I've Never Owned A Rat, Are Males Or Females Better To Own?
I've Never Had A Rat Before So What Would Be Better? A Male Rat Or A Female Rat? I've Heard That Males Are Generally Better But Smell And Have Heard That Females Are Hyperactive And get Cancer All The Time..Please Help Me!
Answers:
I am so happy you are thinking about getting a rat. I have six right now but have had many in the past. Not one sex is better then the other, it all depends on what you are looking for in a rat.
Males: They get a bit larger then females and generally weigh in at 1 pound. They are a little lazier then the girls but not in a bad way. They enjoy time out of their cage but have the most fun sitting on your lap when you are watching T.V. They are just big cuddle bugs.
Females: They are smaller and sleeker then the males. They love to run around your room, play on an exercise wheel, and learn tricks. They also think it's fun to ride around your house on your shoulder.
Remember rats need company to stay happy. Females need company of other rats a little more then males. Males are a little harder to keep together as they are more territorial. Also all rats are prone to cancer and tumors. They have an average lifespan of only 3 to 4 years old. Good Luck!
when i was younger i owned rats,and I would suggest a male for a companion.Males seem to be more friendly
No matter what sex, rats are very prone to cancer. They make GREAT pets, but they all stink! I had one, and my hubby couldn't hand;e the smell, even though I cleaned the cage out several times a week. But he was SO sweet!
I have kept both male and female rats but prefer the females as males tend to have a musky smell when sexually mature.
I have never had any problems with cancer in females.
I got four males in my house, married one and give birth to three.
go for the female ones if I was you!
females are better cuz the males crap more and pee more, other than that there both good to have
Yes, males do tend to be more popular in our petshop.
Also we tend not to sell rats singularly, we sell them in pairs. Rats need to have companions of there own species too.
And as i answered to another question rats of any sex are very prone to cancer, just like mice. Most people end up spending money on an operation when many of the rats cant handle it.
Weather or not they smell is up to personal oppinion. I have lived with many animals and are used to it now. But if the cage and animals are kept clean, there shold not be too much of a problem.
Rats make GREAT pets. And are very sociable. Good luck!
Lydia
xxx
I have had a male. He was awesome. Mine really didn't smell, I cleaned his cage once a week and gave him a bath. Rats love water once they get use to it.
Good Luck and Take Care
All rats are prone to tumors, male or female. Personally I have had both and I like the females, more so because of the males, well "anatomy". But overall they both make great pets.
I cared for two female rats for just over 2 years. They were absolutely lovely, very friendly and easily trained. I prefer females to males as the males bits are very noticeable! Both are prone to cancer. One of mine had 3 operations to remove tumours and they were put to sleep with 4 tumours between them. Would do it all again but have cats now!! (by the way, quite expensive to keep, fresh bedding, fresh food, complete food, toys and cages. Spent about £4000 over 2.5years) Oh, and i would recommend getting two to keep each other company. Very sociable creatures. Good Luck!
I have owned rats for three years now.We've gone from 4 to 60 back down to 15. We have both boys and girls.I found with the rats that we have the boys are much more calm, the girls are calm as well they just like to explore more. They don't actually smell that bad, it's the cages that smell and the boys' cages smell worse. It's a tough decision, I suggest girls based on cleanliness (cage smell). But, whatever you decide make sure you get two of the same sex. They do better when they have a buddy.Good luck, and enjoy.they are probably the best pet besides a dog as far as companionship!
I've always owned females, because the males do stink. I don't remember mine being hyper.they did die, but of cancer? Don't know. Problem with females is if you get them out of a general population tank at the local pet store, ou might get one that is pregnant. I had one that brought home babies. Lost them all, because I don't know how to take care of baby rats! Plus, the other female in the cage didn't like the new babies, had to seperate her.
Hi males seem to be more friendly as do a few animals with the males all due to the hormones.however there are always the exception to the rule in both sexes.Regards Jake
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/petssecond.
Males are very lazy and females love to run and explore. If you prefer watching your rats play, get a female. if you want a lap companion, get a male. I actually prefer the females because they're fun to watch. The down side is that females do get a lot of tumors though in all the cases I've had only Two were actively cancerous. They're annoying and if they get too big they should be removed by a vet.
I also find that in large numbers rats do smell but not as bad as mice. If you have two rats and clean their cage every 5-7 days you should be okay. Use vinegar cut with water to clean their cage to remove the smell of ammonia. I find males and females smell just as bad. Ideally rats should not stink and neither should their cage. If they do (and because I have over 20 animals in my home of feathered and furred types), the cage needs to be cleaned more often. Also, the larger the cage, the less of a stink they make.
Hope that helps :-)
What gender rat makes the best pet? That is entirely up to each individual person. Male rats tend to be very mellow and more then happy to curl up in your lap for a good, long nap. Male rats are larger then females, and they also tend to have a stronger odor. Male rats also have the tendency to "scent mark" their territory to let other rats know they've been there. On the other hand, females are more adventurous and less cuddly. They tend to be smaller and do not have much of an oder. Some females "scent mark" things, but is it less common. Along with both genders, there can be various health issues.
All rats smell, but ive found that male rats are better and make betetr companions
MALES STINK (no really they do)! I would suggest female for the sake of your nose.
all rats get cancer. I have always had males in the last few years as I found females a little more hormonal and bad tempered occasionally and more inclined to bite. Males won't smell if you keep their cage clean. You have to remove the bedding (they p1ss the bed) every week and give them fresh and wash down the cage with soap and water. I also would not get a single rat as they like company. Get 2 brothers at the same time and a very large cage with plenty of things to do inside it. I have a flowerpot filled with shredded paper into which I chuck some raisins for them to search for, also tubes to run along, things made of wood to chew etc.
Males are my preference, I have 15 rats and the females bite more often.
males are more likely to settle for a cuddle and respond to affection better. they don't live as long as females though. they also have a habit much like dogs of marking their scent everywhere they go they do not smell, both male and female rats are in fact very very clean.
what plank told you females are prone to cancer? i've never heard of that before! females are just a loving and will outlive a male, but are much more lively and don't mark their scent.
so its just a question of if you want something more lively or not.
I've kept both for years and find rats 1000 times better than owning a hamster or a gerbil.
they NEVER bite unless they have been badly handled, can be toilet trained, are happy to fall asleep on your lap, shoulder or wherever on you they can snuggle up warm, you can also name train a rat and they are committed to their owner, they are lovely friendly and clean little fellows!
Rats are amazing creatures i have had 2 boys and 7 girls and personally i would choose girls. They are more hygenic and one of mine smelt like a bar of soap
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Answers:
I am so happy you are thinking about getting a rat. I have six right now but have had many in the past. Not one sex is better then the other, it all depends on what you are looking for in a rat.
Males: They get a bit larger then females and generally weigh in at 1 pound. They are a little lazier then the girls but not in a bad way. They enjoy time out of their cage but have the most fun sitting on your lap when you are watching T.V. They are just big cuddle bugs.
Females: They are smaller and sleeker then the males. They love to run around your room, play on an exercise wheel, and learn tricks. They also think it's fun to ride around your house on your shoulder.
Remember rats need company to stay happy. Females need company of other rats a little more then males. Males are a little harder to keep together as they are more territorial. Also all rats are prone to cancer and tumors. They have an average lifespan of only 3 to 4 years old. Good Luck!
when i was younger i owned rats,and I would suggest a male for a companion.Males seem to be more friendly
No matter what sex, rats are very prone to cancer. They make GREAT pets, but they all stink! I had one, and my hubby couldn't hand;e the smell, even though I cleaned the cage out several times a week. But he was SO sweet!
I have kept both male and female rats but prefer the females as males tend to have a musky smell when sexually mature.
I have never had any problems with cancer in females.
I got four males in my house, married one and give birth to three.
go for the female ones if I was you!
females are better cuz the males crap more and pee more, other than that there both good to have
Yes, males do tend to be more popular in our petshop.
Also we tend not to sell rats singularly, we sell them in pairs. Rats need to have companions of there own species too.
And as i answered to another question rats of any sex are very prone to cancer, just like mice. Most people end up spending money on an operation when many of the rats cant handle it.
Weather or not they smell is up to personal oppinion. I have lived with many animals and are used to it now. But if the cage and animals are kept clean, there shold not be too much of a problem.
Rats make GREAT pets. And are very sociable. Good luck!
Lydia
xxx
I have had a male. He was awesome. Mine really didn't smell, I cleaned his cage once a week and gave him a bath. Rats love water once they get use to it.
Good Luck and Take Care
All rats are prone to tumors, male or female. Personally I have had both and I like the females, more so because of the males, well "anatomy". But overall they both make great pets.
I cared for two female rats for just over 2 years. They were absolutely lovely, very friendly and easily trained. I prefer females to males as the males bits are very noticeable! Both are prone to cancer. One of mine had 3 operations to remove tumours and they were put to sleep with 4 tumours between them. Would do it all again but have cats now!! (by the way, quite expensive to keep, fresh bedding, fresh food, complete food, toys and cages. Spent about £4000 over 2.5years) Oh, and i would recommend getting two to keep each other company. Very sociable creatures. Good Luck!
I have owned rats for three years now.We've gone from 4 to 60 back down to 15. We have both boys and girls.I found with the rats that we have the boys are much more calm, the girls are calm as well they just like to explore more. They don't actually smell that bad, it's the cages that smell and the boys' cages smell worse. It's a tough decision, I suggest girls based on cleanliness (cage smell). But, whatever you decide make sure you get two of the same sex. They do better when they have a buddy.Good luck, and enjoy.they are probably the best pet besides a dog as far as companionship!
I've always owned females, because the males do stink. I don't remember mine being hyper.they did die, but of cancer? Don't know. Problem with females is if you get them out of a general population tank at the local pet store, ou might get one that is pregnant. I had one that brought home babies. Lost them all, because I don't know how to take care of baby rats! Plus, the other female in the cage didn't like the new babies, had to seperate her.
Hi males seem to be more friendly as do a few animals with the males all due to the hormones.however there are always the exception to the rule in both sexes.Regards Jake
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/petssecond.
Males are very lazy and females love to run and explore. If you prefer watching your rats play, get a female. if you want a lap companion, get a male. I actually prefer the females because they're fun to watch. The down side is that females do get a lot of tumors though in all the cases I've had only Two were actively cancerous. They're annoying and if they get too big they should be removed by a vet.
I also find that in large numbers rats do smell but not as bad as mice. If you have two rats and clean their cage every 5-7 days you should be okay. Use vinegar cut with water to clean their cage to remove the smell of ammonia. I find males and females smell just as bad. Ideally rats should not stink and neither should their cage. If they do (and because I have over 20 animals in my home of feathered and furred types), the cage needs to be cleaned more often. Also, the larger the cage, the less of a stink they make.
Hope that helps :-)
What gender rat makes the best pet? That is entirely up to each individual person. Male rats tend to be very mellow and more then happy to curl up in your lap for a good, long nap. Male rats are larger then females, and they also tend to have a stronger odor. Male rats also have the tendency to "scent mark" their territory to let other rats know they've been there. On the other hand, females are more adventurous and less cuddly. They tend to be smaller and do not have much of an oder. Some females "scent mark" things, but is it less common. Along with both genders, there can be various health issues.
All rats smell, but ive found that male rats are better and make betetr companions
MALES STINK (no really they do)! I would suggest female for the sake of your nose.
all rats get cancer. I have always had males in the last few years as I found females a little more hormonal and bad tempered occasionally and more inclined to bite. Males won't smell if you keep their cage clean. You have to remove the bedding (they p1ss the bed) every week and give them fresh and wash down the cage with soap and water. I also would not get a single rat as they like company. Get 2 brothers at the same time and a very large cage with plenty of things to do inside it. I have a flowerpot filled with shredded paper into which I chuck some raisins for them to search for, also tubes to run along, things made of wood to chew etc.
Males are my preference, I have 15 rats and the females bite more often.
males are more likely to settle for a cuddle and respond to affection better. they don't live as long as females though. they also have a habit much like dogs of marking their scent everywhere they go they do not smell, both male and female rats are in fact very very clean.
what plank told you females are prone to cancer? i've never heard of that before! females are just a loving and will outlive a male, but are much more lively and don't mark their scent.
so its just a question of if you want something more lively or not.
I've kept both for years and find rats 1000 times better than owning a hamster or a gerbil.
they NEVER bite unless they have been badly handled, can be toilet trained, are happy to fall asleep on your lap, shoulder or wherever on you they can snuggle up warm, you can also name train a rat and they are committed to their owner, they are lovely friendly and clean little fellows!
Rats are amazing creatures i have had 2 boys and 7 girls and personally i would choose girls. They are more hygenic and one of mine smelt like a bar of soap
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