# Keeping a single rat happy



## Peter Pettigrew

Hey there y'all,

I had two male rats that I adopted last year named Peter and Cluny. Peter got a bad respiratory infection and died a few days ago. 
Cluny is all alone, and I was wondering if there was any way to keep him happy since rats are social. I obviously can't put him with my girls. 
He has a nice big cage (Kaytee Multi-Level Exotics) and toys. 

So basically, how can I keep him healthy and happy without buying another male (which is out of the question)?


----------



## Kelsbels

You could consider neutering Cluny and have him join your females. How old is he?


----------



## Bowie

Either nueter him or buy him another boy. im gonna rant here:
You know that rats need another friend, you stated it yourself, yet you are CHOOSING to subject your rat to loneliness. Not only is this a STUPID thing to do, but its irresponsible as a owner. Why dont you want another male? Obviously he's not aggressive, so theres really no valid reason as to why the rat should be kept alone. You can't keep a lonley rat happy. Its impossible. Imagine being stuck in a cage 23 hours a day with no one to talk to but a gaint, hairless, animal that doesn't speak your language. Not fun, possibly impossible to live. so why would you subject your furry friend to this? If buying and nuetering are out of the question, rehome him.


----------



## JAnimal

Bowie said:


> Either nueter him or buy him another boy. im gonna rant here:
> You know that rats need another friend, you stated it yourself, yet you are CHOOSING to subject your rat to loneliness. Not only is this a STUPID thing to do, but its irresponsible as a owner. Why dont you want another male? Obviously he's not aggressive, so theres really no valid reason as to why the rat should be kept alone. You can't keep a lonley rat happy. Its impossible. Imagine being stuck in a cage 23 hours a day with no one to talk to but a gaint, hairless, animal that doesn't speak your language. Not fun, possibly impossible to live. so why would you subject your furry friend to this? If buying and nuetering are out of the question, rehome him.


Maybe he doesn't want more rats. Eventually one will have to be alone when one dies. Or there could be none available. You don't know his situation. I would consider getting him neutered if he is still young. It's ok If you don't though. Just spend as much time with him as possible and watch out for signs of depression.


----------



## RatAtat2693

Call some rescues and see if they need someone to foster males. You can try keeping those two together. I work with a rescue in the NE, and when I get down to one rat, I know I'll be requesting to foster some boys.

Or ask for a neutered male, same thing, but you can keep him with the girls afterwards.

Or maybe spay your girls. No idea how old they are, though.


----------



## Bowie

It doesn't matter. Rats need other rats, and the difference here is that they are prob still young. Wether or not he wants more rats, or cant afford them, you still owe it to your pet to treat them properly, which includes providing BASIC NEEDS. I you cant afford 2 rats, you dont need rats.


----------



## Gribouilli

Bowie said:


> It doesn't matter. Rats need other rats, and the difference here is that they are prob still young. Wether or not he wants more rats, or cant afford them, you still owe it to your pet to treat them properly, which includes providing BASIC NEEDS. I you cant afford 2 rats, you dont need rats.


Please be a little sensitive. This isn't helping anyone. Can you afford to neuter your male and introduce him to your females? How old is he? If not, let us know and we will try to come up with other solutions.


----------



## Anoua

Bowie said:


> It doesn't matter. Rats need other rats, and the difference here is that they are prob still young. Wether or not he wants more rats, or cant afford them, you still owe it to your pet to treat them properly, which includes providing BASIC NEEDS. I you cant afford 2 rats, you dont need rats.


Wow your being really rude, and you have no idea how old he is other than at least a year since it wasn't stated. It's not like he just brought one to be alone, his other rat died, and just a few days ago. You could be more sensitive, and honestly quit making so many assumptions there is no reason for this hostility.


----------



## Isamurat

In terms of helping keep him happy, then neutering is probably the best option unless he's at high risk health wise. Is there a reason why you need to keep him alone and not add to the group? How old is he and whats his health like? Do you have any friends nearby that keep boys?

For now then the best thing you can do is give him lots to do in the cage, lots of human attention (as much as you physically can) and try and keep him in a room where theres a lot going on and so he can at least smell your others. I'm not in favour of long term keeping rats alone unless the circumstances are such that its the best option for the rat in question (and its only very very rare that this is the case), but even if you neutered him he'd have at least a couple of weeks like this.

Its worth saying that loosing a friend affects all rats differently, some grieve so badly that its a case of life or death to get company, some don't seem to notice and most are in between. Make sure he's eating and moving around / active as otherwise it becomes more serious to look into options to get him company fast.


----------



## RattusMaximus

I think that it is suggested that rats in pairs or more get at least an hour outside the cage each day, and that single rats get over 4 hours, and even that is not ideal. I guess you know that it would be best to pair him with another rat, and I won't question why you don't want another male.

I agree that fostering a male rat is a good idea, probably the best so far. You would want to make sure the rescue is OK with you putting the foster(s) with your rat. Neutering would work, be he may have health issues and it can be expensive. I wouldn't say the girls-that would probably the priciest option. If that all really doesn't work-and in the meantime-spend as much time with him as possible, and shower him with attention.


----------



## Gribouilli

Get a ratoob so you can easily spend more time with him.


----------



## Peter Pettigrew

From my human perspective, Cluny doesn't _seem_ to be too depressed, but he's definitely acting more needy towards me than usual. I'm trying to give him as much time as possible out of the cage, but it usually rounds up to about 2 hours of playtime a day. Not enough, I know . . . 

He's about 6 months old (we're not positive since we adopted him from the pound) and seems healthy. I've never really introduced rats before though. How much does it cost to get a male fixed anyway?

The ratoob looks great and I want it, but Cluny is very hyper for a male. Is there any way to train him to keep still?


----------



## Gribouilli

My single neutered male (will get friends soon) has been alone for months. I refuse to buy a rat from a petstore where most are unhealthy or downright sick, so I had to wait for a reputable breeder to have a litter...Anyway he is super hyper, and he loves the ratoob. He runs around it, and I don't get any scratches. It is perfect. Without the ratoob I would have spent less time with him, but with the ratoob I got to do many things around the house and have him with meNeutering a rat can cost anywhere between $50 and $200+, it depends where you live.


----------



## InuLing

My boys cost me $130 each to neuter, but another vet accross town wanted $250 so it can vary. Do your research and make sure that if you do decide to neuter to find a reputable vet with plenty of experience and a high success rate. I have a mixed group with neutered males and my two boys LOVE living with the girls (who wouldn't? lol). If you can't get more rats I would definitely suggest getting your boy neutered so he doesn't have to be alone.


----------



## Peter Pettigrew

130-200+ dollars each? Woah that's a lot. I have Cluny with me right now, he likes hiding in the hood of my sweater. Sort of like a ratoob until I can buy one.


----------



## Rat Daddy

Fuzzy Rat grew up to be truly amazing and she was raised as a single rat... She learned to understand humans better than other rats, in fact... in part I think she thought of herself as human always having a better relationship with us than she had with her rat friends.

That said, I work out of home and we spent 24 X 7 with her and yes that means going out shopping and dining with her... So everywhere we went had to be rat friendly, which really changed my lifestyle... Having done it, we raised an amazing animal; a second little girl if you will and it was usually great fun! But to be perfectly clear... I would NEVER do it again. So while it's perfectly doable to raise a happy and healthy and well adjusted single rat, unless you are a retired hermit and have no life, it's a crazy thing to do....

And when do you know you've lost your mind? For me, it was 1:00 AM and I was down at the soccer field, in the cold rain following Fuzzy Rat around as she burned off her extra energy so she could go to sleep... Every once in the while I'd look up at the video cameras and wonder what the cops who were watching the feed were thinking of the wet guy chasing his soggy rat around.... Maybe, I began to wonder, if other people thought I must be crazy... just maybe...?

With some old rats that sleep most of the time it might be easier, but Fuzzy Rat almost never slept for more than a few hours at a time, even when she got old.

So, it's doable; yes... sane... most likely not.

Best luck.

PS This is Fuzzy Rat at the beach with her human family... she's having lots of fun being the family rat and we're having a lot of fun with her...

https://vid.me/3edL

But consider the off chance you might want to go to the beach without your rat sometimes... but you can't just leave her alone at home... It's just like having another kid... and it will change your life.


----------



## MinorRobot

I kept a single rat for a long time! Er, actually, I still have a single rat! Haha, forgot about that one for a second.

If it's possible to get them a buddy, then obviously that's the way to go. Even if you have plenty of time and resources to devote to keeping your rat stimulated an entertained, you will probably find going on vacation quite an issue! When my first rat, Claudia, was a single rat, I think the longest I went out of town was 4 days. And it was very stressful... probably me more than her tbh! My best advice for dealing with this is make sure your rat is well socialized to people (not just you!) so that whoever may rat-sit can give them lots of attention. Claudia can't be handled by anyone but me, so it was an issue. Now that she has a friend it is a load off my mind. Gus, my current lone rat, is very friendly and easily handled by most people which makes it a lot easier.

Anyway, if it's not possible to get a friend, here's how I deal with having a single rat:
1. Spend lots of time with them! With Claudia I was easily spending 8+ hours a day with her. Often more. I know that's not possible for most people, but do what you can. With Gus, I have a different living situation now (I live with other people's dogs and cats) so I can't have him out all the time, but whenever I'm in my room he's out running around. It's usually at least a few hours a day. He's very well behaved in terms of chewing, so sometimes I let him stay out over night while I sleep (I don't really recommend this- I just know he doesn't get in to trouble and has a routine where he will go back in his cage on his own. Just mentioning it to show how much time I try to give him).
2. Lots of enrichment! Google rat enrichment, go on pintrest, ect. There's lots of great and cheap ideas out there, and it's fun making toys for your rats to play with. With Claudia I made up a list and would choose one new enrichment a day for her. It helps to keep a log. I also made sure she had a nice big cage, even though it was just her, so she'd have plenty of room to be active.
3. I kept Claudia's cage in the living room, that way she could have stimulation from whatever we were doing, we could talk to her and give her treats, and it made it easier to let her pop out for a minute. Honestly it's such a difference in socialization than keeping them away in another part of the house no one goes in. But I also had no other pets to bother her, and didn't like do anything loud or crazy that would stress her out.


----------



## Isamurat

Peter Pettigrew said:


> He's about 6 months old (we're not positive since we adopted him from the pound) and seems healthy. I've never really introduced rats before though. How much does it cost to get a male fixed anyway?
> 
> The ratoob looks great and I want it, but Cluny is very hyper for a male. Is there any way to train him to keep still?


He's a young rat so a playmate is more important. Introducing rats is generally pretty straight forward. I recommend the carrier method (stickied in this forum) as a good starting point for the vast majority of intros. Useually within a week you can have a well bonded group, especially if you intro a pair of baby boys (7-12 weeks). You don't need to neuter most bucks to successfully intor them, of course if he goes in with the girls its necessary but those are actually about as easy as an intro goes.


----------



## Gribouilli

My neutered boy is hyper and still love the ratoob. He runs around it over and over againI always neuter my male rats. Around 6 months, male rats can become aggressive and fight. Rat can inflict very nasty bites to other rats. It is better for them too as they are calmer without their raging hormones. There are also a few health benefits to neutering rats.


----------



## Peter Pettigrew

Oh yes, I know about aggressive male rats. My first two, Rizzo and Dobby, were really nice until they got about 5-6 months and then they even attacked and bit me.

This may be a bit off subject but . . . how can you tell two identical rats apart (other than personality)? In Alaska (where I live), you're only allowed to have albino rats and always had trouble telling mine apart.


----------



## Gribouilli

Peter Pettigrew said:


> Oh yes, I know about aggressive male rats. My first two, Rizzo and Dobby, were really nice until they got about 5-6 months and then they even attacked and bit me.This may be a bit off subject but . . . how can you tell two identical rats apart (other than personality)? In Alaska (where I live), you're only allowed to have albino rats and always had trouble telling mine apart.


qSome people use safe food dyes on their rats to tell them apart- would be necessary in case one rat is sick and need meds. Or you could use safe markers to mark their tail. I never had this problem as none of my rats are albino. How come you are only allowed albino rats in Alaska? Is it a law? Never heard of it- thanks for telling us.


----------



## Verucasdad

Wow! There are some people who are REALLY out of line on here. Show some compassion or don't post. I've been lurking lately because posting stuff only gets one or two people who are just mean. If you decide to fix your boy, look into Care Credit. I hear it's a great option that allows for a payment plan. I have also seen people set up a GoFundMe account. I gave to a young lady who needed to get her boy some much needed surgery. There are a lot of great Facebook groups that will give you some positive feedback and even donate to your cause. Keep us posted.


----------



## InuLing

I use green food dye to keep track of identical rats. I put a spot right between their shoulder blades and just renew it as it fades. Works like a charm. I dip a q-tip in the dye and then it works just like a marker.


----------



## RatAtat2693

Albinistic rats only? Probably because they wouldn't survive in the wild. Keep pests down?

That's still weird.

But yeah - food dye, but I have two similar rats, and the only way I can tell from afar is by their head shape. The younger of my creams has a shorter, more broad head.


----------



## Isamurat

I find that after a few weeks you can tell from face shape or the way they hold themselves or sometimes they have little features you pick up on. I've currently got 3 agouti Dumbo's, mother and 2 daughters. Mum is bigger at the moment, but also broader than her daughters, she also picked a fight with a bigger rat as a baby so has a convenient ear rip. Summer is lighter than her sister Autumn, she's a little broader overall and Autumn has a slight ear crease on one ear. They also all act differently, to the point where I can sometimes tell who it is without even seeing them.

When I have a littler of identical rats (this happens a fair bit lol, I had one of 11 identical agouti top ears once lol) I use sharpie markers (which are non toxic) on there tails. I have heard of other people cutting a line of fur short as well. Food dye can work however it does tend to fade fairly quickly on the fur, unless you can find some purple spray over there, in the UK its used for treating cuts and such (contains chlorohexidine) and that stuff can dye a rat purple (and my hands, and the nearby cupboard, towel I put down for protection and any passing rats) purple for months!


----------



## Csqueak

Bowie said:


> Either nueter him or buy him another boy. im gonna rant here:
> You know that rats need another friend, you stated it yourself, yet you are CHOOSING to subject your rat to loneliness. Not only is this a STUPID thing to do, but its irresponsible as a owner. Why dont you want another male? Obviously he's not aggressive, so theres really no valid reason as to why the rat should be kept alone. You can't keep a lonley rat happy. Its impossible. Imagine being stuck in a cage 23 hours a day with no one to talk to but a gaint, hairless, animal that doesn't speak your language. Not fun, possibly impossible to live. so why would you subject your furry friend to this? If buying and nuetering are out of the question, rehome him.


----------



## Csqueak

I think that is a little harsh. We don’t know the situation. I have had single rats and they get non-stop attention and stimulation from me, my husband, tons of toys and puzzles, and my 2 cats and dog! My last rat Jupiter would sleep with us draped over our feet. Our work from home schedule was optimal so he had hours of hang time playing, snacking, snuggling and loving. Really depends on the situation. Jupiter was a neutered boy. Good luck and if you don’t have that kind of time to interact with him, may be best to get a companion and def get the ratty fixed. 💕


----------

