had 1 rat for a day, getting another asap,have questions

[Shadaloo cammy]

(im a first time rat owner, read enough stuff online to write a dang handbook but i want keeper advice) Okay ive had a young rat for a day now and ive handled him and he sleeps in my sleeves and all but i know i need two..but im worried because hes still skittish if i got another, he would bond with the other rat and the two would want nothing to do with me....i dont know how old this rat is but hes slightly bigger then an adult mouse (obviously longer tail and fatter body i just mean like his length and hight) he is a dumbo rat(if that makes any difference)..i read how to introduce and i just want to know if i should go for male or female(getting the male fixed when he sexualy matures so i dont have rattlings) and are two harder to tame then one?

so basically my questions:

1) if i get another rat will my existing rat and the new guy become social to only each other and want nothing to do with me

2) doe or buck?

3) if i only have one will it be tamed easyer then if i have two?

 

[Dazzle87]

1. No, rats are much happier and pairs, and happier better adjusted rats are more social with humans. I've had single fosters and it was heartwrenching seeing them before I could move them with my rats, they get neurotic.

2. BUCK. Never have mixed sexes, rats reproduce quickly, and there are way too many homeless rats out there.

3. Yes. Going back to one it will be more relaxed. Rats can also learn from each other. If you can find a rescue and find a social male that will help a lot.

I suggest lurking around here a bit to learn more about caging, diet, and introductions .

 

[SQ]

1. You have a baby rat.
He is likely very afraid without his mama and brothers and sisters.
He will be much more friendly, happy, confident, outgoing and loving if he has another baby boy (or two) to live with.

2. It is important to only have same sex rats in the same household unless spayed or neutered.
Babies are easy to introduce to each other as they see new rats as new friends, so they can be just put together.
Intros where one or more rat is over 3 months old take time and effort as they view new rats as possible threats.

3. Both rats will become very attached to you, but will have each other when you are not around.
It will be much easier (and fun) to "tame" or socialize two rats then to try to socialize one rat.
A lone rat will be afraid and may become withdrawn, depressed, and not want anything to do with you.

[BBvideo 425,350:2uze4a9b]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cDy3bMRuobE&feature=related[/BBvideo:2uze4a9b]

Please do check out the sections on this forum re care, habitat, diet, etc

Edit: maybe you should find him a good home with other rats .....
I looked back over your posts and noticed that you had decided not to get rats because you have snakes.
For their own good, you decided it would be best not to get rats and put them in such a very stressful situation.
Stress causes rats to become ill.
The baby may always be stressed and afraid living in the same household with predators who eat other small rats or mice.

 

[Shadaloo cammy]

1. You have a baby rat.
He is likely very afraid without his mama and brothers and sisters.
He will be much more friendly, happy, confident, outgoing and loving if he has another baby boy (or two) to live with.

2. It is important to only have same sex rats in the same household unless spayed or neutered.
Babies are easy to introduce to each other as they see new rats as new friends, so they can be just put together.
Intros where one or more rat is over 3 months old take time and effort as they view new rats as possible threats.

3. Both rats will become very attached to you, but will have each other when you are not around.
It will be much easier (and fun) to "tame" or socialize two rats then to try to socialize one rat.
A lone rat will be afraid and may become withdrawn, depressed, and not want anything to do with you.

[BBvideo 425,350:86mnh8o2]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cDy3bMRuobE&feature=related[/BBvideo:86mnh8o2]

Please do check out the sections on this forum re care, habitat, diet, etc

Ive done research on that the food and how to tame them and handle them and all i was more conserned for his mental health

 

[SQ]

I just realised that you have reptiles like snakes :sad3:

In your earlier post viewtopic.php?f=21&t=29093&p=402384#p402384
you asked for advice and were told that it would be a very bad idea to get rats because you have snakes.
Several people told you how stressful that would be for rats

For their own good, you decided it would be best not to get rats and put them in such a very frightening and stressful situation.
The baby may always be stressed and afraid since he is living in the same household with predators who eat other small rats or mice.

Ive done research on that the food and how to tame them and handle them and all i was more conserned for his mental health

If that is true, then I hope you remember your previous decision, and rehome him :sad3:

 

[hopefloats]

Drawing the line here. Offer advice on how to put new babies together but it is not right or fair to tell anyone to rehome their rats.

 

[Shadaloo cammy]

I just realised that you have reptiles like snakes :sad3:

In your earlier post viewtopic.php?f=21&t=29093&p=402384#p402384
you asked for advice and were told that it would be a very bad idea to get rats because you have snakes.
Several people told you how stressful that would be for rats

For their own good, you decided it would be best not to get rats and put them in such a very frightening and stressful situation.
The baby may always be stressed and afraid since he is living in the same household with predators who eat other small rats or mice.

Ive done research on that the food and how to tame them and handle them and all i was more conserned for his mental health

If that is true, then I hope you remember your previous decision, and rehome him :sad3:

if you were following my posts you would and should also know that I DIDN'T BUY THEM, MY GRANDMA DID like all the other pets she pinned them on me...and im not rehoming him plenty of people have rats and snakes housed together (in the same household) and have no problems if you care enough to make sure you or your house doesnt smell like rats or snakes.... i came here for advice not to be pined down and have my throat cut

 

[SQ]

i came here for advice

and I gave you mine, without being harsh and without going into a lot of details based on my experience rescuing rats from snake owners.

 

[eagle]

Edit: maybe you should find him a good home with other rats .....
I looked back over your posts and noticed that you had decided not to get rats because you have snakes.
For their own good, you decided it would be best not to get rats and put them in such a very stressful situation.
Stress causes rats to become ill.
The baby may always be stressed and afraid living in the same household with predators who eat other small rats or mice.


Well if that is the case than anyone who has dogs or cats needs to rehome them also. They would be considered predators to the rats also. Anyone want my dogs and cats??????

 

[MiniFrog]

Drawing the line here. Offer advice on how to put new babies together but it is not right or fair to tell anyone to rehome their rats.

I am sorry SQ but I agree with both hopefloats and eagle. In some cases it is best to keep your opinions to yourself. I would quit coming if anyone told me to get rid of my rats, with all my other pets. If possible, I would keep the rats and snakes in separate rooms.


Anyways, I would definitely get a second rat, I agree with most of the answers you have already gotten. How old is your little guy, or do you not know? They are so much happier in pairs, and will still love you the same. They may in fact become more loveable towards you! I would go same genders, where they sexually mature quite young. You are concerned for his mental health, so a friend would help, if one became stressed, the other may help calm him down, they love playing together, groom each other and cuddle. I currently have a pair of sisters in one cage, who are doing all the above, and clearly love each other, and then I have a lone one, whom I just got so is still in isolation precautions (in case she is sick, good idea to monitor new rats for a while, this way they do not give some disease to your other ones) and she is so lonely, I feel so bad for her, she spends most of the day either on me, or in her hanging hamburger, while the other 2 are running around, playing, exploring etc. (and before I am attacked, I got her because she was all by herself, otherwise I would have gotten a pair). There are a lot of helpful threads around here, and remember, we love seeing pictures!!

 

[hprats]

This threads a few months old! Shadaloo Cammy did get another rat.

No updates for the past couple of months.

 

[MiniFrog]

OMG I keep forgetting to look at the original date!! It popped up on my new posts, so I just assumed, this is the second time this has happened to me >.< I am glad that they have gotten a second rat! Gosh I feel so silly now lmao!

 

[SQ]

This is a discussion forum and everyone is entitled to express their opinions/ideas as long as this is done in an appropriate manner.
It is not easy to express an unpopular opinion or idea.
To my knowledge, this forum is not about being politically correct.
We all have different ideas and hopefully we all learn from one another.

 

[hopefloats]

They come here asking for advice not other opinions. It is your opinion that they should rehome because they have snakes. There is a fine line between advice that was asked and rude thoughts. I don't agree with snake owner having rats as pet but that isn't my place to stop it or try to force them to. I have taken in tons of feeder breeders as have half the forum. We will not give advice on rehoming their pets regardless of how we feel. Especially when they only asked for intro advice. We need to learn when to give the right advice and not allow personal opinions manifest into the post.

 

[MiniFrog]

My opinion is this: Just because there are some bad snake and rat owners, does not make them ALL bad. That is all I will say lol, and move on from this very old and now pointless thread.

 

[SQ]

The poster wrote that this thread was about asking for advice re the baby's mental health, and that the baby was skiddish.
If you read what I wrote, I reminded the person of her earlier decision, and my advice was that she respect her earlier decision.
Perhaps not the best idea but not completely out of left field either.
I'm done with posting about this. If someone has a problem, please take it to pms.

Edit:
According to the dictonary, advice is an opinion.
Therefore, when someone asks for your advice, they are asking for your opinion on what they should do.

 

[EDK]

Sorry but Hopefloats is right, they asked for advice not an opinion, and the opinion was a bit harsh and inconsiderate. The person here obviously cares enough for rats if they came here to ask for advice and help on taking care of them. It may or may not be the ideal place for a rat at the end of the day, I'm not one to judge or express dislike here cause I've never owned reptiles, but I do know this, its better they have a home where the owner does care about the rats wellfare, rather then being rehomed in a shelter or another owner we don't know about. Like I read previously, there's a lot of homeless rats out there, and this one sounds lucky to been given a home. And I hope its working out for them too.

 

[annetherat]

Agreed, this post is old and apparently no longer relevant. However, I think it is important for us to remember that people come here for help and advice. It doesn't help to "scare" someone away who is really asking for assistance. So many other forums are very critical and elitist, that is the reason I love it here because there is a sense that others want to help and encourage. I am not disagreeing with or critizing other responses, our opinions are our own and we are ALWAYS free to share them (even when they aren't popular) what I do want is for as many people as possible to come on here and get wonderful advice and support, just like I always have. This is a community and while we all share different opinions I love that we are able to express them.