# My First Rat



## Leanna

My new baby Beau!! guessing hes about 1 and 1/2 years old. a blue dumbo with a mildly curly coat. my first rat!!!! my husband has had a few before but this is my first.

hes a solo rat, despite being larger than normal any other rat he gets put with(i work at the store i got him from) he got beat up and bloody. i know ill get some guff for only having one but its in this peticular rats best interest and he is out all the time. 

lol hes so cute i turn him loose on my desk and he eather wanders or curls up in the hood of my sweat shirt!! anyone know anything cool to train them to do? i read there as smart as cats and dogs!


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## Ratmom83

Cute little guy I have 3 an older and 2 babies. 

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## cagedbirdsinging

Is he in an aquarium?


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## ksaxton

I love his coat, it looks so fluffy. I know some people train their rats to spin and walk on their hind legs, I'm sure the internet is full of good ideas


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## Leanna

he was in an aquarim for the first day i had him but now i have him in the super pet habbitat defined rat cage. this pic dusent show it well but his coat is mildy curly!! love it soo much


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## ratsaremylife

Are you planning on getting another? I mean it would be a good idea! If you spend hours and hours a day with him he'll be fine.


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## DustyRat

Bet he would get on fine with a little girl friend ratty


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## Leanna

ya he spends sevral hours a day on me or wandering my desk, lol i would love to get him a girlfriend! a little blue dumbo girl but im not ready to take on another, want to master taking care of one first


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## cagedbirdsinging

If you want to master taking care of one, then you MUST get another. Rats can not live healthy and happy lives by themselves, regardless of how often you are with them.

Also, he needs a proper cage.


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## DustyRat

Yeah, CBS is right. No difference between the upkeep of two as compared to one. And he needs a friend of his own species


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## Leanna

got him a superpet habitat defined cage yesterday never planned to keep him in the tank, he cannot be kept with another becuse he gets beat up. we had a hard time placing him as the store i work at and got him from


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## Vaguity

has he been tried with a spayed female? he might get along better with a girl


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## cagedbirdsinging

It's not quite fair to the rat when folks claim that they can't be with any due to (insert reason here). Those who have ever had a roommate know that sometimes you really clash with someone. That doesn't mean that you can't live with other people.

He most likely needs a pair of baby boys, so that he can establish dominance if he so chooses.


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## Ratmom83

I agree with the get babies thing. Touie seemed like he was fine alone but he's much happier with the babies. Stouie is purely the bottom of the group and Touie barely has to insert dominance over Remy. They are doing great together and I'm so glad Touie is so much happier. I'd get your guy some babies. In the long run you'll be thankful and he'll be happier

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## ksaxton

Is the cage you ended up getting him the one that most people said looked a bit small for one and definitely too small for 2?


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## Lesti

Yeah, you should get him some babies. Since he is not the antagonist in the situation you should be able to easily pair him with some smaller boys which he can dominate if he chooses to. He'll be much happier that way  btw he is really cute, one of my boys' names is Beau, too. He is a blue dumbo as well, but with a standard coat.


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## Lesti

Oh, actually your boy looks like he has standard type ears, but it's kind of hard to see in the pictures.


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## Ratmom83

If you were talking to me I added to my cage and will probably add more as the babies grow. Somewhere there's a thread w a picture of it on there.

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## Leanna

the cage i ended up with is biger than the one i postid a pic of hes LOVEING it i even made a hamick out of a pair of old jeans


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## LittleSparrow

What a cutie! He is adorable.


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## Leanna

Thanks sparrow! i was so tickeld when i checked on him this morning!! i caught him sleeping in the hammock i made him out of an old pair of jeans!!!! first time hes done more than play in it!


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## Leanna

Lesti said:


> Oh, actually your boy looks like he has standard type ears, but it's kind of hard to see in the pictures.


hes not a full dumbo but his ears are wider than the normal ear type, like one perent was and the other was not.


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## Bronte18

I agree with getting a friend, I don't believe any rat CANNOT get along with another, it's the time and effort you put in. I was told that about 2 of my rescues and guess what? Now 4 of them live happily and a furet plus tower cage now, and we are in the process of introducing 2 babies into that group with a THIRD furet plus cage attached to the top! It's almost bigger than me as it is lol so yeah it's a little cruel to make him live alone without even trying. Oh btw I know in some isolated occasions rats don't get on with others, however I think that most people use that excuse because they simply cannot be bothered to try.


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## Leanna

Bronte18 said:


> I agree with getting a friend, I don't believe any rat CANNOT get along with another, it's the time and effort you put in. I was told that about 2 of my rescues and guess what? Now 4 of them live happily and a furet plus tower cage now, and we are in the process of introducing 2 babies into that group with a THIRD furet plus cage attached to the top! It's almost bigger than me as it is lol so yeah it's a little cruel to make him live alone without even trying. Oh btw I know in some isolated occasions rats don't get on with others, however I think that most people use that excuse because they simply cannot be bothered to try.


im sorry but when i see a rat with a nose thats DRIPPING blood becouse he spent 5 min in a cage with rats HALF his size im not gunna push the issue. after he recoverd we tried with other rats luckily we got him out before it got that bad again. 

i posted here to intoduce my baby not get guilted for doing what i think is best for my rat. I DID TRY. bronte18 did you even bother to read that i worked at the store were i got him? a few of us tryed finding other rats he could room with.


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## franticfur

For a first time trick teach him his name. Just get his favorite treat and feed him every time you call his name then you will be able to call him from across the room. For full explanation go to YouTube and look up "rat recall"


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## Leanna

franticfur said:


> For a first time trick teach him his name. Just get his favorite treat and feed him every time you call his name then you will be able to call him from across the room. For full explanation go to YouTube and look up "rat recall"


 thanks! as soon as i find his fav food i will be all over it! so far its a tie between celery and the occasional piece of dog or cat kibble


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## Bronte18

But since he is clearly the one being bullied you should try putting a baby in with him? Excuse me but I wasn't "guilting" you lol. I was giving advice, its the rat you put him with, have you tried putting a baby in with him? I doubt all rats are going to bully him. So, if you cant take advice don't ask for it. And yes I read it, and it sound like you didn't try hard enough, and try 1 rat, not a group that are already settled. You shouldn't just throw him in cage with them also, your supposed to take certain measures such as a new environment with no scents of either rats, and a controlled environment. I have introduced a few rats now and I would never allow it to get that far that one of my rats are badly injured. Also I would not put any of my rats in with a strange rat I didn't fully trust, it would be a rat id have for at least a few weeks and socialised with ME before introducing them to my rat. If both rats trust you and see you playing and bonding with each rat they are more likely to trust them.


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## Sheldon

I am not going to argue that it is best for him to have a friend and that she should try again soon in the future. That being said, a couple of you are going to put her off even trying with your methods. Publicly trying to shame someone is not the best way to persuade them to your way of looking at things.

Leanna, I really do hope you will consider trying again sometime after he has had a break. Is he neutered? I think I would try what 1 poster said and attempt a young female. If he is still intact you could probably find a rescue that has a spayed girl. As big as you say he is, he would probably be twice the weight.


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## Bronte18

Nobody is trying to publicly shame anybody. I was giving her ADVICE, she asked and I gave my opinion just as everybody else did. She is saying she IS trying but then everything she tries doesn't seem to be working. And also, if she doesn't take our advice of course she will fail at introducing a new rat, we obviously care for the rat, not for her? We don't even know her and some people just need directed. I've been there myself and if it wasn't for people guiding me I wouldn't have gotten anywhere, it's frustrating when someone asks for advice and then deflects every answer given with some attempt to say theyv already tried it. There are certain circumstances that your suppose to intro a rat, and I doubt that in a pet shop your going to have the time or space to completely A) bond with another rat and gain trust and B) properly eliminate scent in order to minimise the chance of fights. Also, it's dangerous to just put a rat in with an already established group without following the proper steps. Also, it is much easier to group a bullied rat than an aggressive one. Good luck anyway with your rat, I hope you listen to some of the advice here as it really is because we genuinely care for the happiness of your rat and not just trying to get at you, I'm not that kind of person.


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## Leanna

OK, im done, this is the *ONLY* rat group if had issues with. thanks to those who were _kind_ and _helpful_, and maby i will try again in a few months with another rat, IV ONLY HAD HIM SINCE MONDAY. not gunna freek him out. im looking for a place to get him neauterd at here localy. 

this is my last post in this group, i am going to delete my account. you all are not worth the stress.


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## Korra

We are trying to give legitimate advice. People start off very kind and easy to talk to, but with every response it is met with 
"I cant"
"I dont want"
"I know, but"
It is never about the animal. 
Op has stated she "wanted to master one rat first" and in another topic when advised that a cage she wanted to buy was too small even for one rat, she said she got it anyway because "husband didnt want anything bigger". Pet ownership is about finding the animal that best fits your needs, not the forcing the animal to the needs that best fit you.

It is one thing to not be knowledgeable of their needs and to come here seeking genuine help. It is another to know their needs but ignore them as well as the helpful and well meaning advice of others. It can be very frustrating for those of us that see lone rats all too often. Some can do it just fine. Some do not cope well at all long term. 

That being said, OP I am sorry that you feel attacked. We all have the health and safety of your rat in mind. We see too often owners that feel that inadequate care is ok in their situation so when helpful hints are met with opposition, it can be a little frustrating. However, I for one do not want you to leave. I would love to be able to have your here to show us your cute little ratty as you chart his progress.
You have made improvements in his life in one week and I look forward to seeing the others you make.


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## ksaxton

Korra said:


> Op has stated she "wanted to master one rat first" and in another topic when advised that a cage she wanted to buy was too small even for one rat, she said she got it anyway because "husband didnt want anything bigger".


To be fair, I did ask her (in this thread) about this an brought up that it appeared like she was saying she bought the cage that everyone was saying was too small, and she told me that the cage she ended up getting was larger than the one she posted a picture of. 


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## Jaguar

Really disappointed in this thread, guys. There is another human being with feeling sitting on the other side of that screen. I know you're just in it for the rats, but the righteous attitudes and name calling is just ridiculous. Knock it off. Closing the thread.


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