# Why not spay/neuter?



## twilight (Apr 20, 2007)

Note: This isnt directed at anyone

Why do people keep intact males when they have intact females? It just seems like its an opps litter waiting to happen! Why not neuter or spay? Honestly, I'm just curious and I'm not here to judge anyone.


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## DFW_Rat_Luvr (Aug 29, 2007)

I agree with you. What Ive been working on for the last week is getting a vet in my area that will discount spays and neuters for me since we rescue and started the non-profit paperwork. its my intention to have ALL of the sweeties altered BEFORE they are adopted out to anyone. I know that my efforts wont do anything for all of the crazy-breeding going on elsewhere, but at least I will know that the ratties that we place will not be involved in it and therefore, safe.

Iwill be interested in seeing where this thread goes!


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## twilight (Apr 20, 2007)

That is great you are getting them spayed and neutered before they are adopted out. It's helping to fix the problem of rats without homes in this world. I like to think of it as for every rat that gets spayed or neutered, thats a litter that will not be born/created. Thus giving the shelter/rescue rats a better chance of getting adopted ^_^


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## DFW_Rat_Luvr (Aug 29, 2007)

Thats what we are thinking too - Ive been talking to some vets and actually got one to go down to $40 for each neuter. However, he knows that we have over 25 males at this point (wow) so Im thinking he will go less than that. (i hope!) Im not going to get more than 3 done at a time though, simply so i can make sure that I can give each of them the proper after-care. We are still haggling over spay costs...I hope those turn out to be as reasonable as the neuters!


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## Forensic (Apr 12, 2007)

I'm assuming for most people the issue is cost.


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## twilight (Apr 20, 2007)

If people can't afford it then why not have all of the same gender?


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## Mana (Apr 22, 2007)

Cost is the issue for me. There don't seem to be any vets around here that are both experienced and affordable. At the vet where I got my previous male Rokk neutered, it was $70 for the neuter itself, plus $20 for the antibiotics. Since I have three males, it would be around $250 for all of them. On top of that, I was not too impressed with her and how she handled my rat. There's a better rat vet (so I've heard) near here, but neuters are over $100 there. I just can't afford that.

For now, I'm taking all the precautions I can to keep the males and females apart. We're even considering having my boyfriend keep the boys for now, and then when we move in together, we're going to be keeping them in separate rooms, unless/until we get them neutered (or the girls spayed, which would definitely be the preference - but with 6, that's far more expensive).

It seems that a lot of accidents happen when other people end up putting males in with the girls, or vice versa. I made sure everyone in this house knows how to tell males from females, and which cage is which. My sisters, brother, and cousins all got lectures and keeping them apart. My main concern was with my cousins (the oldest is 11, the youngest is 6), so I made sure they know they can't play with the rats when I'm not here, and got my aunt to enforce that.

Short of neutering/spaying, I'm doing everything I can think of to prevent any accidents. Since I can't control what happens when I'm not here, there's still that possibility that someone will get careless, which is why the boys might be going to live with my boyfriend. He's the one who got the three boys in the first place - I would have much preferred one, because I could have managed a single neuter.


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## twilight (Apr 20, 2007)

I understand completely and thats great you are being smart about it!


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## Forensic (Apr 12, 2007)

twilight said:


> If people can't afford it then why not have all of the same gender?


Well, there's always the situation where you rescue a rat that's the 'wrong' gender, or you buy a rat (pet store) and get the wrong gender, or so on and such forth. And then you certainly cannot keep them alone. And some people want to enjoy both genders.


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## twitch (Jan 4, 2007)

i only kept females, even had a couple surprise pet stpre litters that way. then, from the mature male babies, i discovered i was allergic to buck grease. so that limited me to females anyway. but then i was bribed with a rat and decided i was going all hog for it and so made sure the bribe included the neuter of a male rat. i would not have afforded it otherwise ($90 after taxes). a month or so later i ended up fostering a male. i wasn't supposed to keep him so i didn't want to put in the cost of a neuter. things got messed up with the rescue that thy didn't even know i had him until i asked permission to keep him and get him neutered. i was concerned for his recovery as he was nearing 2 at the time but my concerns were unfounded. during the time when he was unaltered he was in another room of the house and i still worried that someone would get loose. it was a great relief to have him neutered both to my physical and mental well-being. 

but i don't have my females spayed. i would love to for the health benefits, heck i would love to have myself spayed for that matter but on both fronts the doctors are rare and the cost is prohibitive. when money is tight it is best to save up for the rainy days when they're sick and need help NOW then to spend it on elective surgery then not have the money if someone gets sick. 

however, there is a rescue in maine that alters their animals before they leave for a greatly reduced cost that i will be getting all my rats from in the future. from an adopters perspective having the alteration already taken care of for a fraction of the cost to have it done on your own is a great perk. i just hope i can get them over the border easily enough.


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## Sparker (Jun 17, 2007)

I generally stick with females, but I do have one neutered male, Barry.

A little boy came into the vet hospital where I work and begged me to take him so his mom didn't "set him free"... so you see now why I have him...

I also think that some people might be hesitant to choose elective surgery because they see rats as very small and delicate, which they are. The thought crossed my mind with Barry.

A coworker of mine actually said, "Every rat I have ever seen go under anesthesia has died... you're stupid to do it." as I was scrubbing in. A**hole.


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## reachthestars (Feb 27, 2007)

I do have to agree that as a general rule, if you can't afford to have the males or females altered you probably shouldn't have both. My Remy was a pity buy from a petstore I was visiting while 4 hours away from my home, but I in no way would have kept him if I couldn't have afforded the neuter. A second cage would mean double the time needed for freerange and double the time spent cleaning cages, and the added worry about 'what if he gets loose and gets to my females?'.

Also, no buck grease from him! I was visiting the local rat rescue over the weekend, and that was the first thing I noticed when I held the boys. I hadn't smelled it in so long it actually turned my stomach. I like my boys fresh smelling and grease free. That alone is worth the cost of the surgery .


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## lostbutnotforgot (Apr 19, 2007)

I think people keep both genders thinking that 'it won't happen to me!'. I think rats make much better pets when they're altered anyways, but price is certainly a big factor in preventing people from spaying/neutering. On the other hand I think that if a female is suspected to have been with the males she should undergo an e-spay as I would consider that to be a medical emergency since there is a risk to the mother and the babies risk genetic faults since the parents are most likely pet store stock.


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## silverchamber (Jul 24, 2007)

I got my males fully intending to have them neutered, however one of them suffers from mild, but chronic respiritory problems so he's not having elective surgery until he is 100%, and I want both boys to go in together. 

My poor boyfreind got two 'boys' from the pet shop, so now I'm fostering the girl until the babies are weaned and he can have her spayed (or him neutered).


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## cinderella (Sep 10, 2007)

I have all males. I can afford to give them good lives only if I do not neuter, SO you may say you shouldnt have bought them then...
...well had I not they would no longer be alive.

In addition, Ive called around and no local vets, even that deal with rats will do the procedure, its a 2 hour travel to have it done


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## lilspaz68 (Feb 24, 2007)

I have 12 spayed girls and 4 neutered boys and a lot of intact females...plus 2 older boys I just took in recently for rehoming. I am very very careful with them (separate room, etc) and if no one ends up wanting these lovely boys then I will have them neutered. Sadly I wish I could have all my girls spayed, but a bout with injury and unemployement stopped the saving for elective surgeries (I pay $160-220 for a spay and $140 or less for a neuter).

But you definitely need a vet who is comfortable doing these surgeries esp. spays, and who is affordable as well. I would advise different rooms/floors for people who keep both sexes intact, or same-sex homes only.


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## Forensic (Apr 12, 2007)

cinderella said:


> I have all males. I can afford to give them good lives only if I do not neuter, SO you may say you shouldnt have bought them then...
> ...well had I not they would no longer be alive.
> 
> In addition, Ive called around and no local vets, even that deal with rats will do the procedure, its a 2 hour travel to have it done


You have all males. There's nothing wrong with not neutering males if there's no chance of them finding a female, despite the health benefits.

All my males are currently intact, though one may face a neuter for hormonal reasons.


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## Sparker (Jun 17, 2007)

Forensic, your devil rat makes me smile.


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## Forensic (Apr 12, 2007)

Heh. Thanks.


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