Living alone

[Bati]

Do you think it's ok to live alone? I had a rat that didn't want to live with anyone, had him neutered and he still was angry and didn't like any other rats, in the end I had him pts because I think it's worse than death to live alone for a rat - but what are your oppinion? Ofcorse I triede everything, I only regret not letting him go sooner as he never managed to like anyone

For some strange reason I never pts anyone 'just' because they don't like humans, that I totally understand, and just keep my hands away from those :wink:

 

[SoA]

Personally, I don't think a rat should be euthanized if they (even after all things have been tried again and again) don't get along with other rats.

First, I would get them neutered/spayed, and give them a couple months for the hormones to completely die down, then try intros. If they still didn't work out, I'd neuter/spay all the other rats involved and try again. I've never met a true loner rat, and since my best friend runs pretty much the only rat rescue in the state, I've seen, and fostered, many rats. Some just need that perfect friend, and don't want to settle for anything less.

I had one boy who was a loner for about a year (he didn't get along with my group, and it took a while to come across his perfect friend, baby Widdershins), and he was my constant buddy

 

[mamarat2]

There is no need to have a rat euthanized because they live alone. I take many lone boys in from my local rescue. Some I am able to get to live with other rats, and some are not able to. The ones that live alone get plenty of enrichment inside their cage to keep them occupied and they get plenty of out time with us people. All of my kids that have lived alone have had a very very strong bond with me and my husband.

 

[SQ]

I would do everything I could think of ... including neutering all rats involved, trying to intro him to babies, etc.

I would not put a rat to sleep just because it was a lone rat. I would give the rat lots and lots of attention and human companionship and a stimulating environment.
I would work towards trying to get the rattie to have friends during play time or at least be in a cage near the other rats.
It would be a hard call tho if the rattie was unhappy or depressed and I was unable to make any changes that would help.
If the rattie was truly alone because it didn't like anyone, including people, and I had tried everything, I would probably put the rattie asleep.

 

[Bati]

You seriously think a rat can live happy alone? I ask out of ignorance I think a rat needs someone to sleep with and to lick everywhere, and no matter how much I try I don't have 24 hours a day to spend with a loner, maybe 2-3 hours exclusive time, but the rest he'd be mainly on his own

I find it very difficult, but would like to find out now rather than after I pts another loner

 

[Bati]

Oh and the loner I pts was attacking any rat, and any towel that had been a rat inside, neutered boys and neutered girls - he'd been alone for a long time and I think no-one could have got him to like rats again (he stayed with a friend with only girls and that didn't make him happy either)

It's the emotionel, happyness that disturbs me in a lone rat - they seem so ...lonely

 

[lilspaz68]

I have a girl at home who lives by herself. She started getting super aggressive at around 4 months and would harrass her cagemates until everyone was always watching the others. loose poop, etc. It started with her picking on certain rats and chasing them down. When she started attacking and causing wounds I removed her. At this time I hadn't figured out that I could've tried a spay for hormonal aggression, which I regret a lot. I had her alone for ages and she was one happy girl. then I tried another intro (water) and it worked pretty well...she was getting older and more mellow. Moth eventually lived with 2 groups semi-happily but then the cagemates she liked would pass and she would regress. Now she has been on her own since Maya passed almost a year ago, and she actually seems more relaxed and has become quite sweet to me whereas she was so tense before.

My girl is almost 31 months now, and active and happy...some rats do just fine without rat companions. You should always try to get them integrated but there are some individuals who are happier not in a group.

 

[Bati]

Getting confused, because I think you people know so much more than me and at the same time I don't agree, but I promise to think about it!

 

[user 78]

If the rat's not upset or depressed by being alone, and you've really tried everything, there's absolutely no reason to have them euthanized. They're fine with their situation. Just as some humans don't like to be around other people, doesn't mean they hate life.

If you can't spend enough time with the animal, you rehome it with a person who can make the time for them.

 

[Bati]

If you can't spend enough time with the animal, you rehome it with a person who can make the time for them.

I'm kind of the last place a rat goes to and unless it's pink or purple no-one'll take a loner, it's common practice to ... let them go

 

[lilspaz68]

My loner Moth has never been sick in her life, she has no tumours or respiratory problems but she has cost me a lot in vet bills anyways. Toe amputations, stressed rats biting another when she harrassed them and they thought the other rat bumping them was Moth, and then most recently was a tail amputation for Hestia. Moth has always been tense with other rats even the cagemates I finally got her to live with. She was much happier on her own honestly.

This is Moth pinning and poufing on an innocent water bottle.

And here she is at 25 months

Here is Moth video...she is unhappy there wasn't more lima beans :roll:
http://s61.photobucket.com/albums/h75/r ... CF0464.flv

Here I am abusing her with little hats...I will admit I don't think she was all that happy then :lol:

And here is my sweet Moth at 31 months, licking me after I gave her a nice scratching. :heart:

Bati,
It is good you are here, trying to learn things, and it will be hard for you to try to be different than "everyone else" but why else are you here, asking questions? You must realize that they may not have all the answers you are looking for?

 

[Bati]

Yep - and thank you for not killing me, asked the same on the British forum and ... have to take some time out, as I'm not the most popular person there 8) have to learn!

 

[Moon]

Oh Moth, poster girl for lone ratties everywhere. Love her attack on the water bottle, BTW.

Bati, even 2-3 hours with a lone rattie is pretty good, especially if you consider the number of lone ratties out there that hardly ever get out with their people.

 

[jorats]

My personal belief is that a rat should never live alone. I would do everything possible to get him a buddy. Spending one hour a day with the lone rat is definitely not enough, I was spending up to 5 hours a day with Radar when he was alone and it still was not enough.

I would have him/her neutered, have any possible buddy neutered and I would keep trying with different buddies.

Bati, it sounds to me that maybe your rat had something neurological going on, attacking towels and such is not a good sign.

 

[lilspaz68]

Jo, I don't think anyone was advocating keeping lone rats without trying everything possible, but we just want Bati to understand that being alone is not necessarily a death sentence, as they believe in Denmark.

 

[user 78]

Radar really did want the company of other rats, though, didn't he Jo? He is integrated into a cage with other rats now, right? So the time you spent with him wouldn't have been enough.

In the case of a rat like Moth, she's perfectly happy. Even if she only gets an hour out, she's fine with it. She does her girlie thing and runs amuck, then settles into her cage when she's put up.

I believe Bati said the towel had been in with other rats, so the rat attacking it wouldn't be that odd. In the picture, Moth is attacking the water bottle because of the other rats' smell in the pen, taking her frustration out on something that smells like the others.

 

[jorats]

Radar is living with Isabelle.

And it's not just from Radar, I'm going by my experience with all my rats. Seeing some real aggressive ones and finally winning them over with a buddy or buddies. Of course needing to neuter or spay them first.

Umpa was one such rat, he could not live with any males ever. But giving him his girls turned him into the happiest rat ever.

Oh and I agree, I would never had a rat put to sleep because he/she had to be alone.

 

[jorats]

Also, I never had a female like Moth who despised all rats.
I can't remember Shelagh, is she spayed? Sometimes a late spay may not do much good though. Have you tried a neutered male? I think you did, with Pippens or Seb and still no go?

 

[user 78]

Moth wasn't spayed. I don't know if Shelagh ever tried her with a neutered male or not, though.

Having just gone through a spay with a female to try and fix some aggression problems, I can say that it hasn't worked at all. Spays don't work like a neuter for a male does. It may work on a few, but I think most females have no benefit in that regard. I still would have gotten her spayed to prevent tumors and such anyhow, so it's not a total loss.

 

[Fidget]

I understand you were trying to do the kindest thing for your rattie based on your beliefs. But not getting along with other ratties is no reason to put one to sleep.
Most people live with other people too and not alone by choice, but the odd person prefers to live alone and the odd rattie does too..

I've had some loners that just wouldn't live peacefully with others and they were just as happy as those with cagemates, probably because it was their choice, not something I forced on a normally gregarious rat.
Of course I did give them more time out than the others, and as has been mentioned they just became my special buds that hung with me and we developed a special closeness.
And as has also been mentioned some can come to mellow in old age and be ok with others, some just need that one special other. My Savanna lived alone and her cage was open when the others weren't out, she had the run of the bedroom and she was a happy little queen. She mellowed in her last days and finally lived with others - but again that was her choice.

You can't apply any rule to all of any species.