is-the-rodent-video-cute - Tumblr blog

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BTW if anyone wants to help my mom afford food and medicine.

That would be cool (<paypal link)

Even if I could just use my following to spread the word and hopefully get more people to see it. Right now the account stands at about $-566. Zelle/email under the cut.

Even if you cant donate, or dont want to, I’m grateful for the following Ive garnered, the things I’ve learned, and the friends I’ve made.

email: tivazquez963@gmail.com

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I am shaking and crying and begging people to reblog this version with the edit and also read it please I realized my mistake I KNOW

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💗

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This blog is going on a hiatus for the forseeable future. I’m not sure whether I’ll deactivate or not, but I’ve realized that running this type of blog has been extremely draining on my mental health.

Some tips for doing research on rodent stuff:

There are other blogs related to rodents than me. @is-the-rat-video-cute comes to mind

Forums are often the best way to get reliable info. It’s crowd-sourced information from other pet owners.

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Bit of behind the scenes:

I always feel more confident in rating things “not cute” rather than “cute”, because if I can find just one thing that’s clearly wrong it’s obviously “not cute”, but otherwise I have to make sure I cover and double-check every single thing that’s going on in the video to make sure it’s right and therefore “cute”.

That’s not to say I intentionally skew towards rating things “not cute”, I actually prefer rating things “cute” because I love rodents and seeing them do cute things and I know there’s an often an owner trying their best somewhere in the picture. It’s just a lot easier to hit “post” with less doubt in my mind when it’s a “not cute”.

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Could I submit a cute vid of my rats as an example of a good piece of rat media?

Sure!

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Thanks for the tag @xx-vikare-the-bard-xx​!

[Video ID: Club/dubstep type music plays loudly over a video of a goose who has been made to look like it’s holding a leek. It is walking on a hard path in what seems to be a park while four large hamsters run behind it in a single-file line. end ID]

RAT-ing: not cute

While I can’t tell for certain since we only ever see them from the back and not very close, I believe these are hamsters. The post says they’re guinea pigs but with the ear color and how skinny they are I feel my assumption is a safe one to make, especially since it doesn’t matter much either way.

Why are they out on the middle of a path in the open air with no barriers or supervision? That’s just begging for another animal to scoop them up for an easy lunch, or an unsuspecting passerby in a rush to step on them. That hard path can damage their feet, especially if it’s hot enough where they are that it starts to burn.

I will leave the bird to @is-the-bird-video-cute

Edit! I have been made aware these are, in fact, young guinea pigs! Thanks for the info everyone.

💗

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Can we submit photos just to show off our beloved rodent pets?

Sure, if you’d like :D

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Peanuts aren't safe for squirrels?

I should say that namely raw peanuts are bad for squirrels, roasted peanuts less so.

Peanuts are not nuts, but legumes, and can, when raw, contain certain substances that can damage the liver and/or kidney of squirrels. Roasted peanuts don’t contain these, but can still be salted, and overall aren’t that nutritionally valuable. There can also be an invisible mold that grows in the shells of peanuts that is toxic.

Here’s some articles: (note that these articles, mostly the first one, seem to condone direct feeding of and bonding with squirrels and wild animals, that is not a stance I share, but there’s not many free, easily accessible places to find info on feeding squirrels that don’t condone it)

https://coachellavalleypreserve.org/peanuts-to-squirrels/

https://nwseed.com/danger-feeding-raw-peanuts-squirrels/

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I mean. I’m a rodent-themed blog. I gotta celebrate this international holiday!

ITS APRIL 13 YOU KNOW WHAT THAT MEANS

FETCH ME NEIL

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@lunathewafflelord​

[Image ID: A screenshot of a reply from lunathewafflelord that asks: “Can rats and mice be kept together?]

This was in the replies, but since this is not my main blog, I cannot respond to it there, so I’ll do so here.

Unfortunately, no. Three of the characteristics the two share are being 1. Territorial, 2. Omnivores, and 3. Aggressive. Being territorial means that if they were kept in the same enclosure, they would fight each other for space and resources and the rats, being so much bigger (for reference, adult pet mice average 15-30 grams, and adult pet rats average 350-650 grams), usually win.  Being omnivores, they eat each others’ babies, and rats will kill and eat adult mice too. Finally, being aggressive, there are bound to be fights and chasing.

In general, I’d say don’t assume any two different breeds or species of rodent could co-habitate.

Hello!

I was wondering about the safety of keeping different species of rodents together, especially when there's a large discrepancy in size.

What inspired this question is this video: https://youtu.be/C98RMPiWeK8?list=TLPQMDYwMzIwMjJNfnGHb0LG5Q

"Hamster meets Guinea Pig | Real Sound | ASMR"

I was a bit worried that one of them would get hurt.

I mean. Just look at the comments.

People know this is a bad idea but someone went and posted it anyway.

The hamster is obviously terrified (standing on its high legs and putting its paws up, freezing, squinting, flinching, trying to find a way out) by the creature many times its size, and the guinea pig is curious (sniffing) and upset (tossing head, clipped and high-pitched purrs) about being in there in the first place.

In that video, it was a short term situation, but keeping rodents together long term is just as stupid of an idea as keeping a snake and a lizard, or budgies and a macaw, or a tarantula and a scorpion in the same cage. Any of those sound like a bad idea? Then two different species of rodents in the same cage should be an obvious no.

(I'm assuming that because you sent in the question, you were not planning on actually doing this, I'm honestly just annoyed with the person who made that video.)

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Thanks for tagging me! These are some very cute fellas!

[Video ID: A group of about 3 African soft-fur rats cuddled up and sleeping together. The one on the right of the group yawns multiple times. End ID]

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oh… Cardamom yawn… he fell asleep in the carrier during enclosure cleaning

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Just a quick reminder that my blog is “is-the-rodent-video-cute” and not “veterinarian-gives-rodent-keeping-advice”. If you ask me for advice on something, I can answer you to the best of my abilities, but the original purpose behind creating this blog was just judging videos of rodents. That’s the level of ability and knowledge I feel I have. The reason I have asks open in the first place is so people can send me links or outside videos. I made this blog because workers at pet stores grabbed the first mice I ever got by their tails, because the person who I bought my guinea pigs from said, “look, she likes it when you do this!” and then the poor cavy started squealing in distress. I knew I was able to judge those things as wrong and that a lot of other people didn’t seem to be able to, and that is why I feel I have any reason to run a blog like this at all.

So while I still don’t mind when people ask me questions, know that when you do, I am not infallible. I have the same access to resources on the matter that you do, the only difference is I have some years of rodent-keeping experience under my belt. I want to encourage people to do their own research, to refute anything I say that ends up being wrong, and know that I am the equivalent of a friend who could potentially know something you don’t.

Going forward, if people want it, I could even ask for an “open floor” on questions, wherein I answer what I know and ask followers for help, since there’s a lot of rodent people following me. More like a forum.

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Is leaving food out for squirrels bad as well, or is it only feeding them by hand that you shouldn't do?

The thing about this question is that there's no real definitive answer. Even different animal associations take different positions on it. Know that going further this is entirely my opinion.

Feeding squirrels by hand or directly giving them food is bad, but a squirrel feeder is not the end of the world.

When one feeds squirrels by hand, they make the animal associate humans with food, so they loose their natural fear of humans and desire for foraged food and instead rely completely on that person. They might try to go up to other people who aren't as fond of squirrels to beg for food, or if that person stops feeding them, they'll starve.

The reason I say squirrel feeders are ok is that people already have bird baths, bird houses, bird feeders, bee houses, bug houses, bat houses, humming bird feeders, butterfly bushes, and water troughs/bowls out in summer. People like animals. People like to watch them. They're already here, they already check your yard and your trash for food. A feeder is a place they can sometimes find food, not a person to go to to ask for it. There's less direct association with people. It's a good compromise.

So, if you do want to leave out food for squirrels, first research to make sure it's safe food, then you could leave a little in your yard for them, either in a feeder or just on the ground. Personally I'd recommend that if you do it multiple times, do it at different times and in different places, so they don't learn a pattern to rely on. Commonly offered foods that aren't safe include corn on the cob, peanuts, and cereal.

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Thanks for the catch!

I’ll admit, I’m not always perfect. I considered the harness to be more like when one walks a cat: just a precautionary measure to make sure you know where the animal is, so I hadn’t considered tugging as an issue.

In that case, it would probably then be better to just stick to a pen or cage.

Hey! So I know you're not a professional or anything, but do you know if it's safe to bring guinea pigs outdoors? Obviously not like, free-range outdoors, just in a cage, or in my lap or something? We don't use fertilizer or anything on our grass, if it helps? /gen

Thanks for the ask!

And the answer is, yes, with precautions! This is actually something I've researched a lot because I'd like to do it with my own guinea pigs.

If you have them in your lap, I'd still recommend putting a harness on them, just so they dont jump out of your lap and run away, if they're prone to that. Also, if you put a harness on them, you can take them on a little "walk" around your garden!

If you put them in a cage or playpen, make sure they have places to hide, not just for their comfort, but to be safe from predators.

And yes, it does help that the grass has no fertilizer, and hopefully no pesticide. Other than that, make sure there's no poisonous plants, that the temperature and humidity are comfortable, and that they have plenty of water!

Here's some further reading mostly re-iterating what I've just said

Stay safe and have fun!

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Hey! So I know you're not a professional or anything, but do you know if it's safe to bring guinea pigs outdoors? Obviously not like, free-range outdoors, just in a cage, or in my lap or something? We don't use fertilizer or anything on our grass, if it helps? /gen

Thanks for the ask!

And the answer is, yes, with precautions! This is actually something I've researched a lot because I'd like to do it with my own guinea pigs.

If you have them in your lap, I'd still recommend putting a harness on them, just so they dont jump out of your lap and run away, if they're prone to that. Also, if you put a harness on them, you can take them on a little "walk" around your garden!

If you put them in a cage or playpen, make sure they have places to hide, not just for their comfort, but to be safe from predators.

And yes, it does help that the grass has no fertilizer, and hopefully no pesticide. Other than that, make sure there's no poisonous plants, that the temperature and humidity are comfortable, and that they have plenty of water!

Here's some further reading mostly re-iterating what I've just said

Stay safe and have fun!

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Thanks for tagging me in this <3

[Video ID: A comment on the video reads: “Please, just pick him up” in all caps with two crying emojis and one broken heart. The person in the video holds out their hand to a small, gray hamster on a tile floor. The hamster runs towards the person’s hand and gets on its hind legs to jump into the hand, but the person begins shuffling backwards. The hamster then chases the person’s hand on its back legs until the person stops, and it jumps into their hand and begins to climb up their arm. End ID]

RAT-ing: cute! (dubiously)

Allowing a hamster to free-roam is not a totally unheard of practice, though it’s not common either. Worries about little claws and toes and tails getting stuck or crushed in the slots of an exercise ball, plus the lack of sensory interaction that comes with a ball may be reasons one would choose to do this. The key is ensuring a “hamster-proof” area that they can’t escape from and aren’t exposed to anything dangerous in, as well as making sure to monitor them while they’re out. That’s where the dubiousness comes in, I’m not sure if this area is hamster-proofed or not.

As it stands, there isn’t anything I can see that is particularly wrong with this video. No specific action puts the hamster in immediate danger, save for the hamster being on the floor, but by shuffling instead of stepping, they greatly reduce the chance of accidentally crushing this lil fella.

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[Video ID: A short-haired light brown guinea pig with a darker nice and ears laying in a fluffy white blanket, getting its back stroked with a back scratcher. End ID]

RAT-ing: cute!

This lil fella is calm and cozy, and enjoying the simultaneous scritches and fur-combing.

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“Guinea pig getting cozy enjoying the back scratcher.”

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