:( Vay is right, two rats is infinitely better. :) You can play with a single rat a lot but at the end of the day, you won't be around constantly meaning that sometimes the little guy will be left on his own, which is sad for a gregarious/social creature. In addition, a human companion can't supply all the same things a rat companion does - rat smells, rat grooming, stuff like that. I would never get a rat on it's own - I think it's sort of cruel
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I think what's going to end up happening is that I'm just going to be like, "hell with it" and get two, then save up to get the bigger cage, since initially they'll be small enough to handle it. >> I have done research, actually, it's just that most of the websites I visited or people I asked said that you COULD keep just one, as long as you could give it enough attention. It wasn't until Vay pointed this out to me rather firmly that I did more research. I have talked to people who've kept just one, however, multiple people, and their rats were fine. Those were probably the exceptions, rather than the rules, however
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I'm getting them from a pet store, but I've spoken to the pet store, and they get rats in to the store who have come from a breeder who handles them. At least, they have whenever I've spoken to them. They've been honest with me ("Oh the rats that are in right now are mostly feeders" or "The rats right now are the ones our breeder has handled") and since I live in a small county where there's a huge pull to support local business and this is the only petstore... <<; I'd have to drive 40 minutes to get to a PetSmart. And my gift certificate is for this petstore. XD
As far as introducing them, the stuff I read said to bathe them both as well as introduce them in the (dry) bathtub, since that would be a neutral place and the first rat wouldn't feel territorial. And that I couldn't just leave them there, of course, that I needed to supervise. XD
Aside from the above I feel like I should point out that rats don't need to be given regular 'baths' or anything. If your rats are of the rare few that do like to bathe, then a shallow tray of water will suffice, but as rats spend around 1/3 of their time grooming and cleaning themselves they don't actually need bathing. To do so could actually be detrimental to the rats
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This isn't my first experience keeping an animal. I had a dog that I solely took care of, who died as the result of an unfortunate accident. Likewise, I've had fish that I've cared for and I had a hamster for a long time. I've been keeping animals since I was little; I understand the responsibility that comes alongside. I don't understand what I wasn't versed about, aside from the gregariousness of rats? And, AGAIN, that was due to misinformation. I wouldn't have been able to convince my mom of allowing me to get one if I hadn't told her how to take care of it
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I was mostly just surprised, since I've never been the target of Vay's firmness. ;) I was just having a crappy evening, between my family and my friends wearing me out, really. Don't worry - it was the message, not you, that had me sadfacing
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Also, now to show what a dork I am, who exactly are you? I know you're a TDFer (or assume you are) but I'm not sure which one...?
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As far as introducing them, the stuff I read said to bathe them both as well as introduce them in the (dry) bathtub, since that would be a neutral place and the first rat wouldn't feel territorial. And that I couldn't just leave them there, of course, that I needed to supervise. XD
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