My FN came in today!!!!

[LivingPinCushion]

Me and Joe my ratties daddy have been broken up for over a week now. And we arent getting backl together and this is where the problems start. Our rats live at his moms since she lives close to me and I cant keep the 19 fuzzbutts at my aunts whom I live with during the school year. Joe moved ALL his stuff from my aunts home to the rats room which now we cant let them free range. Im so upset and its hard enough dealing with him not being a daddy to them anymore and me *the one with no job* having to support buying them everything they need. He used to be a great dady and always bought them goodies. Now that we arent together he is making me pay for everything and im the one taking care of them by myself. I just bought an FN with all the money i have been saving up and bought 60lbs of yesterdays news for the other cages. Its so hard to clean cages at the moment. Because even once the 11 girls go into the FN thats still 8 Coast cages to clean *we got them out of necessity when our boys hit maturity and started to fight so I want to buy them an FN because I think they just had to small of cages when they started getting big. I was new to rats then now I wish that I had just saved up and got FN's or atleaast bigger cages. The boys are fine during free range with eachother they just need a roomey cage to have personal space. But It takes forever to clean coast cages for me because i have to scrub the bars and hose them down etc. And without help cleanup is hours long. Add that to not having a safe pen with a top to put them in. I just dont know what im supposed to do I need to get the boys a cage because I cant keep cleaning all these coast cages. But I need a play pen or else the kids wont be able to free range *and they arent allowed to in the bathroom since it isnt our house and there is only one for the already 5 people living there. Im so broke right now and I feel like such a horrible parent because the kids cant get what they need. The coast cages dont give the boys enough room even with hammocks atleast before they could free range for a few hours, now that they cant I just feel so bad. I dont know what to do I cant afford a Martins Playpen and the cardboard boxes thing i tried today with some we had from my uncle getting stuff and the girls got out and the boys knocked them down so it doesnt work. Im so upset I keep crying because its my job to provide them with what they need. 

[eastermonster]

Don't worry . . . there's lots of things they love that don't cost anything at all!  Mine loved any kind of cardboard box.  I liked putting in shoe boxes upside down with a hole cut for a door and then putting the lid over the bottom (which is now the top, if that makes sense!)  By using the top as a cover I could get a few extra days out of it before it was all grungy and needed to be tossed.  They loved Kleenex boxes, for some reason, too, and would both cram in together.  Boxes don't look fancy, but your ratties won't care!

BTW, congrats on being disciplined enough to save for such a big purchase!   

[werecatrising]

Don't feel bad about not having money for fancy things. You should hit up the dollar stores. You know those stacking storage bins that have kind of a lip that hangs down? If you put them upside down they make perfect "igloos". You can also get pvc tubes pretty cheap at hardware stores.

[nerdchick]

I totally second the cardboard boxes. My boys love them because you can sleep in them, pee on them, and chew them; they're the perfect ratty toy. Also, good job on being able to save up for a FN, that's a lot of money and I agree it can be hard. I like to shop .

-Caty

[OldsGal]

Yep cardboard boxes.  Basically in my household NO cardboard is thrown away without my inspection first to see if it would be a good rattie box.  If it is a good rattie box then It goes in the box pile that I have going in a closet.  Any boxes that I pull out of the pantry is a good rattie box.  About the only box I won't put in their cage is a tampon box even though it is the perfect size.  I don't know I guess I am a little shy about that!  LOL 

Check around your house.  You would be surprised what you can find in your house that just takes a few small modifications to make a great rat toy or house.  Laundry Soap bottles.  Make sure they are completely cleaned out and then cut a hole in the side for a door and it makes a perfect rat house.  My husband one time bought a 64 ounce fountain drink from the gas station one day.  That cup was HUGE.  It is now a great rat cup.  Zip Tie it up in the cage and it is a perfect tunnel.

Do you have hand me down or good will clothes bags.  If so go through them and pull out old jeans and old sweatshirts.  Cut the legs and arms off of them.  Instant tunnel hammocks.  Baby Wipe Containters.  The rectangular kind.  Cut the flip top lid off but leave the actual snap lid on it and it makes a great house. 

1 Gallon Milk Cartons can be used the same way as the laundry container. 

I know there are a ton more but I am tired right now and can't think straight.

Staci

[werecatrising]

The plastic containers some cat foods and litters come in are great too.

[Sapphire_Rats]

the smallest cat litter boxes, usually at wal-mart, you can use them as litter boxes, cut a hole in it, turn it over, and it makes an igloo, drill holes in the side an zip tie it to the cage for added levels.

They only cost between1-2$ each. a closed box, hole in top/side and  shredded paper are usually big hits for my little crew as well.

[sbdirham]

Baskets from the dollar stores are great.  If they have handles, you can hange them using zip ties.
Also, go to Goodwill or the Salvation Army stores and look at baby toys or young child toys.  The little houses and barns make nice houses for ratties.  Old flannel shirts make snuggly blankets, so do receiving blankets.

  S.

[novicecrafter]

I am not sure how many posts you have to have to send/receive private messages so I will reply here. I also think its great that you had the discipline to save up all that money for a big cage=). You may want to keep your eye out for a used cage on craigslist as well- I got my HUGE cage on there for $50.

I have a proposition for you. I am going to buy my first sewing machine on Monday and will no doubt be sewing tons of rattie hammocks/hidey holes.  If you OK it with your parents (if you are a minor) and if you send a mailing addy to my email box flapromoter AT AOL dot com I will send you some goodies for free=) Now I warn you they probably wont be perfect or even necessarily very pretty by the standards I have seen on here=) but you would be helping me test design ideas=) I am going to rat camp in may and would love to have some rattie opinions on my designs. So basically I would need you to email me when they are recieved and let me know if the ratties like them, how durable they are, if they stand up to repeated washings and if you can think of any improvements=)

[eastermonster]

Awwwww, novicecrafter . . . I have to butt in to say how nice that is!  This is an amazing community!

[trubandloki]

Not to rain on your parade, but just a thought.  Have you had your girls in a cage with the larger bar spacing that a ferret nation has?  I would hate for you to spend all of your money on a new cage and have your girls be able to get out thru the bars. 

[LivingPinCushion]

Not to rain on your parade, but just a thought.  Have you had your girls in a cage with the larger bar spacing that a ferret nation has?  I would hate for you to spend all of your money on a new cage and have your girls be able to get out thru the bars. 

Im covering it if it needs in garden wire ^^ it will give them better material to climb on as well.

[LivingPinCushion]

Mom orderd my FN last night ooooo Im so excited I cant wait! Im planning out the decorations and everything, thats all I did at school today was drawing layouts lol. Hmm I orderd it from the Ferret Store does anyone know about how long shipping from there takes? 

 :bow:and thanks so much novicecrafter!

 

[nerdchick]

Awesome! I bet you'll be counting the days until your FN arrives. You'll have to show us lots of pictures when you get it all set up.

-Caty

[jorats]

Yay!!! It's so exciting!!

[mowgley_the_rat]

Also, if you go to the Goodwill store you can buy hats that make great sleeping spots.  I just bought two of them for $0.70 and Mowgley and Achilles think they rock, LOL.  I also got a little basket (for $1.00) and hung it with zip ties and put old t-shirts in it and they really like climbing in there too.  Also if you go to JoAnns or some other fabric store and get fleece remnants.  You can cut those into a large triangle, slit the corners, and tie it on to the corners to make a comfy (and very cheap) hammock.

[LivingPinCushion]

novicecrafter i pmed u but dont know if it worked so thank you once again and here is my addy



*Edited by Dearpie to remove posters name and address.  Please give information via PM or email, for your own safety.

[LivingPinCushion]

Thanks for all the decor tips now its just about how to give my poor kids proper excersise and play time

[nerdchick]

I don't really have any advice, but I just wanted to offer hugs and support.

-Caty

[LivingPinCushion]

Im so excited everything came in im about to faint. OMG the two hammocks I had no idea were so massive both are 20" x 26"! Im so excited to put it together, im sure I will need to cover it with wire mesh even though I dont want to sigh. But we will see maybe the girls will be so excited they wont want to excape. I will try to take pics of me putting it together and the finished product by the end of the night.

[alybaba11]

Wow, congratulations!! I recently got my FN and man do I love it! Can't wait to see some pictures.

[mowgley_the_rat]

awaiting pics. LOL.  i love FN pics.