CARING FOR A LONE RAT

One thing I hate of being in Malaysia is the fact that to look for a fancy rat here can really be a pain in the ass. After looking high and low, it still seem hopeless for me to find a high quality fancy rat. As you all know, Tickle passed away not long ago and Milo desperately needs a companion. Rats are highly sociable animals and they need companions, best of their own kind, in lives. When situation like this occur, when one of two rats died, normally you will need to get some new rats to accompany the lonely and grieving rat. Or else, conditions such as depression and autism. Some of the signs of these conditions include self mutilation by chewing her nails, plucking her own fur, or chewing on her own tail or she may be unresponsive and refuse to eat. It is a very bad idea to keep only one rat as rats that live alone often live shorter lives. Besides, it is unnatural to let a rat live but its own.

The National Fancy Rat Society of the UK stated that, 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.

However, I am now torn apart from making an important decision - whether to get Milo some young feeder rats as her companions or keep her along until I can find fancy rats to stay with her. The reason is obviously in Malaysia, the availability of high quality fancy rats is just too little. And after Tickle's incident, I'd really like to minimise the chance of raising an unhealthy rat and end up seeing him leaving the world early and painfully. In Malaysia, there are not much rat breeders who breed rats healthily for keeping purposes. Most breeders do not control in-breeding and do not do selective breeding as they are breeding only feeder rats. Hence the production of so many unhealthy rats. Bad genetics and bloodlines are being carried on generations after generations. I do not wish to risk the lives of my pets. Meanwhile, I am trying my very best to keep Milo company. She hasn't show any mutilation and has no sign no depression, she just look bored most of the time in her cage. I let her out of the cage most of the time and let her run around the room.

Milo's laying on her favourite spot

Below are some tips provided by CuriousRats.com of how to keep a rat alone.

If you do have a rat that is kept alone for one reason or another, you will have to take on some care considerations that you would not need to for a pair or group. One thing you will need to do is for a very close bond to him and have him with you a LOT. Carry him on your shoulder while you do house work and allow him several hours of supervised playtime in a rat-safe room. Hold him on your lap or let him explore while you watch TV or movies.

Play with your rat on his level. By petting him, you can imitate social grooming. Most rats really enjoy petting, and being touched is essential to a rat, especially if he doesn't have contact with other rats. You can play with him by tickling his sides and stomach. Your rat may play back by pouncing your hand or giving you a playful nip (not a bite, but a nip, like a kitten would). If you can sit cross-legged, he can curl up and sleep on your lap, feeling your warmth, or on your shoulder or the back of your neck.

Provide lot's of toys to keep him interested and busy when you are asleep or at work or school. Wooden bird toys and bells that can hang in the cage are fun and inexpensive. There are also some "rat toys" on the market such as Bordom Busters. You may want to consider getting a wheel. Young rats and females often enjoy running. Get one with a solid running surface and at least one side enclosed, if possible, for safety and privacy. Also provide boxes and tubes and other things to hide in. A hammock, bed (like a ferret bed), or blanket of some sort will also provide some comfort and security. On cold nights or if he gets sick, you may want to put a hot water bottle or heating pad (on low and with a folded towel on it) under part of the cage. Also, keep the cage in a room where there is human activity and traffic. Rats like to feel like they're part of the action.

Your rat may be able to have a playmate sometimes, whether it is another rat or a guinea pig or rabbit. Be very cautious about having your rat with another animal and always supervise. Rats, especially singly kept ones, can be territorial, so allow them to interact with other animals ONLY on neutral ground outside their cage.

Remember, that without a cagemate, your rat will bond to only you and/or another person they get to interact with. If you go on vacation, he could become lonely or depressed, so you may have to try to make arrangements to bring him along or have a friend who he knows and trusts and who can give him lots of attention petsit for you.