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Pet Forum / Mammals / Rats / February 2008You do need more than 1 rat
At first I was skeptical about everybody who said you need at least 2 rats. I have a hamster background and they get along fine alone (syrians at least). But after a few months of observing my 2 girls, I can't imagine how awful it would be to just have 1 rat. They do all sorts of things together: they sleep in a heap, they groom each other, they keep each other warm, they even drink water from the same spout together. They play together, they run in their wheel together (or try to). They do everything together. And I just don't have the time to entertain them for hours each day. 30 minutes a day if I'm lucky. So if anybody's reading this and thinking they can get just one because they're going to play with it every day, don't. I used to think so, but I did get 2, and I'm very glad I did. They can provide for each other things I never could. I think it would be totally cruel to have just one. > At first I was skeptical about everybody who said you need at least 2 rats. > I have a hamster background and they get along fine alone (syrians at [quoted text clipped - 13 lines] > did get 2, and I'm very glad I did. They can provide for each other things > I never could. I think it would be totally cruel to have just one. Ratties also do the majority of their playing when we are tucked up in our beds fast asleep. They are naturally nocturnal :) Regards Kate  Signaturehttp://community.webshots.com/user/ollieogg > They are naturally nocturnal :) Rats are crepuscular - active at dawn and dusk. SignatureRatty Kisses Jackie Ably Hindered by The Buck House Crew "Behavioral psychology is the science of pulling habits out of rats." Dr. Douglas Busch LOL... all my fuzzybutts have partied till they're purple at night, usually crashing by 5.00am.. when our day begins :)) ackie wrote: >> They are naturally nocturnal :) > > Rats are crepuscular - active at dawn and dusk Signaturehttp://community.webshots.com/user/ollieogg I'll agree that rats should be kept in pairs, but I do have one friend who has a single rat and although we dont know how he feels about being alone, he has known nothing else for the last year and a half. My boys totally couldnt be alone! Even when they are angry with eachother they still have to know where the other is so that they can be together when they want to. They do everything together, and they totally cant be seperated! > I'll agree that rats should be kept in pairs, but I do have one friend > who has a single rat and although we dont know how he feels about [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > be together when they want to. They do everything together, and they > totally cant be seperated! The only problem is when you have one rat left and you've previously decided that you won't buy any new ones, and that you don't want to go on keeping rats indefinitely, or the one rat you've got left is too ill or old to be introduced to another, so unless your last two rats both die at the same time, you'll have a rat on its own until the end of its life. The only solution I can think of to that problem would be to find a friend who has the same sex of rats and ask them to put yours in with theirs for the remainder of its life, which isn't practical with an ill rat or one who doesn't introduce well, and which I, and I suspect many others, couldn't do, as you'd miss the last few precious months with him/her. Rosemary > The only problem is when you have one rat left and you've previously > decided that you won't buy any new ones, and that you don't want to go on [quoted text clipped - 6 lines] > doesn't introduce well, and which I, and I suspect many others, couldn't > do, as you'd miss the last few precious months with him/her. That's true! Guess I'll just have to own rats for the rest of my life then :) > That's true! �Guess I'll just have to own rats for the rest of my life then > :) lol, it's a not-so-vicious circle isn't it, lol. I've had the occasional rat who just prefers his own company (mainly bucks that is) or the company of 'umans, and that's fine. Generally though each rat has his or her own personality and some just don't like other rats. Those ones should have the extra effort made for them and should be played with more, but generally it's the best idea to get rats in same sex pairs. I'm also all for the idea of getting rats in threes, that way if you do lose one or if one decides it doesn't like the other, the remaining one won't be left alone and you won't have the trouble of reintroducing another rat to the mischief. I've currently got 40 rats, and 4 of them live alone. Bev x That was the dilemma we faced with the passing of Mater. He was suppose to live to the same age as Silber. Mater obviously had other ideas :) So we were left with Silber who is only 13 months old. It would have been too difficult to get him to bond with another Rattie that age so we instead with the option of trying to have 2 babies with Silber. I managed to get only 1 so far. Silber is loving the company so I have no regrets. Rehoming Silber was never an option as he is a family member :) I don't want to be having Rats forever either, but until the powers that be help me out with this eternal dilemma I guess I will always be having at least 2 LOL Regards Kate Signaturehttp://community.webshots.com/user/ollieogg > >> I'll agree that rats should be kept in pairs, but I do have one friend [quoted text clipped - 19 lines] > > Rosemary > At first I was skeptical about everybody who said you need at least 2 rats. > I have a hamster background and they get along fine alone (syrians at [quoted text clipped - 13 lines] > did get 2, and I'm very glad I did. They can provide for each other things > I never could. I think it would be totally cruel to have just one. How absolutely right you are. Even those that have had males thinking they just don't like other rats, well, I wonder if they've had them neutered? A neuter removes the stress on males and turns them into lovebugs. Finally giving them a buddy is just priceless. |
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