I have 6 snakes. 4 eat mice. 2 eat rats. I met with a guy yesterday and bought two rats from him for the snakes. I couldn’t do it. I normally buy my rodents frozen for the snakes. These two are the cutest effing rats I’ve ever seen so here I am now watching like 5 of your videos in a row looking at how to give my daughters two new pets their best life.
Aww, that's sweet. I'm not against people using feeders, but I definitely wouldn't be able to do it. I don't have rats but I do have mice and I love em! I do sometimes really want rats, but I have dogs and i know one of them would not get along with them. Rats seem like such sweethearts though and it breaks my heart when I see people reselling them in tiny cages.
I got a third rat recently because my original two’s friendship was visibly forced... they were always fighting and seemed annoyed and frustrated with each other, but when I got a third one she became best friends with one of my other rats, and I think it released a lot of tensions and now they are all super close! Best decision I’ve ever made!
@@freyjacooper9082 nah because once I got the third one, one of my original rats Bc best friends with the third one and became closer with the other original rat. They are now all very close friends
My boyfriend asked me what I wanted to do for my birthday back in April and I wanted rats so we bought two( that were being sold as snake food so feeders) and i haven’t heard them fight they groom eachother and cuddle together but really want to get another one is it okay two have a group of three but not four
Just wondering I live in the us and I’m moving to the uk in a couple months and can’t take my 3 baby boy rats with me I will literally drive anywhere in the us to give them to someone who can care for them and play with them if your interested pls let me know!! There all boys and one is super cuddly and is not scarred of people the other two are quite skittish!!
3:10 “Of course you can still have one really annoying rat in the group that’s constantly pestering the other ones.” Just as she said this, my rat Nelson poked his head out of the cage and looked at me.
My 3rd boy passed away on Christmas Eve leaving his 2 brothers. His death was peaceful and the best anyone could hope for - I sang to him as I held him in my arms, then showed him to his brothers so they could grieve. The cage dynamic definitely changed and I've made the decision to adopt 3 more boys of which I am collecting on the 16th. My 2 older boys and I have so much more love to give and I'm hoping to continue to provide them with a better than "okay" end to their lives 💕
I feel you. The same thing actually happened to me. My 3rd male passed away between Christmas and New Years at over three years. But I’m so happy he got this old and passed away peacefully, since I adopted him out of an animal hoarding situation I really wanted him to live the rest of his life well. At least now I can give a home to two new ratties. I’m picking mine up in February :)
As someone who went through hell because of starting off with only a pair I strongly suggest getting at least three rats all together. I got my first pair and it very quickly became apparent that one of the boys was already sick upon purchase. He developed chronic respiratory tract infections, so I would on average be at the vet at least every two-three months to have him checked and/or put on antibiotics. Long story short - he choked and his infection propelled out of control to a point where even best exotic vets in London couldn't help him. As a result his brother spent six days alone in the cage while the sick boy was hospitalized only to in the end not even be able to say goodbye to his brother because he had to be put to sleep (oxygen chambers and two different antibiotics could not settle the infection, he lost a lot of weight and breathing outside oxygen chamber became a real struggle for him. I came to see and hold him one last time before an absolute star of a vet took him from me and helped him cross the rainbow bridge.). Once it became very obvious that he isn't coming home the real trouble began, I called probably around 15 different ratteries in and out of London and couldn't find ANY litter that I could possibly use to introduce to the one left behind, so I had to do what I didn't want to do and go to a pet shop. I made it very clear that one of the rats I had gotten from them initially was sick from the start and no one bothered to help me out (I was firt-time buyer, really inexperienced and I fucking hate myself for it) and that I won't be taking these boys if any of them has even a hint of infection - so I was offered free of charge full vet checkup which they passed with flying colours. They got introduced and settled down really well after I had been told by quite a few rat breeders that it's not gonna work so don't believe everything you hear, but my point is - start off with at least THREE rats. Learn from my mistakes. This was really traumatic and left scar on my mental health that I will carry for the rest of my life.
"is it ok to only have 2 rats" me, who is getting rat 6 and 7 today: "wait, there are people who can only have 2???? im considering getting all on them lmao"
I’m a teenager and me and my sister really want a rat each. I have watched almost all of your videos and can confidently say I think I am responsible enough and have the right resources to take care of them. Currently trying to convince my mom to let me since she has the preconception that all rats are vermin.
You may have them by know but show your mom Emiology's and Shadow the Rat's videos. Also, tell her that they act almost 85% like dogs because they're just as smart as them.
Wow! This video is so relevant to me right now. I have 2 males currently but I am planning on getting 2 more in a couple months, because of my new critter nation.
This is what I did with my ratties! I wasn't looking for 3 but got 3 so that they could have enough social time! I love it and definitely don't regret it! Also if one dies suddenly the other wouldn't be alone
I originally got 3 boys 6 months ago, unfortunately one passed away when he was only 10 weeks old, but a few days ago I brought 2 more baby boys home and I have already noticed the dynamics of the cage change. The older boys love their baby brothers and are always cuddling and playing together 🥰
My parents won't let me get more rats. I have 2 at the moment. They have a very large cage (your current size) with lots of toys, hammocks, and places to climb. I free roam them whenever i can and I play with them every day. I try to give them the best possible life. They are very happy and get along great. I hope this is okay :) (They are around 7 months old btw) P.S I am planning to rehome them once the other dies Also at 6:10 crumble is so cute
Hello, I have 2 mice called sugar and spice, and when I first got them I didn't realise what they actually needed, so I brought them a small pets at home cage that came with a small wheel. After about 2 months I started to learn more about mice and I started to plan what new, bigger cage I could get them. I'll admit my mum wasn't much help, she kept telling me that the cage was fine and they wouldn't sell it me if it was bad for them. She started to tell me about rotter stacks and how her mice had one when she was young, and she said that they will have loads of places to run. But I tried to tell her that they need multiple hides and hanging toys and forgeing toys, but she wouldn't listen. She also didn't listen when I told her that the wheel the mice had was far to small. But, I saved up some money and I planned out their new bin cage. I went to B&Q with my dad to get some things for the cage and he helped me build it and my mum watched. And now my mice have a lovely home. I want more mice in the future so I'll make the cage bigger for when I do get them. I love it and sugar and spice love it. None of this would have happend if I had listened to people who know about mice rather than people in pet shops. If I ever get other pets ill do all my reserch from reliable sources instead and I'll never make the same mistake again.
Yes it’s always good to learn from your mistakes it’s good that yoy put on that time into them to make them happy I can’t stop grieving on the list of my rat he was my best friend and it’s so hard rn I only have one rat bc my parents will not allow another bc we made a deal no more animals akd then my rat passed away and I really don’t want another one but I know my other boy needs him 💕
I am happy with my decision to start with a pair as I don’t think I could have responsibly handled 4 babies at a time on my own without having owned rats before. It makes much more sense to me to have a rolling group as you said and I’m going to be putting myself on breeders waiting lists soon for another pair as well as upgrading the cage size etc
But.. I am trying so hard to resist all those rats in my local rescue/rehoming group. I don't have parents to convince, I have the room and the budget... I just worry it would become a lot to handle.
What exactly is holding you back? Five rats aren't more to handle than three :) it gets kinda chaotic with ten or more xD You have to clean a bit more the more animals you have; but the more rats, the more social interaction and activity do they have :) if you are unsure start with three or four pets.
@@thekissinkate I have one rat who is scared of everything. I've had her for months and she still will not let me pick her up. It makes it hard to handle free roam time and cage cleaning. The other two don't always get along very well (one is a jerk, the other overreacts). One of my rats is elderly and I will add more for sure when she passes, but until then, I worry about what behavior issues I would get with other rats. I keep saying I will wait until I at least solve the issue with the scared rat, but progress on that is really slow. 😥
@@kinahthecat I have a rescue who detests being handled and bites. It's taken half a year to come to an understanding with her that she can come and go as she likes if I leave the doors open. When my grumpy old rat died and I got her new baby friends she came out her shell so quickly! Seeing the new rats wanting to be handled etc gives her the confidence to let me touch her (still not pick up though). The point being, that it could be beneficial for them to have younger, friendlier rats around showing the way. She also boggled for the first time when she got her friends which made me so happy to know that she was happy
@@MawhinneyDesign that is so sweet! I am glad your girl came out of her shell with the new girls. I have come to accept that my shy girl will never become super friendly. She does occasionally climb on me during free roam, especially if she is following her sister. And she has learned not to always panic when I approach her to give her a treat. I usually end free roam time at a time when she goes back in her cage, which is not always convenient. I do keep two carrier cage out in the free roam area and I am teaching her to go in there to look for treats. Hopefully that will also help to keep things manageable.
as a person who has been looking into getting rats this is really help full thanks for creating such amazing content about these misunderstood animals! c=
When i was picking up my rats i was only going to get 2 but when doing research I joined about 6 billion rat groups on Facebook. I can across a very brief comment that I barely skimmed which said "3 rats is better than 2 because it's a better dynamic". It didn't go into much more detail than that but it just clicked and made sense. When I picked them up I was luckily able to choose 3 instead of 2 and it's the best decision ever. They're so unique and I can't imagine them being apart. I picked up another 2 older ones a month later to show the babies how to behave. One of them unfortunately passed but I'm so glad she has her little babies to keep her company. They've probably taught her more than she has them. But the rat who passed was the most gorgeous, lovely girl ever and really taught them how to behave! RIP Betsy.
At the end of my time having rats, I have 2 older females. One passed away a month and a half before the next, we were in the middle of the adopting process when the other passed away. I ending up switching to gerbils because I wanted to try a new rodent. They are less interactive then rats but I love them so much
THANK YOU SO MUCH!! This made me realize the reasons on why I shouldn't just have one rat. Most things I found on google said "they get lonely and depressed" and I assumed that just meant "they get lonely and depressed if you don't play with them too much", and you've shown me why that's wrong! I am getting two rats in 2-4 months, and I'm so excited.
Hey em , rats are my dream pets I’ve been watching your channel for a long time I’m not aloud rats right know but when I’m older I’ll know what to do love your channel xx ❤️
I have 4 females and they always want to sleep together, on top of each other. They have a really large cage with a ton of hides and hammocks, but almost always they end up sleeping together. (At the moment in their cage they have 8 hides and 4 hammocks, and 6 baskets to sleep of sit in) I defenitly think rats enjoy to live in a group.
This is the closest I've ever been to on time! I love your channel! I just brought my first mouse home two days ago. His name is Angel, and he's 2 months old. He's in a 20 gallon tank. He has 3 hides, fleece ropes, bridges, a wheel, and plenty of chews. You're videos helped me prepare for him. He seems pretty happy and not very stressed. Thank you for making it possible for me to get him! ❤️
I just picked up a group of older rescue rats to add to my mischief which is a good way to do it if you want want to commit to having new baby rats who will live for a long time
I've been looking into getting a new pet for quite some time, and ever since I heard about how friendly and playful rats could be, I've been hooked! I've had two dogs for some time, gone through three praying mantises, and looked into getting a snake, but I realized that rats would be more beneficial than a snake. Now, I've been researching like crazy to study everything I can! Admittedly, I'm nervous as a first time upcoming rat owner, but I'm comforted that I'll know what to do even when problems do arise. I calculated the size of the cage I'll be getting which is supposed to be spacious enough for 7 rats. I think I'll try starting with 3, and add one or two more after a while! So thank you very much for these educational and entertaining videos! I hope to do you proud, Emiology! 💪💖🐀
In late 2016 my family and I adopted our first two rats. over the course of the next two years we got 6 more and I can say that rats living in groups are very happy! I now have only two rats because my other ones have passed away and my mom does not want to get more after these ones.. the ones I have now are both elderly and are still happy in a pair but I can tell that my oldest (Jazzy) misses being in a group sometimes so I also recommend owning a group of rats. :)
i just got 2 rats for the first time and they seem so happy together like there best friends already and always cuddling but glad i watched this vid to learn more
I got 3 baby girls last week, and I got a double critter nation. They really are spoiled little girls. You’re videos really helped me convince my parents to let me get them! Thank you so much!
I owned ONE pet rat. Her name was sweet pea. She had a smaller three tier cage but got a lot of free time to run around my room. She was a happy rat and she lived five years.
yes! I completely agree, I started out with 2 rats, for a long time they wouldn't get out of bed unless I bribed them with treats, but as soon I introduced 3 new rats my old girls started coming out everyday and they really just changed into a happier rats. I just lost one of them yesterday, but I am glad she died with the love from her 4 friends.
I currently have 7 females for in a Liberta Explorer. They range from close to 2, all the way down to 14 weeks, the relationships that develop between them are wonderful. My older girls have had me as the vets twice just this week, but they’re worth everything! So lovely to see their social side come out in a group!
We first started with two rats, but as they got older we adopted a third rat as we didn't want to have one by themselves if the other passed away suddenly. We now have four rats which we've found to be the perfect number for us (I've heard 4-6 is the optimal group number if you have the space). We've also found having a desexed boy with our girls is a wonderful dynamic for the group 🥰 For those who only want a pair, consider companion fostering as an option, as I know many owners who have done that ❤️
My eldest (2 y/o) has lost her sister a few weeks ago, and I tried to reintroduce her to my three youngest (the first introduction, done with the travel cages etc, ended up with one of my youngest being hurt pretty badly), but it still didn’t work. Since she now has two tumours (the second one has recently appeared), I’ve decided that I’m keeping her alone for the rest of her life (which will probably be another month or two before having to put her down).
I wish I had found your channel when I had my two boys. One died and I never bought another to keep his brother company as I didn't know if I could introduce new ones. Instead I literally played with him an awful lot and let him fall asleeep on my lap. I kept him company all the time and hoped he was happy. He died six months after his brother (he was older than two). I never had any more as it hurt too much loosing them. I worry now that he wasn't happy 😒.
@@imbored6135 Hi there, Thank you so much for your reply, I miss them all the time. I'm sure they are resting peacefully. They are together under my Acer, they'll be there at least untill I die and trhe house gets sold 😢 As for the rat emoji, they became available as a 'perk' when I became a member 😁
@@imbored6135 An Acer is basically a Japanese Maple tree. There are lots of different kinds but mine is the one that has the foliage go a deep maroon that really look amazing in the sun. At the moment though of course the leaves are gone for the winter. 😁
@@Pizzpott Wow! It seems really beautiful, and it’s even more beautiful that your beautiful and friendly rats that unfortunately passed away are under it
i'm starting to think about having rats for the next 1 or 2 years so that's why i start to watch emiology's video, and i realised i don't know if i'm ready for this long commitment or not. Especially rats is not a common pet in my country, so it's going to be hard to look for a community to share a information about taking care of rats in my country. I guess i'll just keep bingewatch and enjoy the rats from the screen ✌️
I have a 6months old pair of girls. I couldn't get anymore because my cage wasn't even really suitable for 2rats, but just today I got a huge cage for free! While my girls are settling in their new mansion and getting used to all that space, I'm already looking for a new sister (or a few) to rescue :)
Excellent video as always! Just wanted to add that another potential solution for people with only one older rat is fostering a partner rat to stay with them. My local rescue has several foster rats that go out and keep elderly rats company until they pass and then the foster rat returns to the shelter. I'm not sure if this is a common practice among rescues but it might be worth looking in to if you are having trouble convincing a parent to let you get another rat or you aren't able to continue keeping rats after your current ones.
My friend has rats, she started with 2 I was there when she got them and about a year later she said she got 2 more dumbo's and she said she was gonna be bonding them togheter and a few months ago she told me on of her older rats was sick and I went to have a sleepover at her house and that rat passed away when I was there, so I was there when that rat got there and left. So luckily she has got 2 rats a few weeks before and she bonded them and now she has 3 rats living the best life, :)
I used to have 2 female rats and thought they got along very well, but somehow they seem much happier and have more energy after I got a third (same aged) one. One of my old rats also used to have teritorrial behaviours, which curiously seem to be almost non-existent now. Also, it's just interesting to see how rats interact with each other based on their personality, which is completely different for every rat.
I'm hopefully getting my first rats in a 2-3 months! I'm planning on getting four boys to start with, and introducing more as they get older (I'm getting the double critter nation cage to have enough room for the first four and to then get younger friends for them). I'm so excited to be a rat parent, and your videos have had so much for me to learn over the last few months! Thank you for teaching us all so much about ratties! Much love from me 🥰
I have three rats and I definitely think more is better because not all rats will get on so it’s good to give them a choice of who they want to be close with
I started my journey off with two 3 month old rescue boys about 9 months ago, and now here I am with a a double critter nation cage of 4 boys. It’s so much more interesting to see all of them and watch how they all interact with each individual. Hoping in the future, when my youngest boys reach 6 months, to adopt 2 more babies and grow my little rattie family even more🤍😁
I'm new to rat care and currently just have a pair. They get along well. I only have a pair since I'm new and don't want to get overwhelmed. I am planning on eventually increasing the group size to 6 since I'd say that's the capacity of the cage.
I had a pair of rats when I first started. When they got to around 7 or 8 months they were not getting along. Until around 1 years old they drew blood and one was just very hormonal and uncomfortable. So I got both of them neutered. At that time I also was looking into getting 2 more rats. And once my two older boys were healed and waited the appropriate time. They did wonderful with the two other rats. And then a couple months later I got another pair so I have a total of 6 right now. And my older boys who were only just a pair in the beginning are thriving and love their brothers very much. Only having 2 rats I feel can result in more fighting, where as having 3 or more they can pair up and cuddle with anyone they want.
Your point of the social dynamics is why I like bigger groups too! I also prefer odd numbered groups too. I find they do better than even numbers but that’s just my own experiences!
You're like the "Rat advocate lady"... I watch your videos in order to hopefully get convincing proof that I can get rats or mice, but every time I learn that my circumstances aren't conducive and I end up not getting. But thanks for giving the correct information in the best interest of the rats!
my mom only let me get 2 rats as of now (i'm picking them up sometime in july), and although i know they should be kept in groups, i feel like starting out with 3+ would really overwhelm me and my family, so i'm okay with her decision. however, i made sure to do a lot of research and also buy a cage big enough to keep up to 7 rats, so that once me and my mom feel ready we can keep expanding the family :)
This video came at the right time! Yesterday I finally decided to purchase the critter nation add-on, so I can make a huge cage. I have a really small living room, and the cage might be a problem, but I just want the best for my two boys. They just had their 1st birthday, so I figured this is a good time to expand and get them some company. I think I'll be having 4 rats, hopefully soon ^^
I have 9 rats currently, started out with adopting 3 from a lovely woman who took amazing care of them but could no longer keep them due to allergies, once those boys came up to over a year we bought two babies from the same breeder the older boys had come from, we had planned that having 5 was the maximum and we wouldn’t be getting any more until we where down to 3 rats again, until I saw a group of 4 boys on a Facebook group I’m a part of, they needed a new home, we got them and 3/4 acted as if they had never been handled or socialised with humans, one was perfectly happy being picked up, played with, petted, the other three would screech and jump over our hands, scratch and flail. So I’m assuming there was a favourite and the others never had the work out in to socialise them, they where in a ferplast furrat which in my opinion is too small for 4 rats, luckily we had another one so we stacked them, they stayed in there, next to be big cage for a week and a half until they where more okay with being held, and then we introduced them to the big boys and babies, (who themselves had only just moved into the big cage from intros, we tried the neutral space method first, as it had worked well with the previous introductions we had done, we did this with just the older boys as I felt as though it might stress the youngest too much,but they did not enjoy any part of it and would chase and scream and fight, we decided to swap their cages for a couple days and then swap them back for a couple to mix their scents, we then moved straight into carrier introductions, including the young pair, this all went smoothly and we continued with moving them up cage sizes slowly, all 9 are now living comfortably together in a pet planet ferret and rat cage, and I have recently bought another to double the space they have, they’re all boys and the younger ones will get quite big, I want them to have as much space as possible to live in and enjoy.
My first time owning rats one of the two babies was already sick when we adopted them and passed away two weeks later and luckily an adoption fell through and we got another boy and then rescued three more later that day! When we were eventually down to 2 we decided not to have rats anymore because my husband is allergic. Our last boy lived 3 months alone but was spoilt rotten and was played with constantly. Our rat free lives lasted for four months before my husband couldn’t help himself and adopted 3 boys, he just loves rats so much he is willing to put up with the itchiness. They are now about 8-9 months old and I would love to add some babies to our family. Our current 3 are so different from our last group and I miss having a rat that likes to cuddle, these boys have always been so timid and dislike being out of the cage.
I got 2 baby girls almost 2 weeks ago and they seem to be pretty happy, they play fight and groom each others fur but I am getting another baby girl from the same breeder, she’s from the same litter and I’m hoping they recognise each other and make friends quickly, they’re all 2 and a half months old
My first are a pair of very elderly females! I wanted more but the shelter I adopted from only had two females & I didn’t want to add any males! But now I also have another cage in a different room of a GROUP of four males! I love them all so much & definitely will keep in groups from now on 💕💛
I have two boys (my first) and I just got a full time job so I think I’ll be following your advice on this one - my two boys couldn’t be more different and I think one of them would enjoy having another friend or two!
2 of our girls passed away leaving the 2 sister's we've tried to add but with everything going on its made it impossible, my biggest worry is if 1 passed then the other would be alone. So hopefully we'll be able to find some friends for our girls soon. ❤
I’m on my first rats! I have a really big cage and three beautiful boys. They get at least an hour out a day in my bathroom! I feel very blessed to have managed to get these boys up for adoption.
I have three. Only lost one boy but I know they’re about a year and a half now and it’s very nerve wracking I know they’re old boys. They’re here for a good time, not a long time ❤️
I felt it when you said they can all get sick at the same time! I have a group of 8 and they all got an upper resporitory.... now I have a$300 vet bill and medicating 8 rats with a med they hate twice a day. I wouldnt change it for the world though!
I really miss rats ☹️I have two male gerbils that live in an 80 gallon tank. They are much less work but are also less interactive. They are so much fun to watch though, I always put in tons of things to climb on and chew on along with 15 inches of bedding!! I love watching then tunnel and they are so cute
I have six rats. Their names are Frankie, Elmer, Ronnie, Charlie, Jackson and Theo. Best rats ever! I love them so much! I used to have two, but over the last 6 months I upgraded from two to four, then from four to six. I love their group environment! It gives them options on who to sleep with, or who to play with.
It took a health scare to convince my dad it was a good idea to get more before one dies rather than after but luckily that health scare wasn’t serious and they were still at just about a year old and they accepted more babies pretty happily. But my older girls are still each others best friend even with 4 more of various ages to choose from! 🥰
I had a pet rat that was so happy. Had in and out time. Did have a cat to play with and at one point he had a pigeon to play with. From my experience, I believe several ways are possible.
Rats should never be allowed to play with cats. Even the most well meaning cat with a low prey drive it just takes one playful swipe to spread something like toxoplasmosis and end up with a dead rat.
I'm getting two knew babies hopefully in a couple months, one of my girls had passed a couple months ago and due to the timing the most reputable breeder in my state closed to prevent her rats from ending up in shelters in spring because of them being gave as gifts. I have seen a big change after my girl passed in the other girls, they are a lot less like rats than before, their is less play fighting and honestly have less of a leader so they are more anxious.
As you said “younger people don’t have control of financial stuff” (or something like that) I relate I’m not gonna say my exact age but I’m in 6th grade and my mom is gonna get me rats o told her all of my research and made her an entire presentation and stuff and I told her we have to get at least 2 and I was telling her some good names and she said “wait more then 2?!” And I told her we should get 3 or 4 and she said we can’t afford all of that so she decided for me to get 2
I have 2 boys that I got together, they were brought up together, but now that they're a bit older neither of them want to be with any of the other rats. I've had to separate them from each other and the group due to aggression and some bloody fights. One of them is ok with one of my girls, but she doesn't like him because he is super dominant towards her. I feel bad that the 2 boys are alone, but I just can't seem to find a happy medium for them. They both seem to be content on their own, still eating, drinking, still super playful and cuddly with me. Both presenting to be happy how they are now, it's really just a shame because they all got along and played so well as youngsters. 😭😭
That’s a cool dissertation! I just got a group of fancy mice for my dissertation about mouse water temperature preference. They’re so sweet, I’ve had rats before, but never mice. I was only allowed to get the mice because they’re for my dissertation and they’re “being rehomed afterwards” wink wink, nod nod 😂
I'm in the middle of watching the video but just wanted to get this off my chest. I've always had three rats, but since my oldest bean passed away over a month ago I haven't been able to introduce a new rat to my two ladies (I've tried so many methods) One of them attacks any sign of a new rat so I've decided against having more than two right now and I feel incredibly guilty about that, but at least they're having a great time together. It's a struggle :')
I got 2 male babies back in June and one passed in September so adopted a 1 yr old that was being bullied by his two new cage mates. Have done introductions between my boys but they hate each other and blood has been spilled!! They are in separate cages and I can't put them through the stress so I think they are destined to live alone but next door to each other and come out for lots of cuddles in shifts.
Please don't give up, theres many things you can try before that, neutering one or both of them, and if that still doesn't work housing them with females once neutered can make a huge difference. Be careful not to have their cages too close together where they can see each other as this can make them frustrated and introductions a lot more difficult
I have 6 snakes. 4 eat mice. 2 eat rats. I met with a guy yesterday and bought two rats from him for the snakes. I couldn’t do it. I normally buy my rodents frozen for the snakes. These two are the cutest effing rats I’ve ever seen so here I am now watching like 5 of your videos in a row looking at how to give my daughters two new pets their best life.
Aww, that's sweet. I'm not against people using feeders, but I definitely wouldn't be able to do it. I don't have rats but I do have mice and I love em! I do sometimes really want rats, but I have dogs and i know one of them would not get along with them. Rats seem like such sweethearts though and it breaks my heart when I see people reselling them in tiny cages.
Just curious, how are they doing now?:)
I bought my last three boys from a feeder breeder.💕
Aw i love that story
aww that is so nice of u
I got a third rat recently because my original two’s friendship was visibly forced... they were always fighting and seemed annoyed and frustrated with each other, but when I got a third one she became best friends with one of my other rats, and I think it released a lot of tensions and now they are all super close! Best decision I’ve ever made!
Aah, this is interesting information...thank u!
Does the other one not feel left out?
@@freyjacooper9082 nah because once I got the third one, one of my original rats Bc best friends with the third one and became closer with the other original rat. They are now all very close friends
@@fireplace7894 That's good
My boyfriend asked me what I wanted to do for my birthday back in April and I wanted rats so we bought two( that were being sold as snake food so feeders) and i haven’t heard them fight they groom eachother and cuddle together but really want to get another one is it okay two have a group of three but not four
I started rescuing 2 old girls at the start of the year... here I am now with 4 new rats who have an entire room to themselves....
I have a rat room too! 🤣
Just wondering I live in the us and I’m moving to the uk in a couple months and can’t take my 3 baby boy rats with me I will literally drive anywhere in the us to give them to someone who can care for them and play with them if your interested pls let me know!! There all boys and one is super cuddly and is not scarred of people the other two are quite skittish!!
3:10 “Of course you can still have one really annoying rat in the group that’s constantly pestering the other ones.” Just as she said this, my rat Nelson poked his head out of the cage and looked at me.
😅 They ARE smart!?
My 3rd boy passed away on Christmas Eve leaving his 2 brothers. His death was peaceful and the best anyone could hope for - I sang to him as I held him in my arms, then showed him to his brothers so they could grieve. The cage dynamic definitely changed and I've made the decision to adopt 3 more boys of which I am collecting on the 16th. My 2 older boys and I have so much more love to give and I'm hoping to continue to provide them with a better than "okay" end to their lives 💕
I'm so sorry for your lost you did the best you could and I'm sure he had the best life he could
I’m so sorry! As long as your rat lived a long happy life then you did a good job. Everyone knows rats go to heaven so you don’t have to worry
Lovely caring!
I feel you. The same thing actually happened to me. My 3rd male passed away between Christmas and New Years at over three years. But I’m so happy he got this old and passed away peacefully, since I adopted him out of an animal hoarding situation I really wanted him to live the rest of his life well. At least now I can give a home to two new ratties. I’m picking mine up in February :)
That’s sad 😔
I have 14 girls and 9 boys they are always really happy and always cuddling with eachother
Wow
That’s a lot of rats! 🥰✨
@@chocolatecupcake2172 yup. Its a lot of work but its worth it ❤️❤️❤️
that is goals (i want a zoo in my house when i move out hehe)
wow!! dream life!!
As someone who went through hell because of starting off with only a pair I strongly suggest getting at least three rats all together. I got my first pair and it very quickly became apparent that one of the boys was already sick upon purchase. He developed chronic respiratory tract infections, so I would on average be at the vet at least every two-three months to have him checked and/or put on antibiotics. Long story short - he choked and his infection propelled out of control to a point where even best exotic vets in London couldn't help him. As a result his brother spent six days alone in the cage while the sick boy was hospitalized only to in the end not even be able to say goodbye to his brother because he had to be put to sleep (oxygen chambers and two different antibiotics could not settle the infection, he lost a lot of weight and breathing outside oxygen chamber became a real struggle for him. I came to see and hold him one last time before an absolute star of a vet took him from me and helped him cross the rainbow bridge.). Once it became very obvious that he isn't coming home the real trouble began, I called probably around 15 different ratteries in and out of London and couldn't find ANY litter that I could possibly use to introduce to the one left behind, so I had to do what I didn't want to do and go to a pet shop. I made it very clear that one of the rats I had gotten from them initially was sick from the start and no one bothered to help me out (I was firt-time buyer, really inexperienced and I fucking hate myself for it) and that I won't be taking these boys if any of them has even a hint of infection - so I was offered free of charge full vet checkup which they passed with flying colours. They got introduced and settled down really well after I had been told by quite a few rat breeders that it's not gonna work so don't believe everything you hear, but my point is - start off with at least THREE rats. Learn from my mistakes. This was really traumatic and left scar on my mental health that I will carry for the rest of my life.
Really good in depth post...you did your very best and are an animal hero!
Your Animals are lucky to have u as their family!
...I went through similar...well done for doing what u could!
Or get one rat from the beginning. Both my solo rat and our our solo guinea pig lived longer than normal healthy happy lives.
Wow I went through almost the same thing and I am sorry bc it is ruff but you are a good person going through that to help them have the best lfie
If only my mom would let me she said we probably can’t afford more then 2 so she said I should get 2 instead
"is it ok to only have 2 rats"
me, who is getting rat 6 and 7 today: "wait, there are people who can only have 2???? im considering getting all on them lmao"
we want to have more but we can’t at the moment :(
It’s called we just can’t,,
money problems exist?? like bro we wish we could have more😭
I’m a teenager and me and my sister really want a rat each. I have watched almost all of your videos and can confidently say I think I am responsible enough and have the right resources to take care of them. Currently trying to convince my mom to let me since she has the preconception that all rats are vermin.
You may have them by know but show your mom Emiology's and Shadow the Rat's videos. Also, tell her that they act almost 85% like dogs because they're just as smart as them.
Wow I relate to this. Any progress?
I can relate to this but the best of luck Idk why my dad suddenly let me take home 2
LOL my parents thought the same thing. So at 24 years of age when I had a job I got a hamster. Lol
I can relate but I’m a kid. it’s been a year if you got a ray how are they now
Wow! This video is so relevant to me right now. I have 2 males currently but I am planning on getting 2 more in a couple months, because of my new critter nation.
Same! Lol
hey! I'm in the exact same situation! ;D I just purchased the critter nation add-on yesterday and hoping to find 2 more friends for my 2 boys ^^
Same I currently have my second pair of boys and I don’t have room for another so I make sure I play with them everyday multiple times.
Me seeing title “is it ok to only have two rats”
Me: NO you need more cuteness 😅😂🤣
That’s funny!!!
Lmao 😂
Yep
This is what I did with my ratties! I wasn't looking for 3 but got 3 so that they could have enough social time! I love it and definitely don't regret it!
Also if one dies suddenly the other wouldn't be alone
I originally got 3 boys 6 months ago, unfortunately one passed away when he was only 10 weeks old, but a few days ago I brought 2 more baby boys home and I have already noticed the dynamics of the cage change. The older boys love their baby brothers and are always cuddling and playing together 🥰
That's so sweet!
i currently only have a pair of rats, but I’m planning on getting more this summer (when my current boys are about a year old).
I'm doing the same as you! I want to be able to have a rolling group of maximum 4 rats.
My parents won't let me get more rats. I have 2 at the moment. They have a very large cage (your current size) with lots of toys, hammocks, and places to climb. I free roam them whenever i can and I play with them every day. I try to give them the best possible life. They are very happy and get along great. I hope this is okay :) (They are around 7 months old btw)
P.S I am planning to rehome them once the other dies
Also at 6:10 crumble is so cute
You obviously love and care for your ratties so much! Well Done!!
@@maryoleary5044 Thank you! I really try :)
Hello, I have 2 mice called sugar and spice, and when I first got them I didn't realise what they actually needed, so I brought them a small pets at home cage that came with a small wheel. After about 2 months I started to learn more about mice and I started to plan what new, bigger cage I could get them. I'll admit my mum wasn't much help, she kept telling me that the cage was fine and they wouldn't sell it me if it was bad for them. She started to tell me about rotter stacks and how her mice had one when she was young, and she said that they will have loads of places to run. But I tried to tell her that they need multiple hides and hanging toys and forgeing toys, but she wouldn't listen. She also didn't listen when I told her that the wheel the mice had was far to small.
But, I saved up some money and I planned out their new bin cage. I went to B&Q with my dad to get some things for the cage and he helped me build it and my mum watched. And now my mice have a lovely home. I want more mice in the future so I'll make the cage bigger for when I do get them. I love it and sugar and spice love it.
None of this would have happend if I had listened to people who know about mice rather than people in pet shops. If I ever get other pets ill do all my reserch from reliable sources instead and I'll never make the same mistake again.
Yes it’s always good to learn from your mistakes it’s good that yoy put on that time into them to make them happy I can’t stop grieving on the list of my rat he was my best friend and it’s so hard rn I only have one rat bc my parents will not allow another bc we made a deal no more animals akd then my rat passed away and I really don’t want another one but I know my other boy needs him 💕
I am happy with my decision to start with a pair as I don’t think I could have responsibly handled 4 babies at a time on my own without having owned rats before. It makes much more sense to me to have a rolling group as you said and I’m going to be putting myself on breeders waiting lists soon for another pair as well as upgrading the cage size etc
"end of life care"...CARE! Spot On Again Emiology !💓
i adopted 3 boys in october and their dynamic is really good
i couldn’t imagine anymore or any less
But.. I am trying so hard to resist all those rats in my local rescue/rehoming group. I don't have parents to convince, I have the room and the budget... I just worry it would become a lot to handle.
What exactly is holding you back? Five rats aren't more to handle than three :) it gets kinda chaotic with ten or more xD You have to clean a bit more the more animals you have; but the more rats, the more social interaction and activity do they have :) if you are unsure start with three or four pets.
@@thekissinkate I have one rat who is scared of everything. I've had her for months and she still will not let me pick her up. It makes it hard to handle free roam time and cage cleaning. The other two don't always get along very well (one is a jerk, the other overreacts). One of my rats is elderly and I will add more for sure when she passes, but until then, I worry about what behavior issues I would get with other rats. I keep saying I will wait until I at least solve the issue with the scared rat, but progress on that is really slow. 😥
@@kinahthecat I have a rescue who detests being handled and bites. It's taken half a year to come to an understanding with her that she can come and go as she likes if I leave the doors open. When my grumpy old rat died and I got her new baby friends she came out her shell so quickly! Seeing the new rats wanting to be handled etc gives her the confidence to let me touch her (still not pick up though). The point being, that it could be beneficial for them to have younger, friendlier rats around showing the way. She also boggled for the first time when she got her friends which made me so happy to know that she was happy
@@MawhinneyDesign that is so sweet! I am glad your girl came out of her shell with the new girls. I have come to accept that my shy girl will never become super friendly. She does occasionally climb on me during free roam, especially if she is following her sister. And she has learned not to always panic when I approach her to give her a treat. I usually end free roam time at a time when she goes back in her cage, which is not always convenient. I do keep two carrier cage out in the free roam area and I am teaching her to go in there to look for treats. Hopefully that will also help to keep things manageable.
Girl I just love the way you talk. I could listen all day long :)
as a person who has been looking into getting rats this is really help full thanks for creating such amazing content about these misunderstood animals! c=
7:04 - of course you can still have one really annoying rat in the group ( points at Crumble )
Oh my gosh I died at that 😂
I personally only have 2 rats for financial reasons but plan to get them a friend soon! I love your videos they are very informative
"you can always have one rat in a group constantly annoying the other ones"
Aye. That's my Petal...
Mine is called Ryot... He lives up to it
When i was picking up my rats i was only going to get 2 but when doing research I joined about 6 billion rat groups on Facebook. I can across a very brief comment that I barely skimmed which said "3 rats is better than 2 because it's a better dynamic". It didn't go into much more detail than that but it just clicked and made sense. When I picked them up I was luckily able to choose 3 instead of 2 and it's the best decision ever. They're so unique and I can't imagine them being apart. I picked up another 2 older ones a month later to show the babies how to behave. One of them unfortunately passed but I'm so glad she has her little babies to keep her company. They've probably taught her more than she has them. But the rat who passed was the most gorgeous, lovely girl ever and really taught them how to behave! RIP Betsy.
omg!! at 6:11 I am dying that is too cute!! I love to pet my rats bellies but they hate it😂
as the rat breeder i went to says, “Rats are like potato chips, you cant just have a one and you always want more.”
At the end of my time having rats, I have 2 older females. One passed away a month and a half before the next, we were in the middle of the adopting process when the other passed away. I ending up switching to gerbils because I wanted to try a new rodent. They are less interactive then rats but I love them so much
THANK YOU SO MUCH!! This made me realize the reasons on why I shouldn't just have one rat. Most things I found on google said "they get lonely and depressed" and I assumed that just meant "they get lonely and depressed if you don't play with them too much", and you've shown me why that's wrong! I am getting two rats in 2-4 months, and I'm so excited.
I just got my first 4 rats a couple of weeks ago and I love them so so much! I am very happy with the breeder I got them from. :)
Hey em , rats are my dream pets I’ve been watching your channel for a long time I’m not aloud rats right know but when I’m older I’ll know what to do love your channel xx ❤️
You sound like a bright kid. ♥️
@@lucasmckenzie8525 thank you so much this comment has made my day I didn’t expect anyone to say anything that nice ❤️
ahaha i wanted rats but i live in nyc and my mom said if i wanted rats i could jump into the subway tracks 💀
@@snail_enthusiast this comment has me laughing for like 2 minutes 💀😂
Thats smart! 🐀🐀🐀🐀🐀🐀🐀
I have 4 females and they always want to sleep together, on top of each other. They have a really large cage with a ton of hides and hammocks, but almost always they end up sleeping together. (At the moment in their cage they have 8 hides and 4 hammocks, and 6 baskets to sleep of sit in)
I defenitly think rats enjoy to live in a group.
Even if you are getting 2, I recommend getting 3. Any case if something happens like, it get sick or dies you have another.
I have 5 male rats and you’ve helped me so much with your videos, thank you so much!
This is the closest I've ever been to on time! I love your channel! I just brought my first mouse home two days ago. His name is Angel, and he's 2 months old. He's in a 20 gallon tank. He has 3 hides, fleece ropes, bridges, a wheel, and plenty of chews. You're videos helped me prepare for him. He seems pretty happy and not very stressed. Thank you for making it possible for me to get him! ❤️
I just picked up a group of older rescue rats to add to my mischief which is a good way to do it if you want want to commit to having new baby rats who will live for a long time
I've been looking into getting a new pet for quite some time, and ever since I heard about how friendly and playful rats could be, I've been hooked! I've had two dogs for some time, gone through three praying mantises, and looked into getting a snake, but I realized that rats would be more beneficial than a snake. Now, I've been researching like crazy to study everything I can!
Admittedly, I'm nervous as a first time upcoming rat owner, but I'm comforted that I'll know what to do even when problems do arise. I calculated the size of the cage I'll be getting which is supposed to be spacious enough for 7 rats. I think I'll try starting with 3, and add one or two more after a while!
So thank you very much for these educational and entertaining videos! I hope to do you proud, Emiology! 💪💖🐀
i currently have two boys, but ive convinced my parents to let me get another 1-2 rats in the next few months and im quite excited :)
Ooh good luck!
@@adriennequimby3983 thank you!
Yay! I've convinced my mom to get me 2 more rats, I have 5 👀
@@suggestibility thats awesome!! i hope one day to have a large mischief like that
In late 2016 my family and I adopted our first two rats. over the course of the next two years we got 6 more and I can say that rats living in groups are very happy! I now have only two rats because my other ones have passed away and my mom does not want to get more after these ones.. the ones I have now are both elderly and are still happy in a pair but I can tell that my oldest (Jazzy) misses being in a group sometimes so I also recommend owning a group of rats. :)
I have been watching your videos for literally YEARS as I get ready to be in a space where I can have pet rats, and I still cannot wait ❤️❤️
i just got 2 rats for the first time and they seem so happy together like there best friends already and always cuddling but glad i watched this vid to learn more
I agree, its why I got three instead of two, They've just turned one and am thinking about getting one more to add to the mischief
I got 3 baby girls last week, and I got a double critter nation. They really are spoiled little girls. You’re videos really helped me convince my parents to let me get them! Thank you so much!
I owned ONE pet rat. Her name was sweet pea. She had a smaller three tier cage but got a lot of free time to run around my room. She was a happy rat and she lived five years.
yes! I completely agree, I started out with 2 rats, for a long time they wouldn't get out of bed unless I bribed them with treats, but as soon I introduced 3 new rats my old girls started coming out everyday and they really just changed into a happier rats. I just lost one of them yesterday, but I am glad she died with the love from her 4 friends.
I currently have 7 females for in a Liberta Explorer. They range from close to 2, all the way down to 14 weeks, the relationships that develop between them are wonderful. My older girls have had me as the vets twice just this week, but they’re worth everything! So lovely to see their social side come out in a group!
My husband (who didnt want rats in the first place) keeps bringing home new babies for me! 🤣 we're up to 5 boys now. And I want more!
Where is he getting them from? just wondering as it sounds as tho it’s a last min thing which a reputable breeder or rescue wouldn’t allow!
We first started with two rats, but as they got older we adopted a third rat as we didn't want to have one by themselves if the other passed away suddenly. We now have four rats which we've found to be the perfect number for us (I've heard 4-6 is the optimal group number if you have the space). We've also found having a desexed boy with our girls is a wonderful dynamic for the group 🥰
For those who only want a pair, consider companion fostering as an option, as I know many owners who have done that ❤️
My eldest (2 y/o) has lost her sister a few weeks ago, and I tried to reintroduce her to my three youngest (the first introduction, done with the travel cages etc, ended up with one of my youngest being hurt pretty badly), but it still didn’t work. Since she now has two tumours (the second one has recently appeared), I’ve decided that I’m keeping her alone for the rest of her life (which will probably be another month or two before having to put her down).
I wish I had found your channel when I had my two boys. One died and I never bought another to keep his brother company as I didn't know if I could introduce new ones. Instead I literally played with him an awful lot and let him fall asleeep on my lap. I kept him company all the time and hoped he was happy. He died six months after his brother (he was older than two). I never had any more as it hurt too much loosing them. I worry now that he wasn't happy 😒.
Awww I hope your rats rest in peace. How did u get that rat emoji thing by the way?
@@imbored6135 Hi there, Thank you so much for your reply, I miss them all the time. I'm sure they are resting peacefully. They are together under my Acer, they'll be there at least untill I die and trhe house gets sold 😢
As for the rat emoji, they became available as a 'perk' when I became a member 😁
@@Pizzpott
Thx a lot and awww I bet they miss u too (⊃｡•́‿•̀｡)⊃━☆ﾟ.*･｡ﾟalso, what is an acer?
@@imbored6135
An Acer is basically a Japanese Maple tree. There are lots of different kinds but mine is the one that has the foliage go a deep maroon that really look amazing in the sun. At the moment though of course the leaves are gone for the winter. 😁
@@Pizzpott
Wow! It seems really beautiful, and it’s even more beautiful that your beautiful and friendly rats that unfortunately passed away are under it
I just sent this video to my mom and hopefully, fingers crossed she says yes!!
Professional rat researcher, that's all that I could think when you said you did your dissertation on Rats.
i'm starting to think about having rats for the next 1 or 2 years so that's why i start to watch emiology's video, and i realised i don't know if i'm ready for this long commitment or not. Especially rats is not a common pet in my country, so it's going to be hard to look for a community to share a information about taking care of rats in my country. I guess i'll just keep bingewatch and enjoy the rats from the screen ✌️
I started with 3 rat a few month ago and I adopted 2 2yo last week , it changed the dynamic of the group for better.
It's so cute to just hear their tiny rat sneezes as you're talking
They’re protesting the heating being turned on recently 🙈
@@Emiology Well at least it's a peaceful protest the good lads.
I have a 6months old pair of girls. I couldn't get anymore because my cage wasn't even really suitable for 2rats, but just today I got a huge cage for free! While my girls are settling in their new mansion and getting used to all that space, I'm already looking for a new sister (or a few) to rescue :)
Excellent video as always!
Just wanted to add that another potential solution for people with only one older rat is fostering a partner rat to stay with them. My local rescue has several foster rats that go out and keep elderly rats company until they pass and then the foster rat returns to the shelter. I'm not sure if this is a common practice among rescues but it might be worth looking in to if you are having trouble convincing a parent to let you get another rat or you aren't able to continue keeping rats after your current ones.
I have 30 girls and 28 boys and they are always so happy together and they always cuddle up with each other
My rat passed away today and it was so hard there such good creatures and i will miss her every day. 💕
That sucks
@@imminentlitch9267 yeah it does but she was very old and lived a good life with her sister.
I am a huge fan, thank you for spreading word that rats need a friend always, and that there is no exception
My friend has rats, she started with 2 I was there when she got them and about a year later she said she got 2 more dumbo's and she said she was gonna be bonding them togheter and a few months ago she told me on of her older rats was sick and I went to have a sleepover at her house and that rat passed away when I was there, so I was there when that rat got there and left. So luckily she has got 2 rats a few weeks before and she bonded them and now she has 3 rats living the best life, :)
I used to have 2 female rats and thought they got along very well, but somehow they seem much happier and have more energy after I got a third (same aged) one. One of my old rats also used to have teritorrial behaviours, which curiously seem to be almost non-existent now. Also, it's just interesting to see how rats interact with each other based on their personality, which is completely different for every rat.
I'm hopefully getting my first rats in a 2-3 months! I'm planning on getting four boys to start with, and introducing more as they get older (I'm getting the double critter nation cage to have enough room for the first four and to then get younger friends for them). I'm so excited to be a rat parent, and your videos have had so much for me to learn over the last few months! Thank you for teaching us all so much about ratties! Much love from me 🥰
I have three rats and I definitely think more is better because not all rats will get on so it’s good to give them a choice of who they want to be close with
I started my journey off with two 3 month old rescue boys about 9 months ago, and now here I am with a a double critter nation cage of 4 boys. It’s so much more interesting to see all of them and watch how they all interact with each individual. Hoping in the future, when my youngest boys reach 6 months, to adopt 2 more babies and grow my little rattie family even more🤍😁
I'm new to rat care and currently just have a pair. They get along well. I only have a pair since I'm new and don't want to get overwhelmed. I am planning on eventually increasing the group size to 6 since I'd say that's the capacity of the cage.
I yesterday noticed that one of my 4 rats has cancer I'm really sad about it 🥺
I had a pair of rats when I first started. When they got to around 7 or 8 months they were not getting along. Until around 1 years old they drew blood and one was just very hormonal and uncomfortable. So I got both of them neutered. At that time I also was looking into getting 2 more rats. And once my two older boys were healed and waited the appropriate time. They did wonderful with the two other rats. And then a couple months later I got another pair so I have a total of 6 right now. And my older boys who were only just a pair in the beginning are thriving and love their brothers very much. Only having 2 rats I feel can result in more fighting, where as having 3 or more they can pair up and cuddle with anyone they want.
Your point of the social dynamics is why I like bigger groups too! I also prefer odd numbered groups too. I find they do better than even numbers but that’s just my own experiences!
I never intend to own mice or rats but your videos are so relaxed and chill I've been binging them!
You're like the "Rat advocate lady"... I watch your videos in order to hopefully get convincing proof that I can get rats or mice, but every time I learn that my circumstances aren't conducive and I end up not getting.
But thanks for giving the correct information in the best interest of the rats!
my mom only let me get 2 rats as of now (i'm picking them up sometime in july), and although i know they should be kept in groups, i feel like starting out with 3+ would really overwhelm me and my family, so i'm okay with her decision. however, i made sure to do a lot of research and also buy a cage big enough to keep up to 7 rats, so that once me and my mom feel ready we can keep expanding the family :)
This video came at the right time! Yesterday I finally decided to purchase the critter nation add-on, so I can make a huge cage. I have a really small living room, and the cage might be a problem, but I just want the best for my two boys. They just had their 1st birthday, so I figured this is a good time to expand and get them some company. I think I'll be having 4 rats, hopefully soon ^^
I have 2 boys an adult and a baby and it only took me two days to introduce them and they get along great.
I have 9 rats currently, started out with adopting 3 from a lovely woman who took amazing care of them but could no longer keep them due to allergies, once those boys came up to over a year we bought two babies from the same breeder the older boys had come from, we had planned that having 5 was the maximum and we wouldn’t be getting any more until we where down to 3 rats again, until I saw a group of 4 boys on a Facebook group I’m a part of, they needed a new home, we got them and 3/4 acted as if they had never been handled or socialised with humans, one was perfectly happy being picked up, played with, petted, the other three would screech and jump over our hands, scratch and flail. So I’m assuming there was a favourite and the others never had the work out in to socialise them, they where in a ferplast furrat which in my opinion is too small for 4 rats, luckily we had another one so we stacked them, they stayed in there, next to be big cage for a week and a half until they where more okay with being held, and then we introduced them to the big boys and babies, (who themselves had only just moved into the big cage from intros, we tried the neutral space method first, as it had worked well with the previous introductions we had done, we did this with just the older boys as I felt as though it might stress the youngest too much,but they did not enjoy any part of it and would chase and scream and fight, we decided to swap their cages for a couple days and then swap them back for a couple to mix their scents, we then moved straight into carrier introductions, including the young pair, this all went smoothly and we continued with moving them up cage sizes slowly, all 9 are now living comfortably together in a pet planet ferret and rat cage, and I have recently bought another to double the space they have, they’re all boys and the younger ones will get quite big, I want them to have as much space as possible to live in and enjoy.
My first time owning rats one of the two babies was already sick when we adopted them and passed away two weeks later and luckily an adoption fell through and we got another boy and then rescued three more later that day!
When we were eventually down to 2 we decided not to have rats anymore because my husband is allergic. Our last boy lived 3 months alone but was spoilt rotten and was played with constantly.
Our rat free lives lasted for four months before my husband couldn’t help himself and adopted 3 boys, he just loves rats so much he is willing to put up with the itchiness.
They are now about 8-9 months old and I would love to add some babies to our family.
Our current 3 are so different from our last group and I miss having a rat that likes to cuddle, these boys have always been so timid and dislike being out of the cage.
I was originally going to get a pair but ended up getting 4 boys! They are the best and their dynamic is great.
I got 2 baby girls almost 2 weeks ago and they seem to be pretty happy, they play fight and groom each others fur but I am getting another baby girl from the same breeder, she’s from the same litter and I’m hoping they recognise each other and make friends quickly, they’re all 2 and a half months old
I have two older boys they have been very happy together the time I've had them
My first are a pair of very elderly females! I wanted more but the shelter I adopted from only had two females & I didn’t want to add any males! But now I also have another cage in a different room of a GROUP of four males! I love them all so much & definitely will keep in groups from now on 💕💛
I have two boys (my first) and I just got a full time job so I think I’ll be following your advice on this one - my two boys couldn’t be more different and I think one of them would enjoy having another friend or two!
2 of our girls passed away leaving the 2 sister's we've tried to add but with everything going on its made it impossible, my biggest worry is if 1 passed then the other would be alone. So hopefully we'll be able to find some friends for our girls soon. ❤
I’m on my first rats! I have a really big cage and three beautiful boys. They get at least an hour out a day in my bathroom! I feel very blessed to have managed to get these boys up for adoption.
I have three. Only lost one boy but I know they’re about a year and a half now and it’s very nerve wracking I know they’re old boys. They’re here for a good time, not a long time ❤️
I felt it when you said they can all get sick at the same time! I have a group of 8 and they all got an upper resporitory.... now I have a$300 vet bill and medicating 8 rats with a med they hate twice a day. I wouldnt change it for the world though!
I really miss rats ☹️I have two male gerbils that live in an 80 gallon tank. They are much less work but are also less interactive. They are so much fun to watch though, I always put in tons of things to climb on and chew on along with 15 inches of bedding!! I love watching then tunnel and they are so cute
Hi. What kind of bedding do you use for your gerbils?
@@phoenixluna4137 I use a mix of aspen shaving and paper bedding, usually whatever is on sale. Most paper bedding works just don't get scented :)
I have six rats. Their names are Frankie, Elmer, Ronnie, Charlie, Jackson and Theo. Best rats ever! I love them so much! I used to have two, but over the last 6 months I upgraded from two to four, then from four to six. I love their group environment! It gives them options on who to sleep with, or who to play with.
It took a health scare to convince my dad it was a good idea to get more before one dies rather than after but luckily that health scare wasn’t serious and they were still at just about a year old and they accepted more babies pretty happily. But my older girls are still each others best friend even with 4 more of various ages to choose from! 🥰
I had a pet rat that was so happy. Had in and out time. Did have a cat to play with and at one point he had a pigeon to play with. From my experience, I believe several ways are possible.
Rats should never be allowed to play with cats. Even the most well meaning cat with a low prey drive it just takes one playful swipe to spread something like toxoplasmosis and end up with a dead rat.
I missed the video! It’s fine though! Also, happy new year everyone! It’s my birthday in a week or two, and I am sooo excited!
I'm getting two knew babies hopefully in a couple months, one of my girls had passed a couple months ago and due to the timing the most reputable breeder in my state closed to prevent her rats from ending up in shelters in spring because of them being gave as gifts. I have seen a big change after my girl passed in the other girls, they are a lot less like rats than before, their is less play fighting and honestly have less of a leader so they are more anxious.
I love your channel and I don’t even have rats or mice
As you said “younger people don’t have control of financial stuff” (or something like that) I relate I’m not gonna say my exact age but I’m in 6th grade and my mom is gonna get me rats o told her all of my research and made her an entire presentation and stuff and I told her we have to get at least 2 and I was telling her some good names and she said “wait more then 2?!” And I told her we should get 3 or 4 and she said we can’t afford all of that so she decided for me to get 2
Omg I just had this question! Thank you!
Excellent as always Emiology!
I have 2 boys that I got together, they were brought up together, but now that they're a bit older neither of them want to be with any of the other rats. I've had to separate them from each other and the group due to aggression and some bloody fights. One of them is ok with one of my girls, but she doesn't like him because he is super dominant towards her. I feel bad that the 2 boys are alone, but I just can't seem to find a happy medium for them. They both seem to be content on their own, still eating, drinking, still super playful and cuddly with me. Both presenting to be happy how they are now, it's really just a shame because they all got along and played so well as youngsters. 😭😭
That’s a cool dissertation! I just got a group of fancy mice for my dissertation about mouse water temperature preference. They’re so sweet, I’ve had rats before, but never mice. I was only allowed to get the mice because they’re for my dissertation and they’re “being rehomed afterwards” wink wink, nod nod 😂
I'm in the middle of watching the video but just wanted to get this off my chest. I've always had three rats, but since my oldest bean passed away over a month ago I haven't been able to introduce a new rat to my two ladies (I've tried so many methods) One of them attacks any sign of a new rat so I've decided against having more than two right now and I feel incredibly guilty about that, but at least they're having a great time together. It's a struggle :')
I got 2 male babies back in June and one passed in September so adopted a 1 yr old that was being bullied by his two new cage mates. Have done introductions between my boys but they hate each other and blood has been spilled!! They are in separate cages and I can't put them through the stress so I think they are destined to live alone but next door to each other and come out for lots of cuddles in shifts.
Please don't give up, theres many things you can try before that, neutering one or both of them, and if that still doesn't work housing them with females once neutered can make a huge difference. Be careful not to have their cages too close together where they can see each other as this can make them frustrated and introductions a lot more difficult