My first rat died a few months ago from an acute respiratory infection which developed within a matter of hours. We put him to sleep so he wouldn’t have to die drowning in his own lungs. He was a cloned albino lab rat that was a gift to us. He lived with us for about 20 months.
It was extremely painful losing him but now I’ve started to really want another. I’ll get a pair this time.
Two gray females and five males all a month old are up for adoption at the local animal shelter and I’m very tempted to rescue them but I’m afraid they’ll be more prone to an early death. I have no idea what their history or lineage is like. How much more dangerous is it to adopt a rat from the shelter than to buy from a private breeder?
What diseases/disorders are male rats more prone to? What about female rats?
Also, how much on average do you spend in vet bills for each of your rats?
Female rats are more likly to get cancer. My sister usually has around five rats and pays about $100 a year in vet bills. I have two and have never spent a dime on them or the previous two I had.
Hi there. I used to breed fancy rats for a hobby–rexes, blues, dumbos and tailless.
On average, my males seemed to live longer than my females. That may be because my does spent their time giving birth and raising pups, while the males hung around getting laid all day
I would be more likely to choose pups from a hobby breeder, one who knows what traits they’re looking for, and what traits they’re selecting against. As far as I can tell, it seems like nearly all pet store rats who don’t die from tumors die from myco. The last batch of retired breeders/beloved pets I had finally died last year from old age, mostly. I had one giant agouti rex buck named Friar Tuck who was just this side of four, and several does who were about three and a half when they died. Tuck’s mama, a beige dumbo double-rex, Marli, died a month or so after Tuck, from a crazy abscess in her ear that I discovered too late.
Your best advantage, aside from health, from going through a hobby breeder is socialization. Most hobby breeders are teenagers and seem to spend a whole lot of time handling the pups. Choose from a breeder who uses paper or aspen bedding, I’m firmly convinced that several generations of no pine or cedar drastically improved the live expectancies of my rats.
To be honest, I’d probably take the shelter rats as long as they’re healthy and friendly. I collect rodents though, the way some people collect baseball cards, so maybe don’t listen to me on that advice, heh.
As far as choosing between the genders goes, it’s all about what you want in a pet. Males are generally more laid back and cuddly, females are more bouncy and playful, they tend to retain juvenile behaviors into adulthood. The one downside to males is that they mark by dribbling urine when they walk–you can have them neutered to nix that behavior, but most vets are going to charge more than a dog or cat to neuter a pocket pet. I always had mine done through the SPCA spay/neuter clinic for like five bucks. When I wasn’t going to be using a male for breeding, I’d have him snipped and add him to the general population with the girlies.
As far as vet bills goes, I don’t know how much I’d be spending now, at the time I lived close enough to PapaArmadillo DVM, and had quite a few vet friends, so I spent maybe $20/year, total, for you know, fifty or so rats. And most of that was for neutering.
I had a pet lab rat that I’d have to keep constantly dosed with tetracycline to keep the myco under control, that cost me a couple bucks, too.
Good luck with whatever you choose, I loved my rats.
In college I had a psych project with white lab rats and learned to love them.
I have always wanted to have some a pets but:
My SO doesn’t share my love of rodents and has threatened mayhem and lawsuits if they ever come into the house.
The fact that they really don’t have a very long life expenctancy is depressing - especially when you get attached, as I am sure you know.
Contrary to popular belief, rats are clean, intelligent and very cuddly pets - but some people just can’t warm up to rodents nibbling on their ear, no matter how well-meaning.
Gee…now ya got me wanting a couple of my own, but ain’t gonna happen.
