a new companion?

Question
yesterday night on my loved rats died, named true. i had a pair of two and they have been together since birth. False, my other rat, seems very sad and lonely. i was just wondering if i should buy another friend for him? He's about 8 months and if i were to buy another they would be a couple months old. i just want to know if the age would make any difference or if i should buy him another companion? and when i should buy him another friend? how soon? thankyou

Answer
Hi Rita

First of all, I am so sorry for your loss. Its always heartbreaking to lose our rats.
I must first ask how your rat died though in order to answer your question about a new friend for your rat.  
If he died from something contagious other than mycoplasmosis or was it from something else?
I don't usually go by that though because alot of times the rat that is ill is an isolated incident from a secondary infection and unless its some rapidly spreading virus such as SDA, chances are the rest of the colony will be spared the same illness your rat that passed away had.

Anyhow, yes, by all means get another rat and get him soon because he must endure a 3 week long quarantine in a separate airspace. Quarantine must be done on all
new rats in order to protect the existing rat from outside illnesses that are very common
among pet store rats especially.
You can read up about proper
quarantine at my website.

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

Also, the younger rat is fine as long as he isn't a 6 week old baby. 3 or 4 months is fine and if he is just 3 months now, after the 3 week quarantine, he will be pushing 4 months and this is a good age to introduce them. Puberty strikes males around 8 months old and the buck may become a bit aggressive with a newcomer if they are the same age because he will worry he may lose his status as the "alpha male rat" in the colony even if the colony consists of 1 rat.  Intact (unneutered) males are funny like that...they are territorial about their turf and may even be that way when it comes to YOU.  Ever notice that when you have two males out playing they take turns "marinating" you with urine. One does it, the other takes notice and he will do it over the other rats urine. They are marking YOU as their own property. If one things the other one needs to back down, a fight ensues. Just an idea of how the male rat that is not neutered works. Also, I don't know how you will like this idea but its just my opinion: I would buy two young rats from the same litter to be cagemates with your 8 month old buck and the reason I say this is because the younger rat will still be full of "vim and vigor" and want to chase, play wrestle and simply be an immature buck having loads of fun.  The 8 month old rat may or may not appreciate the extra energy the new rat has and may not want to play with him. He would rather sleep and cuddle with him instead.  If you have two baby rats they can play with each other and will leave the adult rat alone and the adult rat will be very greatful for his new friends as long as he doesn't have to entertain them all the time!!

Just to outline your questions and make sure I answered them the best of my ability:

(1.) "I was just wondering if i should buy another friend for him?"
Yes, absolutely. Rats have been known to die from loneliness after the loss of a cagemate. I can vouch for that. I lost a beloved rat when his cagemate died suddenly. For a few weeks after Dodger died, Griffin stopped eating and one day he got very weak and died at the Vets office. His immune system was so weak from stress from the loss of his cagemate he got                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               very sick with a bad bacterial pneumonia and it took his life. All in all, my beautiful Griffin died from a brokenheart. I should have gotten another rat and started quarantine right off. I hate learning from my mistakes at the expense of my pets...this mistake I will never forget. Ever.

(2) "He's about 8 months and if i were to buy another they would be a couple months old. i just want to know if the age would make any difference"
Younger is better as I said earlier, as long as they are not super young, 2 months of age or younger. Adult males may hurt baby males when they are that young.

(3.) when i should buy him another friend? how soon? As soon as possible since you need to do a 3 week quarantine, again as I stated above.

Again, I am sorry for your loss. If you need further advice feel free to do a follow up and I will be more than happy to advise you.

Sandra

*

Hi Rita

First of all, I am so sorry for your loss. Its always heartbreaking to lose our rats.
I must first ask how your rat died though in order to answer your question about a new friend for your rat.  
If he died from something contagious other than mycoplasmosis or was it from something else?
I don't usually go by that though because alot of times the rat that is ill is an isolated incident from a secondary infection and
unless its some rapidly spreading virus such as SDA, chances are the rest of the colony will be spared the same illness
your rat that passed away had.

Anyhow, yes, by all means get another rat and get him soon because he must endure a 3 week
long quarantine in a separate airspace.
Quarantine must be done on all
new rats in order to protect the existing rat from outside illnesses that are very common
among pet store rats especially.You can read up about proper quarantine at my website.

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

Also, the younger rat is fine as long as he isn't a 6 week old baby. 3 or 4 months is fine and if he is just 3 months now,
after the 3 week quarantine, he will be pushing 4 months and this is a good age to introduce them.
Puberty strikes males around 8 months old and the buck may become a bit aggressive with a newcomer
if they are the same age because he will worry he may lose his status as the "alpha male rat" in the colony
even if the colony consists of 1 rat.  
Intact (unneutered) males are funny like that...they are territorial about their turf
and may even be that way when it comes to YOU.  
Ever notice that when you have two males out playing they take turns "marinating" you with urine.
One does it, the other takes notice and he will do it over the other rats urine.
They are marking YOU as their own property. If one things the other one needs to back down, a fight ensues.
Just an idea of how the male rat that is not neutered works.
Also, I don't know how you will like this idea but its just my opinion:
I would buy two young rats from the same litter to be
cagemates with your 8 month old buck and the reason I say this is because the younger
rat will still be full of "vim and vigor" and
want to chase, play wrestle and simply be an immature buck having loads of fun.  
The 8 month old rat may or may not appreciate the
extra energy the new rat has and may not want to play with him. He would rather sleep and cuddle
with him instead.  
If you have two baby rats they can play with each other
and will leave the adult rat alone and the adult rat will be very greatful for his new friends
as long as he doesn't have to entertain them all the time!!

Just to outline your questions and make sure I answered them the best of my ability:

(1.) "I was just wondering if i should buy another friend for him?"
Yes, absolutely. Rats have been known to die from loneliness after the loss of a cagemate.
I can vouch for that. I lost a beloved rat when his cagemate died suddenly.
For a few weeks after Dodger died, Griffin stopped eating and one day he got very weak and
died at the Vets office.
His immune system was so weak from stress from the loss of his cagemate he developed
a deadly form of pneumonia.

All in all, my beautiful Griffin died from a brokenheart. I should have gotten another rat
and started quarantine right off. I hate learning from my mistakes at the expense of my pets...this mistake I will never forget. Ever.

(2) "He's about 8 months and if i were to buy another they would be a couple months old. i just want to know if the age
would make any difference"
Younger is better as I said earlier, as long as they are not super young, 2 months of age or younger.
Adult males may hurt baby males when they are that young.

(3.) when i should buy him another friend? how soon? As soon as possible since you need to do a 3 week quarantine, again as I stated above.

Again, I am sorry for your loss. If you need further advice feel free to do a follow up and I will be more than happy to advise you.

Sandra