# What do you do when you have one rat left? (Not really sure where this topic belongs)



## Buddy (Mar 13, 2011)

I know rats need buddies blah blah blah. But what do you do when his/her friends pass on unexpectedly? 

I have a grown male, named Lou and I have no idea how old he is. For all I know he could easily be over a year. I bought him from a feeder tank at Petco. 

I'm going away to school and I can't replace his buddies. I really, really love him and I'd hate to see him suffer from being lonely. So if it comes down to it and I will gladly give him to someone who'd love my big guy.


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## KelleyArline (Jul 12, 2012)

As long as you (and anybody else who can play with him) can dedicate at least an hour with him each day, I think that he can adjust. From my first pair of rats, I had two boys that adored each other, Oscar and Charlie. They were almost inseparable and incredibly affectionate towards one another. Charlie died from congestive heart failure relatively early, and Oscar underwent behavioral changes. A rat that hardly chewed anything started chewing non-stop. I started buying him flavored Nylabone dog chew toys, and he loved them. He eventually tempered out and returned to normal.

We tried to introduce him to other rats, but he was VERY territorial. He did not take to other rats well. It was better for him to be alone if he couldn't be with Charlie. Fortunately, Oscar was the ultimate lap rat, so he was very easy to keep out of the cage. He could just sleep in my or my twin sister's lap while we did homework, browsed the internet, read, watched tv, etc.

My recommendation is to monitor any behavioral changes he may exhibit in his cage mate's absence, respond accordingly, and spend as much time with him as possible.


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## Buddy (Mar 13, 2011)

Thanks so much. All of my boys got abouttight 4 to 6 hours out of the cage each day. If i wasnt going away to school i would have introduced a new baby to Lou to keep him company but my mom doesnt want anymore rats. :/i and i'm not too sure how much time he'll have out of the cage.Right now im watching two spayed girls for a month so at least he wont be too lonly. I pushed thier cages together sso at night they can interact while i cant supervise them.I just want to do whats best for mybaby


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## cagedbirdsinging (May 28, 2012)

I hate to say this and put it this way, but no amount of human interaction can ever make up for what your boy lost. One hour, two hours, even six hours a day outside of the cage and playing simply isn't enough.

Not to mention, if you are going away to school and your mother doesn't want any other rats, I hardly think she could spend much of any time with the boy. But, like I said, it would not make a difference.

In your shoes, I would start searching for a new home for him with an experienced rat owner that is able to do proper introductions with your boy. He deserves another friend to live out the rest of his life with.

If that fails, contact a rescue and explain your situation. They are very experienced and will know what to do. If you do go that route, I would recommend putting a bit of money aside to donate to them when they take care of your boy.


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## Tibbs87 (Dec 25, 2011)

Your rat friend will live a longer, happier, healthier life if he has a fellow rat friend to hang out with. Get him a cage mate. I had two males at one point. One of them died suddenly. The next day I brought home another male and QT'd him for a week. During QT, Bernie (the surviving rat) seemed pretty depressed. He didn't run around much and just wasn't himself. After introductions I put them together. They got along great and both seemed to benefit from each other's company. I now have 4 and they all seem happy together. So yes, please get a cage mate. Rats are very social and need another rat to play with.


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## Buddy (Mar 13, 2011)

I feel like much of my first post went unnoticed and I'm being chewed out. Once again i never planned on having a single rat. I had three in total. My first guy passed on 2 months ago then his brother suffered from a freak accident. The only one left is lou.I just wanted to know what to do when you have one rat left.Do i talk to my mom about the importance of a friend?do i look for a rat close to lou's age?Tl;drI have one rat left after his budddies died unexpectedly.he currently isnt alone. (Im babysitting 2 girl rats for a month)Do i convince my mom he needs a friend?do i get a rat close in age?halp me please.


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## cagedbirdsinging (May 28, 2012)

I meant no offense.

From your post, I read that your mother does not want another rat, so I decided to leave that option out. There is a chance that the rats will not get the attention that they need if your mother is less than pleased with them. While another rat to be in the cage would be great, they will still need playtime outside of the cage. Can your mother provide that? If the answer is yes, then you should talk to her about the importance of a friend.

Furthermore, you do not know how introductions will go. Getting a boy close to Lou's age could be hit or miss. The plan that works most often is to get two younger (baby) rats. This makes it easier for Lou to establish his dominance while the babies tire each other out so that they don't upset Lou.

Now, this leaves you with getting two more rats instead of one. However, getting babies may be beneficial in convincing your mother. They're small, they're cute. Try asking her if she would like to pick out the color/marking/coat/ear types.

If she still declines, then I refer you to my previous post.


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