult females, so if you want big fat ratties, go for males! If youwant energetic playful ratties, go for females! I should also mention, though,that not all ratties will conform to this gender stereotype, and this doesn’tmean that male rats aren’t playful or fun or that female rats won’t cuddle withyou! If you’re picking up ratties from a breeder, talk with them about whatpersonalities you’re looking for and I’m sure they can set you up with rattiesthat are a good fit for you! :)

I feel like it’s also important to address The Rat Fan Club and Debbie “The Rat Lady” Ducommun. She’s a heavily debated figure in the rat community and I have my own personal feelings about her, as do many others.The Rat Fan Club facebook group andwebsite are good sources for questions that might have hard-to-findanswers, however, I would not suggest these sources for *actually treating* medicalissues. Both the group and website are good resources and have aninsane amount of information on the nuances of rat care and ownership and recognizing certain illnesses.

However, Debbie “The Rat Lady” Ducommun is NOTA REGISTERED OR LISCENCED VETERINARIAN as far as I know (she has a degree in animal behavior and has worked as a vet tech, though)and is a proponent of at-home care and/or homeopathy and I do NOT agree with at-home surgeries of ANY kind unless they are performed by a veterinarian who has the proper and necessary equipment + environment to do so.

I’m not exactly sure if she’s pro-vet or pro-owner treatment, as she seems to feel like vets overcharge and can be a waste of money and details a TON of treatments for different illnesses and injuries on her webiste, but also provides a list of veterinarians and prefaces some of her pages with the suggestion that you should seek veterinary care if the situation warrants it. I would advise you to take her medical advice with a few grains of salt and consult a veterinarian as to whether a treatment can be given with otc meds or if a treatment needs to be performed by a licenced veterinarian!

There are some issues that can be fixed athome (i.e. if your rat is itching you might need to usehypoallergenic/non-colored/non-scented detergent to wash their fleece beddingor hammocks. However, your rat might be itching because s/he has mites and thatrequires medical treatment and you should consult a vet) but it’s never a bad idea to get your vet’sopinion! :)

Please, please, please consult a local veterinarian! You said thebreeder has a vet, so talk to the breeder about vets that they would recommendto you! :)

If anyone has anything else to add about rat ownership, rat care, enrichment suggestions, or anything else concerning ratties, please feel free to add on to this post! :)

#roni replies #ask #notalltreellamas #ratblr #rat care