# Male vs. Female Pet Rats



## adventurerat

Hello, I have previously owned 3 female rats and I loved them very much. They were very active and playful and would only cuddle for a limited amount of time. I have heard male rats are much more of a lap rat and tend to be more lazy and better to snuggle. I have also heard they can be stinky and get quite large. Seems like they both have pros and cons. How do you choose? ???

My question is: Do you prefer male or female pet rats?


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## nanashi7

Males. I don't think mine stink one bit.
They aren't all lap rats and some need time to settle down. However, they seem to just bond better than girls who have five hundred things to do and no time to do it. 


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## cagedbirdsinging

Males, hand-down.

I don't find them to have any more odor than females. Also, size is something that varies wildly depending on the pedigree. Mine are barely larger than females I've had in the past.


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## Charlottesmom

We had two males (rainbow bridge now...  ) and will be getting males again in January, unless we find some females at the humane society that need a good home and get along with our autistic son, he got along with our males (they were very calm).


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## ahrat

Males! I had two girls as my first mischief. They were fun, but too active for me. I felt bad because I didn't have as much energy as them. I now have three boys who will bounce around for quite a bit, but then just curl up in my hood or in my lap. They're a bit smellier, but it can be controlled very easily. Also, not all boys are lazy, cuddly squishies. Each rat has its own personality. I have two boys that don't really like to be cuddled, just like to sit beside me. Then I have one who will ride with me everywhere on my shoulder.


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## anawelch

I like males but I've always preferred male animals while my bf prefers females. My boys are very laid back and just like to hang out in my sweatshirt and chill. They also have less risk of getting mammary tumors and being a college student who wouldn't be able to pay for multiple surgeries that helps.


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## Nieta

I have two intact males, and I love their light scent - corn tortillas and cuteness! It might sound odd, but I also very much love the "personal" scents of my two (fixed) cats and can tell them apart very distinctly by the smell of the fuzz on the tops of their heads. It reminds me of an article I read about a dog owner who associated the smell of his wet dog with so much fun and love that he grew to love the SMELL, too, which is kind of unbelievable to me given how stinky a dirty, wet dog can be.

However, my alpha rat is very territorial and can be difficult to deal with, but his subordinate is a bouncy, curious, loving little fuzz (not a squishy laprat). He also has places to go, ears to snuff in, holes to hide in and treats to stash. They are both rescues and have unknown pasts, and because my alpha (Mimo) sometimes beats up on his subordinate (Castielle), we may consider a neuter if we can't teach him that nipping people to get them out of the play area (HIS territory) is not the best tactic. He seems very stressed and preoccupied with marking and defending his territory, which can't be very fun for him.


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## JBird

I think I prefer my males partly because I've had them since pups, and partly because I've always bonded better with male animals. I adore my females, too though. I honestly prefer a female rat's face, I think they look very feminine and pretty. My girls are just as sweet as my boys, honestly, and are better lap rats because they are older and are starting to enjoy scritches more. My boys are only 6 months old so they are still quite playful and curious, but still enjoy pets and TLC. The smell difference is nonexistent. My girls are quite messy, so they caused more odor than my boys for sure, but not due to musk or marking. Just messy.


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## ratsaremylife

I have females and I love their entergetic personalities! They run and play for hours and come looking for grooms and cuddles then run off. I find them more entertaining. I haven't had males and I don't think I will after my girls.


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## trematode

Haha, on another forum I was on, someone said their dog's feet smelled like Fritos.

I've only ever had females, so I went with it. I am rat sitting my friend's ratsover Christmas. She has 2 females and is down to one male... so maybe I might change my mind after spending time wth Fritz.


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## fisherr6

I love my boys! I've never owned females, but knew someone who did. They like a little cuddles, and they don't smell anymore than you'd really expect. The only problem is one of them is really lazy and messy. He may poop and nap all in the same place


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## Charlottesmom

Nieta said:


> I have two intact males, and I love their light scent - corn tortillas and cuteness! It might sound odd, but I also very much love the "personal" scents of my two (fixed) cats and can tell them apart very distinctly by the smell of the fuzz on the tops of their heads. It reminds me of an article I read about a dog owner who associated the smell of his wet dog with so much fun and love that he grew to love the SMELL, too, which is kind of unbelievable to me given how stinky a dirty, wet dog can be.


 As long as you brought up animal smells, my dog's head smells like roast turkey (not kidding!), her paws smell like corn chips. I looooove sniffing her head!


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## adventurerat

I've gotten a lot of great input and thoughts on this question. So far seems like the majority love their male rats and have a more special bond with them. Still a tough choice, you just want all the rats! I may have to look for some sweet boys though


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## kjgannon09

Females for sure. I think they match my personality more because I am active too. As long as they've had enough exercise for the day they will cuddle and sleep in the hood of my jacket in the evenings. I've found them easier to bond with than my boys, but that seems to be the exception here.


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## Daniel

I'll repeat what I've said on other threads. Males are easier than females, since they are less rowdy and have fewer health issues (tumors especially). 

I like males better either way, not that I don't like females, but I prefer an animal that will bond with you easier.


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## JapaneseDolly

I've never owned rats but having visited the breeder where I'm get if my rats I am completely in love with males, they're so friendly, fat and squishy! And they smell amazing!! I previously owned ferrets and male rats smell like ferrets which is one of my favourite smells! I used to rub my face on my male ferret lol however ferrets smell stronger than rats!


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## hrl20100

I had to vote females because I have only ever owned females.

I really do want to own some males though. I would love to have a lazy, snuggly rat! Its very hard to cuddle up with my girls as they are interested in everything.
But yeah, I love rats, but had to pick females as I have never owned any males.


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## Minky

I didn't vote because I couldn't give a balanced opinion - I've only ever had females. I'm surprised to learn how and why so many people here love male rats. Now I'm curious to own one. 

Female rats can have a "grape" smell which is quite fun.


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## Gannyaan

Females for sure.

Yes males are calmer, but I like the "go go go!!!" Personality of the girls, and still find them very sweet . I like their curiosity . 
Also males have a scent I do not like to themselves and their urine, and buck grease.. And the marking would drive me crazy. I actually like the smell of my girls  smells like grape soda... One of my girls I swear smells like soap!!! 


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## Pandandelion

I think it really depends on your personality. I prefer male rats because I need an animal that will sit with me and keep me calm. My boy likes to run and play but he's a lot less "frantic" than females and much prefers to just sit in my lap or on my shoulder while I watch tv or do homework. Plus he's huge! I don't have to worry about him so much in terms of squeezing through small spaces or even just losing sight of him in my bed/blankets.


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## Chuck

I love both my males and females. People have already mentioned the best parts about each gender. That being said i plan to stick with males because of how prolific tumors are in females. I have three girls and two have developed tumors, one after she was spayed. Rats live short lives to begin with, it breaks my heart to watch the tumor grow on my sweet girl. 


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## Rat Daddy

I have an 8 year old daughter who can also be active and energetic. Having rats that like to pay and chase around is a good thing. And I admit it, I like to play with and chase my rats around too from time to time. As my girl rats get older they slow down and get more lazy and laid back, which at first I looked forward to, now it feels sad somehow when they don't play like crazy anymore. I'm older than lots of folks here and even though I'm more laid back, that doesn't mean I don't enjoy the craziness.

Lastly with girl rats, I don't have to explain the boy bits to my inquisitive little girl... and that's priceless.

But I'm not knocking the boys.


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## Finnebon

I love both just about equally. I can't honestly choose. I may slightly lean towards girls since my first few rats I ever had were girls, but I love boys a lot too. Both have lovable qualities and none outweigh the others. My two younger boys who are neutered are still two of the craziest most playful rats I've probably ever had whereas my girls (save for one) are much more laid back. The only drawbacks for either gender are that girls are more likely to get mammary tumors which is heartbreaking to watch grow if it's not able to be removed for whatever reason, but spaying fixes that problem for mammary specific tumors. And for boys, they tend to dribble urine with more volume than girls. Girls dribble just as often, but boys add a little extra to the ammount. Either way, I really can't choose which gender I prefer. I was just asking my boyfriend last night if he would want all boys or all girls in few years after our current babies pass, and he agreed that he couldn't decide, so we will most likely go to a rescue and adopt rats that are already spayed and/or neutered because having mixed genders living together and being able to see the lovely qualities of both is really great.


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## bazmonkey

Girls certainly dribble 

I haven't had males, but after all the boy-love on this thread I thought I'd put in my hat for the ladies. I came to own rats after having had a variety of other rodents, and I'm in it for the inquisitive, social nature of them. So many times I would want to really bond or play or anything with my mouse, and he'd just wanna eat and do his thing. The gerbils were active but kept to themselves, and could NOT be trusted outside the cage to do anything but try for escape. Guinea pigs were nice, but their lack of agility and size put a cramp on where we could play with them. Rats seems nicely suited to the level and kind of attention we have to give.

So all those things that make girls what they are, the energy level, the mischievousness, etc.--that's all I've ever wanted in a rodent! I love it, love it, LOVE IT! Just a couple days ago our girls both learned to climb the cardboard barrier we let them free-roam in, and I'm excited because now that the newness of their free-roam area is wearing off, they'll pay attention! They are both starting to come when called reliably enough for it to have been useful a few times, and we can get to some engaging tricks now that the floor isn't just a big playground of interesting to distract them.


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## TheFuzzySphere

I prefer males. I've owned both and although females can be very affectionate as well, they definitely aren't ones to stick around and be loved on. My three males are still very young (8 weeks old this Friday), so they aren't exactly calm yet but I can't wait for them to be the fat, squishy, lap rat that males tend to be. Females are awesome too, I just like a pet to have the same amount of stamina that I do...none ^_^.


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## adventurerat

so I ended up getting males  I don't see much of a difference but they're still young so we'll see.


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## TachisMom

I love them both for different reasons  I love how playful and curious the girls are...and I love how lazy and cuddly the boys are. I current keep both (with the males being neutered)...it keeps a nice balance


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