# Neutered rat loses personality?



## Fusion200 (Apr 30, 2014)

And gets lazy to the point he wont exercise? Is this common? It's what I've read happens to neutered boys, they get even more lazy and personality-less.


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## Ratpax (Aug 24, 2014)

Fusion200 said:


> And gets lazy to the point he wont exercise? Is this common? It's what I've read happens to neutered boys, they get even more lazy and personality-less.


The personality is contained within the grey matter between the ears, not the grey matter between the legs.


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## FallDeere (Sep 29, 2011)

My Pooka is neutered and he is just as playful and personality-full as always. Maybe even more so. He bounces around, plays with my hand, and is even learning tricks.


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## Blackthorn (May 14, 2007)

Rubbish. Some boys will get lazy, some won't - neutered or not. It is important to keep all rats (especially males) from becoming overweight through exercise and good diet.


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## spysquid (Aug 23, 2014)

No way! My boys didn't lose any of their personality  They actually seemed happier if anything. One of my boys especially seemed much more relaxed but still energetic. He was wound up with stress before it seemed like, but about 2mo after the neuter he seemed less skittish and he still runs on the wheel and zips around the cage as much as ever.


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## Jess <3 (Jan 23, 2014)

How long ago was he neutered, the first week or so after the op my rat Tyrion seemed a little lazy because he was just healing up. He actually has more personality now than he did before the neutering because he was super territorial and would puff up his fur when i went near him but with the op, immersion and new cagemates he's a big fluffy lap rat who loves attention and comes straight up to the cage door to see me whenever i walk in. 

Are there any other factors that could point towards his laziness? Is he an only rat? that often makes rats behave oddly and become very withdrawn.

Some rats prefer to take a slow approach to life anyway, some of rats don't 'exercise' per say but enjoy coming our of thier cage for cuddles or to wander around my room, could be personality driven...


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## Isamurat (Jul 27, 2012)

i think it depends on the rats personality and drivers before neutering. neutering vastly reduces the hormones. This can take an edge of there previous behaviour and tends to return them to the rat they were before the hormones kicked in albeit a bit older. I've found most rats get playful again before slowing and ageing normally, definitely more relaxed. In does they can become a little more stable and less flighty or excitable which can make them seem less interesting but i don't think changes thete personality, just allows them to show it more freely. 

The only time I've found any evidence of personality changes from neutering is in rabbits. This is thought to be because rabbits don't deal with anesthetic well so often breath only lightly when under. This can cause the brain to be partially starved of oxygen leading to minor brain damage and so potentially more dopey afterwards. Even this isn't common, though it is possible in a heavy surgery (more likley in a spay than castration due to surgery complexity) out could happen to rats too


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## Ilovemybabyrats (Feb 5, 2013)

My Harper's personality didn't change after being spayed, but her weight balooned up


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## Ratpax (Aug 24, 2014)

Isamurat said:


> i think it depends on the rats personality and drivers before neutering. neutering vastly reduces the hormones. This can take an edge of there previous behaviour and tends to return them to the rat they were before the hormones kicked in albeit a bit older. I've found most rats get playful again before slowing and ageing normally, definitely more relaxed. In does they can become a little more stable and less flighty or excitable which can make them seem less interesting but i don't think changes thete personality, just allows them to show it more freely.
> 
> The only time I've found any evidence of personality changes from neutering is in rabbits. This is thought to be because rabbits don't deal with anesthetic well so often breath only lightly when under. This can cause the brain to be partially starved of oxygen leading to minor brain damage and so potentially more dopey afterwards. Even this isn't common, though it is possible in a heavy surgery (more likley in a spay than castration due to surgery complexity) out could happen to rats too


Gosh, I sure hate to hear that is your experience with speutering bunnies.

I hope that info is from many years ago, when indeed small animal anesthesia practices and available drugs were in the dark ages.

I've done a ton of speuters in bunnies, never once had any of them act in any way damaged or affected neurologically, following the surgery. Out of all those, only one bad outcome, and that was related to a previously undetected congenital heart issue and the bun did not survive. The rest were all ideal, successful outcomes.


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## Isamurat (Jul 27, 2012)

This wasnt my personal expereince with rabbit neuters, however my vet was a local rabbit expert and had spent some time researching it. We spoke about it at length when my girl needed spaying (she was a complicated case, her first spay had to be cancelled as she kept holding her breath whenver the vet turned her onto her back, thankfully she was less stubborn the second time).


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## Ratpax (Aug 24, 2014)

Isamurat said:


> This wasnt my personal expereince with rabbit neuters, however my vet was a local rabbit expert and had spent some time researching it. We spoke about it at length when my girl needed spaying (she was a complicated case, her first spay had to be cancelled as she kept holding her breath whenver the vet turned her onto her back, thankfully she was less stubborn the second time).


Ah, I see.

Well, I'm glad the vets have now found better methods and medications


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