Well pretty much everyone says to get them in pairs. Even tho mines a loner. If u do get another rat makes sure its about the same age or size as yours so they aren't so prone to fight, that what I think everyone says. There also blogs to help with introductions.

Though in my opinion I don't think every rat needs another rat friend as mine didn't like when I brought another rat home. She much rather be friend with only my dog.


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Yes she ill be happier with a friend xxxxxx

 

I would definitely recommend a friend getting two more might be easier for introduction but only get what you can handle. It is rare that a situation comes up where you only can have one rat. I would get a younger or around the same age rat.

 

In most cases rats welcome a friend/cage mate. I've heard that rats do much better in pairs. Just take enough time to properly introduce the new rat and make sure they get along well.

In some cases, it's just not meant to be. It's not that common, but some rats will kill/seriously injure another rat that invades their home.

I have one of those rats that will kill another rat. She lives alone, unless you count the cat, but she's still very happy. Mostly, because she really doesn't spend that much time in her cage. Her cage door is never closed, unless we're leaving the house and can't take her with us.

So, if you're wanting a friend for your rat. You should go for it.

 

I rescued a rat who is a year old and probably been alone her entire life. My intention is to introduce her to the rest of my mischief. I would get TWO rats in case she won't accept a friend, but most females will accept others. Makee sure they aren't too young as some older girls hate babies of other rats.

 

Gosh I hope she isn't mean to a new rat.....my room doesn't even have a place to put like a new shirt, never mind an entirely new cage....I wonder if there's a way to divide her cage if it doesn't work out?...,.she lives in a freaking mansion

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If it doesn't work out and the cage is big enough, you can get some wire shelves from the hardware store and zip tie them across the middle.

 

So I need to quarantine a new rat if I get one? How do I do that? I've only ever quarantined fish....and everyone else in my house is very....anti rat....I mean they've accepted aris but not to the point where I could quarantine a new rat in their room


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It is best done in another room unfortunately, unless you have a friend who could let the rat chill at their house for at least two weeks.

The only other trustable option is getting the rat from someone who you could be 110% sure is trustworthy -- some people who adopted from me, for example, introduced their rats right away. If you went this route, I would still advise separate housing for a couple weeks while you worked on introducing them.

 

Whether or not you get her a friend, she needs a very stimulating cage. Lots of toys, things to climb, and places to hide in. You may want to look through some of the toy ideas and cages in the rat home stickies to get ideas. Also the wire wheel shown in the picture can be dangerous because her toes can get stuck in the wire. You might want to think about getting a solid bottom 12" wheel if she likes her wheel. If she never uses it try taking it out and replacing it with other toys.


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Okay....I only know of one other person in my town who even has pet rats, I only have like one friend and her bf is pretty anti-rat...my only options for a new rat are like petco and petsmart, the wheel came with the cage but she loves running on it, her feet can get stuck? The wires are pretty far apart and her feet are pretty small....when I had some other toys she never played with them just buried them in a nest she made.....is petco a reliable place for healthy rats?



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How big would a quarantine thing have to be? I might be able to convince my dad to keep it in his room for a couple weeks if I could just keep it in one of those little critter keeper things


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PetCo sells their rats so I advise against them; however, PetSmart likely gets rats from the same shipment. No real choice there.

It still needs to be a min. of 2 sq ft.

 

There's one other pet store here that sells rats but......pretty much every pet cage there has dead or dying animals


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Have you checked petfinder and CL?

 

Haven't checked petfinder....when I search rat in my area for cl....I get listjngs for snakes


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No dice on petfinder...the only rats in my state are several hours away and male


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:/ That sucks. You tried looking up breeders?

 

Eureka? The owner of the exotic pet store "breeds rats for pet quality" is this a better option?


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The only breeder I've found in the area is the exotic store owner...... She kinda breeds everything though


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No, not especially. I would just go for PetCo/PetSmart. You at least get a health guarantee. Try to handle some of them before selecting your rat, and make sure to check everything you can.

 

Ok, can you tell me what exactly o check for? Aris is the first rat I've ever had, the petsmart here is male only, but when my brother and I were at petco today we saw a fairly small probably younger rat who was very active and curious, so I'm guessing she's my best bet at the moment


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Well, active and curious. You want a rat that looks well-groomed, not puffed up or out of sorts. Ask to handle her; she won't likely be the friendliest but you shouldn't get bit or see aggression. Check the bedding; anything that smells too strongly, be it pee, pine or cedar you should be wary. Check her eyes and nose, you want to not be seeing any red blood-like substance.

Like I said earlier though, older females are not very tolerable of young rats so keep that in mind if this rat is small. Her body she cover a good chunk of your palm, and should be at least that long imo.

 

Ok...and I don't really know how old my rat is...oh btw...cage overhaul today, hopefully she'll figure out the new wheel as she seemed fairly upset when she went to te location of te old one an it was gone

and thanks for the info on checking over a new rat....with all that how vital would you say qt is?


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I personally think two weeks in a separate room is advisable; this is usually the length of PetCo's warranty anyway, so it is a good length of time for identifying MOST illnesses or conditions; some things can still slip through but it is a good model to follow. This also gives you a chance to socialize that rat and get her used to everything.

Could you hold a picture of your rat with something common for size comparison? I've used an iPhone, a battery, and a penny. She looks young, but your cage could just be humongous.