i know you don’t own any rats but you seem to know enough to be the person to ask, im planning on getting some rats and im not sure if it’s better to get boys or girls (not both, im absolutely not breeding them and i only have room for one enclosure) and whether i should get 2 or 3, and what the best combination of those two is to have the lowest chance of them fighting. any ideas?
TLDR: 3 or more if you can, sex depends on both you and the individual rat but sex differences are just tendency, go to the bulleted list at the bottom
It's not objective on whether male or female rats are better to have, because (a) everyone has their own preferences and (b) all the "differences" are tendency and not guaranteed. Generally,
Cuddliness: male > female
Tumor likelihood: female > male
Fucking excellence: female = male
General adorableness: male = female
Generally speaking, the more the merrier with rats, and I don't think that sex has any effect on that. 3 rats are better than 2 if you have the money and space-- in fact, it's recommended that you actually keep 3 or more if you can, as it's even better for their social needs than 2 (with 2 being the minimum for humane treatment). Male rats are likelier to fight than female rats, but serious fighting isn't common for either sex, and it can often be remedied by environmental changes, separation, neutering, or -- in rarer cases -- rehoming.
More resources for you on sex choice:
AFRMA’s general information index
Post about choosing sex based upon whether they will get along (disclaimer: this blog claims cross-species interaction is okay. It is not and should be heavily restricted if not avoided)
A general guide by @rams-rodent-world
List of pros and cons to each sex based on difference tendencies
Statement about laid-back and cuddliness sex difference from AFRMA
Males vs females in the first paragraph of this page (disclaimer: this page claims it is okay to have only 1 rat. It is not)
Males vs females scattered on this page (disclaimer: this page claims it is okay to have only 1 rat and to buy rats from pet shops. It is not)
Sex-linked behavioral differences in the second-to-last header on this page (disclaimer: this page claims it is okay to have only 1 rat. It is not)
Notes on this post that have personal accounts about sex differences from people who've actually owned rats
blakekathryn
gummygunk
dailybridgerton
prguitarman
izzy806
