i have a rat and want to prove that it needs 1 or 2 companions. what can happen if i keep her alone? what are the pros and cons of having multiple rats?
A single rat is often happy, whenever you are playing with it. But when you are asleep, or out at work or school, or simply going shopping, the single rat can get bored and lonely. It has nothing to do whenever you are not around. Unless your rat is with you literally 24 hours a day, it is inevitable that it will be bored sometimes.
Rats do not sleep throughout the night like us - they wake and sleep at intervals throughout the day and night. They are often particularly playful during the night, when most humans are asleep.
Even if you were the rat's perfect human - never apart from it, and sleeping only for an hour or so at a time - you could not provide it with the same sort of companionship as another rat, simply because you are a very different species. You would not, for example, communicate with it, or (presumably!) groom it with your teeth the way another rat would.
pets question and answers,www.5d2d.com Boredom and isolation do not make for a happy animal.
Two rats are often more affectionate than one, because they compete for your attention. A shy rat will usually learn to be friendly quickly if housed with a well-socialized companion.
Any cage that's large enough for one rat (at least 12 "x 24" floorspace) is large enough for two, and a once-weekly clean is usually sufficient to keep a pair of rats smelling sweet. Two rats are more interesting to watch than one - they tend to be more active, and you can watch them groom and play with each other. You don't need to feel so guilty if you have a busy day and cannot spend time with the rats. The extra cost is negligible compared to the quality it will add to the lives of the animals.
Your rat will survive alone, but will be happier with a companion to groom, sleep and play with her. You will greatly improve her quality of life.
Depression, health issues, more prone to getting sick. Lone rats are usually very depressed without a companion, whether or not you're seeing the effects right now or not is irrelevant. Rarely rats prefer to be alone/only human company over other rats, but with most this just simply is not the case. No human can ever provide the amount of companionship that another rat can. They keep each other warm at night, keep each other clean, and entertain each other in ways that no human can entertain a rat. There are no cons with having multiple rats when we're speaking behaviour-wise.
If your rat doesn't seem depressed by being by herself then I wouldn't get one. I have a female that wants only human attention. Other rats she will attack or run away from. It depends on her personality. If you leave her alone a lot then a friend might be a good idea. I cant really tell you if you should or not because Im not there to see your rat and play with her. I personally prefer one rat a time because then I can give my full attention to that one rat. I foster babies so normally I very busy with the babies and my rat, Molly, gets jealous. I'm a student and I take my classes online so I have the time to give to Molly. My rat is very happy being alone. She does enjoy playing with her brothers because she was rasied with them but other than that she just wants me. Like I said it really just depends on what you feel is right for your baby.
pets question and answers,www.5d2d.com Good luck
