hey guys, I didn't see a pet section on this forum, so I figured random would be the best.
Ok, so I have a pet rat and I bought him very young and he's been alone since I got him.
I've read it's important to socialize rats and I really want to get my little guy another buddy, but don't know the best way to do it.
Can you guys help me out? Maybe somebody has similar experiences?
Thanks a bunch guys!
You can buy another rat and put them in the cage with your current one. As long as they don't attack each other, you will probably be fine, and they will be happier.
I had originally bought a ferret (another social creature), but didn't want to buy two since that was my first time owning a ferret. I ended up getting a second one a year or two later.
They played around a lot, but it seemed like the second ferret un-potty trained my first one, in some strange way.
there is an "animals and nature" board at I would suggest that instead because Sup Forums is full of people who are seriously unhinged
That being said I don't know enough about rats to help you for real...probably should make sure they're the same gender because rats are rapey as fuck and you'll end up with dozens of them.
Get another rat of similar age and same sex. When you first introduce them together, do it in neutral territory so they don't fight over it. I introduced my second rat to the first in the bathtub so that I could easily control and separate them if they got aggressive. Once they make friends, then let the new rat into the cage first to check stuff out and get his scent into stuff. Then finally, let them both in the cage.
This is great news (not the unpotty training bit lol)
My little guy is super sweet and I feel like he should be fine with another rat. My roommates have dogs and, though they want to eat him, he seems really interested in them like he wants to be their friend. I don't want to risk a quick snatch from a pitbull, but tyour post gives me hope he might be ok with a cage mate.
Thank you for the info! I've read you shouldn't keep different gender rats because of that whole situation.
Get a female rat so you can watch them fuck.
Would you say it would be best to do this over weeks or same day?
I prefer watching dogs
Human or literal?
I also forgot to mention the same-sex thing, although my ferrets were both spayed. The idea of introducing them in a neutral environment is a good idea. I did not think of that, and introduced them both in the cage, but they were fine. Suppose I was just lucky on that front!
We also had a dog and the dog was sort of a dickhead (lol), but he would just try to corner the ferrets when they were out of the cage. Never tried to attack them, though.
Also, rats have a tendency to aggressively groom one another for dominance. This is not a problem, and you can allow them to go at it as long as there is no blood. You may hear some squeaks of irritation, but they aren't actually fighting.
Depends on how they behave. If you notice aggression, separate them and try again later. If they become friends right away, then hooray. Just be on watch until you're confident they will get along.
My male is not neutered, do you think I should get a younger male or a same age? I've got mixed reviews.
I feel like what I said was pretty straightforward.
Thank you! This is quality info.
Would it be best if I spend time with my already rat 1 on 1 before introducing to avoid possible jealous behavior?
Ah, I'm not too sure. Both my ferrets were females, so I haven't been in that situation. The other user would probably have a good answer for you.
Wish you the best of luck with your pets, lad!
I did want rats at one point in time (last few years), but I'm not home enough to give them the attention they deserve. I am also paranoid about them digging at carpets or destroying anything (like my ferrets did lol).
But yeah, best of luck and hope everything goes well for ya!
Get him a pet
Thanks a bunch!
My current guy has been an ass at times, made a little rat hole in the door of my last house, but overall he reminds me of a little dog. He throws himself on his back and begs for belly scratches then jumps around fighting my hand. Cutest thing.
>Would it be best if I spend time with my already rat 1 on 1 before introducing to avoid possible jealous behavior?
In order to keep them used to human interaction, they should be let out of the cage and handled daily for at least 30 min- an hour, but as long as you've been doing that, I don't think you need worry about jealousy over your attention.
Like a pet pet? I was thinking about a parakeet or something, but have read that a lot of rats, even the most docile, will attack and kill birds instinctively.
He pretty much has free roam whenever I am awake in the room, which is multiple hours daily. A lot of the time he is playing with me, a lot of the time he is messing with things in places I can't immediately see.
Needless to say, I have to get out of bed a lot whenever he's out. Caught him eating paint once...
Hard to say. I prefer younger rats, especially if you're getting them from a pet store instead of a breeder.
The younger you get them, the more quickly and readily they will bond with you. If you get an older pet store rat, he might have some personality issues from having had bad or not enough attention from humans.
Rats have short lifespans anyway, though. 2 to 4 years. If the rat you already have is 2 or 3 years old already, I might try to find another friendly guy the same age, just so one doesn't die too soon and you have 1 lonely rat again.
He's trying to encourage you to get a snake or similar so it'll eat your rat...just stick with other rats and don't listen to anything here that sounds outlandish. There's no rule against trolling on Sup Forums and there's no shortage of people who hate rats here.
My guy just turned 1 and I got him from a feeder lot where he was with many other rats in a cage. The reason I chose him was he was the only rat that looked up once the lady at the pet store took the house off of them. The rest all scattered. I figured he was either too stupid for his own good or too smart.
I think after reading all of these comment I am going to try and get a young rat and see what happens, maybe have another cage ready just in case.
lol, noted. I guess it is the random section. I suppose you get a lot of questions other than pet related things.
I own 5 rats right now, but only 1 male who I had neutered. I've owned plenty though, so let me give you a bunch of info. Boys will fight usually if they're territorial, especially if they weren't bred for temperament (hope you went to a breeder and not a pet store). If he was socialized up to his first 6 weeks he might be up for it, but they usually spend the first 10+ weeks of their life learning how to play, social rules, how to bond, etc. A lone rat might never become used to it, but the earlier the better.
So let's say you get new rats to bond with him. You will have to do quarantine for a month. You do not want to risk infection, trust me. The medical bills are a pain in the ass and giving them meds is a pain in the ass. Go to a good breeder, the little bit of extra cash is worth the investment and will save you a lot of trouble and get you a quality pet for the next 2+ years.
I would love to find a local breeder, but am in a really low populated California town.
Just curious, who would the quarantine be for, new guy or old guy?
Good info by the way.
Because the new rat will be scared and stressed out being in a new home and alone, it would be smart to get two new ones who are friendly or the one might develop depression. During the month you can bond with them and earn their trust through by hanging out in the bathtub so they get used to you. After the quarantine, you can put their cages a bit near each other so they can become familiar with each other scents, but do not put them in each other's cages until they're cool. They might get very hostile.
You'll want to do introductions in a neutral area where he doesn't go to. Get them all hooked on cheerios, and do slow introductions. It might help to give them all a bath a bit before the first intro so they're less smelly. Reward any positive interaction. But I will warn you they will probably fight no matter what to establish a social order. As long as it's not too violent that you need to get involved, it's normal for the first 2-3 days. Wear gloves if they are unpredictably aggressive, they don't want to bite but will if they think they're in danger. After things calm down they can probably move in with each other. You want about 2 feet per rat in a cage, but boys who like each other will usually stay in a dogpile.
Quarantine is for the new guy. You don't know what he might be carrying even if the breeder seems good, it's standard procedure. I've only not quarantined the ones I've got from breeders I personally know, and know how they've been raised. But they were in pairs so it didn't matter if they were separate or not. If you can afford to, make the trip out. This is only going to be your pet for the next few years, right?
Really insightful! Thank you kindly!
This is true. I've read about some good breeders in Portland and that's only a few hours away. I think I will do this then. Thank you so much for all your help!
Difference between a well bred rat and poorly bred one is pretty noticeable. I had a breeder one who was basically a small puppy and listened to commands, and one bred for snake food that I rescued who hated being touched unless I bribed her with treats. Still loved both of them though lol. The thing to worry about is when they get old though, badly bred ones are at higher risk for tumors and more hardcore diseases.
Nah man, get two females. They go into heat every four days and will just mount each other out of sheer horniness. It's hilarious.