How Many Rats is the Right Amount?
I often get asked about the number of rats an adopter should get when they adopt from me. This is one of those questions that doesn’t have an easy “yes” or “no” answer, but really depends on so many factors that only you, the adopter, can answer for yourself. I’ll try to address the primary questions I get in regards to rat numbers and my recommendations for first time adopting as well as adding to an existing mischief.
ONE: I never recommend adopting only one rat, and I will never adopt out a single rat to a home unless you have a friend, or two, already waiting at home for it. Rats are very social animals and live in colonies. Male and females crave company and can suffer a number of affects from being housed alone. Some of these affects include loss of fur or self-mutilation, weight gain or loss that is detrimental to health, and decrease in immune system response and increased instance of illness - in short - they suffer from similar symptoms to depression in humans.
TWO: A pair of rats is a good start for the first time rat owner. If you have never had rats before, two will take care of the rats’ need for companionship while also keeping the care needed for your new pets as low as possible for you.
A major drawback to owning two rats is the fact that when one dies the other will be alone. If the two rats have lived their whole lives together for 2 or more years, it is possible that the surviving rat will not live long after the first one passes. Episodes of depression and death shortly after their cage mate have been reported by adopters in these cases. To avoid this, it is recommended that additional cage mates be adopted before the passing of one of your pair. This will allow time for the original rats to bond with the newer ones. Their bond will ease the blow of the loss of a cage mate.
Another thing to note in rat pairs is that one of your rats will always be dominant (alpha) and the other non-dominant. The usual way it is described is that you will have one outgoing or adventurous rat and one shy or cautious rat. In all the reports I’ve received from all adopters, 100% of the time this is the case when only 2 are adopted. You can read more about the two rat personality dynamic on our page "The Two Rat Dynamic."
THREE: If asked for my opinion on the optimal amount of rats to get when no rats are yet owned, three is my usual answer. Three rats are really not much harder to care for than 2 - needing roughly the same cage space and amenities as a pair does. The major difference is food consumption and waste created. You will need to offer more food each feeding and clean the cage more often during the week.
Three rats means that if one passes, the surviving pair are not left alone and will be less likely to suffer from depression at their cage mate’s passing. It will allow you more time to find new cage mate(s) for them, if you plan on continuing to own rats and maintain a healthy colony. Instead of searching for a new rat(s) out of immediate necessity, you can take your time in searching out quality.
FOUR OR MORE: Four or more rats is only recommended if you have owned rats before and are comfortable with the amount of care rats require. Although four rats is not significantly more difficult than three, it is a lot more work than two. It is best to work up to four or more rats slowly over time as you get used to the amount of work each number of rats is on its own.
If you are considering having a large colony of rats, here is a great way to build up to that from the very beginning. First, if you have never owned rats before, start with only two rats. Care for that pair for a year and see if you are able to maintain their quality of life, and your own, during the entire time. If, after that year, you feel that your current two rats are no burden at all and you would like to add more, you will know you are prepared for the task.
The next step would be to add a second pair of juvenile rats (8-12 weeks). The primary reasons you want to add a pair of juveniles and not just one is that juvenile rats have much more energy and a propensity to want to play than adults do, in general. If you place a lone juvenile in with adults, they will feel the same loneliness that a lone rat feels - there is no one to play with! Also, adults may become irritated with the juvenile’s attempts to get them to play and could rebuke them roughly causing injuries. Young rats should always be gotten in pairs for the best quality of life for all rats involved.
After you have owned the 4 rats for a minimum of 6 months, you can decide when you would like to get additional rats and the maximum number you are willing to own at one time. If four rats was still a joy and not burdensome, then adding an additional pair every 6 months or so until you find your maximum number of rats you can care for would be a good plan. If you feel that you do want to grow your colony, but a little slower than that, you can buy a new pair every time one of your rats passes until you find your maximum number of rats. If four rats seemed like roughly the maximum for you already, then do not add any more rats until two of your rats pass away, then add a new pair of juveniles. This will keep your number down to 3-4 rats at all times.
IS THERE AN IDEAL NUMBER OF RATS? No, there is no one perfect number of rats. The perfect number is however many you can reasonably care for and still maintain their quality of life. Rats deserve to be loved, played with, and enjoyed. If they become a burden to you, their quality of life will suffer. Overtaxing your own limits for the sake of numbers or varieties is a mistake. There is always plenty of time to own more rats your entire life, you don’t need to own them all at once!
The only person who can really answer the question of how many rats is the right number - is you. Every person has different amounts of responsibility and free time to spare. There are seasons in life when we are more busy than other times as well. It is always a good idea to consider life events that may come a year or more down the road before adding new pets. The expecting of a new baby, children starting school, graduating, moving out - all of these life events can change the amount of time we have for our pets. The only one who knows how much, is you.
ONE: I never recommend adopting only one rat, and I will never adopt out a single rat to a home unless you have a friend, or two, already waiting at home for it. Rats are very social animals and live in colonies. Male and females crave company and can suffer a number of affects from being housed alone. Some of these affects include loss of fur or self-mutilation, weight gain or loss that is detrimental to health, and decrease in immune system response and increased instance of illness - in short - they suffer from similar symptoms to depression in humans.
TWO: A pair of rats is a good start for the first time rat owner. If you have never had rats before, two will take care of the rats’ need for companionship while also keeping the care needed for your new pets as low as possible for you.
A major drawback to owning two rats is the fact that when one dies the other will be alone. If the two rats have lived their whole lives together for 2 or more years, it is possible that the surviving rat will not live long after the first one passes. Episodes of depression and death shortly after their cage mate have been reported by adopters in these cases. To avoid this, it is recommended that additional cage mates be adopted before the passing of one of your pair. This will allow time for the original rats to bond with the newer ones. Their bond will ease the blow of the loss of a cage mate.
Another thing to note in rat pairs is that one of your rats will always be dominant (alpha) and the other non-dominant. The usual way it is described is that you will have one outgoing or adventurous rat and one shy or cautious rat. In all the reports I’ve received from all adopters, 100% of the time this is the case when only 2 are adopted. You can read more about the two rat personality dynamic on our page "The Two Rat Dynamic."
THREE: If asked for my opinion on the optimal amount of rats to get when no rats are yet owned, three is my usual answer. Three rats are really not much harder to care for than 2 - needing roughly the same cage space and amenities as a pair does. The major difference is food consumption and waste created. You will need to offer more food each feeding and clean the cage more often during the week.
Three rats means that if one passes, the surviving pair are not left alone and will be less likely to suffer from depression at their cage mate’s passing. It will allow you more time to find new cage mate(s) for them, if you plan on continuing to own rats and maintain a healthy colony. Instead of searching for a new rat(s) out of immediate necessity, you can take your time in searching out quality.
FOUR OR MORE: Four or more rats is only recommended if you have owned rats before and are comfortable with the amount of care rats require. Although four rats is not significantly more difficult than three, it is a lot more work than two. It is best to work up to four or more rats slowly over time as you get used to the amount of work each number of rats is on its own.
If you are considering having a large colony of rats, here is a great way to build up to that from the very beginning. First, if you have never owned rats before, start with only two rats. Care for that pair for a year and see if you are able to maintain their quality of life, and your own, during the entire time. If, after that year, you feel that your current two rats are no burden at all and you would like to add more, you will know you are prepared for the task.
The next step would be to add a second pair of juvenile rats (8-12 weeks). The primary reasons you want to add a pair of juveniles and not just one is that juvenile rats have much more energy and a propensity to want to play than adults do, in general. If you place a lone juvenile in with adults, they will feel the same loneliness that a lone rat feels - there is no one to play with! Also, adults may become irritated with the juvenile’s attempts to get them to play and could rebuke them roughly causing injuries. Young rats should always be gotten in pairs for the best quality of life for all rats involved.
After you have owned the 4 rats for a minimum of 6 months, you can decide when you would like to get additional rats and the maximum number you are willing to own at one time. If four rats was still a joy and not burdensome, then adding an additional pair every 6 months or so until you find your maximum number of rats you can care for would be a good plan. If you feel that you do want to grow your colony, but a little slower than that, you can buy a new pair every time one of your rats passes until you find your maximum number of rats. If four rats seemed like roughly the maximum for you already, then do not add any more rats until two of your rats pass away, then add a new pair of juveniles. This will keep your number down to 3-4 rats at all times.
IS THERE AN IDEAL NUMBER OF RATS? No, there is no one perfect number of rats. The perfect number is however many you can reasonably care for and still maintain their quality of life. Rats deserve to be loved, played with, and enjoyed. If they become a burden to you, their quality of life will suffer. Overtaxing your own limits for the sake of numbers or varieties is a mistake. There is always plenty of time to own more rats your entire life, you don’t need to own them all at once!
The only person who can really answer the question of how many rats is the right number - is you. Every person has different amounts of responsibility and free time to spare. There are seasons in life when we are more busy than other times as well. It is always a good idea to consider life events that may come a year or more down the road before adding new pets. The expecting of a new baby, children starting school, graduating, moving out - all of these life events can change the amount of time we have for our pets. The only one who knows how much, is you.
Last Updated: 4/24/2021 (c) 2021 Squeakin' Pups All rights reserved. Do not copy, share, or distribute without written permission.