Question
Charlie and Josh
Hi Sandra,
We just suffered the loss of an extremely sweet rattie (7 mo old, male). The vet that treated Charlie did not specialize in rats (we made an appt with Dr. Contarino, whom you had recommended, but he was out sick that day). We were told Charlie had pneumonia with consolidation in his right lung and were given Baytril. We force fed him and gave him medication, but he passed on.
Now, his cagebuddy Roscoe (7 mo old, male) is left in the cage by himself. He has never been too affectionate towards us, but loved to sleep with Charlie. Charlie was sick for over a month, but Roscoe seems quite healthy, only a couple sneezes here and there. Roscoe sleeps in his cage a lot, even when its open. Occasionally he will jump onto the couch where we sit. He tolerates petting on his side, doesn't like to be picked up, and never seems excited to see us (unless we have food).
I'm worried Roscoe will become more withdrawn from us and become more nervous now that his mate is gone. He was the dominant rat and occasionally flipped Charlie over and nipped when Charlie was out of line (sitting on Roscoe, or pushing him around too much). He hopefully has a long life ahead and I don't want him to be without a buddy his size, especially since he isn't too fond of us. So here is the slew of questions: Should I get Roscoe a new cagemate? Should I get a baby male or try to find one closer to his size? What are quarantine procedures? Is there any way to do quarantine without buying a second cage? What sort of precautions should I take to ensure that the baby doesn't get sick from whatever Charlie left behind? Also, most importantly, how can I use this opportunity to get closer to Roscoe?
Thanks for any advice,
Rebekah
AnswerI am so sorry that I have taken so long to respond to your question. I have been going through a very bad time in my personal life and just now recently relocated over 600 miles from home in order to embark on a new life with my three ratties. Hopefully I have made the right decision and finally will have the chance at a happier life. Mean time, I have fallen behind answering my questions so again I am sorry for the delay.
Anyhow, I am sorry you lost your rat. I wish Dr. C could have seen him but sometimes a bad case of pneumonia is really hard to get rid of in rats and they do end up passing so it may not be the fault of the Vet in this case.
As for proper quarantine, you will need to have a safe and secure place to keep the rat so you should have another cage unless you have someone that can quarantine for you for three weeks.
As for the new rat catching what the other rat had, usually the germs have since died and there is no danger of the rat catching what the other rat had as long as your existing rat had.
As for bonding? Spending time with your boy and talking to him softly will get him to trust you, along with bribing him with treats, of course, is the first steps to earning trust. Never force yourself on him and pick him up if he is scared or runs away. Let him to come you, always.
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