[Grafinty]

'Ello!
My name is Stacey and for the past week, I have been looking into getting some rats. I've been looking for a more personal pet like a bird, reptile but rats have caught my attention and I am hooked.
I've done plenty of research and even found out that there is a rat society in my area, which should be heaps of fun.
I have multiple questions to ask the forum, I'll bullet point them for easy answering

1. How many rats?
I know it will have to be at least two. I was thinking maybe 4 rats might be a good choice for me, as I love attention and variety. What is a nice, healthy amount to own?

2. What type of cage?
I have a small room, with not much space. A tall cage will be easiest but they can be so expensive, and I am only a student.

3. Female, Male, or both?
I love the fact of having a male as I have been told they can be much more laid back, which would be awesome, but my problem is their genitals. It sounds silly but it puts me off a lot. The females look nicer to me, but I want a laid back animal. How much does desexing cost? and at what age can they get desexed?

 

[mnyablonski]

Hello! For how many rats you are correct at least two but four would still be a great number my last mischief was a group of 4 males. In my personal opinion males are better just because I like the calmness of them. For the cage the best cage you could get is the double or single (depending on how many you get) critter nation. I got mine off amazon for $175 just a few weeks ago. But there are many great cages out there but that is the only one i have worked with. My old mischief had it and now my new mischief (currently 2 boys) has a new one. For male vs female if you want a rat that is more likely to sit on your lap/shoulder and chill a male is a better bet if you want a more active rat then female. I have always had males so I cant say much on females. For being put off by them, honestly I was at first as well but give it a day or two and you don't even notice that they are there. (Even though when my boy atticus hangs from the door of the cage and he is all...exposed it still grosses me out a little). But the price depends on the vet and the area you are in.

Hope that helped a little

 

[Yummy]

In my area, neutering runs around $100. Not too bad especially considering that it also helps with urine marking! That said, I have owned both males and females, and I honestly have no preference still. The personality of each of my rats has been unique to the individual, and that is what sets each of them apart. I agree with you though when it comes to males, I prefer the look of a neutered or desexed male. Either way though, rats are a lot of fun and can be wonderful pets, and in a way, you get what you put into them. Meaning, the more time and effort you put in socializing etc, the better they are as pets and companions!

Edited to add: I have had pairs for the most part. It works well for me. And I purchased a Kaytee Multi-Level Cage for Exotics from Amazon, which works fine for me at this point, but most people seem to prefer a Critter Nation (or Double Critter Nation), or if not that, a Martin's cage. I have yet to upgrade.

 

[dionkasper]

I only got my furball a week ago, but he is really sweet. I was going to get a female, but he was the first one sniffing my hand, and allowing me to pet him - really I say go for personality rather then sex. He's been really easy to socialize too.

I would recommend getting pairs. I got him single and he gets lonely - I play with him out of cage for at least 2-3 hrs, and there's plenty of snuggling and in cage interaction, but sometimes when I look over to his cage he runs to the door and tries to get out, even just after playtime. I've really enjoyed having him though and hope to get him a friend in the near future!

 

[Grafinty]

Thanks for all of your responses!
I already have a cage, I totally forgot!
I know this might be a huge turn off for people on this forum but we own two ferrets, who are very very old. They are kept outside in this massive (I mean it uses our whole back yard, it's even usable for rats.) and come inside to play, they never come into my room as it's always shut off to them.
Anyway, we use to rescue ferrets (had 15 at once before) but we no longer rescue but only own a couple at a time as companions, so we have about five cages. There is this once cage that fits in my room perfectly, and is perfect for rats in my opinion.
http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/like/361...=true&hlpv=2&chn=ps&lpid=107&ops=true&viphx=1
That's what it looks like basically. I am not sure if it's different from that one or not though.
Ours has plenty of platforms that are covered etc.

I am thinking of getting four girls, or maybe two boys and two girls but the only problem will be neutering costs...

(both of our ferrets wouldn't hurt a fly, and the rats are a lot bigger than them. The ferrets and rats will NEVER meet.)

 

[Kelsbels]

Hey welcome to the forum! 4 rats sounds like a good amount.

For neutering costs it's best to ask your local vets to give you a rough price range. The actual amount for neutering may change so always consider that it might be more than they tell you (as a safety net).

 

[moonkissed]

That cage looks fine. But check the bar spacing and any other spacing around doors and such. .5inches is ideal. But adult males and some larger females can have 1inch.

Well absolutely don't get mixed sexes unless u have a second cage. Even if u get the boys neutered u need to wait, I believe 3 weeks before adding them to the girls. Unneutered rats can not be put together, can not play together.

One thing to consider when choosing sexes is that some, not all but definitely some males will develop aggression issues as they age & hormones start taking over. Even rats who have been together their whole life and best friends. You might have to neuter them or separate them into different Cages if that happens.

Neutering can be very expensive. It depends on your area and vets. It may be even difficult to find a vet that does it. But generally you are looking at a couple hundred per rat.