should i rehome my rat?

katiemaloe

Hi... I am looking for advice. I have a gorgeous 1 year old rat called Eric. He is a dumbo rex rat and a really lovely pet. I have kept rats before, always in pairs. Basically this is the situation.... I originally had 2 rats but the other one was badly bullying Eric. He was very dominant and regularly attacked him. He also took complete charge at feeding time. So I took the decision to rehome the dominant one. Since then, Eric has thrived, he put on weight and is much more confident.

He is a great eater and very tame. He loves sitting on my shoulder. He gets all excited at dinner time. I have a big spacious cage for him with clmbing toys and a hammock, so he has a nice environment. I feel he is well looked after.

My problem is that I am worried he isnt getting enough company. I understand fully that rats are very socail animals. I have been wary to introduce another rat as company for him because of what happened before.. I also work full time and have an extremely busy lifestyle so he doesn't get as much time with me as I feel he needs, especially as he is living alone. I often think he must be lonely. I feel very guilty about having him alone so much and I'm wondering would it be kinder to find a new home for him, where he might have more human contact and playtime than I can provide? What do ye think?

Thank you for reading this.

Sigma Force

Have you checked out the irish rat club http://irishrat.proboards.com/index.cgi

Perhaps there might be someone on there that would be nice enough to allow you to try out a rat with your Eric with the idea of keeping him permanently only if they get on well.

marley007

ok i'm new to the rat scene, but could you not introduce your rat to a younger rat who would view eric as the dominant rat? I could be completly off the mark but it generally works with other animals!

katiemaloe

Thanks guys. Ill definately check out the rat club. The other rat I had was a couple of weeks younger than Eric when i got them both. I got both of them as babies, from a breeder who assured me they would get on fine. They were from different litters and the other one was very young. I really don't feel confident about introducing another rat as I'm worried Eric will be very stressed by this. He's not the most confident, though much more so than he used to be.

I'll have to think about this one!

votejohn

could you get another rat and another cage and put the cages beside eachother? would he get on with a female rat (can you get rats neutered?)?

Interceptor

If he is thriving and active I wouldn't worry about it. They should be kept in pairs where possible but sometimes this isn't possible. Can you give him plenty of space and toys to play with and let him out when you get home for a few hours? Have you a room you can let him out in for long periods?

Don't sweat the socialising thing - its not like you've got Brian Keenan locked in your spare room. If he sees you every day and he is comfortable in his surroundings he'll be fine. Introducing another rat into his space might do more harm than good.

Ask on irishrat - its not a very busy site but there are a few people who rehome and rescue pet rats and they will have better experience of introducing older rats to each other.

'cptr

katiemaloe

Well I have decided to find a new home for him. It just isn't fair having him alone so much and I think he will be happier with more attention. He does love it when he is out with me for the evening, it just isn't happening often enough. I feel very sad and guilty about this but feel it is the kindest thing for Eric. Does anyone know of someone who would like a rat? Cage and all accessories provided, preferably someone who has had rats before.

Thank you to all for your advice and help. x