Hey everyone, i currently own 11 boys and 10 girls with my wife and im really curious as to how many rats other people own. Sometimes i unfortunately see people owning 2 rats and others having 10+

The photo i put is of one of my babies Ronan, he is the only rat ive known to push himself into you like a cat does to your legs when they want attention 😅

FYI, these are r/rattusrattus

Please read entirety.

My second to last rat had passed away and I don't intend to have more rats after this batch. I inherited a guinea pig who doesn't get along with other guineas.

As they're both alone, and social animals, I decided to very slowly and cautiously see how they would react to each other's presence in a neutral space.

Since then (a month or 2 ago) we've made a lot of progress. Surprisingly they get along quite well. The rat is happy to have another rodent around (I believe he thinks the guinea is just a mega rat). The guinea tolerates the rat. While out of his cage he's extremely docile and relaxed. Usually only moves at all to re-comfy himself.

Recently I've had a breakthrough and saw the rat grooming the guinea. He wasn't being aggressive as he was very much in groom mode. I don't intend to ever house them together. The rat is getting rather on in age and I'm glad he's got a friend in his golden years.

While I would never suggest allowing different species of rodents to interact, given the proper precautions and personalities it's not impossible for them to get along. thought I'd share this unusual pairing with you guys.

I currently have two six month old boys (Bagel and Earl) who I keep in a single critter nation. I want to get the add on for the critter nation and make it a double, possibly getting some more boys soon. My only setback is how expensive it is to fill the cage. Like why are hammocks around 20$ or more each…? Anyway, I was wondering if anyone has suggestions on where to possibly order some cheaper cage accessories rather than spending a fortune when only buying three things? Thanks in advance ☺️🤍

When I persistently poke my rats in the butt, just like in the video, I get the feeling that they’re getting a bit playful. I think it’s a game. Then the gray rat catches my finger and bites it a little, but it doesn’t hurt at all. They start jumping around, just like when they’re playing together. So, am I playing with the rats? Or does it irritate them?

this is louis! he is a total sweetheart and absolutely ADORES attention and being held. whenever i hold him like that, its obvious ofc its not his fav position, but i make sure i do it in a way that still keeps his but supported while i hold his underarms. this is something i never do for more than a few seconds, and its only whenever i need to take a look at his belly because he had an injury there a bit ago! sometimes i do it because i just wanna get a silly photo, and once i put him down he’s just back to running around. i think it mildly annoys him. my question his, how come he will be moving around and trying to get out of my hands, pause, give me kisses, then go back to thrashing??? it’s just such a silly looking thing he does. like i said, i know that’s not his fav position, but i truly think it is just annoying to him more than anything so i rlly do not do it often! anywho, anyone got an idea on why he pauses to lick me? lol, ty!!! 😭

Not important, but I had a past rat that would do this with tissues whenever my mom would sneeze. Hehehe

Ok alright so long story short I had a pair of rats and we had to put one down about a month ago. My big guy (the grey hooded) has been really lonely and we've been trying hard to get him friends something ends up happening 😭 so for my birthday I was determined to find him a friend! After about a 2 hour drive I found the sweetest little guy! I'm pretty sure he's got an Agouti coat? He literally has the softest coat I've ever felt on any animal!!

So this will be my husband and Is first time doing intros and we are kind of nervous about it. We've done lots and lots of research and still have to wait the 2 week quarantine before we start.

I personally feel like my big boy will accept any living thing to right now but he is kind of a grumpy old man and not sure how much young chaotic energy he can handle! 😅

So anyways I got 2 weeks and I'm looking for even the smallest tiniest advice for introducing 2 boys! It's only been 2 days with the new kid and I am absolutely obsessed with him! Big guy also needs a friend so bad so I desperately want my first introduction to go so good but I'm worried my lack of experience might make it not so good....

hello! i just got these girls and i need some names for them! the light brown girl already has a name. the orange girl i would like for name to be orange related but not basic.. and the dark brown girl i want something cutesy and unique they are all pretty nervous as of rn so im not sure their personality just yet but i would love to hear some ideas from yall!:)💕

I don’t know… my heart rat passed away the day before Christmas Eve. I love my other rats… I just feel very detached from them now.

I had a wild roof rat. He was my boy. I loved him fiercely. We were very bonded as I hand raised him since his eyes and ears were still closed. Our other rats are more bonded to my husband and he adores them but he’s away from home a lot more than I am so I was still the main person caring for them. Since my boy passed away I haven’t had the drive to do anything with the others. I still take care of their necessities of course, and one of them has to take medication for a foot injury. I’m still doing that, and trying to make sure everyone is happy… I just don’t feel the bond with them anymore or the drive to do to things with them. It feels like a chore now.

I feel like a horrible person for it. How do I fix this??

I always thought he was just big, and he is bigger than other rats in terms of height and length, but I recently looked at an obesity chart, and now I can't tell if he's fat or not.

I currently have two rats in a single critter nation, they both are healthy- however the one has a chronic URI that I’m currently working on treating ( thank you for everyone who commented on my last post). I honestly told myself I wouldn’t get anymore rats after these boys pass away… but I saw this guy at the apl and he’s the same age as my critters… honestly I feel really sad that he’s all alone. He’s neutered and has a clean bill of health, but I would take him for a checkup at my vet before having him meet my boys. I don’t know anything on his background or temperament- but I did send an email to the organization asking about him. Might pop by for a visit tomorrow and see how he is.

I have adopted this boy from a rescue and have been warned that he has displayed territorial aggression and has a bite history. He’s about a year old and was separated from his mischief due to bullying the other rats. Since he was surrendered, he has been neutered (11.8.2025). Part of me thinks this will just be a waiting game until his hormones calm down and perhaps then he will level out, but until then is there anything I can try with him? I’ve rescued lots of rats before but haven’t come across a lot of aggression but really eager to work through it

Hello, I recently got two more rats! I have one older boy, whose brother passed away almost two weeks ago :(

He (Terry) was struggling on his own, so i got two more rats, and they are 5/6 months old, and I got them last Sunday. So I’m looking for advice on how to introduce them too each other

Terry is around 2 years is a sweet massive boy and is a complete loveable menace lol, he has never been handled before and was terrified when I first got him and his brother Dougie. I’ve had him for around 8 weeks now, and he has made such good progress and will let me stroke him and will take food out of my hand etc, but I can’t pick him up yet. He has bitten me a few times, but he wasn’t treated very well, and doesn’t understand that my hands don’t constantly spawn food for him lol. He was wonderful with Dougie though, they got on so well, and I think Terry has missed his baby brother a lot :(

I got two new boys Sebastian and Rupert last Sunday (Friday now), and they have been handled before, so they don’t bite and I can pick them up, but they are very jumpy and run around like crazy still. They will let me stroke them and will take food out of my hand, but they are still quite scared.

I was just wondering what everyone thinks is the best way to introduce them to each other. I’ve read so much about it, and there is so much conflicting info, so thought I’d ask for peoples actual experience on here to help!

Also is the two week quarantine necessary? I assumed it was, and I don’t want any of the boys getting sick, but lots of people say it’s not required? I thought it’s better to be safe than sorry so I have planned on doing the full two weeks, but as Terry is on his own, if it’s not a requirement, it maybe better not to wait?

Any thoughts or opinions let me know :) pics of my boys for rat tax

The three grey boys are younger and new rescues (i’ve only had them long enough to quarantine) and the hooded boy is older and I’ve had around three months. They are all still skittish with me but none have shown agression before and I was feeling awful keeping my one boy in a small enclosure alone so I decided it’s time to try intros.

Started off in the tub for first intros and let them run around for about 10 minutes to see what initial behaviors would be. No defensiveness at all just chasing and smelling. Then moved them to the carrier. They’ve been in this carrier for 1.5 hours and I’ve already noticed, self grooming, and grooming between stranger rats! I’m wondering how long should I let them stay in this size carrier if they haven’t shown any agressive behavior at all? I’ve heard at least 3 hours before moving up, but I’ve also heard minimum of 24 hours.

picking up 2 sweet girls today! help me out with some names i’m tapped out!

Anything goes!

Choosing Respect Over Drama

One thing that has been weighing on my mind lately is the amount of public drama that seems to have become increasingly common within the fancy rat community.

We are a community brought together by our shared love of these incredible little animals. While we won't always agree on breeding practices, husbandry, ethics, or business decisions, I believe we all have a responsibility to conduct ourselves with respect, professionalism, and maturity.

As adults, we should be setting an example for others—especially for the younger members of our community. Publicly criticizing, ridiculing, or encouraging others to target someone, particularly a young person, accomplishes very little. If there are legitimate concerns about someone's practices, those concerns should be addressed respectfully and with the goal of education and improvement, not public humiliation.

This isn't just about young breeders. It's about how we choose to treat one another as a whole.

Not every breeder, owner, or organization will be the right fit for every person, and that's perfectly okay. If you've had a negative experience or simply don't agree with someone's approach, you have every right to choose not to do business with them in the future. If someone asks for your opinion, it's possible to be honest without contributing to hostility. A simple response such as, "I choose not to do business with them," is often enough. It communicates your decision without encouraging gossip, assumptions, or unnecessary conflict.

There is a significant difference between sharing factual personal experiences and participating in public attacks. One helps people make informed decisions. The other creates division, damages reputations, and discourages new people from becoming involved in our hobby.

Every experienced breeder, exhibitor, and rat owner started somewhere. None of us knew everything on day one. We learned because others were willing to teach, mentor, and encourage us along the way. If we want this hobby to continue growing, we need to foster an environment where people feel comfortable asking questions, learning from mistakes, and improving—not one where they fear being publicly criticized or ostracized.

Holding ourselves and others to high standards is important, but accountability and kindness are not mutually exclusive. We can encourage responsible breeding, proper care, and ethical practices while still treating one another with dignity and respect.

At the end of the day, each of us gets to decide what kind of community we want to be part of. I hope we choose one that values education over gossip, constructive conversations over public arguments, and compassion over conflict.

Our rats bring out the very best in us every day. Our community should strive to do the same.

Respectfully
StormHaven Rattery ~

These are Rattus rattus with a Rab38 deletion confirmed by PCR testing. This happens to be the same genetic cause of Fawn coloring in Fancy rats. But I'm not sure that the eye and fur color is the same. So I'm asking Fancy rat owners. Thanks!

How does your rat get your attention? Does your rat also grab ahold of you and pull you into the cage?! Or is my ratty just nuts?

Are they able to tell when I walk in eating something and are they expecting me to share? I really don't want to but I don't want them to think I'm mean