How many rats?
For Beginners
I strongly suggest getting two rats (of course, I have also been known not to follow my own advice!). I think having 2 rats is better than having 3, 4, or 5 rats, and certainly better than having just 1. You see, rats need attention, and lots of it. To be social creatures, they need at least one hour of play with humans per day. I know most of you can provide at least that amount of time, even if it is just riding around on your shoulder while you are cleaning the house. When a rat lives alone, it sits there all day, waiting for some attention from you. When it has a pal, they can play while they’re waiting for you to take them out. I love my 3 boys, and I love having a trio, but when I think about it, life might be easier if I only h
ad a duo. It’s hard to have 3 rats riding on your shoulder, and sometimes I think 1 rat feels left out when the three are playing. Two rats are perfect for each other…and perfect for you.
For Compulsive Rat Owners
I have wanted to have just one rat for a very long time. But somehow I always end up with two. Or three. Or four. Want to know why? It’s because I have no self-control. Like an idiot, I wander into a pet store “just wanting to look at the ratties”. And I end up bringing one home. Luckily, I realized my weakness last year,and was actually able to control it. Well, sort of. Let’s just say I’m not allowed to go in pet stores anymore. If you have no self control, don’t put yourself through the pain and torture of going into a pet store and looking at all the ratties you know you can’t have. If you simply must settle that need for cuteness, go home and look at your own rats. Trust me, that’s enough cuteness to curb that craving for weeks. Or at least until the next trip to the pet store.
on March 25th, 2006 at 8:30 am
I have had my 5 month old female rat for 3 days now and doesnt seem very social. Is this just because she’s new and doesnt know people very well? she is my first rat so i dont really know what to expect.All the books and websites i have,turned to say the same “rats are very social” but never seem to say what they are to start with. please help me!
on April 7th, 2006 at 1:30 pm
hi vivien!
Dont worry, you rat is still getting used to its enviromentand surroundings, give her time to feel safe and comfortable. My rat took atleast a few weeks before she became confortable and began seeking me out for attention and such, what also helped was that I got a 2nd rat because rats are extremely social animals and they should be kept in groups of 2 or more. They love to interact with each other, and groom its o mcuh fun to watch them!
Give your new baby some timem and you will see that she will come around, just liek any new pet, they stress out and need time, thats all. Coax her with some treats, but never feed any food through her bars of the cage, as this may induce unwanted nipping behavior.. I hope this helps!
Good luck!
on April 13th, 2006 at 7:49 am
hi im just the same when i go to a pet shop i always go look at the rats and then my boyfriend lets me have them i have 5 male rats at the minite they are called beefy saten(fatty) spiderman venom and wolverein. my boy friend names them . at first i had beefy and saten there a yr old now and then i got spiderman and wolverein 3 months ago and they were 4 weeks old when i got them soooo cute and then 3 weeks ago i got venom from the same pet shop hes spiderman and wolvereins brother and he was on his own and so lonely i had to get him. got its soo hard not to fall in love with them there so cute and loving well done for over coming your weekness .
on August 17th, 2006 at 8:35 pm
I just got a rat today. Shes adorable but im afraid i made a huge mistake in getting just one. all the websites say to get two. my boyfriend has only one and it seems to be really happy. Can my rat be happy by herself?
on August 26th, 2006 at 5:07 am
rats can be happy on there own but you have to be around them most of the day, and night. i had 2 but 1 died early on, and coz im not allowed another rat my rat has to live alone for the rest of its life
i overcame this problem by never putting him in his cage (coz its a lonely place for just one rat) and always being around him. it kinda works but he’d be a lot happier with a friend.
on September 4th, 2006 at 9:35 pm
A note on how many rats to have. I have had rats growing up and had a pair while in college. Right now I have another pair, so only 2. But I was thinking of getting more! A wanted to offer a ’solution’ I was thinking of doing since I want more rats than just two, yet ’solves’ the problem of having “three, with one being felt left out.” I figured I would uy another cage set and buy another pair of rats, taking only one pair out at a time. That way you can still only have to worry about only two at a time yet have more.
on September 7th, 2006 at 8:50 am
I have many rats so many rats that i have to feed some to my snake!!
on September 8th, 2006 at 5:23 am
As a long-time rat breeder and author of a book on pet rat care, I agree about the importance of getting two ratties instead of one. Rats are social creatures and thrive in each other’s company. I’ve seen so many times how a normally happy well-adjusted rat can become lonely, distressed, and can even be prone to illnesses.
So to ensure happy pets, plan on getting a pair. In fact, most breeders will have a “two-rat rule,” selling them only in pairs of males or females.
Colin
p.s. I’m definitely in the “compulsive” category, since I have 17 rats!
on September 16th, 2006 at 7:30 pm
I have 15 rats and I love them all. I’m proof it can be done and they really aren’t expiencive like some of my more exotic animals. I have 7 chinchillas, 5 gerbils and 2 rabbits plus my 15 rats and i’m a junior in Highschool.
on September 26th, 2006 at 6:22 pm
I guess I fall into the compulsive cattagory as well. I have 4 rattie ladies, and three rattie gentlemen. My rats are all rescues and I have no history on them- so they will never be bred. The two ten week old girls I got yesterday were still with thier brother..so I hope this doesn’t mean a baby boom.
on November 3rd, 2006 at 5:25 am
So…I am a compulsive rat owner as well. I started off with two female rats who I adopted from a rescue organization. Yesterday I adopted three rats from a breeder. I went to the breeder with the intention of meeting the rats, simply to see what they were like, and perhaps adopting two on the spot. Then I met them, and I fell inlove with the entire litter! I picked out two that I wanted to adopt, but there was a third rat that I couldn’t leave behind no matter how much I knew I should.
When I brought the girls home I became overwhelmed with stress. What was I taking on? Could I devote enough time to every rat? Could I afford a cage big enough to house five rats? If I can not devote enough time to each rat to make them feel like I genuinely CARE for them, not that I will simply meet their basic needs, then why did I get them? Is it because I like how much they like me, and want more admirers? This stress lasted until I saw the girls, and I played with each of them. Once I played with them I realized why I adopted each of them in the first place. They are all the sweetest, most charming creatures I could ever choose to be my companions.
But I still question if I am really adopting them because I want admirers. Can I really treat them as companions if I have lots of them? Can I really get to know each of them, and make each of THEM feel loved and special if I have lots of them? I do feel the answer is probably no, and most people are willing to adopt rats at whim because they are small animals that seem low maintence.
on November 12th, 2006 at 7:02 pm
I have 2 Adult rats and 5 babies. there names are sugar and skidz ive had skidz for about a year. and ive had sugar for like a month but when i got sugar turns out she was pregnant! she had 5 babies there the cutest things ive ever seen!!
on November 13th, 2006 at 1:08 pm
Hey, i really wanted to know, do Rats bite, like alot like a hamster???, and do Rats get their shots,well like a dog or whatever???because could you get a disease from them???
on November 17th, 2006 at 9:51 pm
Hi! OMG I am soo in the compulsive catagory!! LOL I actually only have 2 ratties and 8 babies… for now and im currently triying to get another litter out of my ratties!(: My ratties names are Maya and Jack and I love them sooo much but Jack I wear he’s a puppy! And my little girl Maya is the sweetest thing ever!
on January 3rd, 2007 at 1:45 pm
We have 2 rats Moe & Krusty, they are both girls and we bought them together when they were about 6 weeks. They have now lived together about 6 months and have started fighting alot. They have both got alot of scares under there chins, after sitting and watching them it seems like Krusty the smaller of the 2 starts it.
Would really like some help and if anyone knows of a way to train them out of it would be greatful!
on January 28th, 2007 at 11:58 pm
i got a rat for my birthday and she was my second rat and it had been two years since my rat Mercedes had passed away of old age. and my new Rat Gizmo turned out to be preggnant. though my boyfriend didn’t belive me untill we witnessed her giving birth. i was a little nervous about taking care of all thirteen of her kittens but the pets store ended up paying me 3 dollars a kitten. well i want going to keep any but there were two i just couldnt bare to give away….so now Gizmo Zander and Willow are Cage mates and i’m considering trying to breed again cause i miss those tiny little fur balls to death.
on March 19th, 2007 at 6:10 pm
Hey i really want a pet but my mom is scared and dosnt want one but shes thinking about it. Then i told her rats gat along better in duos that by them selves but she wont listen to me and she said if i get a rat i can only get one what should i do just get one or keep tryling to get two?
But if i keep asking for two i wont get one at all and i have wanted one 4 2 months now? im sooo comfuse what should i do?
on March 24th, 2007 at 10:12 pm
Okay, I’m wondering if I might have a problem on my hands. I have been reading other remarks and everyone is stating that since rats are social, it is better they have a playmate. Well, I decided a few weeks ago to get another female to grow up with the approximately 7-month old that I all ready have. The thing is that the pet store I got the second one from seems to only have rats as feeders, which they keep in a back room with the some sort of loud noise and only employees can enter. So I wasn’t able to compare the size of the new one (which ended up being a baby) with Isolde. Anyway, the first couple of days seemed to go all right…Isolde was curious, yet kept her distance at first, but then she started cleaning “the baby” and following her around, yet she would not go in the igloo at the same time the baby was in there.
Well, the morning of the third day, I woke up and the baby had died. Now, is it possible that Isolde could have had something to do with it due to jealousy over the new, but much smaller, one getting so much attention? The reason I ask is because the baby was actually up against the food bowl on her back, not on her side as if due to natural causes.
Suggestions would be greatly appreciated so I can know whether or not I should risk getting another one!
on April 1st, 2007 at 6:49 pm
i have 2 boy rats that fight all the time but they have grown up together. we also have famale rats in the same room. can this be the problem ?. does anybody have any ideas?
on April 3rd, 2007 at 7:39 pm
I have nine rats right now but I ussually have more. I just love tacking care of them and don’t have time to spend with them during the week much so I get a lot so they can play together. They have a whole room to themselves. On the weekends I put them all in the bathtube with toys like ping-pong balls; they have SOOO much fun. My favorite part of rats is fixing them lots of vegetables and fruit. I breed them a lot too. I don’t see how anyone can’t love rats!!!
on August 14th, 2007 at 5:58 pm
i have the same addiction to rats. 1hgigtrts665kasfghko9jop
oiy[9p\
o.k…….. that was my rat saying hi my family has heard “just one more …. i promise no more after this” like a gazzilion times thanks to your solition i only take in the rats that i can save from my dad killing in the garage.
….ok well maby i should work on that but one ratty step at a time … right?
on August 19th, 2007 at 6:30 am
I really love ratties. But my mum won’t let me have any! Does anyone have any really good points on a rat that I can try and persuade my mum and dad to let me have one? If so, please reply!
on September 10th, 2007 at 8:29 am
Discount Cosmetics…
I couldn’t understand some parts of this article, but it sounds interesting…
on September 18th, 2007 at 6:13 pm
Dear somone I need some help i have one female rat that i used to take care of its really friendly . I used to let it play with my old male rat that passed away so now i have just her . I didnt want her to be lonley so i bought a much younger 10 week old female thinking they would get allong. my older female is ok with the baby ouside the cage but as soon as i introduce her in the cage she gets very aggresive .So right now their in different cages but the baby seems really lonley . HELP SOMEONE I DONT KNOW WHAT TO DO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
on October 4th, 2007 at 5:48 pm
Janel;
Are your cages wire?
Setting two cages close by, about four inches (or more, if they can touch) apart will help them get used to the opposite’s scent.
When they’re used to that, set out a space like in the bathroom or in a pen, where they can’t get out, and allow them to play out of the cage. See how the interact.
When they’re okay with that, mark them both with a non-toxic perfume, baby food, or better a vanilla extract and allow them to play again outside the cage.
If they take well to that, clean out the main cage and set them both in there.
It is possible that they’ll just never get along, like people. But you may be able to curb the aggression by working daily with them. :3
on October 7th, 2007 at 7:56 am
Im very shocked as well as dismayed to see the amt of ppl here who think that breeding rats without proper genetic training and background is so great. Its not!
The breeding should be left to someone wiht YEARS of experience. If you realllly just MUST breed, then at least be a responsible person about it and get some mentoring from a REPUTABLE breeder.
Life is precious - life isnt about breeding animals for selfish pleasure
on October 7th, 2007 at 8:36 pm
I really need help! i just got 2 little girls rats from the pet store and it turns out they were both pregnant! 1 rat had 3 babies and the other had 7 just today! please help i dont know what to do! how do I take care of them? how long do they ween? how am I supposed to remove any dead ones etc! the females are soposed to be separated right with there own litters?! rrrrrrrrrrrrrr i cant take this im only 13… HELP!!!!!!!!!!!!
on October 8th, 2007 at 6:44 pm
Hehehe.I’m a compulsive rat owner.I just want more and more and more and more.At the moment my gf and I have like,a jillion rats.Here,I’ll try to name them all.Well there’s Daphne,Delilah,Baily,and Willow.Now Willow had babies so there’s..Derby,Rex,Shiloh,Ollie,Myrtel,not to mention four other babies.I want to keep alllll of themm,but I’m only allowed to keep 3 babies. =/ Not only rats am I crazy about.It’s rodents in general!We have 6 mice at the moment,Dawson,Dextra,Sophie,Dolly,Pebbles,and Buttons.I also have a Black Bear Hamster,Dakota.So,I guess it’s safe to say..I need to stay away from Pet Shoppes.Lmao =]]
ps.It’s not my fault they’re cute and cuddly!
on October 9th, 2007 at 8:09 am
Web Site Design…
I couldn’t understand some parts of this article, but it sounds interesting…
on October 10th, 2007 at 3:29 pm
Dog Care Tips…
I couldn’t understand some parts of this article, but it sounds interesting…
on October 23rd, 2007 at 2:02 pm
I have three rats. One older and two babies. I had had just two females, Sprite and Tipsy, but Tipsy had a stroke and died so I went to the pet shop and found two more babies. All albino. The problem was, after all the babies had sold, mom was still there all by herself. The pet store didn’t plan on breading her again and the male had already been sold and she was there, alone and clearly depressed, for at least three months so I bought her. She’s very sweet when I have her out, very comfortable with wondering around, and the babies seem happy to see her, but I have problems picking her up. I think she was improperly handled. She bit me when I moved her tail earlier to get to her food bowl and she snaps at me when I go to lift her out of her cage. It seems more fear induced then agressive, but I’m afraid that it might get agressive and since I’ve never bought a rat as an adult before I’m not quite sure how to get her over it. Any advice?
on October 25th, 2007 at 11:28 am
Aww thats so sweet fox. what u did poor thing. Erm… try just handling her with a think glove that way if she bits it wont hurt you and she can take all her frustration or w/e out on the glove she might start gettin used to being handled make sure u handle her care fully in case to trigger her fear. If it gets bad try the vets advice and see wat they think. Hope it helps and works out right for you !
on November 13th, 2007 at 10:35 pm
I only have one rat. I got him at petco and he always was a biter. I used to play with him at least an hour a day, but now, I’m sad to say I haven’t let him out of his cage in over 6 months. Should I keep him? Get him a friend, or take him to a pet store for someone else to handle?
on November 19th, 2007 at 8:05 pm
Hey Joni
Is he really chomping down or just nibbling? If it’s hard enough to hurt then either he is scared of you or just dosn’t like to be handled. Rats, like people, have different personalities, some just don’t like to be messed with. I would buy a buddy for him, maybe he would feel more secure with a friend. Be sure to get one about the same size. If he still don’t appreciate your efforts then just let him have his space, maybe the new one will be a little more cuddly!
on December 5th, 2007 at 1:12 pm
Hi Im Sophie
Iam 11 and I love rats to bits, but Iam only allowed 1 if I do get a rat. Is that okay or should I not get one? I dont want it to be sad. and thats the other thing should I get a boy or a girl if I do get 1? I would take responsability and take care of it, I love any animals & I would hate it to be sad, lonley or hurt. What should I do? x
on December 12th, 2007 at 7:55 pm
hey hey hey my aunt just got me a rat yesterday and its a male and i dont know how old he is but am gessing 2 to 3 months old. he lives alone in a medium sized cage with 2 wheels and 2 houses( 1 is an empty tissue box and the other is a plastic one u can buy at the petstore). should i get him a buddy or should i let him be a loner? im only 10 please help:s
on December 24th, 2007 at 10:52 pm
Hi fat albert you could try to introduce another rat to the one you aready have but they mihgt not get along. If hes happy than he will most likely be fine living alone just give him plenty of atention each day.
on January 16th, 2008 at 9:59 am
Hello. I am 15 years of age and have had an interest in rats from a young age. I usually keep this quiet as most people do not like the idea of owning pet rats. However, I think they are extremely misunderstood animals who are very likewise to dogs as they have personalities, unlike mice. I have owned two rats in the past, and I am about to get another in a week or so. The two rats I had were both loners. I got my first one at a young age and it never had a friend. However, it was extremely happy as I did everything with it sitting on my shoulder. My second one was likewise. I see how it says on most sites that it is extremely important to have more than one so they don’t get lonely and depressed. All the rats that I have owned have been extremely happy and never showed signs of depression or loneliness. They also lived fairly long lives, as my first lived for 4 years and the other 5.
I have never wanted more than one rat at a time. When I have two animals, I tend to favour one, and I didnt want that to happen with my pet rats. As much as I know I should get more than one rat, I just can’t help myself; I only want to bond with one. It makes my relationship with it stronger and I often spend a lot more time with it.
It may be true that rats need a friend, but I think that it depends, to a certain extent, on the personality of the rat and how often you handle it.
Ciao. xx
on January 22nd, 2008 at 8:49 pm
I’ve got two female rats, Alice and Emma. Completely adorable little Rex rats. I’ve had them now for about 7 months. Alice has been very social from the get go. Since day one, she’s ridden on my shoulder, been out to play, loves all of the attention you lavish on her. She’s just a sweetie.
Emma however, is quite the opposite. She’s a sweetie as well, but very reclusive. She loves to play with Alice in the cage, but when we open the door, Alice is right out, and Emma just stays behind. She will take a few wary steps out, but as soon as you make a slow move towards her (the whole while we speak softly to her), she retreats to the safety of her favourite little wooden house.
Emma is very active, lively, healthy. She’s very active with Alice, and the two have a wonderful bond. They’re inseperable.
I’m not sure at this point how to proceed in getting Emma to better socialise with my husband and I?
Any suggestions?
Thanks!
on February 1st, 2008 at 10:17 pm
Hey Jennifer.
There are many ways you could make Emma want to socialise with you. But you must also understand that it may just be in her personality to be shy, and she may never become as open to you as Alice.
You could always try getting on her good side by using treats to make her come out of her cage. Don’t use treats such as apple ect, because she will just take them and runaway to eat them. Try using something that she has to stay to eat, like something on a spoon. I’ve always used Natural Yoghurt to lure my rats out until they got used to me. This way, they will have to come out to eat the food. When she finally comes out of the cage, continue to feed her the food on a spoon so she gets used to being around you.
Hope I’ve helped.
If you have any more questions, feel free to email me.
I’d love to help.
channing_nigh@hotmail.com
on February 14th, 2008 at 2:49 pm
Hello!
I saw alot of questions I am able to answer, so, you all can IM me at AmourDollie, via AIM.
Well, I have 6 male Rats. Yea, it is kind of a problem, they don’t fight alot but they have their moments. Wow, my Rats are the perfect example of diffrent personalites!
I have: Frodo, Bilbo, Bear, Zeus, Merlin, Socrates and Remy…
on February 29th, 2008 at 7:48 pm
i have 2 males and 2 females one of the females are pregnant should i take the other 3 out of the cage or no?
and when she has babies should i be handling them?
on March 18th, 2008 at 12:30 am
I have 15 ratties, and one just gave birth today, I haven’t been able to see how may she has had, but all my ratties get the attention, nutrition, and spoiling they need ^-^
I am also working on an custom home for my girls so I can move the 3 boys into the bigger home the girls once had.
One of my girls has taken such a liking to me, she is my Norwegian Blue, her name is bones, she always wants me to touch her, and one time when I was crying she gave me kisses and nuzzled my hand.
I love my ratties, I don’t know what I would do without them.
on May 13th, 2008 at 4:34 am
I have too many ratties; I am now down to only 14 rats, but even that is still too many. I love my rats. I can’t decide who to get rid of, but I MUST eliminate half of my rats.
I have recently learned, that in my state, the maximum number of animals allowed per household is 10. We have 3 other pets, besides my rats. So, the legal maximum number of rats that I can have is 7.
I have 6 males:
Sam {the patriarch} a black Berkshire - mismarked
Coalie {Sam’s son, from 2nd litter} a black self
Kareem {Sam’s son, from 2nd litter} a beige Berkshire - mismarked
Victor {Sam’s son, from 2nd litter} a black with a white “V” on his chest & a white stomach patch - - - these 4 live together.
Charlie(coal) {Sam’s son, from 3rd litter} a black self
Remy {descended from 1st litter} a black/dark grey Berkshire - mismarked [the youngest male]
I have 8 females:
Cindy(Cinder) {Sam’s daughter, from 3rd litter} a black self
Ms. Goodie Hoodie {descended from 1st litter} a beige hooded - mismarked
Winkie-too {descended from 1st litter} a black hooded - mismarked
Alice (she’s waiting for a palace) {descended from 1st litter} a black Berkshire - mismarked - - - these 4 live together.
Mama Hood {descended from 1st litter} a black hooded - mismarked
Velour Hood {Mama Hood’s daughter} a black hooded - mismarked
(Black)Velvet {Mama Hood’s daughter} a black Berkshire - mismarked
Velvetine {Mama Hood’s daughter} a black Berkshire - mismarked - - - these 4 live together.
on May 19th, 2008 at 9:43 pm
I just got one rat today (my first and I love her) would it be ok to go back in a few days and pick up another one from the pet shop? The people there said shed be ok by herself but now Im worried that she’ll be lonely since I work as a nurse in the evening. Any advice?
on May 26th, 2008 at 5:57 pm
My moms friend has two girl rats. One got pregnant because at the Pet Store she heard that Sandy(the preggnant rat) had been in cages with boy rats. So, anyway My Moms friend is giving away the baby rats. I get one!!!! YAY!!! But I keep hearing I need two! What should I do? My parents cant afford to buy another rat! PLEASE HELP!!!
on May 27th, 2008 at 6:00 am
Hey, I’ve been reading this for a while…and I have a similar question to what some people have been asking. I love rats
I do have two rats at the moment but one is about 18 months old and is very unsocial, blind and bites, but the other I got only a week ago and is the sweetest little thing 
about 7 weeks old…but, I’m worried that she’ll be lonely 
i give her a lot of attention but I still worry…will she be alright by herself? Because i can’t put her in with the older one, and I’m not allowed to get another rat…i dont know what to do
on May 29th, 2008 at 10:58 pm
hi:D
im gettin two pet rats on june 30
i have gone on hundreds of websites looking fr rat info
my mum says im gunna go to Pet Haven to get my rats
Pet Haven does aweful things to rats!
they have 15 big ones in this tiny cage(one floor) and ALL the female rats have given birth and r nursing. the 24 crowded, fat males are in this small cage and NONE of the cages have anything in them except water and a bit of food. i want to get the 5 month old ones but none of the mice have ever been hand held. Should i get i younger one and train it to get used to ppl or should i get a 5 month old one and see if it likes ppl? and wat kind of personality should i look for when im choosing a rat? i dont want a scared one but i dont want a nippy or aggresive one either. Wat should i do?????PLZ HELP!!!!!!
on May 29th, 2008 at 11:00 pm
hi:D
im gettin two pet rats on june 30
i have gone on hundreds of websites looking fr rat info
my mum says im gunna go to Pet Haven to get my rats
Pet Haven does aweful things to rats!
they have 15 big ones in this tiny cage(one floor) and ALL the female rats have given birth and r nursing. the 24 crowded, fat males are in this small cage and NONE of the cages have anything in them except water and a bit of food. i want to get the 5 month old ones but none of the mice have ever been hand held. Should i get i younger one and train it to get used to ppl or should i get a 5 month old one and see if it likes ppl? and wat kind of personality should i look for when im choosing a rat? i dont want a scared one but i dont want a nippy or aggresive one either. Wat should i do?????PLZ HELP!!!!!!!
on May 31st, 2008 at 9:15 pm
If I were you, I wouldn’t buy any rats from there. It sounds like they are severely overcrowded, and that means if one has ever had the sniffles or any other disease, they all have it. Aren’t there any other places you can get a rat? I remember when I was about to buy my first rat, I was so excited, but I got out the phone book, and I called every pet shop. And the ones that had rats, I would ask them questions. See if they sell they’re rats as snake food. That’s a bad sign, obviously. If rats are nothing but snake food to them, than they’re aren’t going to take very good care of them.
I ended up finding a pet shop that had rats that were for pets only, and the way the lady talked about them, I knew she really cared for them. So I drove the extra mile and bought 3 young, adorable, rats. Well, actually, I only bought one. My mom bought her first pair of rats. See, my mom used to hate rats. It took me SIX SOLID MONTHS of whining to get her to let me buy one. And when I did, she really started to like them. I actually woke up one morning to find her putting one of my male rats in with my femals. I was like “Mom! What the heck are you doing??” and she gave me this innocent look and was all like “Nothing!”. Lol, she wanted my rats to have babies, because baby rats are freakin’ adorable.
But yeah, enough rambling on. Just don’t be so desperate to get a rat that you get one from a bad place. The ratty will just end up sick or something, and it will cause you a lot of heart ache. I know this from personal experience. Good things come to those who wait. Oh, and if I were you, I’d get a very young rat. They are more easily tamed, and remember, rats don’t live very long, so get one as young as possible, because you want as much time with them as you can get. And also, as for personality, I would go with a rat that seems interested in you and friendly. One that doesn’t freak when you try and pick it up or touch it. Good luck!
on July 9th, 2008 at 3:58 pm
Guys! Just know if you’re getting more rats, quarentine!! Seperate cage in a seperate airspace for at LEAST two weeks, then go onto introductions
I’ve got two albino girlies, and they’re so wonderful. They can’t freerange so much, though- I’ve also got two cats. One doesn’t giving a flying poop about them, and the other one, well… I’ve gotten him to stay away xP It’s so hillarious, they’ve got their own little personalities! Mimzy’s a doll, but she’s also a scardy-rat. Zita, though, she’ll just come up to you and start licing whatever part of your body doesn’t have clothes. I love them both.
I actually do want to get a third. GGMR (goota get more rats) fever is starting to catch on XD So happy the only pet store nearby had male rats, or I might’ve died, because my mom’s so against it. She loves our babies, but she doesn’t want more. I hear, other than this website, that having three isn’t /too/ different from having two.
As for “my mom won’t let me have two” questions… My mom needed some gentle coaxing to get used to the idea of ratties (when we were buying them at the petstore she was like “EW LINDSEY WHY did you get the UGLIEST ones?? If you’re getting a RAT, get a PRETTY one!!”), but now she takes them out when I’m not looking and cuddles, and occasionally brags to her friends
They’re NOTHING like a hamster (we got one right before the rats- it was cute, but too tiny to have fun with, and had no desire to play and not as much personality, and alot of them bite. Plus, the cat got to it). Rats are like little people- they have their own unique personality and they actually want to play. They’re not so tiny that you’re scared to drop them two inches off the ground. And they’re twenty times more sturdy. They’re also part-predator, which made my more hyper cat wary about getting so close to the cage. Hamsters are pure prey, but if you put a hamster/mouse in a cage with a rat, the hamster/mouse won’t be alive much longer. And the kind of rat cage you’re supposed to have will be twenty times sturdier than alot of hamster cages. And if you’re mom still says no, don’t try to MAKE her say yes. Just, every once and awhile, point out a cute thing you heard that somebody’s pet rat did, or a neat little bit of info you heard about them. I did that for about a month, and now I have my babies and I wouldn’t trade them for the world :3
on July 14th, 2008 at 7:37 am
I’ve been thinking of adopting a rat for some time now. I have a breeder and a pet store I trust in mind and my cage and the supplies and everything. The thing is, I only wanted to get one rat. I’m home almost all day (unless I’m going to my grandparents/parents or something) and I’ll probably have my rat out almost all the time (not including training where, if he poops on me, he’s goin’ back in his cage). Is it really all that terrible if you have only one rat? My dad said he had only one in one cage and his did fine.
Thanks!