Pet rats - why it's important to have two or more

[Tikus]

I'm not sure why it is such a non option anyways...rats a available pretty much anywhere so are cages, and the fact that you *think* females might not get along, is really a non issue.

then if YOU choose not to look for a companion, YOU are making this a non option for your rat and are refusing to learn anything from us, experienced pet rat owners.

Its impossible that youve actually taken the time to read what I have previously wrote. getting a second rat is a decision not agreed upon by my husband and I.


YOU are refusing to lend ear and listen to my actual situation. Thanks for the experience guys. I wont be returning.
I really urge you to be more patient and understanding with newcomers that join in the future.

We are extremely patient and understanding with newcomers, especially when they make mistakes. But a mistake is when you go on to fix what you did. You take people's advice, and you fix your mistake.
We are friendly to newcomers that are friendly to us. That take the advice we give them, and that listen. However, newcomers that have joined, and just argue and start drama... no, we are not friendly to them. And i don't think we should have to be.

 

[hopefloats]

There comes a point when you agree to disagree. I think we reached this point.

I would really love to see it move on, and possibly see a thread on her rattie rather than anymore discussion on her amount of rats.

 

[Tikus]

There comes a point when you agree to disagree. I think we reached this point.

I would really love to see it move on, and possibly see a thread on her rattie rather than anymore discussion on her amount of rats.

I agree.

 

[Roo]

Freya has a ratty best friend and still won't leave me alone. :rant:

xD

 

[Salem The Rat]

So she won't return to the forum?

At this point, perhaps I should apologize, since it was my first comment that started this arguement. I just wanted to state my opinion on something I was sure someone else would comment on sooner or later.

As the other members said, we would welcome photos of your rat and more posts of you. You came into the forum because not so many people understand rats as pets and you wanted to share your experience, and that's why everyone joins the forum. So why leave, because of a disagreement (on something that's a fact), when there are so many things you could ask and learn here?

My husband would not agree to adopt a pair unless they were adopted together as cagemates.
It didnt happen that way. Now, I cant un-adopt her. I made the choice to rescue her as she was because I knew I could
offer her a good home and because I love rats very much.
My entire family is very attached to her, giving her away is out of the question. Selfishness or not, im not ripping her away from
my children who adore her as much as I do.
I could sneak out and get another rat against my husbands wishes, and maybe it comes as a surprise to you, but between them I actually love my husband more and would never do such a thing.

And again, no one said you must throw away your rat. And it was great that you rescued her. Ripping her away from your family? Nobody said that. One last question, however:I don't intend to sound nosy, but why your husband disagrees to get another rat -he wouldn't mind if you got a pair, so obviously he doesn't have a problem with the number of rats. Might I ask what his exact beliefs on this issue are? If you, indeed, returned to the forum and enlightened us a bit more maybe we, all, could find a solution? If he believes that they won't get along, for example, we could send you articles that prove the contrary, and advise on how to introduce new rats. Honestly, I'm not seeing what the problem is with getting a rat or two-when you would get a pair, if you had the chance. What is this that I'm overseeing?
Please, if you decide to reply, don't accept my question as rude, and I never intended to comment on you or your family in any way. Also, I never said that you don't take care of your rat, apart from not getting her a companion. It's caring to rescue a pet and raise it, I just don't understand why is it so difficult to do this little thing, getting her a companion, which would make your rat's life fullfilled. I understand that you don't agree on that with your husband, yes. I would only want to know why, and discuss about it.

 

[emberanne]

Hi there, I didnt mean to 'take over' the thread with an arguement. It wasnt my intention. Ive talked with a few of you over private message and appreciate the understanding.
if you have questions or advice perhaps send me a message might be more appropriate since, as someone said , the thread is for education on the subject I did not post looking for trouble, i apologize for the misunderstanding and hope ya'll give me a second chance.
I have made effort to post in various sections of the forums to introduce myself and my rat more appropriately. Thanks all.

 

[Salem The Rat]

This is an old thread, but I was wondering how can I get future-rat-owners to get more than one rat? I have a rat forum, people who don't have rats ask me where they can get them from. They're only sold as reptile food here...as many live in areas where they can't find any ''unusual'' pets, they tell me things like "i'll be in the city for a few days, where can I get a rat?". So I tell them about where they can find, and how they're being sold. I always suggest to get at least a pair..but no, they only want one. And when they get back to the area they live, they'll be too far to even have the chance to get a second rat. In my forum, I have posted basic rat care tips, and have analysed the importance of having rats live in groups LOTS of times, but still, they get a single rat. A user on my forum chose to keep a single feeder rat, because of a busy schedule, and months later, this rat doesn't even want to get out of its cage. And it's still scared of him. This person has ''accepted'' it, he doesn't know what to do about it, so he'll keep it this way.

 

[Aida]

Aww, such a cute video!

I saw this back when Matilda was alone(first she was in quarantine, then her cagemate died three days after the intro. It was a bad fall, but still horrible), and I almost cried when it got to the lonely night part. ):

Anyways, she has a friend now(as you know), and intros weren't even intros- 5 minutes on the bed and then straight to the same cage. No biting, or even small spiffs. So much happier now. :3

 

[SQ]

When I hear of people who only want to keep one rat or have one rat I explain why it is not ok and I send a link to that video.
The video convinces them.

Hope you let the guy who has "accepted it" know that he is causing his rat to suffer horribly and needs to do something about it immediately.

As for people who live too far away to get a second rat.
I wouldn't tell them where to get a rat if they were not going to get at least 2 of the same sex, I would send them the link to the video and explain why at least 2 rats is essential.
I think saying they are too far away to get a second rat is a copout on their part. It might be inconvient and difficult but if they were able to get the first, they can get a second or third.

 

[jorats]

I always tell people that getting rats living with buddies are healthier, happier and more social. The rat in a colony may not be social with the humans but at least they have their buddies.
Colonies create security.

 

[trihkal]

I agree with what SQ and Jo said. I would also include how it can benefit them personally.

 

[moongate]

My boyfriend got a pair of rats, Captain Carnage and Mort. They were brothers. Then one day, my boyfriend went to feed them, only to find Mort dead. Both the Captain and my boyfriend were devestated. My boyfriend originally had planned on rehoming the Captain so he could be with other rats. But before my boyfriend could talk to any of his friends who also own rats, he was called away out of town, leaving me to look after the Captain.
Every day I would go to feed him, I could see how lonely he was. I knew his personality before Mort died, and he just wasn't the same. So then I started researching how I could make him feel more comfortable and what kinds of food were best for him.
In the course of my research I picked up a case of rat fever and found myself getting another pair of brothers from an accidental litter. I read up carefully on quarantining and introductions, then followed their suggestions.
I was extremely lucky. Once quarantine was up I moved the new guys' cage into the same room as the Captain and let them get to know each other. By the time free range time came they were all eager to get out and play with each other. There was never any aggression on anyone's part and The Captain always seemed to want to be in the new guys' cage so I cut intros short and moved everyone in together.
The Captain is now much more energetic and seems to be much happier now that he has two little ones to look after. I've seen first hand the difference between owning one rat and having a few rats. You can tell the improved quality of life that only another rat can provide.

 

[jorats]

That is a great story moongate, I'm so glad you shared it with us. The Captain is a lucky rat to have you.

 

[Cassia]

I have a lone boy at the moment of 8/9 weeks of age, I rescued him off of a woman whose girl had a litter and she had just this one buck left and was so sick of not being able to get someone to buy him that she were going to give him away as a pet or a feeder... so of course, I went straight to her and took this boy (Luckily she lived close by).
Michi shall be neutered as soon as he reaches the ideal weight for the op and will be introduced to my three females asap (when he becomes fully infertile). His living alone is strictly only temporary of course.

I think it's important for rats to have company of other rats and should only be alone in special circumstances.

 

[jorats]

I have a lone boy at the moment of 8/9 weeks of age, I rescued him off of a woman whose girl had a litter and she had just this one buck left and was so sick of not being able to get someone to buy him that she were going to give him away as a pet or a feeder... so of course, I went straight to her and took this boy (Luckily she lived close by).
Michi shall be neutered as soon as he reaches the ideal weight for the op and will be introduced to my three females asap (when he becomes fully infertile). His living alone is strictly only temporary of course.

I think it's important for rats to have company of other rats and should only be alone in special circumstances.

That's really awesome that you will get him neutered and he'll have his very own girlfriends. I love mix colonies.

 

[Cassia]

I have a lone boy at the moment of 8/9 weeks of age, I rescued him off of a woman whose girl had a litter and she had just this one buck left and was so sick of not being able to get someone to buy him that she were going to give him away as a pet or a feeder... so of course, I went straight to her and took this boy (Luckily she lived close by).
Michi shall be neutered as soon as he reaches the ideal weight for the op and will be introduced to my three females asap (when he becomes fully infertile). His living alone is strictly only temporary of course.

I think it's important for rats to have company of other rats and should only be alone in special circumstances.

That's really awesome that you will get him neutered and he'll have his very own girlfriends. I love mix colonies.

Thank you, it's nice to hear some positivity... I usually get told off for not having two males But I really don't want two males and three females lol! I think he'd be happier being the only male amongst the girls, I know if I were a rat I'd love it hahah! He's to be my last rat for a few years.

 

[vombaty]

Remix from Ukraine: "With more fun to live!"
[BBvideo 450,375:3ketb6x9]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eXVOmvWtZyU[/BBvideo:3ketb6x9]

 

[jorats]

Now those are some happy rats. Too funny when they steal the cereal/flakes.
And I love how you both laugh when there's a mess being made. Lucky rats!

 

[lap rats]

So she won't return to the forum?

At this point, perhaps I should apologize, since it was my first comment that started this arguement. I just wanted to state my opinion on something I was sure someone else would comment on sooner or later.

As the other members said, we would welcome photos of your rat and more posts of you. You came into the forum because not so many people understand rats as pets and you wanted to share your experience, and that's why everyone joins the forum. So why leave, because of a disagreement (on something that's a fact), when there are so many things you could ask and learn here?

My husband would not agree to adopt a pair unless they were adopted together as cagemates.
It didnt happen that way. Now, I cant un-adopt her. I made the choice to rescue her as she was because I knew I could
offer her a good home and because I love rats very much.
My entire family is very attached to her, giving her away is out of the question. Selfishness or not, im not ripping her away from
my children who adore her as much as I do.
I could sneak out and get another rat against my husbands wishes, and maybe it comes as a surprise to you, but between them I actually love my husband more and would never do such a thing.

And again, no one said you must throw away your rat. And it was great that you rescued her. Ripping her away from your family? Nobody said that. One last question, however:I don't intend to sound nosy, but why your husband disagrees to get another rat -he wouldn't mind if you got a pair, so obviously he doesn't have a problem with the number of rats. Might I ask what his exact beliefs on this issue are? If you, indeed, returned to the forum and enlightened us a bit more maybe we, all, could find a solution? If he believes that they won't get along, for example, we could send you articles that prove the contrary, and advise on how to introduce new rats. Honestly, I'm not seeing what the problem is with getting a rat or two-when you would get a pair, if you had the chance. What is this that I'm overseeing?
Please, if you decide to reply, don't accept my question as rude, and I never intended to comment on you or your family in any way. Also, I never said that you don't take care of your rat, apart from not getting her a companion. It's caring to rescue a pet and raise it, I just don't understand why is it so difficult to do this little thing, getting her a companion, which would make your rat's life fullfilled. I understand that you don't agree on that with your husband, yes. I would only want to know why, and discuss about it.

:hithorse:
I know this person has been inactive for almost 2 years, and i'm really sorry, i don't want re-hash arguments. But i do feel like some people were exasperating. Her husband was NOT going to let her get a second rat now cause he was afraid that they wouldn't get along and they'd have 2 cages. Very sad, but end of story. What i would've wanted to tell her had i happened upon this thread back then is this, and it might also help others wondering about how many rats to get:
You seem to be contradicting yourself saying that you think one rat is perfectly fine and happy, but then saying you agree that 2 rats would be ideal, but then again saying you are entitled to your opinion. Which is it?
I know your rat probably does show happiness. But most of us who own pets want them to be their happiEST. If a lone rat were happy, but two rats were happiER and healthiER, most of us who love our pets would want this for them. It has nothing to do with opinion. It's a fact, rats are social beings. In the wild, they live in groups. That is how they were made. A tiger lives alone and is happiest this way. So do wild hamsters. Lions, elephants, wolves, and rats live in groups.
I know you really can't go against your husband and get a second one now, but we were just hoping you'd want to learn how to make any future rats the happiest they can be. When i got my first rat 10 years ago, i thought it was a matter of opinion, some people saying it was ok, others saying it wasn't. So he was alone for a while. But because of my love for him and the rat species, i did lots of diligent research, anything i could find about them. I gradually learned things i wish i had known right from the beginning. I'm so, so sad poor Willow spent most of his life alone. Now, i will never ever have a lone rat, no matter how lengthy an intro might be. I'm patient, and i definitely want what's BEST for my rats, so they can live a FULLY SATISFYING life. (The great majority of intros are a breeze away.)
Another point, a rat will not get any less attached to you because she has a rat friend. (They might even come out of their shell more.) Does your first child love you less because you had a second, or a third? Of course not.

Most of us on here WANT to learn and expand our knowledge of rats. We drink up any info we can, always wanting to learn how to make our rats the happiest. We try not to take things personally, especially when it comes to the welfare of our rats.


Anyway, along with that awesome video, here are a couple more links that helped me:
http://ratfanclub.org/single.html
http://www.nfrs.org/company.html

I've also figured out that i'd never want just 2 rats. If they grew up together and are really close and then one dies, the one that's left would be so sad! Even if you got another, by the time the quarantine is up, then the intros... it's alot of sadness and stress for a grieving rat, especially if he's older and the new rat is a young bouncy thing. I'd rather a grieving rat not have to go through that. So starting off with 3 rats, when one passes away, there are still two left who are bonded, and they have each other. Then i would adopt a lone rat in need of a home, or two younger rats (so they have each other to play with and not bother the grieving adults as much). That was my theory. But then i keep way more than 2 rats now anyway. They're addictive!

So that was my rant, :blahblah: if anybody actually takes the time to read it. Sorry.

 

[jorats]

Very well said lap rats.