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New rat tomorrow??? Advice please!

1K views 9 replies 7 participants last post by  Storyseeker 
#1 ·
Ok... so this is kinda being kept on the downlow from my girls
but I am thinking about getting a new rat Monday morning. The breeder has males and females ready and available and I am thinking about making a very daring move!

I've never had a male, only females, but I REALLY want to experience the difference between the two. I have my girls in a 2 x 2 x 4 foot cage. When I first got my first rat, she was in a 1 x 3 x 1 foot cage. So I have the extra cage and I'm wanting a little boy, but I'm not so sure that 2 rattie boys can live comfortably in that cage. I'm also not sure if the new rattie boy will have my girls pregnant in a supervised hour of play time every night. I don't really have the money to get him neutered right now. If I did that, then I would be risking my girls getting sick and not having the option for treatment. So what do ya'll think??

Should I get the little boy? He will be alone, but I can give him plenty of attention and he'll have the other girls to play with at night when they are in free range. (Unless you guys tell me he'll have them pregnant within seconds.)
 
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#3 ·
He will have them pregnant within seconds, and I think it's extremely unfair to get ANY social species knowing that you're going to make them live alone.
 
#4 ·
Like they said.
A female rat is in heat every 4 or 5 days, and with Louna it's not visible most of the time. You will have dozens of ratlets within a couple of weeks if you let the male near your females.
and yes, never get a lone rat. I have done that mistake and i'm paying the price of guilt everyday, you can tell they're just not as happy as if they had a buddy. One hour playtime a day means they are alone 23h a day in their cage being bored.
 
#5 ·
The females can absolutely get pregnant in a matter of seconds. They can also mate through cage bars, so don't let them "meet" through the cage either.

I agree with everyone else about lone rats. It's unfair to keep a rat cooped up all alone when they are so smart and social. It's not any harder to care for two than for one and they truly NEED the companionship.
 
#6 · (Edited)
If it were me, I'd just be patient and wait, and get two or three boys at once after your females have passed on. Unless you can spend hours and hours a day with a singleton, he would be more likely to become miserable and neurotic if kept alone. Then you'll have behavior issues to deal with. Plus, if you can't afford to have a male neutered, would you want to attempt to care for 20-30 potential pups from one 'oops' moment?

I'm considering getting females myself, but I'm not letting them in the house until my boys have passed on unless they are already spayed. Because while I'm pretty convinced I can keep the rats separate in different rooms, I've gone through the different forums reading the 'oops litters anonymous' threads. Brux and Boggle has a small one:
http://bruxnboggle.com/forum/viewforum.php?f=21&sid=732730129bbb4ff27238461358456244

The Rat Shack has a huge one that I spent a day scrolling through.

It's shocking how easy a mistake can be made and you end up with litters all over. From determined females squeezing chewing out of their cage at night and squeezing through the male cage bars, to a helper accidentally putting an escaped rat in the wrong cage for five minutes, to a male getting out and breeding several females through the bars. All of these have been scenarios I've read. I'm not going to begin to think I can guarantee they'll stay completely separated for 2-3 years.

You might consider keeping an eye out on rescue forums/sites for a neutered male needing a home. Or even advertise such on say Goosemoose or other high traffic forum. A single /neutered/ male kept with a harem of girls is a happy boy indeed.
 
#7 ·
I completely agree with everyone who posted about this. If you are going to get a male rat, you MUST get 2 males. Totally unfair to the single rat to live alone. They need a buddy! Also, yes, the females will get pregnant in about 2 seconds, agreed.

Maybe follow the advice that someone said about waiting to get males and just enjoy your girls right now..sounds like you already have plenty of rats. If you cannot afford a large cage for 2 boys, then don't get more rats.
 
#8 ·
Ok. So boys are a no go then. I'll just have to be patient and get boys when my girls pass on. :( I posted the same topic on Goosemoose about this and most of my answers were the same. I will keep a look out for Neutered Males but other than that, I'll just wait. Thanks!
 
#9 ·
So glad to hear that! You made the right decision! :thumbsup:
 
#10 ·
You rock TSCam. I'm in the same boat with you. I'm on the lookout for hairless rats, but I'm only looking for rehomes or a breeder, and then I'm looking for a spayed female, or a hairless male that comes with a buddy so that they can be housed separately from my potentially territorial Ghost Boys if need be. Long shot, but I've still got my Ghost Boys to keep me ratty.
 
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