# Should I get male or female rats?



## Arashi

Hello, everyone.

I have two female rats at the moment, and I think they are great pets, but I know they will not be with me forever. I might plan on getting another pair of rats in the future for companionship, but I am not sure which gender to get. I would like to ask for advice and suggestions, should I get another pair of females, or try males instead?

I've heard that males make better "lap" pets and are not as active. I like the idea of being able to carry them around with me. But I've read that they can be aggressive, and I'm not a fan of being bitten. I'm also worried that two males will fight and cause each other injury. I've also heard that they secrete some orange substance from their skin which may not have a very pleasant smell.

My two rats are quite active, they climb everywhere and rarely hold still with me. So far they have not bitten me. I let them run around in a small room, I don't take them anywhere else in my house because I'm worried that they may get under furniture and be difficult to find. Any advice on that too? I've seen videos of rats outside their cages and I don't know how the owners trust them running around like that. Sometimes my rats aren't too keen on coming out of their cages and don't move around much, though, I have no idea why. I just hope to myself that its just something they go through from time to time.

Anyway, my question is, should I get males or females in future? Are there any suggestions, advice or experience that you can share with me?

Thank you!


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## giggles_mcbug

I prefer females. I have 6 rats(all girls) and at any given time one of them is game to be a lap rat and just be petted. The same was true when I had three.


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## Arashi

Thanks for the insight, I guess females rats would be my first choice.


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## JessyGene

I prefer females too, but I guess I haven't really given males a very good chance. I've only had two males before and I adopted them very late in their life. They lived in the pet store up until I adopted them so they weren't very keen on people and they never really bonded with me. I may try having males again, but I really like the playfulness of girls.

Have you considered getting males but having them neutered? I've heard that that can do a lot for the aggressiveness and smell.


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## Arashi

JessyGene said:


> I prefer females too, but I guess I haven't really given males a very good chance. I've only had two males before and I adopted them very late in their life. They lived in the pet store up until I adopted them so they weren't very keen on people and they never really bonded with me. I may try having males again, but I really like the playfulness of girls.
> 
> Have you considered getting males but having them neutered? I've heard that that can do a lot for the aggressiveness and smell.


Actually, I'm a little uncomfortable about having them neutered. I think it would be difficult for me to care for them while they recover, and I'd feel a bit guilty to be honest (I know it's probably a good option but ouch for the rat). I'll look into it though. I was weighing my options and thought that I would get females, since that was the gender of my first rats. But I thought that I would get the opinions of other rat owners, since they might have more experience.

Thanks for the suggestion.


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## Korra

Guilty? About neutering? Why? I'm just curious about the mentality.


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## Arashi

Korra said:


> Guilty? About neutering? Why? I'm just curious about the mentality.


Well, I know it's kind of dumb, but if I were in the rat's place I definitely would not want to be neutered.

I'm not sure if the animal understands the difference though, or if it matters to it.

I don't mind neutering if it's necessary though. Stray cats or dogs, for instance. They get everywhere, and it would help to keep the population down.


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## PipRat

I am a first time rat owner and I chose males. I can't really say why they appealed to me more than females, I think it was the idea of a lap rat, and avoiding female tumours. I don't intend to neuter either. Also, a lot of the videos of rats I watched on youtube that I really liked (Whiskey and Womble from youtube user oPuPo!)


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## Arashi

Haha, I love those little bambinos. Yeah, I read that tumors are a common problem. I liked the idea of a lap rat too, but I'm uneasy about aggression, biting, scent marking and the lot.

Are you good with your rats?


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## Iheartroxyrat

i found a video on youtube about a male rat named mikey and hes such a sweet heart!! i have both right now, i have a boy and a girl and i love roxy because she plays and is hyper but she never holds still and gets into to everything, but my male rat sparty just likes being in my lap and getting petted and he never runs away lol i love them both for different reasons and i am getting sparty fixed in a week just so there isnt more oops litters and he does have a scent that isnt the best but i just give him baths once in awhile and its fine.


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## Arashi

I've seen videos of Mikey as well, looks like a very lovable rat . Most male rats I've seen in videos look quite passive.

My rats move around a lot as well. I get worried when they stop moving lol. I guess if males are my option I'll have to learn how to give a rat a bath.

I guess when your rat's fixed you'll be putting them together?


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## PipRat

Arashi said:


> Haha, I love those little bambinos. Yeah, I read that tumors are a common problem. I liked the idea of a lap rat too, but I'm uneasy about aggression, biting, scent marking and the lot.
> 
> Are you good with your rats?


 My rats are still only 5 1/2 weeks old so I can't really tell you anything about aggression and scent marking yet. But at this age they are hardly lazy lap rats! They are very active and very curious and lots of fun so far!


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## Arashi

PipRat said:


> My rats are still only 5 1/2 weeks old so I can't really tell you anything about aggression and scent marking yet. But at this age they are hardly lazy lap rats! They are very active and very curious and lots of fun so far!


I see, good choice getting young ones. That would give them some time to bond with you. Good luck with your rats.


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## Korra

Animals that are neutered do not know the difference. My dog was neutered when he was 2 and now at 12 years old he will still mate with any female that will allow him to mount. He just no longer has the potency to make puppies. I am all for neutering (even in humans XD)


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## Iheartroxyrat

yes, my two rats are togther now since roxy is pregnant, as soon as shes closer she going into her own private maternity cage. they love each tho, no fighting or anything, they snuggle, groom and play together with no issues, Sparty was a abused rat that i adopted so hes still a bit leery of me but hes so sweet, hes never bit me even when he was really scared a few times. i give my rats baths by putting about two inches of warm water in the tub with some rat friendly soap and i let them run around in there for a bit, then i gently brush them, then rinse with warm fresh water then a treat and wrapped in a towel for some snuggles and usually another treat lol


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## ClaireGlynn

Hi,
I have kept rats for the past 14 years and have always had males and i now have my first female rats.
The only reason i have only had males in the past was because i never wanted to chance an accidental litter, as i was living with my parents they had to be kept in my bedroom so didnt want both sexes in there.
I have found every male rat to have its own personality, some are lazy, some are active, exactly the same as females.
I would never recommend to anyone to get a male because they are 'lap' rats because it is not guarenteed, the same as not all females are active.
I have only ever been biten twice during this whole time, so males are definatly not aggressive, it is down to the handling of them, correctly and often.
If you ever wish to introduce more to the group females are normally easier, however it is possible with both sexes.
To be honest rats are what YOU make them, handle them often and they will not be aggressive to you, love them and they will love you forever, regardless of being male or female.


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## ClaireGlynn

Sorry forgot to add, my husband is fairly new to rats but if you asked him male or female he personally prefers females as they have softer fur and dont wee everywhere, on him, the sofa, the tv remote........
But that is just his choice.


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## Korra

That is true. Marking is a bit of a pain, but you aren't guaranteed to be rid of it with females either. My Korra is the dominant female and she marks everywhere. It is not enough to make a smell or a mess, but it does get slightly annoying when she rubs it on my face or cell phone!!! 

But if you get females, think about spaying. I have a friend whos bf works at a vet and he is probably going to spay mine for a discount or free. I know it is a LOT of money and I thought their wasnt really a point to spaying either, but as Korra has just reached her first birthday, I can't help but think she may only make it another year, and the last thing I want is for her to die riddled with tumors  I'm going to do mine one at a time if I have to. Oldest to youngest. And I put aside rat money by always putting change into a change jar, and I always use that unless there is an emergency.


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## bcfromva

My first five rats were female; four of the five developed mammary tumors, and I spent a lot of money (>$1,500) doing surgeries, etc., and ended up losing all but one before two years of age. I switched to male rats and have had no problems with aggression or tumors whatsoever, and none of them are neutered. One of my males, Jack, is the sweetest rat I've ever known. He shares his cage with a spayed female rescue and there has never been any issues.

The marking can be a bit of an issue, but my female rats did the same thing.


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## Arashi

@korra: I guess neutering isn't too bad for the animal. It helps too if it's a dog or cat that can get around and in contact with animals of the opposite gender. But I initially wasn't into neutering a rat because I didn't think it would get anywhere else besides my house. But if neutering can help, and the animal doesn't really notice what's missing, I guess I could give it a go. Good luck with your rats. I don't have the funds at the moment for spaying, so I'm just hoping for the best for my rats.

@ClaireGlynn: Thanks for the reply, that's good insight. It's good to know that rats have different personalities, I can probably see that with the two I have now. Thanks for the advice, it'll help me in deciding in future.

@bcfromva: Thanks for the reply. It's reassuring to hear that you could handle intact males without aggression problems. I was thinking of getting another pair of females, but I might give males a try. I'll keep in mind though, that all rats have different personalities and that I can't expect any by-the-book behavior.


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## ClaireGlynn

That is a very good point of having boys, out of all the boys i've had only 1 got a tumour.
I plan to get my girls spayed in the summer.


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## Rat_momma2374

Arashi said:


> Hello, everyone.
> 
> I have two female rats at the moment, and I think they are great pets, but I know they will not be with me forever. I might plan on getting another pair of rats in the future for companionship, but I am not sure which gender to get. I would like to ask for advice and suggestions, should I get another pair of females, or try males instead?
> 
> I've heard that males make better "lap" pets and are not as active. I like the idea of being able to carry them around with me. But I've read that they can be aggressive, and I'm not a fan of being bitten. I'm also worried that two males will fight and cause each other injury. I've also heard that they secrete some orange substance from their skin which may not have a very pleasant smell.
> 
> My two rats are quite active, they climb everywhere and rarely hold still with me. So far they have not bitten me. I let them run around in a small room, I don't take them anywhere else in my house because I'm worried that they may get under furniture and be difficult to find. Any advice on that too? I've seen videos of rats outside their cages and I don't know how the owners trust them running around like that. Sometimes my rats aren't too keen on coming out of their cages and don't move around much, though, I have no idea why. I just hope to myself that its just something they go through from time to time.
> 
> Anyway, my question is, should I get males or females in future? Are there any suggestions, advice or experience that you can share with me?
> 
> Thank you!
> [/QUOT.
> male rays do not get along with new members but if you get some from the same litter they will get along mine have never bittne me hard other than to explore and they dont have a super bad smell that they can be trusted more i have owned my second pair which are males prefer them more my forst pair were females


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## Enne

Firstly, please don't post in threads that haven't been updated in years.

Second, male rats can get along fine with new members. Please do not spread misinformation.


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