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12K views 48 replies 14 participants last post by  solitaryone 
#1 ·
In an ideal world every rat would live with another in a really big cage and would have three or more hours play time a day out of the cage. Plus they would all be neutered/spayed when young to help avoid cancer and whatever.

This is not an ideal world, and such operations are expensive, even if you find a vet who truly knows rats.

Opinions on neutering/spaying? Really effective? Cost effective? More effective for females instead of males?

I am just collecting information on rat-keeping as I may get one later this year. Thanks.
 
#2 ·
neutering males really serves no purpose than they cant produce young.
and spaying females is very dangerous.
i got my male neuterd and he has been to the vet 6 times since then with abcess and has been on and off anti biotics for a while. she is an experianced vet too. rats just usually dont seem to take too well to it.
i dont regreat getting my boy neuterd. it was either live alone with not much human contact (my allergies), or get nueterd and have cage mate, a new place to live with lots of attention.

i love rats, they are the greatest pets i have ever had. must had been since i had them for over six years.
 
#3 ·
I'd talk with the vet you plan to use for the spaying. Unless they are very experienced in surgery on very small mammals, the risks of surgery probably outweigh the risks of cancer.

Like Ratty said, neutering a male and letting him have access to a female is probably the best way to go for male/female couples if you don't want breeding.

bob
 
#4 ·
I think that spaying is more effective for the money than neutering (even though a spay usually costs more) because one of the leading causes of rat death is cancer, and rats are especially prone to ovarian cancer. I have read many places that by spaying your rat you may be able to increase its life by up to a year!

Now this is not to say that unspayed rats won't end up perfectly healthy, too. And there is always a risk of surgery not going well. But if you can find a vet that is well-practiced in the procedure I would recommend it.
 
#5 ·
Neutering carries risks, and I wouldn't *personally* do it routinely, but it can curb aggression in rats, and I had to have my own boy 'done' because he was bought as a present without my knowledge! It is, however, a less risky operation than having a rat spayed.

Spaying is very invasive and is also very painful for the rat. It is not an operation to be taken lightly. I know lots and lots of people who keep rats, and the general opinion is that you would only spay a female rat if they had a tumour or a uterine infection. The spay could be then be done at the same time as the tumour removal. Please note, that I know of a few cases where the female rat, once spayed, has put on lots of weight.

I would stick with a group of three girls as a good start for rat keeping, in a cage, not an aquarium. They would then only need an hour or so free-ranging time a day.

No this is not an ideal world, but basic rat requirements are:

*a cage of a reasonable size. (not an aquarium)

*At least one other rat for company. (Totally vital for a rat)

*No wood shavings as bedding.

*Free-ranging of roughly an hour a day.

If you cannot meet these requirements, I think it is best to wait a bit to get rats until you can. I don't mean to sound strong minded, but this is something I feel strongly about. There are lots of pets, guinea pigs, rabbits, degus - that I would love to have, but realistically at this point in time I cannot meet their basic requirements, so I'm not getting any. Just something to think about.
 
#7 ·
personally moms females (pet store feeder tank) never would live longer than two years and be full of tumors and get really skinny. the boy rats i have had has lived up to three years and more, and i honestly never had a tumor on my boys after having rats for over 6 years.
females are more wild and like to play and run, etc.
boys are more content sleeping in your lap and being petted. it does depend on the personallity of the rat however.
and boys are bigger than girls. but they stink more (rats are not stinky if kept in a clean cage, but has a slight odor) and there fur is rougher and coat is oilyer.
i have always build my own rat cages. i build a huge 4 story rat cage for 14 dollars. it only took about 3 hrs at the most to complete it.
 
#8 ·
Looks like neutering/spaying is a big deal indeed.

>> I have read many places that by spaying your rat you may be able to increase its life by up to a year! <<

If that is true it might be worthwhile, but still, based on what I have read so far, it is indeed a serious deal. I'd like some proof of that, if available.

ratty_ratkins said:
. . .
i have always build my own rat cages. i build a huge 4 story rat cage for 14 dollars. it only took about 3 hrs at the most to complete it.
Whoa!! :shock: How did you do that?? Especially, how could you do it that cheaply??
 
#9 ·
I've always heard that it really isn't necessary. Only to stop the rat from breeding. I also heard that it might be necessary if the rat gets aggressive when he goes through his hormonal stages. That's for male rats. But in my opinion I doubt if very many vets even know how to do it.
 
#10 ·
it was really simple.
i got a rubbermaid under the bed storage container at the dollar store that was cracked for 4 dollars. and a roll of heavy grade wire mesh for about 10 dollars.
i already had my "tin cutters"
i used my tin cutters to cut the pieces to size and fileing is rarely necissary with the tin cutters because they cut super close.
and i got cable ties and tied my pieces together and placed it down in the rubbermaid storage container.
and made my doors and stuff, or course.
ohh, by the way, i have never had a problem with rats chewing the cable ties.
maybe i can find a picture for you!
 
#12 ·
hello:)

well, since i have males and females i neuter the males and have never had a problem with the operations. however, i only ever once spayed a female and she died two weeks later from infection. i wish i had never done it. i wil never spay a female again and the only tumors my girls have ever had have been benign, not cancerous. and once i had them removed they never came back. plus, i feel that neutering my male rats relieves a lot of stress, because when they are not neutered they always clean their "areas" a lot and i feel bad for them. and plus, i'm not ready for rat babies yet! :rolleyes:
 
#13 ·
ratty_ratkins said:
it was really simple.
i got a rubbermaid under the bed storage container at the dollar store that was cracked for 4 dollars. and a roll of heavy grade wire mesh for about 10 dollars.
i already had my "tin cutters"
i used my tin cutters to cut the pieces to size and fileing is rarely necissary with the tin cutters because they cut super close.
and i got cable ties and tied my pieces together and placed it down in the rubbermaid storage container.
and made my doors and stuff, or course.
ohh, by the way, i have never had a problem with rats chewing the cable ties.
maybe i can find a picture for you!
I thought that was how you did neutering and spaying, as that was the topic of the thread! :D

Yea, we need a photo.

Two other things. I have a big strong bird cage suitable for a macaw or cockatoo. Not quite as much floor space as a twenty gallon tank, but a lot of vertical climbing room. What do you think of it for rats?

When your rats are out, do they potty all over? What's with that; if they are out for a long time don't they have to "go"?? :confused: Or do they return home to potty as a rabbit might?
 
#14 ·
If you can build them ladders and levels and stuff I think a bird cage would suffice if the bars aren't that wide. I thought about doing that myself. I think you can even buy the levels. I heard that rats usually go back to their homes after awhile. But even if they do pee it's just a little, and like I said before, it's just poop. When I let my mouse out, he poops everywhere and I just pick it up with a tissue.
 
#16 ·
Zouave - In one of the clinics I worked at we did MANY Rat Spays & Tumor removals. While I was there we had never lost a rat.
I would talk to experianced Vet's who have preformed this procedure on small animals before. As I know it can be done and with low risk, as long as it's preformed by someone who knows what they are doing.
 
#17 ·
In the Uk, you can buy Ferplast corner shelves, which are ideal for rats. I use these in my Duetto cage. Sleep n' ledges are great too.

Regarding the whole 'toilet' question, they don't poo outside the cage. They go home to poo, but yes, they so errr, well, wee on you... it's a sign of affection, I'm afraid! Just don't play with rats whilst you're wearing shorts....the effect isn't pleasant, I assure you!

What size is the cage Zouave?

If you click here you can put in the dimensions of the cage you have and it will tell you how many rats it is suitable for. :)
 
#18 ·
I have not got a cage yet, and I will not get rats for awhile. You tell me the minimum size for a cage for two rats, and let's keep it reasonable as I do not live on a farm.

Using that calculator, 24"x"18"x18" height will house two rats, at a ratio of two cubic feet per rat. That is not so big a cage! Right?

Finding a vet who knows rats and does that operation routinely is hard. The point of the question really is whether such an operation is not only safe but truly COST EFFECTIVE in terms of preventing disease. Spending over $200 (I suppose) may be pocket change for some but not for me.

Any more thoughts on potty issues outside the cage, and on fancy rats (harder to find) compared to plain white ones?

Oh yea, with two birds they can bond to each other and become less friendly to the human, but need less timer with the human. Same deal with rats??

Thanks for the info.
 
#20 ·
Zouave said:
Oh yea, with two birds they can bond to each other and become less friendly to the human, but need less timer with the human. Same deal with rats??
in my experience, rats will bond very strongly with each other, as well as with their human. if you pay them lots of attention they will bond with you just like you are part of the rat family. :)
 
#21 ·
Lol, with mine, they compete to play on me! ;)

Yes, they bond with each other, but no, that won't affect the way that they most definitely will bond with you. :) It's one of the most wonderful and rewarding aspects to rat keeping.

Just now, I brought Magpie and Peggy into the room to have a cuddle whilst the others are playing in the conservatory. Peggy laid on my chest, stretched out and went to sleep grinding her teeth, she was so relaxed and happy to be with me I wanted to cry. Really. Magpie was curled up in the crook of my other arm, also stretched out and me and all 'gone' with happiness as I stroked her head, she was also grinding her teeth. It was one of those lovely, very special moments that makes pet keeping so very, very worthwhile. They are two of my most 'bonded' rats, but they are also totally bonded to me too.

Hope that answers your questions and concerns. I posted the cage calculator as I feel it gives a good rough guide, especially as you'd mentioned possibly having a bird cage?! As I've said before, I think a Critter 2 makes a good 'starter' cage and they're not expensive or that huge, but they have plenty of potential in them for toys/hammocks etc. When rats come out to play, yes, they do like to have a good run round, but you will also find that you as 'their' human are their most favourite toy! Mine spend most of their 'out-time' on me....... :D
 
#23 ·
Hi again! As said, it is a 'rough' guide as to cage sizes. Really, the best thing to do is to buy the biggest you realistically can afford and have space for. *Personally* I would prefer a cage to be a bit bigger than that - more 24" high, 24" wide and 18" deep. Especially if you have does, as they are pingy and playful! :D

How about something like this cage?

Have you looked at Martins cages? If you cruise ebay, you can usually pick up a decent cage at a good price..... or try looking at free-ad papers.
 
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