That is still not working for me.
So, how many rats can more than comfortably, do you think, could fit into one of the singles? How about one of the doubles?
MAN.
I've been looking at rat breeders in Illinois all night.
And I CANNOT GET A PAIR OF RATS YET.
AND. I don't know enough about them to get any yet.
But you keep making me want one!!!!
Is it bad that I want rats, but that I do not care what they look like (except the bigger the ears, the better) as long as they are bred to be healthy and have great temperaments???
And I don't even know if I want boys or girls yet.
I want to say boys because my boy mice are sweethearts and love me.
But I could do without the stinkiness of a male.
Yes, my males now STINK when they pee on me. But their cages do not stink.
Stupid cage calculators.. bleh.
Well, a few
threads on GM say 6 tops, five comfortably in a one level
Maybe four if you have extra big boys.
Hehehe, awe! I think it's wonderful you're so enamored by these ratties, and you might be doing your researching early!
Oh, Illinois! The Tekka Maki rattery used to be there, I loooooved that rattery.. but
Sweet Genes is located in Naperville, and they're pretty renown!
The really nice thing about not minding a bit what your ratties look like, is if you put your name on a reservation list, you'll likely wait less time than say, someone looking for a harley coated black-eyed siamese or something. Then again, since you're doing your research anyway, sometimes breeders won't mind putting you on a reservation list, as long as you update them if you need to drop out, and that way you might be able to get some reeeally pretty little ratties for waiting so long(this is talking sometimes 6mo. to two years!).
I have four big boy ratties, one is neutered, but I bet if I neutered all of them, they wouldn't be smelly at all. I usually try to spot clean daily, and do one large cleaning with vinegar and hydrogen peroxide sprays once a week, and to be honest, I don't really notice their scent. Maybe if I have the cage doors open, or if I'm holding one of them, they carry a little smell like a dog might have its own smell, but otherwise I don't mind it much at all. A close friend of mine had little old lady rats, and they were a bit smaller, and sooo soft, and so friendly! Such sweet little girls that would board your hand when you opened the cage door, and give you kisses through the bars. But they were much more active, where one of my boys might just turn into a pile of mush in my lap. Also, where I smell my boys a little bit from time to time, I don't remember smelling the lady-rats at all. And smell can have a lot of variables - like how humid your house is, or what sort of bedding you use.
Yay! I'm so happy to know that other people love ratties
Oh, and as Brat' reminded me earlier, like any pet, ratties do have their downsides.
Short lifespans are part of that for sure, along with potentially chronic medical issues. Another I can think of, is something I mentioned earlier - rats get passed around a lot, and if you don't manage to get one directly from a reputable source, sometimes they require a lot of work- extra socialization to manage any fear or aggression based issues and soo much patience for bonding time. They can be super chewers, and depending on the rat, can be really needy, like tiny puppies. But if you feel like you might be able to brave some or all of these, or you really research your sources, ratties can be such rewarding pets