this is so weird

raggie33

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well last nigh i was soldering some stuff.and some how i disconcted heat to my rats cage! well i woke up and walked by cage and notice he dont run to edge to see me. so i fear the worst and tap glass softly no movemet i go to pick him up and he is cold and like rigied.so i thought he was dead.its dark so i place him back in his nest carefully and wait to day.to bury him so. it got daylight and i look in cage and he wasnt where i placed him .im thinking thats odd i go to open cage and he runs up to me like nothing has hapend whats even weirder it wasnt cold last night.
 

BC0311

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/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/yellowlaugh.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/yellowlaugh.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/yellowlaugh.gif

That is wierd, but cool too. I got quite a laugh out of it. Thanks!

I'm glad you still have your little pet.

Britt
 

_mike_

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I'm not sure what a rats normal body tempurature is, though it's probably higher than ours because they have a zippier metabolism.

Couple of ideas, he was asleep and snatched by this big old "unknown" (you) in the dark, he decided it was better to keep still (rigid like) so as not to wind up as a midnight snack. Or he just never really woke up from dreaming rat dreams and didn't move.

Also, he may have felt cold on the outside of his fur, but the heat is on the inside just like a jacket would be so he was probably fine. As long as they have a place to cozy away from drafts and are dry they should be ok as long as it's not freezing out. And food comes into play here too. If his food has a decent amount of protein in it that helps generate heat internally as it digests.

So ....... out of drafts, nice dry place to cozy up, not too cold out, and food. Should keep your friend in pretty good shape.

Glad it all worked out for you and your friend.

Mike
 

raggie33

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nah he was rigid like i felt no heart beat iheld him its hard to explain.he is in a 30 gallon aqaurium and has carefreash and aspen shaveings for beding.he eats something i call monkey chow its rat blocks made for ratss .if i recall and i also give him seeds and yougort drops for treats lol.i know hamsters some time hybernate but never saw a rat do it.im just glad i didnt bury him. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/blush.gif
 

_mike_

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I know all about monkey chow, I used to work at the Regional Primate Research Lab at the University of Washington and the Infant Primate Reasearch Lab (same place) and the Dept of Psychology involved with epilepsy research with non-human primates. I have seen my fair share of monkey chow (yum-yum). /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif

Those rat blocks are what they used for rats in the Department of Comparative Medicine (formerly known as Animal Medicine).

Our suplier was Purina ..... kind of funny, Purina Monkey Chow and Purina Rat Chow. Anyway, they make everything.

Sounds like he eats better than I do!

The main thing is he's ok.
Mike
 

raggie33

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wow that would be cool to work with monkeys ilove primates there so human like.
 

_mike_

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Well, we didn't have Great Apes like chimps or anything. We worked monkeys, Pig Tail Macaques, Green Tail Macaques and assorted baboons. They develop some pretty nasty habits as they get older.

The real cool place was the Infant Lab. They are REALLY cute when they are young. No bad habits and still very friendly. The older ones ..... not so nifty. Some were, but not many.

Mike
 

357

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[ QUOTE ]
raggie33 said:
well last nigh i was soldering some stuff.and some how i disconcted heat to my rats cage! well i woke up and walked by cage and notice he dont run to edge to see me. so i fear the worst and tap glass softly no movemet i go to pick him up and he is cold and like rigied.so i thought he was dead.its dark so i place him back in his nest carefully and wait to day.to bury him so. it got daylight and i look in cage and he wasnt where i placed him .im thinking thats odd i go to open cage and he runs up to me like nothing has hapend whats even weirder it wasnt cold last night.

[/ QUOTE ]

So are rats cold tolerant? They need a heating source for an inside cage? Never owned a rat, and don't know anything about them. If possible, I am curious about why they are cold tolerant (if you have time to discuss it).


I'm very glad to see that the little guy made it.
 

_mike_

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They aren't anymore cold tolerant than say...... a cat. If anything, they are more suseptible to pneumonia due to cold and damp conditions. This would be for "domesticated" rats which are not as hardy as wild sewer/brown (aka Norway) rats. Wild rats are much more hardy and tough. The rats you see at pet stores are basically lab rats. They have had the "wild" bread out of them and they are also nearly disease free and make excellent pets and have a life expectancy of about 3 years (approximately).

Mike
 

raggie33

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i justadd theheat pad for there comfort.they tend to sleep on it its under tank..,,
 
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