Male rats tend to be quite cuddly and affectionate pets with a mellow temperament. They are likely to enjoy snuggling up with you for some head scratches. If you want a more independent and adventurous companion, a female rat may be the pet for you. Female rats are quite active and like to get busy exploring.
Introducing rats to each other
They should be kept in small same-sex groups and are perfectly happy without the opposite sex. Remember: Separate young males and females as soon as possible after weaning so that they don't produce pups, which are difficult to find good homes for.
Generally, male rats are more a culprit for smells than females. Male rat's urine is much more potent and they tend to scent mark around cages meaning the urine can be anywhere and on anything! This makes daily cleaning much harder to manage.
Some people believe male rats move slower, cuddle more, and are more easygoing. Females are known for being playful, energetic, and less likely to cuddle.
Female rats are more active and explore more than males. In addition, females make fewer unreinforced responses on schedules which maintain low rates of responding (DRL).
Rats can live in pairs, although a trio or more is as they create their own social network. Pairs of rats can sometimes get agitated with one another and will tend to show dominant behaviour. Time spent out of the cage and fun training can help prevent this. It's best for rats to live together in same-sex groups.
Hormone-dependent aggression in both male and female rats includes the distinctive behavioral characteristics of piloerection and lateral attack. In males the aggression is dependent on testicular testosterone and is commonly known as intermale aggression.
Many believe Dumbo rats to be friendlier than other types of rats. (Dumbo rats' ears are on the sides of their head rather than on top—similar to Walt Disney's “Dumbo the Elephant”.) Burmese are also often considered to be very friendly. I once had Dumbo Burmese rats who were exceptionally warm and loving.
While some critters find success in living alone, you can count rats out of that group. Rats are naturally highly social and gregarious rodents. They're happiest when they're around fellow rats, and as a result shouldn't live by themselves. Living solo can be stressful on the little guys.
Unlike most small pets, rats love being picked up and handled by their human owners. While rats do enjoy human interaction, they'll need to be picked up and handled from a young age so they're used to it. Rats rarely bite and their larger size makes them easier to pick up.
Rats and mice urinate, a whole lot. They make use of pee as a way to mark routes and territories. Rats will certainly pee in addition to scent tracks to reveal dominance and on food to mark it as their own. A loose bladder isn't everything; a mouse can leave 40 to 100 droppings daily.
Males are more likely to mark than females. Castrating males may decrease the behaviour; but both sexes (entire and neutered) and all age groups will mark to some degree. If you have fertile rats, this marking behaviour may vary with intensity in line with the female's heat.
Do rats make noise at night? Rats are nocturnal animals, so you'll often hear them during the night. Rats will make chattering, squeaking, scattering and hissing sounds to communicate to others in their colony. Rats like to move around the same areas, which is why you will hear these sounds in one area of your home.
Here are some simple tips to follow: Young rats of at least six weeks of age are the easiest to introduce and waiting until 7-8 weeks when they are more robust is even better. Much younger and they may be killed by the dominant rat, although adult rats can also be hard to introduce.
Can you keep two male rats together? Yes - both entire male and female rats will live happily in single-sex groups, and neutered males can live with either males or females. However, if you keep entire males with females, they will usually breed constantly.
Pet rats enjoy human interaction. Once your rats are used to interacting with you, going an entire week without human contact can be stressful for them. Not only do they thrive by receiving love from their humans, but they also do better when stimulated intellectually.
Rats can be extremely social and even like to cuddle!
Mice and rats are so smart that they can recognize their names and respond when called.
Two of the most dangerous and widespread rodents are the black rat — known scientifically as Rattus rattus — and the brown rat — referred to as Rattus norvegicus. These two originated in Asia but have since infested many other regions.
Fancy rats are generally easy to care for, and are quite affordable, even compared to other small pets; this is one of their biggest draws. Additionally, they are quite independent, affectionate, loyal and easily trained. They are considered more intelligent than other domesticated rodents.
Wondering if your pet rat is feeling happy? You should check its ears, researchers say. A team of scientists in Switzerland found that a rat's ears are more pinkish and are positioned at a more relaxed angle when it is experiencing positive emotions.
It is always best to have at least two rats as they are very social animals and become lonely and bored living alone. It is important to make sure that your rat has a large enough house to move freely and get exercise.