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Our family has been discussing the topic of pets for a very long time and we are finally ready to make that commitment. We're going to get a pair of rats. So here is the big question. Should we get males or females? I would appreciate tips and advice from anyone who has kept pet rats. Thanks!

This was before your time. Danny Neaverth & Joey Reynolds. WKBW Radio.
click and enjoy.
I am making this my official "FrugalGail Song"


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lbe2c7XysnU

We should have known that you science geeks would get lab rats. :)

Look how young Danny Neaverth is in those pics!

I had males growing up. I'm pretty sure the females can smell pretty bad and be a bit more aggressive. My males were wonderful, calm, and friendly. Anyways, they were the BEST pets I ever had. To this day when I think about those guys, I miss them.

We had a pair of female rats. We loved them! They are extremely smart and become very social when you handle them a lot. They chew constantly because their incisors continue to grow and they need to wear them down. You can buy these little wooden rods for them at the pet store. They are nocturnal so don't get a squeaky excercise wheel or else you'll be up all night. If anyone in your family has allergies to pet dander, rats, unfortunately, tend to shed a lot of dander. We had our rat-ladies in my daughter's room for awhile and she was sneezing and wheezing. We ended up moving them to another part of the house which relieved her symptons. Also, they tend to be prone to breast cancer. I know, it sounds weird, but both of our rats developed tumors when they were about 2 yrs old. Our vet said it's common. Once the tumors became ulcerated, we had to have our girls - "Buddy" and "Pal" - euthanized (we picked out the names before we picked out the rats). It was sad but we couldn't let them be in pain. I guess 2 is old age for a rat. I don't know if it happens just in the females. I think we would get males if we ever owned rats again. Anyhow, they were friendly, funny and faithful pets and I would recommend them to anyone. Rats get such a bad rap but they are amazing little creatures. They are not dirty (any more than any other pet) or mean.

I had males growing up. I'm pretty sure the females can smell pretty bad and be a bit more aggressive. My males were wonderful, calm, and friendly. Anyways, they were the BEST pets I ever had. To this day when I think about those guys, I miss them.

Your family will truly enjoy them!

"My males were wonderful, calm, and friendly." - That's not surprising, after all they are males. What else would you expect?

LOL, Pappa J!

i had a male... it was actually a "hand me down" from a classmate that got a male and a female (what was thinking????) and when they started having babies the parent ate their babies and the male ate the female... my friend had no idea that they did that... so he was mad at the male and could not stand that "cannibal" monster in his house any longer… so I adopted little Taxe (short for Artaxerxes). Well, my roommate had a husky and a few months later our little Persian emperor escaped from his cage and that was it for him… rats and fishes are pets I don’t ever want to have again… I guess I am more of a dog person.

How did you decide to get Rats? Not my first choice but I'm not much of an animal person eventhough we do have a dog, frog and a hermit crab. If it was up to me I'd give them all away!

My son does not like dogs, I am allergic to cats, and we want something that is friendly and will bond with humans. Everyone we talk to says that rats are the best.

All I have to say is that we learned the hard way what weird things animals in the rodent fam do! My mom hated them but we had hamsters growing up (from Woolworths at Southgate plaza...dating myself now!). We happened to buy a Pregnant female and she birthed 14 babies! My mom called pet shops to find out what to do w/them and who wanted them but to our horror nobody rcvd any of them....they eat their young!!! Mama ATE all 14 babies by time I came home from school! Last pet shop my mom called said "oh yeah forgot to tell you that!" OMG

Good luck...get a fish! lol