ndm

Hi All,

I recently got my first male ratty - Isaac (I have 5 girls). He had been
sitting at the pet store alone for the last month and I couldn't stand
to leave him by himself any longer.

I would like to get the little guy snipped so he can live with my girls
permanently. Is there a 'right' age to have a boy snipped? Has anyone
out there mixed a neutered male with females - did they get along?

BTW, my girl ratties smell like a mix of sherbet and incense (if only
the boys smelt as nice!), do anyone else's girl ratties smell like this?

NDM

jason and holly harper

Hi, I can't comment on when to neuter as I've never had boys, but I've heard
of a few people that have neutered them and had them live with girls with no
trouble. Also, my girls smell like g**** soda most of the time.
Which is funny because that's what ferret tails smell like too!

Holly

joanne

Hi, you can have males neutered at any age. Find a good rat savvy vet
and there should be no problems. I have 2 neutered boys and they get
along great with the females.
Give your neutered boy a good 3 weeks before putting him in with the
girls. You don't want any accidents happening.

Joanne
Mom to 19 rats.

igenlode wordsmith

Ours have always smelt of seaweed (the 'ozone' smell at the seaside --
ozone itself being of course odourless!)
--
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** Melodrama is the art of knowing how precisely too far to go. **

elegy

whenever your vet is comfortable doing it. i've always had my boys
done older because the concern was attitude, not reproduction. i have
a cage with four girls and one neutered boy right now and they do
splendidly together.


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ndm

Thanks u all for your advice.

When I picked zac up from the pet store he was so docile I was amazed.
I had heard boys were less hyper than girls but this was amazing - It
was all an act to **** me in. Now, with the cheering on of the girls -
he's turning into a mad little critter.

meghan

Congratulations for taking in a lonely boy! That is so nice of you.

I know this is kind of the opposite of your situation, but I have 2 intact
males living with a spayed female. The vet who did the spay assured me that
they wouldn't be "attracted" to her after 6 weeks or so as all of her female
scent would be gone post-spay. Well, it's been almost a year and they still
chase after her behind like ****agers. Not always, but sometimes when
they're bored I think. I'm not so sure she doesn't like it, because she
doesn't run away, and sometimes she goes after them. She just takes it for
a while and when she's had enough she kicks them in the face and walks away.

As for smell... hmmm. Maggie, my female, really has no scent (to me)
because she's hairless. The boys however... sometimes when they're on their
best behavior they just smell lightly musky, but if there's a power struggle
going on, or a squabble, or it's the day of the cage cleaning and lots of
marking going on - WHEW - I'm sure they could bottle the scent and sell it
at the rattie perfumery. What's reassuring though is that they never
actually smell *foul*, that is, unless I am being lazy and let the cage get
a little too dirty.

Meghan

kate

I have only ever had boys .... and I think they smell like what they
are...little piggies...LOL they love to marinate in each others pee, Im
sure of it. Then they wander all over me and I end up going to work
smelling "Rattie"...) (usually discovered as I walk into work) Guess
its better than smelling of baby bluck....


Regards Kate

--
Today I may meet with injustice, ignorance, denial, all of which are due
entirely to the other's lack of knowledge of good and evil and the
difference thereof.

http://community.webshots.com/user/ollieogg

Chance is the path God takes when he wants to remain anonymous
Albert Einstein.

tracey

I had a castrated boy living with a girl several years ago and it worked out
just fine, they became the best of friends. He used to try and mount her
now and again, but not to any extent that bothered her.

I've only ever had that one female, all my other rats have been males and
I've always thought what a pleasant smell the boys have - reminds me of a
lovely musky scent. My girl on the other hand was a stinky thing as she had
a bit of a problem with flatulence, lol... that little rattie could pharp
for England!

Tracey