agouti: The
traditional
color of wild rats. The color is an even muddy brown mixed
with
black guard hairs and silver ticking, with a slate to dark gray base
fur.
See "ticked"
for more information.
barbering:
Obsessive
grooming which causes bald patches. Rats may do this to a cage
mate
or to themselves (self barbering).
berkshire: A
pattern
of coloring on a rat. A berkshire rat is all one color, except
for
a
white belly, white "socks" and tail tip.
The Bridge: see "Rainbow Bridge" below
bruxing: Teeth
grinding
or chattering; rats do this when they are either really agitated
or
especially content.
"The Conspiracy": Many
rat lovers believe that the general pet rat population is conspiring
(apparently through mind control) to coerce us into adopting as many of
them as possible. Often blamed for impulse-buying of rats.
crepuscular: active
at twilight and/or just before dawn. Though rats are supposedly
nocturnal
animals, our resident child genius has determined that our pet rats
really
seem
to be "crepuscular". Thanks a lot, Emily.
culling: The
practice
of "weeding out" (i.e. killing) those babies in a litter which lack a
desired
trait. In many breeding circles and rat clubs, this is apparently
condoned as an
acceptable method for developing the best show quality animals, but the
RMCA (see
below) has condemned this practice as inhumane (and a betrayal of our
responsibilities
as lovers of rats). For more information, go to http://www.rmca.org/Articles/culling.htm
Debbie Ducommun: "The
Ratlady". Founder of the Rat Fan Club and queen of rat-care
experts. Her book, Rats! A Fun & Care Book, and
Rat
Health Care
guide are both required reading for rat owners. Go to the Rat
Fan Club
web site, http://www.ratfanclub.org
for
more information.
head sway: Rats
with
poor vision (especially pink-eyed rats) often sway from side to side
to help themselves distinguish objects better. This is normal,
and
no cause for
concern.
head tilt: Exhibited
in rats who have had inner ear damage due to an infection (such as
Myco--
see below). If your rat is doing this, something is wrong and you
should get to a vet.
hooded: A common
marking
in rats. A hooded rat is mostly white, but with a colored "hood"
on its head, and usually a stripe running down its back.
HTML: (HyperText
Markup
Language) An internet language used to format Web Pages, often
used in Email programs to create colors, hyper links, and other cool
stuff.
Since many
Email programs convert HTML to gibberish, members of the Ratlist are
strongly
urged
to turn this feature off when sending to the list (if you're not sure
how
to do this, ask for
help--many listers are computer-savvy).
myco: A nasty
chronic
respiratory disease caused by the mycoplasma pulmonis bacterium.
It is believed that most rats carry this bacterium, and many say
disease
is incurable.
Rats with myco can live long, full lives with proper treatment for
occasional
flare-ups:
unfortunately, opinions vary on what "proper treatment" entails.
For more on myco,
go to http://www.rmca.org/Articles/myco.htm.
PEW: Pink Eyed
white;
any rat that is white with pink eyes is a PEW. This group includes
Albinos, but also includes any other rat that is all white in color
(with
pink eyes). A white
rat with black eyes would be a BEW.
Pinkies: Newborn rats. Also called erasers, kittens, pups, rittens, ratlets...
Porphyrin: A red
discharge
sometimes seen around a rat's nose or eyes which is often mistaken
for blood. It is actually equivalent to having a runny nose or
watery
eyes, and can be
a sign that the rat is ill or otherwise under stress.
(Note:
since porphyrin is also found
in a rats spit, it may cause mysterious staining on the rat's coat from
grooming.)
The Rainbow Bridge: A
legendary "bridge" to another realm where beloved pets are said to
go after they die. When our ratties die, they are said to be
"crossing
the bridge". To read the story this legend is based on, go to
http://www.petloss.com/poems/maingrp/rainbowb.htm
(rattie) raisins: Um....poop.
Also called droppings, turds, doodie, and lots of things not
recommended for use on the Ratlist.
rat-help: For
urgent
health problems and other questions that you need quick answers for,
send
an Email to: rathelp@yahoogroups.com
rat-info: For
general
rat information, newbie questions, and questions you are too embarrassed
to ask the whole list, send an Email to: ratinfo@yahoogroups.com
RMCA: The Rat
and Mouse
Club of America, which sponsors the Ratlist (though members of
one are not necessarily members of the other). The RMCA web site
is at
http://www.rmca.org
scritch: To rub, gently scratch, or tickle a rat (they especially like this around their face and ears).
self: (Solid),
describes
a rat who is one color only throughout his coat. To read about
the
many
colors and varieties of rats, go to http://www.rodentfancy.org/rmfe/standards.shtml
ticked: "Mixed"
coloring,
created by having more than one color on each hair, or two or
three different hair colors to make up the one overall color.
"Agouti"
(see above)
is an example of this type of coloring.
torpedoes: A
male rat's
pride and joy, scientifically referred to as his testicles (though the
Aussies seem
to call them (goolies).
Yogurt Drops: A
favorite
treat of many rats which has no nutritional value whatsoever.
VitaKraft
brand yogurt drops are available in most pet stores. They come in
many flavors,
but are not specifically packaged for rats. Look for packages
marked
for
"rabbits", "hamsters", or "small animals".