- Xezo:
- I used to have two beautiful, well behaved males. They were so affectionate and they'd come to the edge of the cage every time i entered the room. Sadly our fox terrior somehow got inside the house and then even more strangely she got inside the cage, which was about 1m by 0.5m. She killed them both.
I recently started begging mum to get me two more, but she says if i do they have to stay outside. That's rediculous, they don't even smell bad. I'm going to get them anyway and keep them in my end of the house, since i finally have a job and can pay for them myself.
The guy at the shop i brought the last two off said males were best to get as they were more docile and less active (meaning they would stay sitting on your shoulder or something for a while). But i was thinking about getting females for a change. Which are cleaner?
I've also heard you can train them to poo in a container instead of all round the cage, is that true?
Domesticated rats cannot handle being kept outside. They're not like rabbits. Rats are very temperature sensitive. It's a different story if they're wild... they can move to where they need to be, but in cages they're confined and cannot take proper care of themselves. I highly recommend not keeping them outside.
It is true that they can be litter trained... though it depends on the rat. Some are stubborn and just refuse not to go in a pan. No matter what, they'll always be accidents. Rats are never 100% litter trained, just like any other rodent or ferrets.
Males lend to be more lazy than females, but how docile they are really depends on how well they were raised and if they were handled regularly. I have both males and females, and some males are energetic and some are lap rats as I like to call them.
Males tend to be bigger and bulkier, much like with humans. Males have a different body structure than females. They're both clean, as long as you keep the cage clean and they're taken care of properly. They do have a different natural scent, though. Males have a smell that's similar to tortilla bread and females smell like grape soda. o_O
Females don't respond to your hormones if you're a girl. I have no idea where that rumor began. Females go into heat generally every three days, so they tend to be hormonal at times, but it has nothing to do with human's hormones.
Males tend to go through an aggressive period at around 9 months to a year old. That's when they go through puberty. xD Females go through puberty at 3 months of age, normally, but the aggression isn't as common.
I can send you a very informative site on rats if you'd like. It's very helpful. :D
:file:
Maybe since I'm older now I can talk her into letting me get one.
