Coiled Whisker Crittery · Pennsylvania

08/09/2026

Biiiiiiig stretch!

08/01/2026

After a few years of luck, finally rolled the unlucky dice and got struck with a bag of Kalmbach 23% from Chewy for the nursing moms infested with grain mites 🫩😣😖 Between the crumbling and this, I’m ready to hunt for alternatives.

07/31/2026

Excuse the dirty nails from gardening! It’s been an incredibly busy week and I’m hoping to catch up on updates, pup photos, and where we stand with applications reopening, this weekend after a small hibernation 😅

5 week old black variegated double rex buck for rat tax! 🐀

07/24/2026

I spy with my little eye…

07/22/2026

He might be working his way into a holdback status ❤️ We’ll see.

I’m currently working to be stricter with both my holdbacks and my potential releases. I’d like to continue developing my lines into a calmer handling temperament - but the curiosity and wit is all there!

07/19/2026

CWC Olive x CWC Dipper pups. 12 days old. WIP line. The berks are at that lovely velvet stage 🥰

07/19/2026

CWC Butterscotch x CWC Janeway pups • 24 days

07/18/2026

Our last bulk order of bedding unfortunately brought with it an unwelcome guest…rat lice! Blech.

While we work to ensure the crittery is treated, deep-cleaned, and louse-free over the next several weeks, adoptions are paused and no rats will be leaving the crittery until we ensure these brigands are curbed 😊

This is an excellent and timely opportunity to share the following Ectoparasites guide from The Rat Guide:

Ectoparasites 104  Karen  June 29, 2003 at 10:20 (last edited May 18, 2024 at 06:32) Definition An organism that lives on the outer surface of another organism, its host, and which does not contribute to the survival of the host. Clinical Signs Depending upon the parasite(s), the following may b...

07/16/2026

Rat health warning! As the wildfires rage and smoke spreads, keep an eye on your local air quality. You may not feel it, but our little rats are very sensitive to air quality. During times like these, you're likely to see an uptick in respiratory illness. I recommend doing what you can to keep your home air quality up with smoke-grade air filters near your rats and keeping your windows closed.

Make sure you have a rat savvy vet you can call just in case. Since not everyone has easy access to a rat savvy vet, if your rat has a respiratory infection I recommend asking the vet for...
If your rat is under 4 months old: Azithromycin and meloxicam. Tylosin is also suitable for mild cases.
If your rat is over 4 months old: Doxycycline AND enrofloxacin, and meloxicam. Azithromycin or tylosin is also suitable.
If your rat is in respiratory distress: Doxycycline AND enrofloxacin regardless of age AND either prednisolone or dexamethasone depending on severity.
Amoxicillin and clavamox are NOT effective for treating rat respiratory infections.
All of these medications should be given every 12 hours! Do NOT accept instructions for 24 hour dosing.
Do NOT put your rats near a hot shower or otherwise expose them to extra humid air (unless it is a medicated nebulizer)

To reduce the risk of your rats getting sick, you can...
Use smoke-grade air filters near the cage.
Make sure you're keeping up on cleaning.
Make sure as many surfaces as possible have 3" or more of safe wood bedding (not paper!), to prevent free floating ammonia.
Keep your home cool and keep humidity down. Heat and humidity exacerbate respiratory irritants.
Give your rats immune boosting treat mixes. Here is an immune boosting recipe I use:
Immune vitamin mix
2 handfuls rolled oats
2 500mg C vitamin tablets, crushed
2 fish oil capsules, emptied
1 50mg zinc, crushed/emptied
1 turmeric ginger/curcumin, emptied
1 apple cider vinegar, crushed
Mix well
Water until sticky
Mix again
Cover lightly in honey

Makes approximately 15 servings. Give every 1-3 days for 1-3 weeks. You can make a batch, split it into 15 servings, and refrigerate unused portions in a covered container.

You can also add:
Fresh ginger root
Chopped garlic
Oregano
Citrus fruits (no skin, no seeds) (no, citrus fruits do not cause health concerns)
Cooked chicken

It is up to the individual to research the safety of any supplements or medications. I am not diagnosing or prescribing anything. Just offering tips that have helped me and others.

Keep an eye on AirNow to track the air quality forecast.