[cupids_cuties]

hi
a month and a half ago i adopted a baby rat. she is a real sweety. i noticed her sneezing quite bit in the first two weeks i had her but it passed so i didnt worry about it too much. like most rats she has myco and i think it has moved to her ears, but aside from the occasional head tilt she doesnrt act sick and is energetic and healthy as ever.

and so now, finallyabout my dilema.

she is a very social rat, some days she is out of her cage more time than she is in it, as it should be in my opinion, and she absolutly loves attention. you walk by her cage and she is climbing the bars to get out.she grooms and climbs over all and any living thing. with my goign back to my courses i feel she wont be getting the attention she craves. id like to get another female and hopefully have them become cagemates so she has someone to keep her company. ive never had more than 1 rat at a time and im wondering...is her emotional heqalth more important than her physical health. by this i mean...introducing a cagemate could introduce ilnesses...and also the other rat could be subjected to some. what should i do?

i believe she would be happier...but is it worth the risk?


sorry about the length...:S

 

[FalconStorm]

If you can afford it, get another cage for the new girl. Keep her in isolation for a couple of weeks, away from your current rat. If she shows no signs of illness, then it should be okay to start getting them used to one another. It's about the only way to avoid spreading illness, but it's not guaranteed. Nothing is, really.

I think it's worth the effort, though. Is loneliness any less an illness than sneezing all the time? Are they really hurting any less for being alone instead of potentially sick? A companion would probably be the best gift you could give your sweet little girl.

 

[cupids_cuties]

thanks
i really like how you put it. her lonliness could be just as painful...im just worried is all.i wouldnt want to lose her early. i guess its worth a try though.
still a bit on the fence...but swaying more strongly towards the companion.

 

[carlylox]

Me and my OH started off with just one rattie but we felt so guilty at leaving him at home on his own when we went to work that it wasn't long before we got another one. We're up to 5 now and they are so much happier.

I'm not sure if it's the same with girlies as boys (I've not had girls.....yet) but ours do fight sometimes, so you may want to take that into account. But I would assume your girlie would be boss as any newbies would be moving into HER cage.

I pretty sure your girlie would appreciate a little friend (or 2, or 3...) to keep her company. It is a worry that you could get illnesses from the new rat, especially if you current girlie is a sickly rat.

Like Falconstorm said, if you can afford it, definately have them in seperate cages for the first week or so to see if new rattie is sneezing etc. I would also recommend getting your new rattie from a breeder instead of a pet shop. All our boys came from pet shops and nearly all of them were a bit poorly when we got them.

If I were in your situation I'd be getting as many girlies as my cage would hold

 

[cupids_cuties]

i just got a rat on thursday
she is a little hooded black and white baby
i got her at a pet shop but they are really good.
they wont sell them for food(they asked me)
and they breed/sell them as pets only and she is really healthy
she is socialised and friendly
havnt introduced them yet, she is still in quarantine at my dads( she is really clean, healthy and lively but i want to be 100% sure)
i cant wait to get her over here to introduce them