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Male or Female?
This archived discussion is "read only".
» westmountain - which is better? I am interested in getting a pet rat for my home daycare. I have never owned a rat before and am excited to have one. All that I have read suggests that rats are the perfect pet for the daycare children.I am confused though as to which sex to choose. I have read conflicting information and would like to hear from rat owners as to which gender would make a better pet for the children. Thanks so much! -- posted by westmountain » lilbabyred26 - Re: which is better? In response to which is better? posted by westmountain:Either male or female will make a great pet, the thing you prolly want to take in to consideration is that male rats testicles are highly visible and it may cause some questions from your daycare children and their parents may not like that. Also never keep a rat alone always get it a cage mate of the same sex to keep it company as rats are nocturnal and will play while you are sleeping. Please pick rats that come from a good breeder or adopt from a rat rescue shelter alotot of times rats from pet stores are inbred and sick due to poor conditions,and their temperament isn't always good. If i was in your position i would buy 2 female rats from a local breeder ,because good breeders know their stock lines and breed out unwanted flaws and diseases, and their rats are usually well socialized (are use to being handled by people)Also please do NOT keep you rats in a fish tank, fish tanks do not offer enough ventilation and are cramped, rats need room to romp and play and love to climb. Please learn all you can about rats as pets before you purchase them.I highly suggest buying or reading anything written by Debbie Ducommunun on Rats she is considered the pet rat expert , also i recommend finding a vet that treats rats(not as exotics)and is knowledgeable about them or is willing to learn before you purchase them, some breeders require you have a vet lined up already before they will sell to a person,to ensure the rats are going to be pets and not reptile food. I know that this seems like alot to take in and it is sort of ,but i say this with the best of intentions for you and for the rats that are going to be purchased,i see people every day that didn't know what they were getting into when they got their cute little ratties and it ends in disaster alot of the time,usually at the expense of the rats health and the owners wallet and emotions. I wish you the best of luck with the rats you get,and i hope you have happy rats and happy kiddos. -- posted by lilbabyred26 » westmountain - Re: Re: which is better? In response to Re: which is better? posted by lilbabyred26:Thanks Mandy. I completely agree with you re: learning BEFORE. I have been doing a great deal of research, and have included the children in it by reading books about rat care (for kids) with them. I am trying to model the thought and consideration hat SHOULD happen before aquiring any pet. I like the idea of two females, however, there are no breeders in my area. Petsmart is the closest store to me(well, there is another, but I don' get good vibes from the ppl there) and they only sell males. We have visited the local shelter and will consider hat route when we are ready as well. Other than the testicles, are there any concerns with wo males? -- posted by westmountain » girlygirl95 - Curious I was wondering if a female would be a good rat for me??? I am into a rat that would be really loving.-- posted by girlygirl95 » Nachoes_92 - Re: which is better? Rats will be a great choice for a daycare pet. I had a a hard time disiphering whether to get male or female as well. I decided upon a female.The sex of the rattie you get really depends on what you want. Male rats tend to be less active. they also have smellier cages because they are terriotorial. Female rats are active night and day, and are also a bit noisy at night. there cages will be less smellier because they are not to territorial. So if the children and you want a rattie to cuddle up with and watch tv with I suggest a male, but if the kids and you would prefer a rattie with energy I suggest a female. Please do remember a companion for you rattie friend would be greatly appreciated. Because rats are paticularly active at night, where you or children would not be able to give it the love it craves a companion would help it to not be lonely. They love to cuddle up groom and play fight with other ratties. hope this info was of help to you -- posted by Nachoes_92 » phoenix666 - Re: which is better? i have three male rats and i think that they are a lot more docile than females. females are more active than males. hoped this helped-- posted by phoenix666 » Camsi - male or female rats? I'm a 15-yr-old girl and I really want to get a pair of rats. I've done lots of research plus my older sister has owned rats before. Yet I'm finding it very difficult to decide whether to get 2 males or 2 females. I know that males are smellier (not good), larger and lazier. And females are more active and smaller. I would like rats that could curl up in my lap while I watch TV but I also want to be able to have fun with them... Please help.-- posted by Camsi » ratkin1 - Re: male or female rats? Why not get a male and a female? If you can find a vet who will spay/neuter one of your rats, you could eliminate the baby problem while enjoying what both sexes have to offer. If you decide to go this route though, make sure that the female has not been in a mixed sex cage, as she will probably already be pregnant, and that you keep her and the male separate until one of them has been neutered. Good luck, they're great pets!-- posted by ratkin1 » Camsi - Red around eyes. I have 2 male rats, Honey and Mustard. They are 3 months old. When I wash Honey his eyes get red around them, like blood but I've read that its not actually blood. It goes away quickly (I think he cleans it away). I use "Aristopet: Small Animal Shampoo, mild and gentle formulation". This only happens when I wash him so I'm not going to wash him anymore but I still want to know if its a problem. My rats are so sweet curled up in a ball.-- posted by Camsi
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