Who has owned pet rats before?

Question

I'm thinking of buying a pet rat, but I was planning on only purchasing one. I've heard that rats are social and need playmates. Has anyone owned just one pet rat before? Share your experience please! Thanks.

Answer 1

I have owned many rats in my years of having rats, and have only had a few that have lived alone. In all situations, it was because they were extremely aggressive toward all other rats.

That is generally the only situation that you should keep a rat alone, other than temporarily for something such as quarantine, an illness, or something like it has had surgery.

You are correct in that rats are very social creatures. They are much like humans (again, with certain exceptions), they are happier when they have company. Another rat can do the things that you can't do, like be with it 24/7 and provide it warmth when you are not around. No matter how much attention you give to your rat, you cannot communicate with it in the same way that another rat can. My honest suggestion is that if you cannot or are not willing to get at least 2 rats, you should look into having some other sort of small animal that does not mind being solitary.

Answer 2

If you buy a rat, you should buy 2 because they are very social.

I think rats are great pets and they are sooo cute. I don't think they become antisocial if they don't have a playmate. I only have one rat and its doing fine, loves to play, i also give it a lot of attention. But im planning on talking my dad into letting me get another rat when i wake up tomorrow. Don't get one if you're just going to leave it in the cage and just feed it. They need to be taken out of their cage atleast once everyday. Some rats can do good by theirselves others not so much.  

Answer 3

I currently have 1 large cage that normally holds 5 males, but right now there are 16 in there they give me attention anytime I want to play with them, They are happy and have fun with each other.

I also have one male that lives alone in a smaller cage, not because he was aggressive, but because he was being bullied, to the point of being bit and scratched by his cage mates till he bled, he is sad and lonely, but all my attempts to find him a friend have failed, he barely eats, refuses to play with me anymore, and sleeps all the time, he is almost 2 years old, and has had several trips to the vet for a "mysterious" skin condition, the vet treatments did not work, so he lives alone all sad, poor boy.

So Get 2 they will be much better off

Answer 4

One pet rat will show signs of depression- they will sleep a lot more, ignore toys, be generally harder to train, may be more aggressive, won't groom themselves so much, are more likely to get sick...

They will have a shorter life time and cost more at the vets, and you'll spend loads on toys when all it really wants as a friend.

Just get the second rat. It's what, $5 (£10) more? It's not exactly a lot.

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DON'T get a plastic ball. They get their tails stuck in it and can rip them off. The best toy you can get is a second rat- prevents so much future heartache.

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No, if anything rats are more likely to be social with their human if they have another rat with them, because every other need is furfilled and they are happier- depressed rats can be aggressive rats.

If you play with them everyday- on their own or together when you feel capable- then they'll learn to trust and like you. It doesn't happen instantly with any animal, and that bond doesn't stick unless you do it daily.

Answer 5

I owned just one pet rat, but it is true that they get very lonely. Rats enjoy company. Whenever my friends bought her rats over when she came to sleep over he was much happier and more active.

I've also owned 2 rats at the same time. They had a very strong relaionship. They would sleep curled up together or leaning against each other, and would follow each other everywhere.

I reccomend if you're going to get a rat you should get 2 because it IS true that they are social and need playmates. One ratty on his own will get depressed and lonely.

Answer 6

Rats are highly social creatures and it is essentially cruel to keep them on their own. No matter how much love and attention you provide your single rat with you will never be able to replace the constant companionship of another rat. There is nothing more enjoyable then watching a pair or small group of rats play together, sleep together and clean each other - it is really unfair to deny them the right to that.

I once had a single rat, and he definitely showed signs of depression. He would sleep a lot and suffered from quite a few minor illnesses that made him miserable and eventually led to me having him put to sleep when he only 18 months old. Since then I have always kept my rats in pairs or small groups and they have seemed so much happier and lived much longer lives - often up to 3 years which is brilliant for a rat!

A problem with rats, is that they are VERY susceptible to tumors and respiratory problems so you should only ever buy rats from a responsible breeder (unless you're rescuing and can't guarantee the rats history) and never from a pet store who often factory breed sickly rats to make money. If you buy a rat from a responsible breeder you are going to get a healthy and well-balanced, friendly animal - and NO responsible breeder will home their rats single, they will always insist you buy a pair or group.

To answer your other question, rats do not become anti-social with their owners due to spending time with a playmate - in fact, the reverse is more true!  A rat with company is more confident to your advances and will often spend less time sleeping because they have a rat friend to play with, and that means you will find they are awake to play with you more often! Rats that live in groups or pairs will have the same relationship with you that they would've had if they were single - only they will be much happier! Once of my past groups of rats was a group of three, but one of the rats Sammy was really dedicated to me - he would want to be near me all the time, came when I called him and was really loving. I'm sure he appreciated the fact that he also had brothers to play with and sleep with for company when I was busy or asleep.

Keeping a single rat is not necessarily taboo - but I would not recommend it. You may occasionally find a territorial male that does not want the company of other rats, or an older rat in a shelter who is too old or does not have the right temperament to be mixed with new rats but these are the minority exceptions and certainly not the rule. It's like saying, some humans like to live on their own with just their animals and they might cope with no other human interaction - but it's still unfair to deny them that right.

You should not knowingly buy a single rat - it is not fair on your animal and you would be doing him a disservice. Please consider buying two or more rats or do not buy any rats at all.

Single rats are NOT happy pets.

Answer 7

My first rat was an only rat and I felt bad about it. She really was lonely and even though I made an effort to spend a lot of time with her she didn't keep good health and was not as happy as the rest of my rats were or are. I've had six all together. The second pair I had were great and seeing them together made me realise I should have gotten Tip (my first rat) a friend. They groomed each other, they played and had restling matches, they slept together and kept each other warm at night, they even took care of each other when they were old and got sick (they got tumours which is a common problem in rats), I now have three rats and they get on like a house on fire. I don;t recommend three rats for a first time rat owner as you have to clean the cage much more, the cage has to be massive and it's like caring for 30 preschool children if you let them out for a run around!!! But they are a load of fun and keep each other great company.

So my conclusion is, two rats is not a lot more care as one, and they will keep each other much healthier and happier which will save you time and stress at the same time. You can take them out at the same time, and as long as the cage is large, the amount of cleaning required shouldn't increase too dramatically, it helps to take out a handful of dirty litter and replace it every day to help keep it fresh, and you can clean it properly once a week. They need a bit more food obviously and water, but again, it's not a huge increase.

P.S and just to clear this up DO NOT get a rat a ball, they are not hamsters and they will HATE it. I stupidly was advised to get one and they hated it. They don't need wheels either. They love large pipes (bought from a hardware store much cheaper than the pet shop), ropes (bought in the bird section) and hammocks (either for rats or ferrets) which need replacing every now and then, and also give them the cardboard tubes out of plastic wrap and wrapping paper etc cut up smaller obviously for them to chew and some untreated wood blocks. When you take them out of the cage, just make sure the room or area you are in is rat proofed (no wires, no dangerous things they can jump up on (they can jump high) no poisenous plants or chemicals around and no cats, and also no holes in furniture or walls they can get stuck in or gaps behind furniture).

And no they won't become antisocial as long as you take them out at least once a day. My three rats throw themselves at the cage doors whenever I walk past lol! .They only become antisocial if you stop taking them out. They need this or else they will become bored and depressed. They are very intelligent and love a good run around. A good place is a small rat proofed room you can just the door of or make a wall using large pieces of cardboard or fine mesh to a section of a room. You can throw in the middle a pile of boxes and old towels and they love winding in and out.

Answer 8

they do like atencion so if it dosnt have any other rat friends then youll have to get it out and hold it and play with it alot or get one of those plastic balls that they roll in. mine was shy at first and i didnt get it out to much for about 1 week but i did sit and look in her cage alot and she started going up to me and looking at me. now i put her in the floor and she follows me where ever i go.