I dont know if i should get a male or female rat

Question
QUESTION: I have never owned rats before and am currently trying to get one. I have been researching which sex of rat would be the best for me, but I'm not able to decide. So far I've found out that male rats are bigger, lazier, and sometimes more friendly than females, but have large testicles and may become aggressive if not neutered. I also read that their skin/fur gets greasy (How bad is it, and at what age does it happen?) and that they sometimes scent-mark by peeing on things and generally dribbling. Does neutering stop or lessen greasy fur/aggressiveness/scent marking? Also, can they be taught tricks as easily as females?


I know females are more active and smaller, but are very susceptible to mammary tumors/tumors. I've heard they also go into heat every 4-5 days. If i got a female rat, would there/is there a way to try and prevent tumors? I've heard spaying reduces the chance of tumors, but is pretty invasive. Also, will females scent-mark?

I know it's ultimately up to my decision of which sex i want, but what would you recommend to a first-time rat owner? also, if i needed a rat neutered/spayed, approximately how much could it cost? PS: i know rats should be kept in pairs, but my parents will only let me get one to start with and if everything goes well maybe a second.

Thanks!
Caroline, age 13

ANSWER: Hi Caroline

I like both sexes, but do admit, my heart belongs to the male rats.

Yes, they have testicles, but thats just part of them. They arent gross, hairy,stinky, anything at all other than little mounds of extra skin under their tail.  I call them carpet draggers :)

As for urine marking; yes, they do mark with urine but some females do too. The thing is, they do this out of fear or excitement, like a puppy piddles when they get overly excited.  As they get older and less afraid, they stop.  However, some rats still mark and this is from instinct. Rats leave urine trails in tunnels where they live. Its dark in the tunnels and to find their way back, they leave urine marks so they can identify their own scent and find their way back to the nest without getting lost.  If your rat does mark you, it doesnt smell bad nor is it sticky etc.....  simply wipe it with some baby diaper wipes you can keep handy near the cage (unscented ones only)
The greasy fur your reading about?  This is from not being fed the proper diet and not being kept clean.  Sometimes a rat gets to chubby and they cant clean their backs well and if they live alone, they may bet this too. Its a build up of a waxy substance that is orange in color and was nicknamed  buck grease.  It comes from excess hormones males may have.  If you keep the cage nice and dry and clean, brush him regularly since he wont have a friend to help groom him, he should not get this. If he does its not a big deal. Simply wahs him well with some dawn dish soap.  Only 3 out of 30 something males I have owned had this.  
Right now I have three baby rats, all males.  See them on my page here:

They play wrestle and chase each other and love each other alot.  They are bred by a good breeder and there is no aggression in their genes since the breeder knows their history of where they came from.  No, males are not aggressive if they are not neutered but if you get an inbred rat, male or female, and it was not handled from birth, they tend to be withdrawn and shy and will take a bit of work to get them to trust you.   The only biters I have had were lab rats that I rescued years back. They were hurt by being tested in labs so they did not like people and hated me. I loved them anyhow. I felt sorry for them.
You wont need to neuter your male unless you want him to live with a female.

ALL BABY RATS want to play and run and ahve fun and dont want to be held down. When they get older though, a male rat is happier to sit on your lap and have you scratch him and a female would rather run, explore, climb and play. Some females are cuddly but males are more of a lap rat as they age, around 12 months or older.

Female rats are prone to mammary tumors and pituitary tumors as they age. usually after menopause they start because estrogen levels rise and this fuels the growth of these tumors.  Females go in heat every four to five days, yes, but you wont know it ever. They dont whine and meow like cats in heat do and do not in any way bleed from their vaginal area during heat cycle.  There just is not enough time between menses for her body to make anything to shed such as the lining of the uterus which is what the female humans body does: They do not bleed at all and should never bleed. If they do, they need a vet fast. This could mean infection, tumor or other problems.  In order to prevent mammary tumors, and its not even an absolute guarantee, they must be spayed at an early age, between 3 and 5 months of age. This also prevents other problems such as uterine prolapse and infection. I would never own any female rat without spaying her.  Too many problems arise.  Males do not need neutered routinely, so thats nothing to worry about.  

Now, you did say you cannot have a pair of rats and thats pretty unfortunate since they really truly love each other.  Males and females both love and bond to their cage mate.  A solo rat can be unhappy, scared and shy, clingy and stressed and even a bit neurotic.  Its harder to introduce a rat to another rat that is not their long time cage mate no matter if its a male or female, although its easier with males when they are young and fun of energy.

The key to a healthy rat, no matter what sex it is, is to use the proper bedding, proper diet and of course, fun and play time out of the cage.  Never let a rat free roam the room unsupervised.  Its best to make a fun enclosure (see my website) so they can play and have fun with you in it and are nice and safe too.
Also, have the name of a good vet that sees exotics and also a 24 hour emergency clinic that sees rats handy just in case. If you need names let me know and I will give you some.
So you want my opinion?  Hands down, the first rat you should own is a nice male rat :)

Here is the URL to my website. I think you may enjoy the entire site. It will help you better prepare for your new rat and all info is up to date and accurate, no myths to scare you, all that is written is educated and accurate info in order to provide the proper care for your rats. Check out GETING STARTED page.  

http://www.freewebs.com/crittercity/

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: As I looked at your webpage about quarantining, I wondered: I live in the Indianapolis area and haven't found any rat breeders/rescues in that vicinity, so my only option would be to get rats from a pet store.

Anyway, if I ended up being able to get two rats from the same pet store, if they had been either in the same cage or same cage area, do i need to quarantine them from each other? If they had been in the same cage there, would it make a difference?

Also, if i get rats from a pet store, what should I ask about? I know some basic things to look for on a healthy rat, but should I ask where they came from/if they are littermates/how old they are?

Thanks!
Caroline

Answer
Dr. Tara Gunn
Avian and Exotic Veterinary Clinic
9330 Waldemar Road
Indianapolis IN 46268
Phone:    317-879-8633
Website: www.birddr.com

*****

The vet above is the ONLY board certified avian/exotics in the state of Indiana and is the perfect place to bring your babies.

Also, if you get two rats from the same place, they can be in quarantine togetehr frorm existing rats.         Since you have no rats, you dont have to worry about it though. Now, if you just get one rat and wait a few weeks for another, you will need to quarantine even if its from the same store, same cage etc.... because you never know what they were exposed to in that time frame.

When buying a rat, esp if its female, ask how long they have been away from males. Females get pregnant as soon as 5 to 6 weeks.  Most petsmarts only sell one sex at their stores, depends on their location. Here in Charlotte, the store nearest me sells all females and across town the other Petsmart sells males, so there is never a chance of mixing them up.  Also, do NOT listen to them about the lousy commercial seed mixes they push on people. If you read my site on nutrition you will know what is good and what is bad to feed them. High protein and high fats can contribute to ill health of your rat and shorten their already short life span.

What you need to check for with rats are the eyes and nose. They should be free of porphyrin, which is the reddish discharge many folks think is blood. No lumps on their body anywhere. They should walk straight, tail should be lifted up, they should not have any loose stools, so check their anal area for traces of wet stools.  They may be scared no matter what so its hard to judge their personality like this but if they run and freak out, chances are they are not properly socialized.  I usually take the shy ones and work with them but wont suggest this to you as a new rat owner.  See who comes to you first. Dont expect them to sit there and let you pet them, as they usually like to run around like little maniacs rather than sit still.  Be sure they were not kept on pine or cedar litter at any time.          

Here is the url to my site again in case I did not give it to you before:

http://www.freewebs.com/crittercity/