Uh oh...I was bad again...

[Joe]

   O.K...well, my new rat got depressed...like really depressed...I ended up not working today (I'm about to go vent about that on the random chatter board, if you care to hear about it), so I went back to PetCo and got him another...
  This one's an adorable black self. He was a little skittish and upset until I put him in the cage. When I did, though, both perked up immediately. I now have two beautiful, happy rats.   Pics coming soon!

[Idarat]

How admirable for you to sacrifice to keep the little guy happy  I have a soft spot for black selves (?)  They look so...sewer ratty.  Like what you see in movies.  I have had more blacks than enything.  Just can't get enough!  Breeders would love me...

[Elaken]

Haha that is one reason I always have always had a black self with every set of rats!! You got to love the sewer rat look!!  But now I can't have more because I set the rule that I cant' have any rats that are the same type/look alike.  

Good that your rats perked up with each other!!  Poor depressed rattie, glad he now has a friend

[Tracy]

What a good daddy you are!!

[Joe]

   What a good Daddy...yeah, now I just need to go to work and beg to have the 15 hours of my typical 32+ hour week I had docked back.   I can afford five, but it leaves me next to nothing for anything else.

[Elaken]

In my experience, many rats cost only little more then some.  Once the cage and toys are bought, food is only a little more...of course not if vet visits are required.

[Joe]

   I certainly hope so! That's what I've been told, and that's what I've been counting on. I'm about to change their diet around a little when I'm out of the current mix (Suebee's), and how I'm changing it will make it about $5-8 cheaper per batch.
  Luckily with the vet visit, he gives a 20% discount on your first visit, and he's only about $30 for an exam to being with!

[Elaken]

Well that is nice!!  My first vet was 50 for a visit...so I hope this next one will be less.  What food mix are you going to be using now?  I like Suebee's but with no job and 6 kids, cheaper is always better for me

[Anna]

I'd say I spend about $2 more a month per extra rat I add. I try to budget it that way...but who really thinks about that when there's little noses climbing you.

[Anmllvr731]

Congrats Joe!!!! What did you name him? Can't wait for pics!

[Joe]

   I'm still planning on using basically Suebee's, just altering it a little bit. More nutro, sunflower seeds come as treats rather than an ingedient (since Hoss eats all of the), etc.

[Elaken]

Ah.  We just bought nutro to add to the mix...didnt' have any before.  Lord that is expensive!!  And so far my rats aren't eating too much of it...silly things.  

[Maggie's Mom]

Right now, I'm unfortunately stuck on store bought mix.    The ratties love it, and are extremely healthy, but I guess it would be better to switch diets.  I need a job so bad right now!  The girls cage takes up an entire bag of litter, and then the boys and the gerbils need it too!  Not to mention we're putting the boys on a new kind of litter to see if it helps the smell...ugh.  I need a job.  Gonna apply at petsmart and petland and see what happens

Good luck with your new kid!  One day, when I really didn't have the need for new rats, I called every petshop within 2 hours of me asking what kinds of rats they had, and then decided I wanted to get a black and name her Shadow.  So, I just headed over to the closest ps and decided on this teeny little black girl (just my luck!), and then, after I thought I'd seen the teeniest rat in Shadow form, the lady noticed I had a think for small rats and brought out (now) Mozy!  2 rats in one day when I already had a couple at home who were in no need of new friends...bah!

Well, sorry I was rambling, and good luck!

[SCRAPPYSMOMMY]

hey as the old saying goes.....
"when your good your good but when your bad your better"
nuttin wrong with being bad every so often right?