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Pet Forum / Mammals / Rats / February 2008Considering getting a rat
Hi all. I am considering getting a pet rat, however a couple of things concern me. First of all, can rats be kept on their own? I have read that they like companionship, but I'm worried about getting two in case they fight (I don't have space for a second cage if I need to separate them.) I'm also a bit worried about temperature. My flat gets cold (5-6 Centigrade). It gets warm while I'm at home as the heating's on but I can't really afford to keep it on all day. It doesn't get damp, just cold. Assuming I keep him/her well stocked with warm bedding is this likely to be a problem? One other thing - how do rats get on with Wodent Wheels? I have a hamster one that is wonderful (lovely and quiet!) and I'm wondering how much a rat-sized one would be used before making the investment. And would the Senior or Wobust be better? Thanks in advance. Matthew Hello. Definitely get two, they need each other's company. If you get two young ones (same sex) from the same batch that have already been living together, they should be fine. They need the companionship, they are very social and get things from each other that they can't get from their people. Make sure that their one cage is big enough. Can someone give him a specific mininum? My experience with wheels is that girls use them and boys don't. I can't speak specifically to the Wodent Wheel. I use the Comfort Wheel and it is quiet until it gets worn out. I can't speak to the heating issue, I'll let others in this forum answer that. Maybe there's something you could do like a small electric space heater or something? Good luck, Marlo > Hi all. > [quoted text clipped - 18 lines] > > Matthew Here's a link about keeping rats warm: http://www.dapper.com.au/articles.htm#warm > Hello. > [quoted text clipped - 39 lines] >> >> Matthew > Here's a link about keeping rats warm: > http://www.dapper.com.au/articles.htm#warm [quoted text clipped - 42 lines] >>> >>> Matthew Thanks for the advice, if I get permission from my landlord to keep pets in the flat I'll get two :) Can I assume that a rat's sex is obvious from a young age? I ask because a few years back I got a pair of Roborovski hamsters that I had to separate because it turned out they weren't the same sex after all (luckily before there were any extras!) Given the size of a rat I'm assuming that it's easy for pet shops to identify the boys :) Also, are male rats more likely to fight than females? I'm just wondering which sex to go for. Many thanks. Matthew It's been my experience that it's pretty hard to mistake a boy rat for a girl rat. Let's just say that boys should be extra proud of the torpedoes they haul around. But don't trust a pet store, check the sex for yourself. It's also been our experience that the rats that are the most friendly in the pet store, come up to your hand and check you out, and especially lick you, will be the ones that turn out extra sweet. Boys vs. girls: Seems like the boys do more "fighting" but it's really more about establishing who is dominant. It's a natural behavior and usually isn't too serious and once they figure out who's boss, then the cage settles down. Boys tend to be lazier, girls tend to be busier. I like them both. -Marlo > Thanks for the advice, if I get permission from my landlord to keep pets > in the flat I'll get two :) [quoted text clipped - 11 lines] > > Matthew I had a feeling that would be the case (I know with Syrian hamsters a mature male is quite obvious!) Thanks for the advice :) Matthew > It's been my experience that it's pretty hard to mistake a boy rat for a > girl rat. Let's just say that boys should be extra proud of the [quoted text clipped - 26 lines] > > > > Matthew It's pretty easy to see what the boys are packing. But don't trust the pet store, look for yourself. Girls tend to be busier than boys, but I like them both. All of them will scuffle to establish who's boss. >> Here's a link about keeping rats warm: >> http://www.dapper.com.au/articles.htm#warm [quoted text clipped - 59 lines] > > Matthew Tell your landlord they are exotic long tailed gerbils and there shouldn't be a problem. ;) LOL! S.O.S. >> Here's a link about keeping rats warm: >> http://www.dapper.com.au/articles.htm#warm [quoted text clipped - 58 lines] > > Matthew  SignaturePosted via a free Usenet account from http://www.teranews.com > Tell your landlord they are exotic long tailed gerbils and there shouldn't > be a problem. ;) LOL! [quoted text clipped - 62 lines] >> >> Matthew I'll bear that in mind :) Hopefully if they don't like rats they'll be ok with a hamster. Matthew > Hello. > [quoted text clipped - 39 lines] >> >> Matthew Well the wheels hurt the "ooglies" of the males. :) S.O.S. SignaturePosted via a free Usenet account from http://www.teranews.com >> Hello. >> [quoted text clipped - 43 lines] > > S.O.S. That brings tears to my eyes just thinking about it! Matthew I have had much experience with the idea of only getting one rat. As much as it seems a good idea, if you get two, you will see how much they need each other. I've gone through a lot of male rats, always getting a new one to replace the one that passed away. I've never had a hard time getting them to live okay, just make sure the cage is big enough, and that you offer places for each one to get away from the other when they need to. I like boys better than girls because they are more loving. I find they do fight, but its very rare that I actually have to break it up. Most of the time they are playing just like human boys do. |
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