Pet Rats!!!?

Question

Hello, Ive just bought some pet rats,two males and two females (in seperate cages) ive have always had boy rats, but have any of you had girl rats, i have heard they are full of beans

Answer 1

I've had, and still have for going on 11 years now, both genders living in the same room in separate cages.

"full of beans", yes, very good description, LOL! :)

Females are active, inquisitive, and mischievous for their entire lives. They are so entertaining and really keep me on my toes.

Female rats come into heat every 4-5 days and stay in heat for 24 hours at which time they do an "estrus dance".
She will crouch in a frozen state, but stroke her back and she will dart forward in a hop hop hop, or spin around. She will brace her legs stiffly, lift her head and tail, and vibrate her ears. This dance tells the male she is ready to breed. And she will perform this dance whether or not there is a male available.

Female rats ***will*** look for a male when they are ready to breed so make sure the girls' cage is secure. Rats can mate through the bars of their cage. I never believed this until it actually happened to me.

Female rats do mark their territory, some more then others, but they don't use as much urine for this endeavor as the male rats do.

I agree with you Katt in that the older male makes a wonderful lap rat. Both males and females are just as active when young, but males grow lazy, and more cuddly, with age.


Sandra Beasley and the Spaz Rats
(Rattery, Rescue, and Rat-care Expert)
http://spazrats.tripod.com
"my life has gone to the rats"

Answer 2

Girl rats are brilliant, I have had 4 and they were all lovely. The only problem I had was that they were like little houdini's and got out of 4 of the 5 cages I got them. I bought a really expensive rat cage, all singing all dancing, and they ate the malamine and escaped! They pinched 2 pairs of my knickers and made them into a nest under my bed. They also snipped thought the computer wires and dragged that under there as well! I don't know if this has anything to do with them being female as I have never had a man rat. The only thing they didn't escape from was a glass tank.

Answer 3

we've the two one among them. My daughter has a albino lavender king snake plus we've 11 rats. some whether rats are up for adoption. we don't stay feed her (snake) and mice or rats in user-friendly terms frozen fuzzies we get from a puppy shop. We even have mice, Syrian hamsters, dwarf hamsters, gerbils, rabbits, cats, canines, cockatiels, some fish, a tarantula, an iguana, a wolf hybrid, a Pygmy goat and a pink sheep. they're stored at my domicile and not in a preserve or puppy shop.

Answer 4

I know others will disagree with me but I have found that male rats tend to be more social, liking to be held more and less skittish. Where as the females like to be on thier own. They do not sit as still for as long so holding them for snuggles is not as easy. Both sexes are wonderful pets. I just happen to perfer the snuggly ones better so I tend to stick with males.

Answer 5

Ive had six female rats (no males) yes they are quite lively but they are excellent intelligent creatures to have as pets be careful if your thinking of breeding them as they become sexually mature at about 8weeks old and things can soon get out of hand .

Answer 6

I've had hundreds of girl rats, and they are the best! They don't tend to leave a trail of pee everywhere like the boys do. I wouldn't keep the boys and girls cages too close to each other, it seems to have made my boy rat aggressive. He just longingly sniffs at the girls all day. Bless.

Answer 7

I've had both genders of rat and have found that they're both trouble makers! Great pets, male and female.

Answer 8

my sister got a female rat an she is so tame she leaves her to run round her bedroom when she goes to school but she is always haven to hoover all the time Little dropping every were.

Answer 9

They are slightly more active than males but not a lot.