Male Rats? Skin problems?
GymBunny1111 asked:
Hi there!
Hi there!
I’m planning on getting three rats very soon. I’ve owned just about every little rodent you can possibly think of, but never a rat (I’m very excited about it too). I worked at PetSmart for few years and have heard many complaints about female rodents (according to research I’ve done, female rodents tend to have more of an attitude then males). Basically, I’ve never owned a male animal of any kind and I’m very excited about the thought of buying a male. My best friend has two females and is trying to discourage me from the thought because she says males pee a lot in order to mark their territory. She also says they have horrible skin problems. Does anybody know anything about this? I’m so disappointed. My heart is really set on three males.
I’ve owned seven rats, all males, and I’ve never had any sort of skin problems. Some rats will get food allergies, but it’s not something that is gender specific and I’ve never encountered it.
Some male rats will get buck grease, which is an orange discoloration on their backs, but this isn’t a problem with them and doesn’t cause them any problems or discomfort.
Yes, males do mark, but it’s not the sort of peeing that dogs do, but more of a dribble. Rat pee is odorless and really non-offensive. If you’re concerned about it, you can have a ‘rat’ blanket that you lay down when they’re out (yes, rats should be let out of their cage for at least an hour a day) and then just wash it afterwards.
I’ve never owned females, but I’ve never heard of any attitude problems that you speak of.
You may want to check out the rat buying guide: sophielynette
Females don’t really have ”attitude”. They’re high energy. Males are more laid back. Yes, they DO ”mark”, but it’s little droplets, and not to be concerned about. Some females do it, too.
The only ‘’skin” problem I can think of that is focused on males, is oil build-up (skin will turn orangish), but an occasional bath with Dawn, will help relieve any irritation due to that.
In all truth, I adore males more than females (currently, I have 2 females and 1 male). My two girls live together, to keep each other company, and my male lives alone (wasn’t a planned adoption!)
I’ve owned rats for over 7+ yrs, both genders, but I do not believe I’ve ever had 2 males together (no real reason, just didn’t happen). I did have a male (neutered) and a female together, and that seemed to be a great companionship.
Either way, handle all rats you are interested in. You cannot judge them based on gender. You have to handle them and see how they react to you, and their overall personality.
Same goes for when you get cage mates. Avoid dominant or excessively submissive ones. paintedrain2