# How many of you got your rats in a pet store?



## kml.krk (Feb 6, 2009)

*I wonder how many of you got your pet rats from a pet store?* 

(I was in a pet store today and I saw two groups of baby rats (2 and 4 weeks old) which were probably designated as snake food and my heart dropped  
I want to buy/adopt a rat and I am thinking if any of you have a rat that came from a pet store?
- did you have any problems with rat's behavior? health problems?
I am especially concerned about biting... since they are not used to be touched by humans)


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## Mimzy (Apr 21, 2008)

Every rat I got, was from a pet-store. I usually go to another city to get my rats. My girls were shy like most rats, but never bit me, or attacked my hand. My boys are big, fat squishy's, that were always and still do get into a bit of trouble. Never been bitten by any of them either. My new rat Monty is still kinda testing me out, but so far has been playing with my fingers and licking me. I just got him yesterday from a pet-store. Only time I've been badly bitten (my fault), was from my first rat, when I was younger and I had whip-cream on my finger and stuck it in the cage. He took a chunk, and I never did that again, lol. 

Behavioral...none that I can even think of. I've had 8 rats (which isn't a lot like some people on here) Over my lifetime, 5 rats right now. If anything, just Testosterone in the boys which made Orio kinda stiff and mouthy, but that's about it


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## kml.krk (Feb 6, 2009)

thanks very much! this is a great news! if my deal with vet does not work out I will SAVE the rattie from the pet store.
I CAN NOT have 2 rats, and I did a research and know that I shouldn't adopt only one rat. 
but do you think that she will be better off eaten by a snake, or in a safe house with my companion, although without rat buddy (for now)??


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## Mimzy (Apr 21, 2008)

Well like someone said to me earlier, anything is better than being eaten by a snake. So being alone for a little while, until she can get a companion would probably be the best thing you could do.


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## Gizaz (Nov 20, 2008)

I still reccomend getting rats from breeders. My first two are pet store rats and my new babies are from a breeder. The difference is huge. There wasn't anything wrong with the first two, they are just more shy and untrusting, but the babies are nothing like their older siblings.


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## AMJ087 (Aug 27, 2008)

Mine are from pet stores and they are great. IF you ge them young enough it gives you time to socaiize them.


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## Siwain (Feb 25, 2008)

My first rat was from a pet store. He was very sweet, and although he wasn't used to humans e got used to us fast. He had major health problems, though and recently died of URI.

My other three rats haven't had any health problems so far, and none of them came from pet stores.


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## kml.krk (Feb 6, 2009)

thank you all for the replies. I see that a pet store is not a good option, but seeing those rats and thinking that they will end up in snake's stomach is depressing 

I think though that I will adopt one rat from the vet office, they are being handled every day with care.
If I can I will take two but I barely got permission to get one.

Do you have any experience with keeping rats alone?? I had 3 rats in my life and nobody told me that they should be kept in pairs  
Please do not say NO you NEVER should get one - I know that already, but I would like to hear what the consequences WILL be IF I adopt only one. 

thanks very much, and trust me if I can I WILL take two!!


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## Siwain (Feb 25, 2008)

Boris started out as a lonely rat and at times i could see clear signs of depression. He would eat little and get very thin, he would get sick easier and he would play very little, laying around awake a lot more.


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## AMJ087 (Aug 27, 2008)

Ive also heard some rats become more aggresive if kept alone.


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## Gma and Gpa P (Jan 17, 2009)

Gpa and I got our first two girls, Sally and Lucy, from Petsmart. We have made sure they are well sociallized, playing with them a LOT and have plenty of interaction with other people. We got them from a pet store BEFORE any mention to us of not adopting them from there and only getting from a breeder.

Now, since getting them, and reading here on this forum about breeders, we still haven't found a breeder in our location. Gpa is not one to let me drive hours just to get a pet. Sally and Lucy are just fine! We got Josie from a little girl who is moving out of the country and couldn't take a rat along. Josie was also adopted from a pet store. 

I'm sure all 3 were destined to be snake food. All 3 of my girls get along really well. They are extablishing their pecking order, and I think Lucy will be top rat in that. But they do play nicely together, although I can tell that Josie has not been around another rat in a while. Josie had a sister in her former home, but the sister died about 4 months ago and Josie was missing having someone to play with.

If I can find a breeder anywhere close to where we live, then we will probably get another girl or 2 from them, but if not, then I have to go to Craigslist or **gasp** the pet store.


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## Clairebert (Apr 21, 2008)

Two of my rats are from Petsmart. When I bought them, I had no idea there were such things as rat breeders and it didn't even cross my mind that animal shelters could keep rats. Rats as pet was still a very new concept to me haha. The two I got were the last two left, and the Petsmart employer told me they weren't sure what was going to happen to them since they were nearing 9 weeks and were still not sold. I decided to buy both of them, and brought them home. At first I was just as shy of them as they were of me. I spent the whole day reading a book about how to take care of pet rats. They were very shy, and did not want to come out of their cage and hid in their house when I approached. However, as time went by they got less and less scared, and slowly but surely they let me pet them and then started coming out of their cage. Neither of them were agressive, but both were very painfully shy (and one was bordering on neurotic, if I made one fast move he would jump two feet in the air). 
Anyway, today they are not shy, if anything they love greeting strangers and climbing on their shoulders. You have to be willing to take baby steps at first, and interact with them a lot every day so they get used to you. Having come from a petshop, I don't think they received a lot of human attention and so they will need to be socialized.


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## zombunny (Dec 9, 2008)

I adopted my girls from a pet store after their original owner dropped them off there. They're as sweet as can be and I've never had any behavioral problems with them. I would never buy a "new" rat from a store, though.


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## Stace87 (Jun 24, 2008)

If you can't get two, if I was you I'd wait a while longer to try to ensure you can get two or more rats. 

My first two rats (Spike and Max) were from a pet store - Pets at Home. They're both now approx 22/23 months and I got them both togther in June 2007. 

Problems Spike has had so far:
+ Malocclusion (most likely a result from trauma and requires teeth trims every 2 weeks).
+ Recurring abscess (came back 3 times - with long 3 week course of Baytril seems to be gone for good - I hope!)
+ Testicular tumor (had operation last Thursday - was castrated)
+ Skin irritation of some sort (unsure of the cause as of yet - hoping to find out on Tuesday when he goes for post-op checkup)

Max has had no health issues so far. Gizmo is approx 7/8 months old and came from a breeder - he has had no health problems either (only mites).


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## kml.krk (Feb 6, 2009)

the rat that I eventually will take from the vet was born there, but I do not know where the parents came from (the lady only told me that they adopted two females as a pets to the vet office and on of them turned pregnant, she did not say where the females came from)

I still do not know if I will be able to take the rat though  my wife is really tough this time ;(

thanks very much for all your input. If the deal will not work out I will wait until I can have rat and will rescue TWO from the pet store


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## HappyMooCow (Jan 10, 2009)

I got mine two from the petstore...

They were young enugh however, and now they are just amazing.

I have got all my rats frm petstres but prior in Sweden, and Swedish petstores often buy from private REAL breeders instead of mass breeding companies unless its snake food. So it's a bit different.

Mine has had the URI, and that's it, but I heard from the vet I took them too that this petstore I got mine from was above average in quality of ratties and rodents. Lil Blue was store managers favorit and had therefor BEEN handled.

You can easily see if they are too skittish or not, ask to hold one of the babies, if the baby settle down quickly, it will adapt easily, if it's squrmiy a good 10 minutes and not relax, than Id be more carefull... 

and get two, I had scuba alone, and she went aggressive, but she was also a bit weird t begin with..


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## BronzeRat (Dec 14, 2008)

I've had several 'only' rats and none became aggressive -- Some came from pet stores, but in one case, I knew the mass breeder where the pet store was getting them from (Rodent Ranch in Tampa, which back in the '90s handled rats, mice, gerbils, guinea pigs, ferrets, etc.) -- I went there and got RatBertha by sticking my hand in a tank with literally dozens of weaned baby rats and see which behaved well and were inquisitive -- I found that if I got them very young, I could carry them around for a few hours every day in a shirt pocket -- They were too shy at first to come out, but they were bonding to me and my smell and even napping. My very best rat, a big male named Ratatouille (long before the movie), cost me $1 from a feeder tank in a pet store.

Some of my pet store rats died early (and suddenly) of unknown causes but most lived 2 - 2 1/2 years. I've never gotten rats directly from a breeder (except Rodent Ranch) so I can't comment on that. I recently got back into rats again, bought four ratguys (the Quack Pack, consisting of RatHuey, RatDewey, RatLouie and RatPhooey [a little known fourth Disney duck nephew] and RatLouie died while I was in the hospital) -- The other guys seem to be doing well, although RatHuey has a bad cough.

The old Rat and Mouse Club of America used to sell Tylan, a prescription drug for respiratory ailments, but now I don't know where to get it without an expensive vet visit.

'Only' rats bond much better to their humans, because they don't know anything else, but clearly a mischief of rats is better for group animals like rats. When I lived as a Full Time RVer in a small travel trailer, I was always physically close to the rat cage -- The 'only' rats would chew on a particular portion of the caging and I was wondering if generations of chewing rats would finally wear through the bars. It was only recently that I realized that they weren't chewing to get out, but to try to get me to play or pay more attention to them.


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## Three Deep (Jan 8, 2009)

I got two of my rats from a small local pet store, and the third from Petsmart. The two were healthier from the start than the one, but none of them have had serious issues. They've all been friendly, but the PM one more skittish. At 2 or 4 weeks, you'll have plenty of time to socialize and get him/her bonded to you. Also, I'd like to point out that death by snake is humane, natural and the rat certainly doesn't understand the difference between living alone and ceasing to exist. If you cannot provide a happy and healthy life for the rat, (meaning a cage mate) you may as well let nature take it's course and leave it to fate. By removing it from almost certain death and moving it to an unhappy home, all the rat knows is it is unhappy. It doesn't understand "heck this is better than being dead!" as well as we do.


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## kml.krk (Feb 6, 2009)

I get you point Three Deep. You certainly are right that this is normal in nature and that rats don't understand that, although it is still kinda sad when you see those cute buggers and think that they will be eaten...

I have one more question though: I have a chinchilla (3 years old) and was wondering if it is possible that chin and rat would tolerate/like each other. I don't think that they would become friends like rat with rat and chin with chin, but if I introduced them slowly, how would they react? would they think about each other as predator or what? any ideas?


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## EbbynRaven (Feb 6, 2009)

My two girls are from a breeder... I wanted hand raised babies. Rats at pet shops don't get socialized nearly enough.


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## Halie_and_Riley (Jan 19, 2009)

I haven't read every reply, so I apologize if this has already been said.

Both my rats are from pet stores. One was supposed to be snake food. The other was hand raised and fed. I wouldn't suggest getting one that was bred to be snake food. Typically, they aren't taken care of well, come home with respiratory illnesses, and are hardly ever (if ever) held. Even though mine have never bitten and are extremely sweet. The only health problems they've gotten was an ear infection, which Halie is still recovering from.


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## kml.krk (Feb 6, 2009)

my wife said OK to rat  so I will be taking one from the vet office, I am so excited. I have built her a cage and hope for the best. 
I know that they are well taken care of every day and she sent me pictures of them being handled so I think she will be great. The only thing I am worried about is that she will be alone... 
but who knows... maybe when wife sees them in person she will fall in love and let me take two  one for her, one for me  this would be great.
wish me good luck and thanks VERY much for all opinions and replies.

BTW, what about the chinchilla thing?? is there any possibility they would become friends?


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## HappyMooCow (Jan 10, 2009)

No, a rat is likely to try to kill the chinchilla...

On tp fthat if the chinchilla eat rat food it's likely to die as well...

They have two very different diets... 

I had a chinchilla, he ran out of food when I was awya, my bf at the time went to the petstre, asked for chinchilla food but gt rat food. Chinchilla needs very little protein and a lot of fiber r they die f constipatin.

When I got home a week later he was dead


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## kml.krk (Feb 6, 2009)

i am sorry to hear about your chin  
I actually didnt mean to keep them in one cage. just to let them play together  but it probably is not a good idea either. 
thanks for info!!


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## Stace87 (Jun 24, 2008)

How many rats are at the vets? Just distract her and take two - plus they'll already know eachother if living together. When Spike has been on his own after op, he doesn't look impressed at all. Also when I was introducing Gizmo to Spike and Max, Gizmo was in a cage on his own for a couple of weeks during the introduction process, and he just sat not doing a lot (bearing in mind he was 6 weeks old at the time - not too normal). When allowed to see Spike and Max for intros though, he bounded around playing with them.


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## Jest (Dec 29, 2008)

My three girls are from my local Petsmart. I could not find a breeder in my area, and the shelters will not allow adoption to someone under 21 (I am 19). 

My girls have been the best first rats I could ask for. They were friendly, curious, and very outgoing right from the get-go. I know pet stores aren't the best way to go, but I had a fantastic experience with them.


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## kml.krk (Feb 6, 2009)

Stace87 said:


> How many rats are at the vets?


There are 9 baby rats. I will go there on Wednesday or Saturday. Will see... maybe I will bring two but I doubt it...


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## 2boysloose (Jun 27, 2008)

Yeah, just because a rat is from a petstore doesn't mean they can't be totally awesome! 
I got all 4 of my rats from a petstore, 2 males, 2 females, and they are fun and loving, and have NEVER once bitten me. <3


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## Little_Vixen (Feb 4, 2009)

I got my baby ratty Isis from a local petstore when Judy got Seraphina Tubs. I can't be sure if they were raised for snake food or not, the store didn't seem very reliable but we fell in love with the cuties. My concern for getting them is that most petstores use pine bedding which is bad for rats right? Any small rodents and animals?

Can't stuff like that cause respiratory illnesses for them?

And yea I agree 2boysloose, just cause it came from a petstore doesn't mean it can't be awsome. As far as I know there isn't a rat rescue around where I live, indeed a lot of people around here hate rats (If I can change them I will). Our only real choice was the petstore root and I am happy with what I got =)
Isis likes to try and nibble my nail, other than that she hasn't bitten me


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## kml.krk (Feb 6, 2009)

Hey guys. I got my rattie on Wednesday. 
She is absolutely gorgeous. 
But the best thing is.... on Thursday I went back to the vet to pick up the SECOND one.
So I got TWO and they are so haaaapppppyyy, and I am too! They love to play and sleep together. The best part was when I brought the second one they started smelling each other and after a while they looked like they were hugging. It looked great - I am extremely happy that I took two. The difference in their behavior is huge!! (Charlie was alone only one day and after I borught Nora home she got sooo much more active!!!)

Thanks very much for all your help.
I'll be having some more questions (food related) but I will address them later.
I gotta go now


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## Stace87 (Jun 24, 2008)

Yay, congrats ;D it sounds like they'll be very happy together! You'll have to post pics!

What does your wife think of them?


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## kml.krk (Feb 6, 2009)

my wife loves them  it's the only reason I got the second one. After I brought Charlie home wife held her in the pocket and did not to give her back to me  I said that we need one more in that case - one for her one for me and she was kinda OK. so I took a chance and brought the other one. Wife wasn't happy, but as soon as she saw Nora she changed her mind. Wife loves them both!

here is the pic (sorry 'bout quality, it's from my cell phone...)










PS. they do NOT live in that glass tank. I kept them in there for one day only because I had to finish building their cage.


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## Iloveratz500 (Jan 21, 2008)

I got my Templeton at a Petsmart. Actually, I'm in macon georgia, and its funny because they keep mle rats in Macon and Famale rats in warner robins. They are being extra careful with the breeding. lol.


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## runrkatm (Jan 21, 2009)

This might be odd, but did you get the ratties from a vet in Queens? There was a Criagslist post about 9 ratties available and I contacted them to adopt one of the females http://newyork.craigslist.org/que/pet/1029819016.html. I'm from NYC (Manhattan), and the vet had mentioned that she was able to give two girls to a couple that fell in love with their first one  . If its you then congratulations! I'm adopting the little dumbo berkshire with the tail issues  
Currently I have four rats, and two were from petstores. The first (Stella) was a really socialized agouti hooded dumbo that was dropped off with her sisters as extras from a breeder. Sofie was a PEW feeder and of the four is actually the sweetest. Unfortunately she's older and kind of weak (shes at the bottom of the hierarchy), but actually better than Cookie, a siamese dumbo that I got from a breeder. Cookie is pretty neurotic and like a teenager (she's only 3 months old so I hope she grows out of it), and my newest addition (another PEW) is too new to know. In general I think it all comes down to the petstore you get them from if you go that route. "My" petstore has owners and workers that are avid rat owners, so they take care of their rats really well. Other places not so much. Get to know the workers there and that also helps give you an idea of how they are


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## kml.krk (Feb 6, 2009)

haha  that IS ME!! 
great to see that you adopted the one with bad tail! she is extremely outgoing, curious and cute. I would have taken her but I was afraid that I couldn't take a proper care of her tail  so I did not want to take any risk.

this world is sooo small


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## madonnaswimmer (Jul 31, 2007)

How about your local humane society?

When I got my rats, there were 8 more at the humane society I could have adopted, but only had room for 2. I'm not sure where they originally came from, probably someone's pet store rat had an accidental litter, but they are great socially... both very outgoing.

My only problem with wanting to "save" the pet store rats is that the more rats you buy, the more they realize people are buying feeder rats, and the more they will stock in the future. You are chaning the lives of the ones you adopt for sure, but it may end up meaning that more rats are bred for feeding purposes.


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## Peenkuhmz (Sep 3, 2008)

Got my first rat from a pet store, he was such a sweetie. Very well socialized and friendly. However I got him at an family owned pet store, not a chain, where I know for a fact the whole family help socialize their animals. In his later years he did have a repository problem that he passed away from. Never been bitten badly bitten by any rats, other then accidental food nips. I've know three other store bought rats and they were all sweethearts. One died of repository disease, another was having a lot of problems with seizures, the third is still alive and healthy. I don't think it be a problem behavior wise. As far as health goes rat breed are a good choice if you can afford it.
Are you thinking about rescuing the rats that are possible snake food? Not 100% sure on this but from what I heard they are bred to have shorter life spans and most likely will have health problems.


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## Peenkuhmz (Sep 3, 2008)

I only had one rat for awhile, I thought if I gave him a lot of attention he'd be fine. And he was, no signs of depression, I played with him as often as I could. But I still feel bad keeping him alone for his first two years. I would stress getting two, sorry I know that's not what you want to hear, but in my situation it ok keeping him alone.



lol sorry didn't realize it was and older post xD


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## Spider (Mar 19, 2007)

The Petsmart around here sells Female animals only, at first I thought it strange but I guess it cuts out worrying about pregnancies.
Also the Quality of the animals seems better than Petco and other chain stores.
Spider


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## tasha (Oct 16, 2006)

hi! i got my two first ratta girls from a pet store. no behavior problems .. well, i think one was naturally a grouch, she had limitations and i just had to live around them. the other girl was normal and friendly and no health problems whatsoever.

i never had heard of rat breeders or anything like that at the time. i only started researching them after i had gotten them.


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## xoishyox (Feb 22, 2009)

I got my first rat at Petland. One of the feeders there had babies, and I after seeing how friendly he was, (unlike the adults they had there) I brought him home. So far I haven't had any problems with him, and he is extremely friendly. I asked about his background and found out his parents are from a distributor, so I won't be surprised if he ends up having health issues, but I just couldn't let him be eaten. He was the only male left in his litter, so I contact a local rat breeder (after finding out there was such a thing) a few days later and got him a friend. They are both about 6 weeks, and both doing great.


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## XxPrettylethalxX (Jun 8, 2021)

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## Verucasdad (Aug 31, 2015)

I wouldn't keep trying to justify keeping a lone rat. Rats are social and need other rats. Aggressive rats are ones that need to be kept alone. Ripping a rat from it's group and keeping it alone isn't in the rat's best interest. Humans do not come close to occupying the presence of another rat.


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## Luke169 (Jun 18, 2021)

Well its all up to you. But remember you're supporting pet stores with that. I know it's hard but snakes need to eat too. Those rats are born and raised in terrible conditions. It's sad. But the thing is everytime in my life i got an animal in a pet store, it ended up bad. But i got my rats from a breeder and they are perfectly fine so far!


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