Ratty family????????

Question

Could I neuter my two lads and put them together with my girls in a big aquarium?

Plus any ideas or sizes for the aquarium?

Answer 1

Yes you can put them together with the girls as long as they are neutered. But neutering rats can get expensive. As my vet told me, the smaller the animal the more for things like surgery. My vets office wanted $350 to spade one of my girls. Of course that included the surgery, antibiotics and painmeds. But still that in my opinion is outrageous. I wouldnt use an aquarium for them. Aqariums arnt good for rats because they arnt ventilated well enough. I use the ferret nation double level for my girls. I have to have a big cage because I have 17 females. But hope I helped and good luck with ur furbutts.

Answer 2

Yes, you most certainly can.

But I wouldn't suggest an aquarium for their housing though. Rats are notorious for lung/breathing problems which the limited ventilation of an aquarium will worsen. Try wire cages instead. You can get great caging ideas from goosemoose.com. They have a wonderful rat forum.  

Answer 3

Yes, it is possible, and can reduce aggressiveness, but can be costly, and sometimes fatal, because if you do not go to a vet that knows what he is doing, the rat can be easily killed, as neutering male rats is much different than the mammals that most vets are used to working with. Also, female and male rats make great cage mates, as rats usually live in large groups in the wild, so you should have no trouble there. A 50 gallon tank would be a nice size, but it all depends on how big your rats are and how often you will be able to clean your cage, but the general rule is; the BIGGER the BETTER! :) Martin's Cages (http://www.martinscages.com) are also a great option, I have one cage for my girlies, and they love it, because they can climb, and it provides great ventilation. Oh, and instead of neutering your males, consider spaying your females instead, it can prevent mammory tumors, and they can live longer :)

Answer 4

what  

Answer 5

yes you can.

You will need a rather large cage for them.

Answer 6

You can neuter two guys and put them together with girls with no serious issues.  Keep in mind that neutering males costs money, and can be a risky procedure unless you find someone who has done it multiple times before.  Make sure your vet has had experience with rats and this particular procedure before turning your males over.

You shouldn't put rats in an aquarium, period.  The ammonium build up can cause respiratory problems in rats.  Your best bet is a wire cage.  For four rats, make sure you use a rat cage calculator to make sure you have a good size.  http://www.rattycorner.com/odds/calc.sht...  Rats need quite a bit of space (2 cubic feet per rat).  It's important to have adequate space, as rats are highly territorial and will fight if it is too small.  You should also get a cage that is taller than it is wide as rats like to climb.  Martin's Cages are really good though make sure you get it powder coated because urine on bare galvanized wire can be bad for rats.  http://www.martinscages.com/products/cag...

For any wire cage, any floors that are wire should be covered.  Your best bet is to cover them with cheapo linoleum tiles from your local hardware store.  Just cut them to the right size.  It also makes it easier to wipe up messes.  I'd also recommend covering the floors with fleece.  It will absorb wetness and wick it away, it can be easily washed to keep them clean, and it doesn't fray like other fabrics can (especially once your rats start gnawing on it).

Some good sites to check out to learn more about rats are:

http://www.ratguide.com

http://www.fancy-rats.co.uk/home/

http://www.quite.co.uk/rats/

Hope that helps!