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Anonymous
So I bought this rat today as a companion for my older male rat. The store person assured me that it was a male rat, but after looking up pictures I'm not so sure. Please help I don't want rat babies everywhere....and yes they are in seperate cages.
>> Anonymous
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Here's another pic, if it helps at all. Sorry that they are so blury.
>> Anonymous
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That definitely looks like a female. Males will have much larger gaps between their penis and anus. Females, not so much. Also, where are the characteristic giant rat balls? I know rats can get nervous and draw them into their bodies but even really really young rat boys still have some pretty obvious nuts on them.

IMO, take it (her?) back. Maybe ask to speak with a manager and get a second opinion, too.

Pic related - female on the left, male on the right. These are just 14 days old, though. The difference is even bigger once they get a few weeks older..
>> Anonymous
one day, a rat has no testicles, the next thing you know, they're dragging on the floor behind him..
>> Anonymous
Well this sucks. I'm cuddling her/it right now and am kinda attatched. When do testicles usually appear? I think shes still kinda young.
>> Anonymous
>>229156
according to your pic, OP's pic is more like the right one, which you say is male.
>> Anonymous
>>229161
3-4 weeks, according to the internet.

I don't want to sound mean, but I guarantee you, you'll attach yourself to a squirmy baby boy just as quickly if you take her back. Such are rats, neh?

If you've got the money, you could also see about getting your male neutered. That'd probably make him calmer and be beneficial for your new addition whether male or female.. but I donno if there's a certain age range you should get that done at or what.
>> Anonymous
>>229162
Not really. Are you looking at the difference between the distance between penis/urethra and anus? I think those pictured are younger than OP's rat, too. OP can also check for nipples.
>> Anonymous
OP here

If I put them together and watched them really closley to see if the male was trying to mount the new rat would this be okay? Or do females have specific heat cycles and wont show interest unless its the right time?

Also what if I take it back and the store insists that its a male and wont refund or exchange?
>> Anonymous
>>229165
Maybe? Your older rat might just mount your new one either way to show dominance. Can't remember if rats do that or not.

That'd be pretty dumb if the store won't take it back. Most places will have a guarantee of some sort. Talk to the manager, if you have to. Did you get it from a mom n' pop local place or a big chain?

Either way, I'd keep it isolated for a while yet, just as a safety precaution for both rats.
>> Anonymous
I had two girl gerbils and they'd hump all the damn time.
But that rat does look female, similar to female hamster and gerbil genitals.
>> Anonymous
>>229165

Don't put them together! If your male does try to hump the newcomer, she'll be pregnant before you can blink. And yes, males will hump other males too...

In my opinion, having worked with rats 5+ years, it looks like a girl.
>> BitterAnon !!WJLRQ1cwCyZ
If you got her from a pet store and she was in with males, I cannot stress enough that SHE IS ALREADY PREGNANT. RETURN HER. Unless you want to have 14 or so more babies!

Watching closely doesn't matter. It takes less than three seconds for rats to fuck. The only time I have seen intact male and female rats live together without babies being born was when the female was almost five and was infertile, and the male STILL humped her all the time. Rats will hump anything, willing or not. Its not just about sex either, it's a dominance thing.

It doesn't even matter if she's not showing signs of estrus, she can get infested with fetuses while not in heat.

You should look at a pair of adult rescue rats. If you get a new, young, rat and your old one dies, then you will have to get a companion for the new-old rat, and the cycle of lonely rat will continue. Three rats are not that much more difficult than two rats.
>> Anonymous
I had two hamsters. the pet store guy said they were both male. then one of them gained some huge sacks, that looked like balls, but it turned out she was pregnant
>> Anonymous
>>229305
>infested with fetuses

I HATE IT WHEN THAT HAPPENS!
>> Anonymous
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Took her back today. Different store person was nice, but they didn't have anymore rats, so got a cool rope toy instead. Then drove to two more pet stores and called up a third, also no rats. Been expecting them for the last six weeks, should get them soon yadda yadda etc.

So now floyd is still lonley and is crrently curled up behing my screen feeling sorry for himself. He's just missing his friend that went missing (reason for getting new rat), but how do I make him feel better? He kinda liked the new toy, but has gone off his food a bit and is shy and doesn't like me handling him alot.
>> BitterAnon !!WJLRQ1cwCyZ
>>229676
They seriously told you that they "had been expecting them for six weeks"? Most pet stores, at least around here and everywhere that I have been, get weekly shipments of rodents. Sometimes two weeks, depending on how busy they are. They all come from rodent farms that just ship them out, its not like it can be six weeks late without corporate canceling their contract and finding another mill.

Did you go to different locations of the same chain? Cause it sounds like they called around and warned eachother about you being a retarded douche. Not sure why they would do that, but it is highly suspect that nowhere sold you rats.

go to www.petfinder.com and find a fucking rescue.

How did the other rat "go missing". Have you tried to catch the missing rat? The reason he has "gone off his food" is because he is sick cause you brought home horrible petstore cooties. He's probably going to die. If he starts sneezing, take him to a goddamn vet and tell them you are an idiot.
>> Anonymous
Got rude much??

Obviously you didn't read my original post....seperate cages idiot. Do you seriously think I would bring a new rat home with quarantining it??

Two different pet stores both had rats, but they had all been paid for and were waiting to be picked up, third store that I called is expecting to get them early next week. Petfinder is useless in Australia...emailed a few rodent rescue groups, but havn't heard anything back from them.

And yes I lost my rat and didn't bother looking for him *rolls eyes*. Cage was outside like normal, went out for a few hours, came back and he was gone, no damage to cage, lid was still on. Still leaving food out, but every morning its untouched.

Thankyou for being helpful at all and wasting my time.
>> BitterAnon !!WJLRQ1cwCyZ
>>229705
Yes, I am pretty sure that if you cant tell a male rat from a female rat without asking the internet, then you would bring home a rat without quarentining it. Just because you use separate cages doesn't mean that viruses and whatnot are unable to transfer between them. Did you wash your hands throughly between touching them, and change clothes if you allowed them to walk on you? Were the cages in separate rooms? Did you wash your hands/change clothes after you went and fondled other rats at the pet store?
>Cage was outside like normal, went out for a few hours
What the hell does that mean? You put the cage outside for and left it them unsupervised for a few hours? After all, its not like Australia has a fuckton of predators that could eat your rat, thats just impossible.

I would suggest you set up a can trap but you would probably get that wrong and/or catch a wallaby or something.

Here are some rat breeder/rescue links, but I really think you should contact them and surrender yours instead of adopting a new one.

http://www.rathelp.org/Shelters.html#Australia
http://www.dapper.com.au/links.htm#ausbreeders (this one even has a ton of breeder, vets, and rescue links)
http://rockabyeratties.tripod.com/about.htm
>> Anonymous
Try going to Craigslist and see if anyone has any rats up for adoption near your area. They are usually very cheap (if not free) and very well tempered because they are coming from loving owners.
>> Anonymous
nice pics of girl rats
i came
>> Anonymous
>>229163


>>Such are rats, neh?

>>rats, neh?

>>neh?

>>neh?

>>neh?

GB2/narutofan/
>> Anonymous
facepalm.jpg

male rats are pretty obvious, r u a total idiot?
>> Anonymous
Looks like a female, but you have to wait till its older to tell for sure
>> MiMi
>>229726
Damn, Bitter.
I missed you, man.