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Anonymous
Hey /an/

I'll be getting a pair of rats from a breeder in a couple weeks. Don't worry about the cage, bedding, or whatever else. I did my research and I have a huge cage set up (can fit up t 4 rats according to the rat cage calculator) and did my homework on the food, etc.

I just want some rat tales. What to expect, how awesome they are, things like that.
>> Anonymous
Rats are seriously the coolest pets ever. Super fun to play with.
>> Anonymous
Apparently rats have an evolved aversion to unfamiliar objects in familiar places. Like most animals, they're curious about the unfamiliar and will explore new places with interest. However, thousands of years of trapping and poisoning have made them very wary of things that weren't there before.
>> Anonymous
don't get males!
They fart and they pee everywhere.
Making them very stinky.
Females are the way to go!

oh and stories? its a bit gross... but...
well, ages ago when I was little my little sister got 2 rats. my sister is a total idiot, and she forgot all about them. meaning she didnt feed them or anything. one day she FINALLY went to go check on them, and the other rat had half eaten the other's.

shes a total bitch I tell you.
>> Anonymous
heh, once we had a female and a male rat. They, of course, bred and we were left with like, 12 rats.
We couldn't house them all, and it was best NOT to take them to the petshop. (rats=snake food)
so, we put them in a huge-ass mulberry tree with really thick branches and hollows. and put water and food dishes on one of the branches. I would always go up there to see them, but over the months they turned wild, and started biting.
>> Anonymous
>>197354

I heard they like when you toss them onto soft things, and tickle them. X3
>> Anonymous
>>197358

Males are much, much more affectionate though. They'll just chill and watch a movie once they're full grown. Females are too hyper.
>> Anonymous
>>197358
oh fuck you.
i totally prefer males over females.

they are very active and don't want to sit still when they are young, but they turn into this lovable laidback ball of fuzz. They'll happily lay on you while you watch tv or something.
Females are just active and never really want to just sit around with you. I've had females before and I'll never get them again. I just love the male's personalities better.
As far as smells, my rats don't stick. They are litter trained and I clean their cages when I'm SUPPOSE to.

As for tales..
One day one of my rats escaped while I was away and my cousin told me about it. But I wouldn't be home for a few more days and when I came home I went straight upstairs and called for him(my rats respond to clicking) and he came right to me.
I have him on my lap now and he's rolled over asleep.
>> Anonymous
>>197365
mine do. (:
I roll them in blankets and shake them up a bit. Its funny watching them find the exit and as soon as they do, they go right back in and wait for you to do it again.
>> Anonymous
>>197371

Its just my personal experience and opinion.
sorry to hear you have a problem with it :/
>> Anonymous
I used to own two rats, sadly deceased, and they were brothers. They used to ride on my shoulders while I did chores around the house, they were very docile, but they loved to play when I did play with them. They never ran away, even when they got the cage door open -- they just raided the food bags, the beasts. I miss them, alot.

The breeder I got them from was a bit... weird, though. She had rats EVERYWHERE. Rat cages stacked five-six high all over her living room, and in her dining room, and I think a few in her kitchen. Weird, but they were all very, very clean, at least. The place stank of rat, but not of rat cage.
>> Anonymous
Get a male. I had a few females, and FUCK, they will never stay still/chill with you, ever. They're very sweet and nice, they'll greet you happily and run around on you, and want to play- but they can't just sit on your shoulder or lap. I'd pick a male over a female any day.
Its nice to walk around with a rat on your shoulder, and you feel closer to them.
>> Anonymous
>>197375
That was hardly telling a 'tale'.
You were telling OP NOT to get males just because you had a sucky experience with a few or one male rat.

One pissed on you? Better not get another! They must all do it.
>> Anonymous
OP here, I'm most likely getting males anyway. Someone told me they smell like corn chips. Awesome.
>> Anonymous
My first rat was a male. He was awesome, so content to sleep between my back and the back of my computer chair while I internetted into the wee hours of the night. He was always happy to be held and pet and loved on. He'd perch on my shoulder, too, and go anywhere with me. Totally cool guy.

After him, I tried keeping females. Gosh, they were a handful, but the first one I had was just incredibly sweet. I'd let her run free in the game room while I played N64. If I tried to give her attention, she'd go bounding away and hide somewhere. Once I'd gotten back into playing, though, she'd come out of nowhere and jump on my hands and be a complete nut. I loved her so much. One of the females I had after that was similar. We'd just let her roam the upstairs while it was playtime and she always ended up on someone's toes, or climbing up their leg and being social.

I think males and females are both fantastic choices. Both peed on me equally, and yeah, you know.. I always thought my rats smelled like chips. Glad I'm not the only one.
>> Anonymous
I had three male rats, and was keeping the lot of them in a large cage -- it was a big curly male and two of his offspring with a mother rat that belonged to my mom.

I left them with a self-operating feeder and three huge water bottles while I went on a trip for three days. I arrived home and discovered that two of them had ganged up on the third (one of the offspring) and slaughtered him -- eaten him, from the ass up into his insides.

It was extremely distressing, to say the least. I kept the two remaining ones but was a little leery of 'em.
>> Anonymous
My first two girl rats came from a breeder when they were just weened. In a week or so, I noticed them engaging in some pretty weird behavior (for two girls at least). Turns out the males balls just hadn't dropped yet and he was fucking the shit out of the girl. Absolutely nothing could have prepared me for the site that greeted me a few weeks later. She had had TWENTY-TWO babies. Jesus christ.

Anyway, that whole thing aside, the male rat was an aloof asshole that only tolerated our presence because we had the food. The girl was extremely affectionate - acting much like a very tiny dog. The girl, Zumi, would come running to you the moment you opened the door, run up your leg and shower you with cold rat nose kisses. Later she would get so excited that she'd wiggle her whole body and "wag" her tail. The male, Lump, would do nothing and generally ignored us entirely.

And, yeah, they can be litter trained but they still dribble.
>> Anonymous
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lol, rats
>> Anonymous
i had to look after my mates rats when he went on holiday.

the little fuckers crawled up the cage wall and sprayed piss at me

BAAHHHHHH
>> Shainako
I had a total of seven rats not long ago, and I'll tell you they all have different personalities. Sam was the 'git off mah lawn, ya whippersnappers!' kind of rat, but he recently passed. Harry, my favorite, was so tame he'd snuggle with me when I slept and I could take him anywhere. He'd sit with me at school, even, and was very pleasant. Sadly, he passed recently as well. We got some new babies, all male, (Darwin, Lester, and Jeeves - hee) and they're sweet as can be. They like to squirm under my arms when I lie down and sit there. Demus is a little.. Special, but his back smells like honey so that's awesome. James narrows his eyes at everyone and looks generally evil. A little nippy, but he'll never break skin and will generally put up with me.

Rats will do some pretty entertaining things. The babies climb the cage like Spider-Man, Sam once wedged himself into a cup and couldn't get out (hilarity), I used to have a rat named Henry that if you laid him on your chest with his face on your cheek and scratched his hinds, he'd lick your face.

I've had males for years now, and I would highly suggest getting them. You get used to the pee dribblies, and they don't smell bad (in my opinion, and I keep the cage clean). Mine all get run of my bed when I let them out, and they love slipping through the layers of blankets and sheets. Try it once, see if they like it!

Hope you get some good ones. :3
>> Anonymous
>>197436
Indeed, they don't smell bad. It's just a particular scent that isn't unbearable.

Ratties = best.
>> Anonymous
Does anyone have any experience with hairless rats? I thought about getting one cause my land lady has a problem with furry animals.. so I'm thinking of getting one that can't leave anything that people might be allergic to in the future.
>> Bitter Anon !!WJLRQ1cwCyZ
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>>197533
Hairless rats are great. I had one, Gus, who was about 5-6 when he died. He was incredibly cuddly and loving, and was happy just chilling on someone's shoulder against their neck. You have to be careful about chemicals (moreso than normal rats, even someone with cologne on could make his skin turn funny). Gus was badass. He killed another male rat by biting off his penis.

The thing with hairless rats is their skin gets gross easy. Wipe them down with a warm wet paper towel every other day and they can be GREAT companions. Males will tend to get "buck grease" (iirc it is essentially testosterone oozing from their pores) on their backs which can get kinda gross, but again, if you just wipe them down fairly frequently, they're good.
>> Anonymous
>>197533
I had one once, but he passed away a couple months ago. He was so sweet. He was the rat that escape and came to me when I came back home that I posted here>>197371.

I always made sure he had a lot of bedding and clothes to sleep in just in case he was cold. I figured if I was even a little chilly, he would be a lot colder than me.

They are also prone to getting pimples and back heads. Mine had them on his tail, which never really bothered him. I'd drape a warm cloth on it until it was soft and eventually it'd ooze/pop. His skin also got dry sometimes so I'd rub olive oil on him(even though he'd lick it off) which helps a lot.
Some might be a little sensitive to touch and may not like to be touched in some places(mine hated having his stomach touched).

But he was certainly a little odd ball and I loved to take him places with me. People always had to stop and stare or ask me what the hell he was. I wouldn't love rats as much as I do now if it weren't for him.
>> Anonymous
>>197537

I'm still thinking about it. I live in SF and my apartment doesn't have a heater, so I'm worried that if I get one, he'll end up freezing.
>> Shainako
>>197533
All the rats I just mentioned were hairless. :3
>> Anonymous
>>197537

Sounded awesome till you got to buck grease. D:
>> Breeders Nonny-Moose
How does one go about finding a rat breeder?
In, for example, San Diego?
>> Anonymous
>>197545
internet.

thats how i found mine.. after a lot of googling. to bad the bitch lives at least three hours away. but at least she's a good one.
>> Anonymous
Is a rat (one with fur) softer than a bunny? This question came up on a /tg/ furry shitstorm thread yesterday and now I need to know.
>> Anonymous
>>197548
Not even close.
Rat fur is soft when they are babies, but not so much when older. They feel like a dog to me.

Rex rats might be different. But I don't know since I've never owned one.
>> Anonymous
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>>197548
Rat fur changes within standards, you get hairless, Rex, double rex, silk, self, and others.. also my rats

( yes i know about the shit, we just came back from holiday and guy taking care of them was a bit of a tit and didn't bother to clean the cage)
>> Bitter Anon !!WJLRQ1cwCyZ
>>197541
All healthy male rats emit buck grease. Most lick it off or reabsorb it. I assume the reasoning behind it is that girl rats react the same way to it as some women do to man-sweat (fresh after workout sweat, not laying around like a bum without the ac on sweat). Gus really was a man's man, as the saying goes. My current bucks do not emit near as much buck grease, and are actually quite sissified.

>>197548
There are a lot of coat types. Rex, teddy rex (longhaired rex) and double rex (aka patchwork hairless) rats have fur that is incredibly soft. Like the hair of a baby or an angora sweater. Satins are, naturally, a bit silkier and satin feeling. Male rats and norway types tend to have the roughest fur, but even then, it is still comparably as soft as a rabbit.
>> Bitter Anon !!WJLRQ1cwCyZ
Oh, and if you somehow have not figured it out: there are no 'breeds' of rats like there are in dogs.

A rat is a rat. One coat colour or pattern is no better for a pet than any other. With different coat textures there may be specific concerns, but do not pay more for a blue rat than a black rat. Its the same goddamn thing.

"lab rats" are pink eyed whites. They can come from a litter with agouti, blacks, hoodeds, dumbo, rexes, whatever. Unless you are breeding (which you shouldn't be), then it doesn't fucking matter. PEWs can be great pets, just as agouti or "brown sewer rats"/"feeder rats" can.

The only reason rat A should cost more than rat B is if rat A shits gold. (This does not count unless you are a breeder, in which case body type and coat could play a factor in cost.)
>> Anonymous
hey /a/
I was just wondering about male rats, is it possible to get them neutered like dogs and cats?
It may be a stupid question, but I honestly want to know.
>> Anonymous
I use to own two rats and let them roam around my room. Then I found out they were chewing my cords and wires. So word of advice.
>> Anonymous
>>197586
yes it's about 20 quid, or 40 ish dollars per rat.
>> Anonymous
>>197586

Yes, it is possible. You have to find a small animal/exotics vet though (rats are considered 'exotic' pets). Find a vet in your area with a LOT of experience neutering small animals though, just because s/he knows how to neuter dogs does not mean s/he knows anything about neutering or spaying rats.
>> Rat
This is my kind of thread!
>> Anonymous
I've got two females, one is a major snuggler and the other is definitely more exploratory. Strangely enough, the snuggler LOVES to play dentist and inspect my mouth. Anyone else have this?
>> Bitter Anon !!WJLRQ1cwCyZ
>>197586
As other anons have said, be sure you go to a vet that knows wtf they are doing. Make sure they properly sedate the rat and that they remove all fat from the scrotum, because male rats are incredibly prone to abcesses after neutering if there is any fat left in the area. Remember, they drag their balls across rocks, gravel, and everything else, so they're pretty much covered in padding.

>>197608
I had a female rat that would pry open someone's mouth to get at their teeth. She loved to groom, to the point that she would groom bald spots on her cagemates. As long as it is not in excess (like my rat did), it is fine. Too much grooming can be a sign of frustration or stress. In my rat's case, she was old and her mate had died so she was having a tough time of it.
>> jym
I've had several pairs of female rats. I think my last pair hated eachother because they fought all night long. Like.. fighting to the point of squealing. The smaller of the two ended up passing away, and after some time I gave the larger girl to a ratty enthusiast because I felt she was being neglected.
>> Mo
Females are more prone to attitude problems. Get males if you can, but the best choice is a female with a neutered male. Of course, have a blast finding a vet familiar with neutering rats. Male rats tend to develop greasy backs when not neutered. it's not super gross but it is the source of the stink that some people are warning you against. Just bathe them gently with no-tear shampoo upon occasion and it'll be fine.

Keep an eye on their breathing. Strained or noisy respiration is generally the first sign of any problem. Also watch their eyes and nose for crust. Often it looks like blood--it's not. Keep the areas clean.

Handle them a lot. Become familiar with their bodies so that you will notice any lumps early on. Cysts are more common in rats than in any other animal I've ever owned.

Rat ribs are more slender than toothpicks. Be careful.

Clean the cage every. single. week.

Don't rely on packaged rodent food. They need human food, too. Less meat, than anything else. And they need plenty of stuff to chew apart. Those teeth WILL continue to grow.

They are very sensitive to temperature and will easily overheat or freeze.

Except in a few individual cases, rats are very social animals. When you lose one, it is not uncommon for the loss to shorten the other's life span.

Hope this is helpful!
>> Anonymous
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Since no one else has done it yet...
>> Anonymous
>>197650
>Clean the cage every. single. week.

Clean it twice a week.
>> Anonymous
>>197650

OP here. Going to probably get males (others in the house are scared off by seeing their balls or whatever). And I'm planning on feeding a mix of Suebees and Harlan Teklad blocks. Got plenty of chewing stuff.
>> Anonymous
person who asked about neutering them here.

Once when I was like six I had two male mice and they used to fight eachother, I would get up to see them and their would be blood in the cage.

do male rats ever fight eachother? I know mice and rats are different, but still very similar.
are rats more laid-back and nice?
>> Anonymous
>>197685

Whoever sold you two male mice together needs to be shot. Male mice will ALWAYS fight violently. Mice can only be kept in groups of females. Rats are infinitely more laid back than mice. Male rats usually work out a hierarchy (in some cases, an older male will more readily accept a young male into the group because he doesn't pose a threat) and as long as they keep to it, they're fine. Of course, sometimes things happen and they fight for the alpha position. The general rule is "no blood, no foul" I've very rarely heard of times when male rats have fought to the point of blood or having to be separated. If this -does- happen and you have a particularly aggressive male rat, neutering sometimes helps.
>> Anonymous
>>197689
yeah, well the crappy petstore thought one was female and one was male.
but they were both males.
what kind of petshop are they if they cant even identify sexes? let alone sell them sunsure of what they are.
>> Anonymous
>>197706

If you bought them together thinking they were male and female, YOU and your parents need to be shot. No six year old would be able to take care of a small animal with babies without fucking it up. Or did you think they would be nice enough to live together without breeding like the horny rodents they are?
>> Blackarachnia's giant robot tits !bXU0gE0lts
I plan to get rats when I move out (they're my favorite animal but my mom hates them).

Here's a random question: What's the best way to clean them? I know they're very clean animals, but does that mean you should never wash them?
>> Anonymous
>>197706

It's.. pretty easy for some small animals like that to be difficult to sex. I've picked up hamsters and mice I KNEW were males and their testicles would somehow vanish. They can pull those suckers all the way into their body. So.. while it was the pet store's mistake, it's an easier slip-up than you'd think.
>> Anonymous
>>197774

Usually a damp papertowel every once in a while takes care of the buck grease male rats have. If not, ferret shampoo is your best bet for cleaning them. They... do not enjoy bath time though.
>> Anonymous
>>197798

you're not supposed to sex them by checking for testicles, you're supposed to check the space between the urethra and the anus. Bigger space = male, nearly together = female
>> Bitter Anon !!WJLRQ1cwCyZ
>>197685
Seconding other anon's comments re: male aggression. Rats love to scuffle and fight, but they learn very quick how to tell when they are being too rough. If they are squeaking when "playing", then the squeaking rat is basically throwing in the towel or saying uncle, whichever comparison you prefer. Groups of rats will remember which rat doesn't respect the 'saying uncle', and will not play with that rat. You should introduce rats slowly just like introducing any other new pet to the household, but rats generally fight for a few minutes then cuddle and are best buds for life. Unless there is blood or screaming, stay out of it. And if there IS blood or screaming, dont stick your goddamn hand in there and separate them unless you want to lose a finger. If you intervene, YOU become the target. Squirt them with water or just make a loud noise and they will freeze and/or separate, giving you a chance to check them for wounds and whatnot.

(stupid field too long error..)
>> Bitter Anon !!WJLRQ1cwCyZ
>>197989

As for washing: Wipe them down with a warm wet (not dripping) paper towel once a week for healthy males and keep their cage clean and you should be fine. If they start to really really smell, its likely their bedding (hammocks or nest boxes), and that should be cleaned or changed (which you should be doing anyway when you clean the cage). If you MUST bathe them, do it no more than once a month unless they get into something horrible. Use an unscented baby shampoo or a gentle puppy/kitten shampoo. Its best that you make a game of it, such as filling a broad, shallow bowl with water and dumping frozen veggies in it, then letting them dive in for the food and essentially wash themselves.

Worst case scenario for washing: Hold rat in hands. Shove rat underwater and shake vigorously. Remove rat from water, make much kissy noises and apologize, while scrubbing soap into their fur. Grab rat and shove it underwater and shake some more. Remove rat from water and again make kissy noises and apologize. Repeat until all soap is removed from the rats fur and they are furious. Give them treats and cuddle them in a towel until you are forgiven. Rats can hold their breath, but don't hold their heads underwater, just get their bodies in and let them flail their little legs.

Oh, and rats and mice will suck their balls into their bodies to try and blend in with the girls, either to try and lure them into a false sense of security to make it easier to raep, or because they are scared. Check for penis. If it has a penis, it is male. Rat traps are not as fun as human traps.
>> Anonymous
>>197980
Oh, I know, I'm just saying that while it's really easy to sex some small animals, others require closer inspection. Like I said, it's still the pet store's mistake and people who run a business like that shouldn't have it happen.
>> Anonymous
I never really liked rats much untill i moved into a flat with a guy who had one. It was awesome. Female, It never ever stopped moving though, We had a massive cage for her but she allways found a way to escape. One time when she had gotten out we were looking for her and she suddenly appeared from behind the washing machine, We just put her back in her cage but she kept getting out and going behind the washing machine so one day we pulled the washing machine and found loads of shredded paper in one of the holes where the water pipes were, She must of been building a wee nest lol.
>> Anonymous
>>197993

Yeah, females and babies will escape from cages easily if the bar spacing is over an inch wide. Sneaky buggers.
>> Anonymous
Is there any way to keep their nails short? I've heard rocks in the cage (under the water bottle in particular) help trim them.
>> Anonymous
>>197990
For some reason the worst case washing scenario made me lol.
>> Blackarachnia's giant robot tits !bXU0gE0lts
>>198158
I've learned to ignore their claws (I may not own rats, but I have some friends that do). Think of them as love cuts.
>> Shainako
>>198158
You can clip them with a nail-clipper, but only the little curled white tips. Any further and you'll cut them.
>> Anonymous
>>197676
Depends on how well they're litter trained/size of cage/etc. But once a week is minimum assuming optimal conditions.
>> Bitter Anon !!WJLRQ1cwCyZ
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>>198158
Pic is of my boys and is very related. This is how long their nails should be. They should trim their nails themselves as part of their normal grooming, but sometimes rats do not. Placing a patio paver or brick in their cage will help, as will giving them some wood to climb or a solid, slightly rough surface to stand/climb upon. Don't use sticks from outside, get a bird ladder or rope toy or one of the "decorative" ones for fish tanks. Don't use sisal or anything that can shred and splinter. The best places to put these things are under the water bottle (not directly under it, but where they stand when they drink) and anywhere they must pass on a regular basis (underneath a cutout between two levels of their cage, for example). Unless you are willing to take your rat to a vet for a fuckton of cash, do not clip their nails. If you get them used to presenting their hands and sitting still and you have a very steady hand, then maybe, just maybe you could attempt it.

A good rule for gauging on whether or not a cage is escape proof: If you can fit your thumb through the hole, your rat can get out. Rats are incredibly flexible. The bars should be no bigger than 1/4 inch apart for females, and should be even smaller for young rats or for mice.

>>198164
You are a sad sick little man. Why yes, I do laugh maliciously as I bathe them, why do you ask?
>> Anonymous
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The more time you spend with them, the sweeter they will be. Try to have at LEAST a couple rat hours a day and you will have awesome pets ^_^