Fat Rat Central

I have heard of mice making good companions for rats, but I would be careful. Rats have a tendency to be territorial, and I would worry that the size difference would make it difficult for a mouse to defend itself. Your rat might seriously injure or kill the mouse. Just something to think about. It’s one of those things: I’ve heard of rats and cats getting along, but I would be wary to try it.

Although it looks like blood, don’t worry–it’s just tears.  It’s called porphyrin. Rats have a large glad behind their eyes that produce it, and because the eyes are connected to the nose, you’ll often find it caked around their eyes and nose.  Many first-time rat owners see this are concerned that their rat has a bloody nose.

Why does it happen?  Porphyrin may show up when a rat is stressed, but it’s also a sign of a respiratory infection.  You might want to get your rat checked out by a vet, especially if she’s sneezing or showing any other signs of a respiratory infection.

For more scientific information about porphyrin, check out the links page under “health problems.”

Hi All!

I’ve noticed that people are starting to post questions and tips in the main categories (the ones next to the green checkmarks under “the Info”).  This is great!  Keep it up!

Hello and welcome to Fat Rat Central! You’ve found one of the most helpful sites for domesticated rats and their owners on the Internet. Here you’ll find both basic rat care information and the not-so-common info that is difficult to find. And if you’re having a problem you can’t seem to find the answer to, there are many ways to find the answer. Whether you own three rats or you’re thinking about buying one, you’ll find all the information you didn’t know you could find on the web–all in one place.

Before You Begin

The basic stuff: to explore the informational pages, check out the links to the left. From any page, get back to the home page by clicking the “home” link in the Quick Links section on the top-right. Read below about the FAQ (list of frequently asked questions) and how to use it.

I’ve recently started a page for rattie products– many people wonder what the best books about rats are and where to find the best cages, litter, etc. The FRC community will value your input, so check it out and comment with your opinion! Also recently added is a Memorial for our rats, where you can post a tribute to ratties who have passed away. In addition, you will find information on how to cope with the loss of a rat, which can be very difficult.

FRC is now TONS more interactive, so get involved! I am now using WordPress to organize and run the site, which means you can comment on all the FAQs and info pages with tips of your own, request additions to the site, search more effectively, and subscribe to the RSS feed of the site.

Also new is the way the FAQ itself works–rather than a page, it’s actually a grouping of separate posts and will be ever-evolving. I get many emails each week, and I’ve noticed a lot of them are repeating. So if you’ve got questions, check out the FAQ by searching (using the search box to the right), or browsing (using the Quick Link to the right). If you browse through the FAQ, make sure you click on the “Previous Entries” on the bottom of each page, as there are a LOT of them–more than will fit on one page! I will be posting questions as I receive and answer them. If you subscribe to FRC’s blog feed (using bloglines or just the RSS function, to the right under “Support FRC”), you can see new FAQs or Notes from Sara as they’re posted. Also under “Support FRC” is an option to bookmark Fat Rat Central with your del.ici.ous membership.

FRC also has a flickr Photo Pool. What does this mean? flickr is an awesome website that allows you to post your photos on the internet. When you join a flickr group (Like FRC’s Pet Rat Photos), you can share your photos with the group by submitting them to the group’s pool. If you have a flickr account, post a photo of your rat by first joining the group, then viewing your rat photo and selecting “send to group” in the grey bar above the photo. If you don’t have a flickr account and don’t want to join (it’s free), you can submit your photo to gallery@fatratcentral.com, and I will post it on FRC’s flickr account.

I have also updated the links page. It is now organized around the structure of the site, so you can find more information about the topics you’re interested in. I hope you find FRC useful and enjoyable! And please, if you’ve got something to say, feel free to contribute.

All bits and pieces of news will be posted below this entry.