For those with rats as pets....

I don;'t really notice much of an odor from my stud male. I do smell a verrrry faint wet-dog type of odor from time to time, but this is not really something I notice much.
If I just had males for pets, I would be all for neutering them. Any mammal really.. horses, cats, dogs. There are just too many, and you're taking away risks of health problems such as testicular cancer. I breed for feeders so this is not an option :)

I suppose my next question is at what age should they be neutered??? They both don't appear to have "dropped" yet and I believe the women I purchased them from said they were between 3 & 4 weeks old. I've seen pictures of 7 week old rats and a few look to be quite well endowed! :D It's amazing how quickly they grow up! Is it safe to have it done now or should I wait a few weeks?

Thanks again everyone for all the great feedback! :gj:

When it comes to age of neutering I'd suggest you contact the vet you want to do the procedure. They'd be the best one to advise you on when they feel comfortable about neutering a young male rat.

You should make sure that you find a vet that is comfortable and experienced with rats. I had to call around to 6 vet offices before I found a lady on my way to work about 1/2 hour away that treats all sorts of small animals and is great with my rats. :gj:

Does it matter if you keep a neutered male with your non-neutered males?

I just held back two blazed males (not as breeders) and was thinking of having them neutered. Will I have to keep them separate from my other males?

At current I have 4 young males together, two of which are to be breeders (and the 2 that are to be pets). And one other male, a bit older, who is currently breeding but has been socialized with the other 4. So five in total.

Can I keep those 5 together as they age as well?

Bruce

PS: Not trying to hijack the thread, but figured it was in line enough with the OPs subject to ask.

I honestly don't know. I would think they would get along ok, but I've really only housed non neutered males together. Maybe since there's less testosterone running around it would be better?