# Boy or Girl Rats?



## rattystuart (Sep 14, 2011)

Hi i am getting about 3/4 rats but am not sure what gender to get.
I like the fact that the boys are a bit bigger and more cuddly (lap rats) 
but am not so keen on the testicles (are they really big?) as when i went to a pet shop to get some rat essentials there were some there (bless them, all stuck together in a tiny cage  ) the testicles seemed to be really big and stiking out from around the tail and freaked me out a bit, and also ive heard they can pee on you alot ? but is that normal for rats to have such large balls , or maybe there environment made them so big , i dont know:S
And girls, well im not sure because arent they meant to be a lot more lively and hard work? or is all this rhumours and they are fine?
Does anyone have any past experiances about boys or girls and a bit of info on both..
no matter what i am still so exited to get them soon 
Thanks


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## Twitch (Sep 1, 2011)

If they were in a very warm environment (which it sounds like they were), the testicles do look massive and pink as they sort of lower them from their body to maintain a constant temperature. They are still fairly large but to be honest, after a while you just don't notice it.

They don't exactly stp and do lots of pee on you constantly, they sort of more 'dribble' as they walk along. It's scent marking and their way of basically saying 'you are mine now'. Though in all honesty, my boys don't really do it atall anymore (including some newbies I got) so I guess it depends on the individual rat a lot.

Girls aren't hard work exactly, they're just a lot more lively. My girls are handleable but they won't sit down and be cuddled. All but one of them normally jump on my lap and will be petted for about 5 seconds before running off and exploring something else. If you want cuddly rats, definitely go for boys. If you want rats who are more interesting to watch but not necessarily cuddlers, go for girls 

Another difference is also the smell. I think boys (for me personally) win this one hands down because they have a really lovely musky smell and most of mine smell like hobnobs (of all things!) whereas, no matter how much I clean them out, the girl.s always seem to smell like wee. I know different people have different perceptions of how they smell and I know some people who hate buck smell but I personally love it.

Also think about what happens if you want to introduce rats at a later date (Rats are VERY addictive). Girls tend to be a lot easier to introduce new rats to than boys, though again it depends on the individual group. My old group of boys didn;t mind any new rats whereas my girls hated having newbies introduced, my current group of boys are very defensive around new rats whereas my girls (aside from one, who |I remove when introducing newbies) are a lot more chilled about it.

Hope this helps!


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## blade100 (Aug 24, 2009)

boy rats all the way for me,girls are just too hyper and on the go when i had 2 females they would never let me cuddle them.

don't worry about the balls you really don't notice them.
except of course when its warm


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## owieprone (Nov 6, 2008)

we've had girls for years! and only 1 boy (adopted at 1, apparently not good with other rats.. though we couldn't test that).

the girls do indeed smell more of wee which eminates around the house and you need to protect any walls behind their cage and hoover behind whatever their cage is on often.
While boys are a far more pleasant and muted musky smell and comparatively neat freaks.

most girls (not all) are crazy roadrunners and rarely sit still (unless eating or washing), you need to give them lots of toys, move the cage around lots to keep them interested (even blind ones!), do lots of stuff for them during play time. 
Are messy buggers and nibble/eat/ruin EVERYTHING.
girls are generally easy to introduce another rat to (any age), one rat will be alpha rat (or den mother) and you will almost always have one who isn't as friendly to newcomers.
they're also lightning quick, especially when they're young, prone to nibbling fingers and grabbing fingers instead of food with their teeth (this goes with age).

boys, well Rolly anyway, he NEVER got off the ground floor in his cage even when enticed with his fav treats.. lazy arse.
He was chillaxed to the max, didn't run around (though this could have been cos he was abused by his moron child owner). He loved cuddles (partularly loved hoods, hoodie pockets and the ratbag (carry pouch). He had a friend (stuffed toy) Croc, who he used to guard his food (like a child would use their fave toy to guard something they thought was precious), he'd get annoyed if we moved croc from his guard post and move him back...gently! so cute to watch), we think when we did it and he didn't see us moving croc he was quite confused by how he managed to move lol.. he'd sniff roundhim and sort of look at his quizically as if to say.. you moved by yourself this time huh? 
he never nibbled or wee'd on Croc he was intact the day rolly died (he was withhim when he was pts) (one day with our last girl and croc had lost a leg! and some stuffing). 

He was very clean and tidy, rarely nibbled cage stuff. Though was also relatively boring as he didn't do facials, massages or man/pedicures (unlike the girls), never ate my hair, bit my toes through my socks, ate holes in my clothes, nipped me to move my arm, climbed into my bra..when i was wearing it! lmao girls are 'stupid' but extremely entertaining.
he was much gentler, less bitey, more relaxed and happy just to sit and be on you without feeling the need to destroy what you are doing or your calm (girls want to see what you're doing, eat it, mark it as theirs then see what else is around, soyou can't sit and watch telly or do your homework quietly with a girl on you, you can with boys).
boys are very good for firsttimers.

we also thought the old nads would be a problem but tbh they're not, we rarely noticed them. Unforuntately rolly got a cyst (as did one of the girls) and was pts. he was AWESOME!

ohyeah. girls, very eager to please you, will learn loads of stuff, do what you ask mostly and teach you rat talk.. boys (rolly) knew what we were asking just couldn't be arsed doing it most of the time, he did teach us 'Rolly-talk' tho lol.

if you go for girls and if you do get the choice.. get the biggest and the runt of the litter, biggest are usually the alphas and are generally more sedate and nuturing to newcomers, runts are criminal masterminds and will reward you with amazing adventures.. most of which involve becoming your hoards version of Houdini, then teaching it's most annoying tricks tothe rest of the hoard. :cursing:

basically i'd say from experience
if you're keeping them in your bedroom and that's where playtime is going to be. boys
if you have a separate room that you can close off and don't mind it smelling of wee, and things being eaten. girls 
lmao.


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## Argent (Oct 18, 2009)

I personally prefer boys. I have both, and the girls reek of hydrogen peroxide when it comes to cage cleaning time! They're on Rat Rations and Dr Squiggles every other day, there's nothing wrong with the bedding, their wee just stinks to high heaven!

Boys are much more toned down. I find them a lot easier to have out and about (you can put them down almost anywhere to play and they won't get into too much trouble), whereas my girls need maximum security (usually the bathroom or the garden table outside!). I can't let them out of my sight for a second and they seem to get more and more excited, brave and eager to explore the longer they're out - they push the boundaries to the max!

I got girls in the first place because they needed rescuing, and secondly, my next door neighbours got themselves a pair of does after meeting my two boys (rip Axel and Joey) and they didn't smell one bit! They grew to a nice size, were great to handle and were clean as anything! My girls make my current boys look like OCD freaks!

Having said that, they are very sweet girls, a bit bargy but friendly and curious nevertheless, maybe just a bit too much spark for me!

ETA: you'll probably stop noticing the buck balls after a bit or even come to love them haha


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## rattystuart (Sep 14, 2011)

thankyou guys for your help i think you might of changed my mind as i am leaning more to the bucks side now ill have to see how i feel when i get to the breeder and handle a few then i will decide, but most likely i will go for boys phoned my breeder and they are ready to pick up in about 10 days, and i think im going to get about 3-4 , CANT WAIT! will upload some photos the day i get them to show you guys my new cuties also , when you first get them is it best to leave them alone for a bit before you start handling and playing with them? how long does it take until they settle in? and also what do you do if you get a particualar 'nippy' rat ? THANKS


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## simplysardonic (Sep 1, 2009)

Bucks are lovely & so squishy, but I'm coming down on the side of zingy pingy girls, I keep both but TBH I'm going to stick with a smaller group of a maximum of 4 boys in future as I've found the big group (currently 7, was 8 but we lost Magnum last week:crying really do whiff quite a bit, whereas my groups of girls (5 & 3) aren't as smelly & tend not to pee in their beds as much


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## rattystuart (Sep 14, 2011)

hahah wow you have a lot of rats! any pics of them? cant wait to get them  and cuddle with my bucks


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## Argent (Oct 18, 2009)

If they're from a breeder, they've likely been handled from a very young age, I'd see no problem in giving them a couple of hours to settle into their new pad, get their bearings, then bring them out to get accquainted(sp!). It's not like bringing home a pet shop hamster, believe me 
ETA: ALso unlikely to get a nipper if you're buying from a breeder. Babies will test nibble, as in put their teeth on you and have a feel, but they generally will not bite - as long as you stay calm and let them do the test nibbles (don't forget to squeal if they put too much pressure on), they should get over that and probably turn into lickers!


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## simplysardonic (Sep 1, 2009)

I think I can oblige  (any excuse to post pics of my beloveds!)

5 of the boys









My oldest 2 boys, Lennon & Irwin









Some of the girls enjoying banana porridge









The latest recruits- Ruby, Crystal & Pearl, who've been here about 6 weeks now


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## rattystuart (Sep 14, 2011)

aaawwww there adorable ! cant wait to be posting my own ones on! and thanks argent ..yeah i have rat info coming out of my ears now they really make great pets dont they?


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## Argent (Oct 18, 2009)

They're fabulous little creatures - sure to be great companions and a great source of entertainment!


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## rattystuart (Sep 14, 2011)

and hopefully i can get the best cage aswell too LOL


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## Jarhead (Jul 11, 2011)

Is this boy girl difference just rats. All my pets have been boys except for Stois the hamster. She was never stillallways let her feelings known and was fisty. That might be that she was just like that. Girlpower.

The boys have been 1 gerbil and degus. They tend to visit you then run. more laid back


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## Argent (Oct 18, 2009)

I've noticed all my male pets (rabbit, rats and dog) have been a lot more laid back than the females (hamster, gerbils, guinea pigs, rats). I tend to prefer males of any species over females (ever so slightly) because I feel our energies match a lot better (I'm a girl )


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## owieprone (Nov 6, 2008)

hee hee!

lots of pics please when you get them.


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## rattystuart (Sep 14, 2011)

will do


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