Benefits of Owning More Than One Pet Rat

Rats Are Best Kept in Pairs or Trios to Ensure Happiness and Health

Sep 9, 2008

Rats are very social animals that are best kept with other rats. Consider getting multiple rats instead of just one to help your rat stay happy, social and healthy.

Rats are intelligent, social and affectionate animals that do best in pairs or trios, so when considering a rat as a pet, many rat lovers will opt for multiple rats – usually two or three rats instead of just one.

The Benefits of Keeping Multiple Rats as Pets

Unlike some other small animals like hamsters and gerbils, which often don’t do well with cage mates, rats are really designed to be part of a ratty family. Rats are social by nature and much of their mental wellbeing depends on the ability to bond and socialize with other rats.

“Rats who live alone are generally unhappy creatures because living alone goes against a rat’s instinct and nature. Rats who are kept in pairs and trios tend to be friendlier with humans, and they tend to recover faster from illness. They also live longer – as do most animals who are healthy on a mental level,” Dr. Michael Levine, DVM explained, adding, “A lone rat will be prone to anxiety and stress and this drains the immune system over time, making the rat more prone to illness. In all, keeping your rat with a cage mate will make for a much happier, and well-balanced rat.”

Keeping rats in pairs or trios is also beneficial on those busy days where a rat owner can only spend a few minutes to play and socialize with their rat.

“A rat who lives with other rats will rely less on their humans to fulfill their social needs, so if there’s a day where you work late or if you have to go away for a weekend trip, the impact on your rat’s psyche will be less since he’ll still have his cage mate to fulfill some of his social needs. And when your rat is happy and stress-free, he’s less prone to illness,” Dr. Levine explained.

Considerations for New Rat Owners

The costs of keeping two rats instead of one are actually quite minimal – less than $7 a month in most cases. The only significant cost of owning more than one rat involves incidentals, such as veterinary visits. Most rat owners agree that the advantages of keeping multiple rats usually far outweigh the extra costs.

Only same-sex rats should be kept together to avoid breeding, as rats can become pregnant at a very young age and the rate of reproduction is very rapid in rats – gestation time is about three weeks.

Rats are best purchased as pairs or trios, since breeders and pet stores tend to sell entire litters of rats who are either related or who have been introduced as ratlings.

When bringing home a new rat, rat owners should quarantine the rat for seven to ten days.

If the rat shows no signs of illness after that time, it is usually safe to introduce the new rat to the resident rat. Introductions should always be made with caution - not all rats will become instant friends.

Male rats who have not been introduced to other males as ratlings must be introduced with caution to avoid fighting. One great way to introduce adult male rats involves purchasing a cage with a removable center divider.

Once the one-week quarantine period is over and a new rat is deemed healthy, place the rats in one cage with a metal cage divider, usually made of a strong metal mesh – the same coated metal that the exterior cage walls are constructed from. This will allow the males to safely interact and bond, without the risk of potentially dangerous rat fights.

One consideration that can ease rat housing issues involves neutering a male rat. Neutered male rats tend to be less territorial, less likely to fight with other rats and another benefit is that a neutered male rat can be safely housed with a female rat.

Rats can make wonderful social and intelligent pets who can learn tricks and respond to their name and keeping multiple rats will make for a well-balanced, happy and healthy pet who will bring joy to rat owners for several years.