Can a Male Rat be with another male Rat?

Question

I want another buddy for Dexter a Male and i dont know if u can put them together....?

Answer 1

looks over at 11 unrelated all age males sharing one cage

mmm yep i reckon they can ;)

he will love you for getting him a buddy, after all living alone, however much you interact with him, is pretty much like living in solitary confinement with no one speaking your language

now id possibly go for two 8 week old kits [ same sex of course dont want to be overrun with little ones do you =) ] so when dexter wants to rest but they want to keep playing they have got someone else and he gets a break

how to introduce
well id pop dexter into a holding cage whilst you thoroughtly strip and clean the cage , bars as well. then wipe the cage down with a rag moistened with a little vanilla essence and pop new or freshly cleaned hammocks and toys in, making sure, at this stage, no houses are used as its easy to get territoral over them
now its all set up introduce dexter to the newbies somehwhere like the bath [lay a towel in first] and let them investigate each other. expect some huffing and puffing and dexter to pin them a little but remember the golden rule, no blood no foul.
when they all seem comfortable with each other give them all a quick wipe with the same vanilla cloth you wiped the cage with and pop them all in the cage together
by the time theyve all finished exploring and investigating they'll just want to snuggle up and sleep

dont worry if you see a littel huffing and puffing over the next few days or hear a little squealing its to be expected, just remember the rule and keep a little spray bottle of water to use in case it gets too rough

try very hard NOT to seperate otherwise its back to square one

some people will say you MUST quarantine, well, unless you can quarantine in a seperate air space, ie another room on another floor, AND are willing to change all your clothes AND shower between touching each cage for the next three weeks, then dont bother. most rats have most things anyway, they are born with myco and sda can be transmitted just by being near another rat in a breeder/rescue/shop

EDIT TO ADD: male rats definately DO NOT need to be neutered for introductions to work. the ONLY reason to neuter [apart for medical reasons] is for hormonal induced aggression, this happens around 6-9 months, their teenage phase, some rats go through it fine some get a bit bolshy. To subjuect a rat to neuter and all the risks involved just un case it 'helps' them accept another is highly dangerous, you could be left with no rat whatsoever
Of the 11 only one is neutered and he had been accepted at 8 weeks by the other, then 5, cage mates and had happily accepted introductions after him, both older rats and younger ones.
He was quite happy until he hit his teenage period then he turned into a spitting spawn of hell which equalled unhappy cage rats AND unhappy him. HOWEVER he has been a cage mate for 6MONTHS by then not a newbie, so there was no way it was needed for intros

Answer 2

If your rat is not neutered, and if you get another intact male, the chances of them not getting along are fairly high. If you think he's lonely, you can have him neutered, and then get him another neutered male or a female for a buddy - better chances. Or leave him intact and get him a spayed female for a buddy.
Neutered males are more likely to get along. And adult males accept them more easily, the younger they are (more easily accepting babies). Although that is not always the case. Here's my experience:
I once had 2 intact males (who had been growing up together since they were little babies), and was going to introduce them to another intact male, who was only a tiny baby at the time. I took all the proper precautions - introduced them in an area they were not familiar with so they would not become territorial (bathtub is an excellent choice). I put vanilla extract on all of them to cover their scents and make them all smell the same.... The little one ended up being bullied by the one big guy especially, and he got so scared, he bit the big male and drew blood. If they start fighting during the introduction, it is very crucial that you remove the aggressor from the situation to teach them a lesson (otherwise they will just believe if they dont like something, it will go away). Regular squabbles and "boxing" are normal and harmless. But if there is blood, I would call it quits for good. I ended up neutering the little guy and had him live with my females. Then one of the intact males passed away, and the other intact male was lonely. I bought another male baby to be his companion, had the baby neutered at first. Then I introduced them, and I did it too soon after the neutering, because the babies' testicles weren't fully gone yet (they sort of shrink and disappear some days after the procedure), and my big male did not recognize him as a neuter, and felt threatened in his alpha status. He bit the baby in the foot, and the baby was bleeding all over the place.. it took a long time to stop the bleeding. This little guy also ended up living with the females. But the other neutered male, who had been living with the females, in the meantime was an adult way past his peak hormone time (males tend to peak around 5 months of age and have a little more squabbles during that time, most of the time it's harmless and temporary), and I thought I just would give it a try.
My intact male this time accepted him without even one squabble! He sniffed him constantly at first, to make sure he was a neuter (he probably couldn't figure out WHAT he was.. boy or girl? lol) but never attacked him. The 2 now live happily together.
So what can I say... I know sometimes 2 intact males can get along, but to increase your chances, I would consider neutering / spaying if you want a male-male or a male-female pair. I never had any problems with any of my females, whether they were introduced to another female, or a neutered male.

Answer 3

It would be homophobic to say that it is wrong for two male rats to live together. Only joking. It can be hit and miss. Some are compatible, and some will not get on. If they are blood related, or brought up together from young, then the chances of there being conflict are slimmer. There are less that can live together than the amount that can't but it all depends on the temperament of both rats as they may fight. Good luck anyway. x

Answer 4

I have four boys and they live in two pairs. I would have had all four of them together except for our oldest one attacked one of the youngest ones so we put the older two and younger two together. Some males just aren't compatable with others though so take it slow and try not to force anything.

Answer 5

It depends on the rat. If you know anyone who has another male rat, see how Dexer gets along with it. Did you get Dexer from a place where he was with other rats? Is Dexer neutered? (Neutered rats tend to be less aggesive). How long has he been by himself? Sometimes rats have lived by themselves for so long they get attached to their owners and don't want any other rats around. Best of luck!

Answer 6

YEP I HAVE 3 MALE RATS IN THE SAME CAGE
ALWAYS BUY SAME SEX AS THEY GET ON BETTER THAN MIXED
THEY WILL SQUABBLE BT THATS NORMAL JUST GAININ AUTHORITY LIKE ADULTS
TRY N GET A RAT THE SAME AGE N SIZE N GRADUALLY INTRODUCE THEN NT JUST THROWIN IN THE CAGE AS THAT DEXTERS TERITORY

Answer 7

Some can live together if they are about the same age so that the bigger one doesnt pick on the smaller one. And if they were born together. Thats ok too.

Answer 8

It can be o.k. unless one of them turns out to be a real rat.

Answer 9

most adult male animals will fight if they get too close.

Answer 10

homo rats haha