File :-(, x, )
Rats! Neev
This board needs more adorable rodents. ITT, post rats! Of any variety...

These two are mine: they're named Ten and Thirteen.
>> Neev
     File :-(, x)
Further rodents...
>> Neev
     File :-(, x)
And even more...
>> Neev
     File :-(, x)
>> Anonymous
     File :-(, x)
Oh look, there's one..
>> Anonymous
That's a mouse, you faggot.
>> Anonymous
     File :-(, x)
>> Anonymous
     File :-(, x)
So, rats are great. I have three, one boy, and two hateful females.

I killed my two favorite ones a week ago.. One had a tumour the size of a golf ball, with little tumours all over her, and the other had a brain tumour tha ruptured.

pic very related to brain tumours
>> Anonymous
I'm considering getting a pet rat. Any suggestions?
>> Anonymous
     File :-(, x)
As someone who has owned 15 rats over the years, of different coats, colours, and genders..

Go with males. They may be a bit.. active when they're young, but by the time they are 4 months old, they will be lazy, cuddly bastards. They also don't get tumours like female rats do.
Coat colour and pattern don't matter, unless you were to breed them, which is something a first time owner should never do. Don't get a hairless or tailless for your first one, either, as they are harder to take care of for a noob.

Get a nice size cage and two males from the same litter if possible, or as close in age as you can. Similar size or siblings means they are less likely to fight.

<- Elderly femal, with two young brothers.
>> Anonymous
>>61480
Great advice. Thanks. :)
>> Anonymous
     File :-(, x)
I own a hairless rat named Gomez.
He was in the pet store alone for about a year and I'd always stop and look at him, but I finally bought him awhile ago.
He feels like a peach.

I want to get him a buddy but he was the only rat in his cage for about a year, and I'm not sure if he'd get along with another male. And I don't think I want babies.. So I don't think I'll get a female.

Any tips on introducing another male to Gomez without them fighting?

Pic isn't my rat, but that's basically what he looks like.
>> Anonymous
>>61488
If he's been alone that long... I think you're going to have a hard time introducing friends. Not only can fight errupt suddenly even when all the precautions are made, but the stress of having an unfamiliar around can cause them to get sick... so don't get another unless you have the ability to keep it separate if things don't work out.
>> Anonymous
>>61502
I have an empty cage that I was thinking about putting it about a foot away from my current rat's cage in hopes if I get another rat, I can hopefully a tleast get them used to each other and slowly move the other cage closer to see if they will tolerate each other.
>> Anonymous
     File :-(, x)
I had a hairless rat. I think he had mental problems. He would be very sweet sometimes and then sometimes be very afraid of people and attack. he also would sit in his cage for hours and sway back and forth. He looks like Skeletor in this picture but i swear i took care of him and fed him and stuff!
>> Anonymous
     File :-(, x)
61480 here

>>61511
If you absolutely MUST get him a friend, do it like that. Introduce them very slowly, and check them both for injuries after you start letting them contact eachother.

I 'adopted' a hairless male from a friend, who got it from a friend, and so on. He was about three years old, his 'cage' was the box they brought him home from the pet store in. he'd been alone all his life. He got along great with my females when I would let him climb on their cages, so I assumed he would do allright with another male. I got a lovely PEW buck and after a few weeks, put them together. The 'new' buck died a few days later. The hairless male had bitten him on the penis, which became infected and the infection spread to the rest of him. I never once saw them fight, or saw any scratches or blood or any sign there was something wrong, until the little guy was dead. Please learn from my failure.

<- This is my old buck.
>> Anonymous
>>61523
Eee.. Penis bite. That really does make me think twice about getting another male rat. If I do get another male rat, I might never put them together, just the cages sit by each other. I don't think I HAVE to get him a friend but alot of the times when I'm busy I just see him clinging to the bars of his cage wanting attention. Or just chewing on the bars. I've tried giving him toys(things such as cardboard, tunnels, etc) but he grows bored of them quickly.
I might consider a female rat now, even if I do get babies. I can ask around and see if anyone would be interested in rats.
If I get female, instead of them living in the same cage, should I just let them have 'playtimes' together? I'd like to at least try and avoid babies without spaying.
>> Neev
Male rats can mate VERY quickly - you can't let female and males be together without getting babies at some point and you shouldn't do that - there's enough badly bred rats in the world. With a second male, even if they don't live in the same cage, being in a cage next to each other will give them something to interact with on an a regular basis. You can also let the boys play in a neutral zone like your bed or a rat-proofed area. They'll be less likely to fight that way (though of course, you should slow introduce them first).

Definitely check out http://www.rmca.org <-- it's a GREAT site with everything you could possibly want to know about caring for a rat...and the people on the forums are really helpful.
>> Anonymous
     File :-(, x)
Madam eating a shrimp on her birthday!
>> Anonymous
Because you have opened this... you will get kissed on the nearest possible Friday by the love of your life... if you don't break the chain. Tomorrow will be the best day of your life. However, if you don't repost this within ten minutes you will be forever cursed in love. Just copy and paste this.. Good Luck!
>> Anonymous
     File :-(, x)
i miss my ratty
>> Anonymous
>>61519
Swaying back and forth is common for rats because they have poor eyesight and that helps them to see.

Anyone have tips on making a rat not so mean? My male cries when I pet him, bites me when I try to pet him or put my hand in his cage, and hisses at me when I try to talk to him. He has no physical problems so I have no clue what his beef is.