One Rat or Two?
Rats are social creatures who desire companionship, and who can become depressed and lonely if living without another member of their species. No matter how much time you spend with your rat, you can't be with them 24/7 like another rat can. Having multiple rats will not decrease their bond with you, and indeed in the case of shyer rats they'll often become more friendly just by copying their cagemates good example.
However, just because rats are social animals does not mean you can just place a strange rat into another rats cage and expect all to go well. Instead, you must introduce strange rats on neutral territory, and gradually work your way up to housing them together (A process which can take hours to weeks). If you would like more information on introducing rats, you can find it here.
Now yes, in some rats do need to live on their own (mainly due to rat on rat aggression) but this is the exception and quite rare. Bucks can also sometimes become hormonal at 3-12 months of age, and need to be neutered in order to get along with their cage mates once more. This hormonal aggression has been found to be genetic so if you get your rats from a good source such as an ethical breeder, you have little reason to worry.
Another thing you don't want to do is assume that your rat can't live with others just because the first meeting went bad. Often times introductions need to take place over many sessions or even weels. If your rats end up injuring each other the first time you introduce them, its a good idea to separate them and try again a bit later at a much more leisurely pace. Chances are the rats will eventually bond, and will be all the more happier for it.
Having a friend or few give a rat someone who understands their language, and who understands what its like to be a rat. Think about it. If you were a pet, wouldn't you like to have another human to talk to? Someone who could relate to what you were doing, and what you were going through? Sure, you could live alone, but I personally would rather have another human to at least talk to occasionally. It's the same with rats. They can live alone, but to have the best quality of life, they need to have a friend.
However, just because rats are social animals does not mean you can just place a strange rat into another rats cage and expect all to go well. Instead, you must introduce strange rats on neutral territory, and gradually work your way up to housing them together (A process which can take hours to weeks). If you would like more information on introducing rats, you can find it here.
Now yes, in some rats do need to live on their own (mainly due to rat on rat aggression) but this is the exception and quite rare. Bucks can also sometimes become hormonal at 3-12 months of age, and need to be neutered in order to get along with their cage mates once more. This hormonal aggression has been found to be genetic so if you get your rats from a good source such as an ethical breeder, you have little reason to worry.
Another thing you don't want to do is assume that your rat can't live with others just because the first meeting went bad. Often times introductions need to take place over many sessions or even weels. If your rats end up injuring each other the first time you introduce them, its a good idea to separate them and try again a bit later at a much more leisurely pace. Chances are the rats will eventually bond, and will be all the more happier for it.
Having a friend or few give a rat someone who understands their language, and who understands what its like to be a rat. Think about it. If you were a pet, wouldn't you like to have another human to talk to? Someone who could relate to what you were doing, and what you were going through? Sure, you could live alone, but I personally would rather have another human to at least talk to occasionally. It's the same with rats. They can live alone, but to have the best quality of life, they need to have a friend.
Why Rats Need To Live In Pairs Or Groups:
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