female rats or male rat pros and cons about both?

Question

And i saw a chubby nice alone rat at the petstore yes i know go to a breeder but when i held it he sqeaked :) is that badd ?
i was gentle and everything they said he was happy.

Answer 1

Usually, my male rat only squeaks when he is frightened. He probably wasn't used to being held. Rats are generally very quiet.

Males can be a little smellier than females unless they are neutered. They have a slightly corn-chippy smell that comes from the musk on their backs. But mine is sooooo sweet, I'd never trade that little cone-headed beast for any female rat. He's the best.

Oh, and they have really huge balls. I mean, really. Huge. Balls.

Answer 2

Some rats make little chattering noises when they are happy or excited and is not bad at all. It is not usually a sign of fear, though it can be. For instance a sudden painful squeek (is this what you might have experienced?). If they are scared they will likely try to hide or escape from you, this is a better indication of negative reaction toward you. Male rats are more of a "lap pet" than a female rat which is usually more active. Both can be friendly and both are very social based on how they were raised. Look at their personalities when you handle them and that is the best way to choose. Both males and females will leave tiny urine droplets on you and surrounding areas to mark territory. Female rats are more pleasant to look at do to the males genital region.
My rat chatters all the time (not all rats do this, it varies with personality...some are more vocal than others) and is very happy to sit on my shoulder and even follows me around. Rats are very intelligent and some answer when their names are called out. Rats can absolutely live to be up to 5 years if cared for properly. 2 years is normal but much shorter than need be, and likely do to common improper care and poor diet lacking variety.

Answer 3

well i have a male rat and he's just simply awesome! male rats are generally more 'lazy' than females. females tend to be more energetic and will run around more but my rat Vince plays tag with me sometimes when i chase him with my hand, so they can be eneregetic but not so much as females. yes its true that males have GIGANTIC balls, they are huge; likethe size of the head for each one haha so be prepared. they also tend to urinate on anything that they havent before; but this wont happen if theyre neutered. i recommend a male because they are more affectionate in my opinion. By the way they usually only squeak when they're scared so that rat probably wasnt used to being handled. hope this helps.

Answer 4

devoid of understanding in case you're housing jointly and length of cage it is demanding to assert approximately 3. I desire adult males as they look calmer yet some people are placed off by using the vast male factors. In a small putting they'll all have matters. If females then make constructive they have been housed jointly. It additionally relies upon on the rats. in the event that they have been before housed jointly you should be ok yet watch them as time transformations them. a superb great cage must be wonderful going the two way yet lower back I desire adult males. they are much less "bitchy".

Answer 5

hehe.. I like the other answerers description of the male's smell.. corn chippy.. lol.. it actually kind of does smell like that.. It's a bit of a musky corn chip smell..

I had a male that was wonderful.. I had him alone (but brought him places with me, so he was not left alone a lot) I never had a problem with him.. other than the fact that he died young.. (he was a pet store rat that was never all that healthy.. even the vet couldn't do much for him)

First rule.. don't listen to what someone at a petstore tells you.. do your own research on rats.. When I got my first one.. I went in knowing little to nothing about them.. (I had hamsters, but never rats or mice).. they told me that he'd be good in one of the cages they had.. that he wouldn't get that big.. well, he outgrew the cage they told me to get in less than 2 weeks.. they told me that the "sneezing" was normal.. it wasn't.. the rat was sick. Not everyone that works in a pet store knows about rats..

The good news is.. information is abundant online as well as in books..

So, Male Pros: Intelligent, easily trainable, loves attention
cons: the balls.. not many people would pick him up because they didn't like the way they felt when he was walking on them.. these are not like hamsters.. those things are rather.. noticable. A slight smell, but as long as they are kept clean it's not too bad. Cage aggression.. (mine was great when out of his cage, but I had to wear a glove to get him out of the cage if I was in a hurry)

I've never had a female, so couldn't tell you the pros or cons..

Answer 6

We have both male & female rats & love them all.
Males-- Pro: Big, cuddly "couch potatos" who usually enjoy being held or sitting on your lap. Cons: They "mark" with droplets of urine much more than girls do if that bothers you & their um, male parts are disconcerting to some ppl.
Females--Pro: Usually adventurous & curious, petite, don't "mark" as much as males. Cons: Usually not the best "lap" pets b/c they'd rather be exploring, more prone to tumors than males.
Both--Pro: Smart, affectionate little shoulder-jockeys & shirt-divers. Learn their own names, are always excited to see their humans. Cons: Their lifespan is so short, although they manage to pack a lot of living into 2 or 3 years.

Answer 7

I also have *male* rats. I chose males because they are more like my personality, (lol) haven't had a female but always would because you never know, sometimes mix personalities make the perfect match.
My boys are exactly what males are described, but don't worry about their big balls lol, nobody I've known has ever disliked them, they're just funny.
Also;
My males never 'mark' like they are known to.

Answer 8

From my experience males stink...as in odor...they like to spread their scent by urine and mark little drops on anything and everything so they will drip on you, all over their cage and it does smell stronger than females urine. Females don't have that same scent marking and tend to be quite odor free if you keep their cage clean. I bought one rat from the local pet store and one from a girl that breeds them, both are fine so I wouldn't say no to a pet store rat. They generally don't squeak unless they are hurt...they are not a noisy critter. Best to get one when it is a baby so it will get used to handling quickly and not be frightened like a older less handled rat could be. Rats generally only live to 2 years old no matter where you purchase it from too, most die from cancerous tumors. The one thing with pet stores is they are not the most knowledgeable about the pets they sell, so I wouldn't take their explanation about the squeaking as truth. My husband got our first rat, was supposed to be a girl and they gave him a boy! There is a big difference in the boy has obvious testicles even as a baby and the pet store employee did not even notice so go in knowing what you need to is all I can say.

Answer 9

petstore? which petstore? make sure that the rats weren't simply bred for food because if that;s the case they were probably inbred and unhealthy.
well, anyway...back to your question:
i don't think that there are anythings that are better or worse with ether gender, rats are all sweet, regardless

Answer 10

rats are funny animals - the cages are a pain to clean...