PetLvr.com - [The Blog]

Male rats and female rats have many similarities, but also several distinct differences. It’s best to keep only one gender at a time, or to keep a mixed sex colony with all rats of one or both genders spayed or neutered. Most rat fanciers prefer one sex of rat over the other. If you’re considering your first pair of rats, deciding between two males or two females can be tough. Here’s some information to help you choose.

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SGR Sleeping Oberon towels dry after a bath.

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This fall make sure to check out the various pet shows that will be happening in the U.S. and Canada. Not only will your pets appreciate a snout full of fresh air, they will enjoy being a part of the pack.

The 250^th Halifax Kennel Club Dog Show will be held at Exhibition Park in Halifax from Aug. 30 to Sept. 1. The show will include obedience trials and drill team performances. Also pet supply vendors will be there so you can stock up on of your doggy needs.

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“Should I get one rat, or two?”

That’s a question I hear asked very often, and, unlike most pet questions, it’s got an easy answer. Get two! Or, better yet, three, or as many rats as you have the time, space, and money to support! Rats are gregarious animals and need the company of their own kind in order to be happy. In fact, most good rat breeders require that babies be adopted in pairs.

In the wild, rats live in groups of hundreds. They are social animals that do not leave their colonies at adulthood, but simply expand their foraging radius and the size of their colony’s nesting area as the colony expands. Activities like play and social grooming help rats’ brains to develop. Studies have shown that social grooming is so important to rats that baby rats raised by a mother that does not lick and groom them grow up to be unfriendly and less intelligent than rats raised by a mother who is attentive.

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By Catherine Smith

Is your rat aggressive?

Does your rats often start fights with the other rats? Does he bite, or scratch you, or the other rats? If he does, I may just be able to help you. Whether he is aggressive towards you or other ratties, it is important to take action to stop anyone getting hurt.

Why is your rat aggressive?

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By Scott McHenry

So you’ve decided to get a pet rat. There are many things you will need to decide on to prepare for your new pet. We’ll go over each of these items in this article.

The first decision you have to make is whether you want a male or female. There are a number of differences between male and female rats.

Males tend to mark their territory with drops of their urine. Because of this habit their cage will require slightly more frequent cleaning than a cage of females. Males are usually larger than females which make them easier for children to handle. Generally males are lazier and more relaxed than females. Most of the time males are content to just lay around most of the day. This makes them great lap pets.

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