I just bought 1 HUGE male rat, does anybody have experience with male rats?

Question

is there anything i should know about them?

Answer 1

even tho some people would suggest against this:

wen your rat is fully grown, as he is a male, and he will smell worse than a female, and in old age, some rats develop skin issues (genetics).  So giving them a warm water bath, with a little bit of soap ( like a soap for puppies or kittens) , every 2 weeks or even up to a month.  

My big rat, almost 5 years old, and in relatively good health (he has only one small benign tumor), gets a bath every 2 weeks, and i recently took him to the vet, and the vet said how good he smelled and how nice his fur and skin is.  And i've been bathing him since he was about a year old.  

i recently got a new baby rat, about 4 months old, and i will do the same for him.  When he is a year old, i will start to give him baths.  

i've done this with all 5 previous rats that i've owned since i was 8 years old.  so i feel that it is a good thing to do, especially with male rats.  BTW:  every single rat i've owned has been a male rat.  they are just more outgoing, and thier size makes them more desireable (for me)

But if you do decide to bath him, make sure you dont get thier head wet:  it can cause ear infections and eye infections/irritation, and even resporatory infections.  

hope you find this useful!!!!

Answer 2

I've had lots of male rats and what lovely loving pets they make. It's really nice when they are so comfortable with your company when being handled that they fall asleep on you, and that you and your rat are so confident together that you can sit him on your shoulder and he just sits there as happy as a guinea pig with a tomato without a care in the world. This is not always the case but it can be. I had a male rat that turned very nasty but as we found out later it was because he needed neutering. I'm quite sure this wont happen to yours but there is a small chance it could. Remember to handle him as much as possible. This will help him get used to you quicker. Once he is used to you he will grow confident and you wont even have to lift him out of the cage (assuming you keep him in a cage). He'll just climb out on to your hand and he will love being handled. Also his diet is important.

Look here: http://exoticpets.about.com/od/careofrat...

Rats are extremely loving and loveable pets, so look after him. Also, make sure his cage is clean. Rats tend to hide food so you never know what you might find in there. Also you could put an old toilet roll tube for him to play with. Also you could get him a friend to play with and give him company but be careful because they may fight (playing can sometimes be mistaken for fighting). Don't get a female unless you want kittens.

Answer 3

Male rats tend to be a bit more sociable and cudllier than females once they reach a year and older. Male rats also have a musky smell to them due to an oily substance called buck grease that they produce. Other than those two differences, male rats are not much different than females. I suggest you search online for more research on your new pet. Also, forget what the pet store told you about him having to be the only rat in the cage. Pet stores do not know very much about rats and if they did, they would understand that it is actually very unhealthy for a rat to be kept alone. You really need to go and pick out a new male rat, I would suggest getting another one that is close in age to the one you have. A younger rat will be more likely to be picked on by the one you have now. Please look into getting another rat, it is the most responsible thing to do, otherwise you will end up with a very lonely and depressed rat.

Answer 4

There's a lot you should know about them... it's really best to research animals /before/ getting them. If you had, you'd know it's cruel to keep him alone and that he needs a same s*x buddy.

I have a rat care website that might help you: http://www.petinfopackets.com/rats/ratin...

Edit: If he truly is overly hormonal/aggressive, get him neutered. He will likely then be able to be kept with another male rat. It'll make him much happier.

More on fixing rats: http://www.petinfopackets.com/rats/rathe...

Editx2: Sandy is somewhat incorrect. If you get him a friend, it's actually best to get a younger male because he will be seen as less of a threat to his social status than a male his age or older.

Answer 5

YAY!!! I owned a LOT of male rats! They are wonderfully big so they are easy to play with. But males do smell worse than females so cleaning his cage often will help. And be sure to handle him as much as possible because he is alone. A friend for him would help, as rats are social creatures. My first rat loved it when we finally bought him a friend. Good luck!