# Rats Pets at Home



## Meowwoof (Jul 27, 2011)

Just been to Pets at home to look at some bits as we are thinking of getting a Dumbo Rat. I love them, had them as a child.

There was a guy buying the two in there and he said to us that the guy working there said its "company policy" to have the buy two together. Regardless of whether you have some at home. I laughed and said, i wouldn't buy any animal from here anyway. So i asked the shop guy why you have to have two together and he said to keep each other company as they are intelligent and get bored easily. To which the customer replied, to make more money more like. Then the shop guy laughed and said yeah probably. 

I was disgusted and walked out. I had a Rat for 3 years, living alone happy as anything. The way Pets at Home staff push customers to buy more pets is just plain wrong.

Rant over lol x


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## Guest (Aug 15, 2011)

I'm sorry but you should never keep rats on their own 

They are highly social animals and crave company, as much as I hate [email protected] I don't think they are in the wrong here


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## thedogsmother (Aug 28, 2008)

Wow it sound like [email protected] are finally learning, rats are very sociable animals and should never be kept alone unless they have a severe behavioural or medical condition which means that they cant live with other rats.


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## Meowwoof (Jul 27, 2011)

Really? I knew that they are super intelligent, ours used to be with me all day and even slept on my bed some nights, was more like a cat then a rat. And he had 3 kids fussing over him everyday so got plenty of socialisation. So didnt think it was essential for them to live in pairs as long as they were well looked after and played with. We wanted to get two males anyway.

The thing that annoyed me was that if you had Rats at home already you would still NEED to buy two together from them. The place just annoys me


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## thedogsmother (Aug 28, 2008)

Meowwoof said:


> The thing that annoyed me was that if you had Rats at home already you would still NEED to buy two together from them. The place just annoys me


What gets me is that if they have 3 rats they will gladly sell 2 of them leaving the remaining one alone, the poor thing usually ends up in their adoption section .


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## Guest (Aug 15, 2011)

Meowwoof said:


> The thing that annoyed me was that if you had Rats at home already you would still NEED to buy two together from them. The place just annoys me


To be fair how do they know someone isn't lying so that they can purchase one rat?
Seriously I hate [email protected], I can't remember the last time I even entered one, personally I think all pet shops should be banned from selling livestock (I can dream can't I? ) but I really do think they have taken a good step with this clause :smile5: Well apart from when they are dense and have one poor ratty left behind as they had an odd litter.


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## PrincessGingy (May 27, 2011)

They tried to make me buy 2 gerbils together. I get what you mean about people could be lyin so they can only have one but the annoying thing was they could've just checked the records as I'd adopted 2 from them only a few weeks ago and one died so I needed another to keep her company. I hate buying from them but my priority at the time was to cheer up my little girl and she needed a friend asap. Nearly did buy them all though as they had no access to water  
But yes rats must be kept together!


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## spoiled_rat (Mar 24, 2008)

Meowwoof said:


> I was disgusted and walked out. I had a Rat for 3 years, living alone happy as anything.


Unfortunately no amount of human company can replace same-species interaction and the overall wellbeing and companionship that comes with pairs/trios/more rats, and I do think [email protected] were in the right this time.


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## LostGirl (Jan 16, 2009)

They were right! 

Personally I think rats should be sold in trios to hopefully avoid a lone rat situation when one dieds. 

I only wanted 2 rats now I have 14 lol


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## Jarhead (Jul 11, 2011)

I started with 1 hamster and wes fine on its own. Sice getting 2 degus I like the way they follow each other around when there are more than 1 and talk to each other and curl up together. They dlepped on me too but I aint with them 24 7.

Ive seen how sad the degus get when 1 left. They sit and get depressed. Loving me for 7 years was still no replacement much as they loved me.

Its nice they tell you to get pairs I never new it was importent through the hamster and the gerbil. We got 2 cause Chris suggested it. I wouldnt just det 1 now or leave one on its own. Thats why I bought 3 to keep Jarhead company when he was left alone.

I do get rescue animals now. However if there easnt in pet shops I probably would not have started with pets


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## Leah84 (Jun 22, 2009)

the [email protected] here will happily sell one rat and there`s 3 stores here an my friend is assistant manager in one of those so it`s definitely not company policy to have to buy 2. they advise you to buy 2, even if you do have some at home, the existing rats may not take to the newcomer and then you`d have to go through the trouble of bringing in another rat to keep that one company in the hopes that they both get along so buying 2 from the get go is a much easier solution. can never have too many rats anyway, they`re the most amazing pets i`ve ever owned. like others i intended to have 2....somehow ended up with 26  although that was due to 2 of the girls i adopted being pregnant and a good few of them were rehomed but it did take me months to find homes i was happy to let them go to as i was so picky


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