Is this OK? (rat question)

Question

I want to get 2 rats, one female and one male. Yes I will "fix" them both. Is it OK to do this?? Or should I just get 2 males or 2 females??

Please no rude comments!

Thanks!!

Answer 1

It's perfectly OK as long as one or both are altered. There are many rat owners with ''mixed colonies''.

I've considered it myself, but I just got 2 females & 2 males, instead. Only reason against it? My girls are seniors and my male really needed a friend closer to his age, so I just got a 2nd male.

Just make sure you have a reliable vet that has experience in the spay/neuter process with rats.

Edit: There's a crazy 'myth' going around that males will fight if housed together. This is NOT true. Some rats will, but many get along just fine. I introduced a new male rat to my current male rat, and they were instant friends. You would think they've lived together all their lives. :)

Answer 2

DON'T DO 2 MALES PLEASE THEY WILL TRY TO KILL EACH OTHER AND TO GIRL?JUST GET ONE OR TO GIRL AND BOY!!!!

Answer 3

it is ok

but male rats are really bad (but i whant one 2)

oh and dont get 2 males they fight 2 death

Answer 4

I think the risks outweigh the benefits. The spay/neuter procedure is a long recovery and very risky for rats. Plus, there is always a very, very rare chance that the male isn't completely neutered and will end up getting the female pregnant (Like I said, very rare but it happens.)

Good luck =D

Edit: I would neuter the male. Spaying is invasive (meaning they go inside the female rat) and is considered major surgery. Neutering is far simpler.

The problem with only fixing one is the hormones of the other rat. If you spay the female, the male rat will still have the drive to mate (although she won't get pregnant) and if the male is neutered, the female will go into heat and want to initiate breeding with the male.

Answer 5

i would say two girls them fixed or not

girls are nicer it seems and stuff!

i got girls myself!

Answer 6

Just get 2 males or females. There is a chance that males will fight but only for dominance and not to the death. It will save you time and money.

Answer 7

I don't know if 2 opposite gender animals in the same cage is a good idea even if they are "fixed". Also it might cost you alot of extra money that doesn't need to be spent.Whatever you do DO NOT put 2 males in a cage together. They will fight and hurt themselves. 2 females get along well especially if they are sisters. I bet you could also read up on it too! Good Luck!

EDIT: Thanks Courtney I didn't know that! Thats so cute that your rats are Best friends!!

Answer 8

It's perfectly OK to get a male and a female as long as at least one of them is fixed. They usually get along quite well (male and females are usually easiest to introduce), although you'll likely still have to go through the introductions with them. Naturally it's easier to get a same-s*x pair, and there are no surgery risks, but if you want to get a boy & girl and fix one that's your choice. I'd recommend only fixing one, since that's all you need to prevent pregnancy. It will be less expensive and you won't be risking both lives. You'll have to keep them separated until they get the surgeries, though, and for a few weeks after until it "takes effect." Getting them fixed also greatly reduces the risk of tumors, although some don't like risking putting their rats under anesthesia because there are some possibly serious side-effects associated with that. Make sure you do a lot of research before you decide on this.

EDIT: It is not at all true that males will fight. I have 3 males housed together right now and they are the best of friends. You just have to introduce them properly.

EDIT 2: No problem, kiddo. ;P It's a pretty common misconception that males fight each other. It's a bit more difficult to introduce them than females, but they can get along very well! :}

EDIT 3! I'd say the female, because they're more prone to tumors than males are. When they're spayed, I've read their risk goes down 60%.

A very good website to talk to experienced rat owners & learn lots of rat facts is http://ratforum.com !

Answer 9

Stick to 2 of the same gender. If any surgery can be avoided than do so. Rats are so small and fragile that even with a experience rat vet it is very dangerous. Its not like cats and dogs where they are in and out, rats are more pron to having side affects, die during surgery, and have complications for the rest of their lives.

The person above isn't right about the male pairs. Yes on a rare occasion you may get an aggressive male but all rats need to be kept in pairs. If not they can get depressed, violent, self harm, and just a whole mess of problems.

Answer 10

I have a male, neutered, and a female, not spayed, in the same cage, they love each other. The male is about 3 months older than the female, and introductions went on in the bathroom for about a week. It's easier and less expensive to neuter a male, less risk to the rat, and less recovery time. Sorry boys, but it's true!

Answer 11

You can do that and they would be fine. But if you do decide to get a male and female I suggest getting the female fixed. Females are very suceptible to tumors and abcesses. I have read many article that say if you fix the female she will be less likely to get tumors and abcesses although sometimes abcesses/cysts are caused by cuts or scrapes that the rats can get by just rough playing. With any s*x of rat you need to do introductions. And yes I have had both females and males and females do fight just like males. Although males tend to be more territorial with each other. But rats have different personalities just like ppl. But I am glad to hear you say that you will be getting 2. A good place to do introductions is in a bathtub. Neither rat owns that territory so they are less likely to try and defend it. Once you have put them together 3 to 4 times for a while and there is no fighting that break out you can probably put them in a cage together and just watch them. You might have a couple of squabbles that break out and that is normal. The rat forum that I belong to is an msn group called rats rats rats. Some of the ppl on there are very smart when it comes to rats and have helped me out more times than I can count when one of my rats have gotten ill. Whatever rats you get it will be fine. Just do introductions and it should be ok. Good luck.