Pat大鼠－為何大鼠需要同伴群體 ＃為何獨養不好

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© Angela Horn, 1998（筆者名，1998年）

Rats are social animals, gaining much enjoyment and stimulation from each other's company. They live in large family groups in the wild, so in captivity they live a more natural life if kept in pairs or more. They are not like the Syrian hamster, which is a naturally solitary animal, and hence is kept alone as a pet.

Rats living in groups can have fun chasing each other around, grooming each other, sleeping in a heap, playing tug-of-war with food, wrestling, sometimes scrapping, communicating, forming friendships, and generally acting like schoolchildren at playtime. If one rat wants peace and quiet, it can simply go off and sleep alone; if it wants company, friends are always at hand. It has many more options than the single rat, who can only sleep, or sit and wait for human attention. Rats living in groups have more full and varied lives than any single rat.

Zoos and laboratories nowadays focus on 'environmental enrichment' - ways in which captive animals can be given more interesting lives by mimicking aspects of their wild relatives' lifestyles. The most important element of enrichment is allowing the animals to live in similar social groups to those found in the wild, since social animals have evolved to flourish in the company of others of their own kind. They are not 'designed' to live happily alone.

Some common questions and comments about the social needs of pet rats are addressed below.

大鼠是社會性動物，與同伴的互動可以促進正向身心發展、生活也更多樂趣。野生大鼠是群居生物，會一起生活在大群體中，因此，同時飼養兩隻以上的大鼠能夠更符合它們自然的生活方式，大鼠不同於敘利亞倉鼠，敘利亞倉鼠是獨居生物，所以作為寵物時也適合獨養。

群養大鼠的生活中有很多樂趣，它們追逐彼此、互相梳理、睡成一團，它們也會用食物玩拔河、打鬧，有時候它們會打架、交流、建立友誼，就像小學生一樣，如果其中一隻大鼠想靜靜，它可以去找靜靜，它可以自己去休息；若它想要陪伴，夥伴永遠都在咫尺之處，群養的大鼠生活中有很多樂趣，而獨養大鼠就只能睡覺，或是等著人類注意它。相較於獨養大鼠，群養大鼠能過上更精彩充實的生活。

現在的動物園和實驗室都更加重視“提供豐富的環境”，透過模擬動物的原生/野外環境，打造出更適合的生活環境，最重要的一點是：提供動物如自然情況下的社交環境，社會性動物生來就是要活在群體之中，而不是「獨自快樂」的生活。

以下為關於大鼠社交需求的一些常見問題與解答。

Rats will not usually pine away and die simply from being kept alone - so if you are concerned simply with what rats need to stay alive, you can keep them alone.
However, it is not fair to think only of what our pets need to keep them alive. We should also think about what they want to give them happy lives. Rats living in pairs have more full and interesting lives than single rats, because many more experiences are available for them. Keeping rats in pairs is a very easy way to give your pets better lives - elaborate toys and cages are great if you can provide them, but the first and best toy for a rat is always another rat. Many laboratories now refuse to keep rats alone, because it is considered unfair; surely pet owners should be at least as concerned as laboratory staff to keep their animals happy.

大部分的大鼠不會因孤獨而死亡，若你只是要大鼠活著，你可以獨養，但是只想著要寵物「活著」就好，是極為不人道的，主人應該要想著讓寵物「活得快樂」，你可以給一大堆玩具或是精緻的籠子，但對大鼠來說，最重要也最好取得的玩具乃是另一隻大鼠，成對的大鼠可以體驗到比獨養的大鼠更豐富更快樂的生活。如今很多實驗室都反對單獨飼養大鼠，因為這非常不人道，既然實驗人員都意識到這點，我們飼主更不應該單獨飼養大鼠。

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.

你跟大鼠玩時它們通常都很快樂，但是當你在睡覺、工作、上學，或出門購物的時候，獨養的大鼠會感到孤單又無聊，只要你不在它身邊，它就什麼事都不能做，除非你可以二十四小時不離開它，否則大鼠有些時候肯定會感到無聊。

大鼠不像人類一樣可以整晚睡覺，它們會在一天中間斷的醒來和睡覺，通常在夜間時特別活躍。

即便你是大鼠的完美人類 ─ 從不和它分開，一次只睡一個小時左右，你還是沒辦法提供另外一隻大鼠所能提供的陪伴，原因很簡單：你並不是大鼠，舉例來說，你不可能有辦法和它溝通，或是（應該啦）像其他大鼠一樣用牙齒幫它理毛。

No - anyone who keeps several well-socialized rats will tell you that this is nonsense. If you doubt this, I suggest that you visit a rat show or an experienced breeder, and ask to meet some rats which live with companions of their own species.

The way to make rats devoted to you is to handle them frequently - several times a day, beginning as soon as you get the rats - and to treat them gently, and offer them treats. Rats will bond with you because they enjoy your company, not because they are desperate for company of any kind.

Depriving a rat of the company of its own kind is likely to simply make it unhappy. It is a very unkind way to treat pets - imagine what we would think of a parent who refused to let her child meet other children, 'so that she will love me more'.

Single rats may develop behavioural problems - becoming introverted and hiding away, or getting clingy and neurotic, or even mutilating themselves by chewing their fur or skin - because they are kept in such an unnatural situation. This is like humans developing mental health problems when kept in solitary confinement. Boredom and isolation do not make for a happy animal. The author has seen numerous cases where behavioural problems have ceased after single rats were introduced to companions.

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; it learns from the other rat that humans are nothing to fear. The fastest way to socialize a shy rat is usually to house it with a friendly rat.

Two very nervous rats will still become affectionate towards you if they are given enough attention, but you may need to work harder to socialize them if both are shy. This may be the basis of the belief amongst some people that a single rat is friendlier than a pair of rats. If a pair of shy rats are handled often enough, they will soon become just as friendly as - but far happier than - any single rat. No matter how shy your rats are, frequent gentle handling and hand-feeding will win them over. Stick them up your sweater while you read or watch TV, and take them out of the cage to play on your lap for short periods, as often as you can.

不會。任何養過擁有健全社交環境的大鼠的人，都會告訴你這是無稽之談，如果你懷疑的話，可以去參觀大鼠表演，或是見見經驗老道的飼養者，請他讓你看看在群體中生活的大鼠是什麼樣子。

讓大鼠愛上你的方式是常常和它們互動，從你擁有大鼠的那刻開始，一天數次地和它們互動，溫柔的對待它們，給它們一些零嘴，大鼠之所以會喜歡你是因為它喜歡和你互動，而不是因為它很孤獨，渴望與任何活物建立連結。

剝奪大鼠的社交很可能會讓它們不快樂，並且非常不人道，想像一下今天有位家長拒絕讓孩子和其他小孩接觸，原因則是「如此一來他就會更愛我」。

獨養的大鼠可能會出現行為偏差，變得內向、躲躲藏藏的，也可能會變得過度黏人、神經質，甚至有可能出現啃咬自己毛皮的自殘行為，這些很類似人類處於孤立環境下所發展出的精神疾病，枯燥和孤獨的環境不可能讓任何動物快樂，筆者看過無數行為偏差的獨養大鼠在加入群體後不藥而癒的案例。

兩隻大鼠會比單獨一隻大鼠來得更親人，因為它們會爭奪你的關注，如果有另外一個社會化良好大鼠的陪伴，害羞的大鼠通常可以很快地破冰，它可以從同伴身上學到人類並沒有威脅性，讓害羞大鼠社會化的最佳方案，乃是讓另一個社會化良好的同伴來幫助它。

只要你提供足夠的關心，兩隻極度神經質的大鼠仍會和你建立情誼，但如果兩隻大鼠都很害羞，你得要付出更多的心血來幫助它們社會化，這可能是導致某些人認為單獨一隻大鼠比成對的大鼠來的親人的原因，如果給予成對的大鼠足夠的關心，它們很快就能和單獨一隻大鼠一樣友善，但是它們肯定會活得比單獨一隻大鼠來的快樂。無論你的大鼠有多害羞，只要你花時間溫柔地對待它和用手遞食物給它們，最終都能贏得它們的芳心，盡可能的多花時間陪它們，看電視或看書的時候把它們放在你的外套上，或是坐著的時候讓它們在你的腿上玩耍。

Not usually. Rats are territorial animals, and they will defend their patch against others. When an adult rat meets a strange rat, she usually perceives it as a threatening, invading stranger. She may be frightened and/or aggressive towards the new rat. She may fluff up her fur, hiss, wag her tail, squeal, and attack the newcomer. However, after a week or two of careful management, most rats will accept a companion and will go on to become the best of friends.

The author has not yet had a rat that could not be introduced to a group, although it may happen! Adult female rats can be introduced to other females of any age. Adult males can usually be introduced easily to baby males - even retired stud rats, which have always lived alone or with females, can usually be introduced to baby males. Adult males can be introduced to other adult males, but this is more difficult.

The only situation where introduction may be too difficult is with animals which have always lived alone and are older - say, over a year old. Although many of these rats can accept a companion, and will have much happier lives afterwards, some may simply have become too antisocial and set in their ways. Some rats are vicious and have to live on their own, to stop them continually attacking other rats.

If you decide to try to introduce a companion to an older single rat, you could buy two younger rats. This means that one would not be left alone when the older rat dies, or if introduction proves too difficult. If the older rat does not accept the newcomers then the rats will have to live in two separate groups. Introducing two young rats to one senior rat often works well, as the youngsters play boisterously together, and do not pester the older rat.

通常不用，大鼠是有領土意識的動物，會捍衛領地是正常的。當一隻成年大鼠遇到陌生大鼠時，通常會認為對方是侵略者。因此感到害怕、緊張、甚至攻擊對方。他可能會炸毛、發出嘶嘶聲、搖尾巴、尖叫、並攻擊陌生大鼠。然而經過主人一、兩周的謹慎觀察後，大多數大鼠都會接受新同伴，並成為好朋友。

筆者沒遇過合籠失敗的案例，但還是有可能會發生。成年母鼠與任何年齡的母鼠變友好是很容易的。成年公鼠與幼公鼠通常也很容易，甚至是長年獨養的公種鼠、或與母鼠一起生活的公種鼠，通常也較容易與幼公鼠融入。成年公鼠可以跟其他成年公鼠合籠，但通常比較困難。

合籠太困難的情況，通常是大鼠長期獨自生活並且年齡較大，例如：超過一歲。大多數的獨養大鼠還是能接受新同伴，並且更幸福的生活，不過有些獨養大鼠可能會變得反社會，只想用自己的方式活著。大鼠反社會個性太過嚴重就必須要獨自生活，以阻止他們攻擊其他大鼠。

如果你決定嘗試合籠，你可以領養兩隻較年輕的老鼠。這樣才不會導致原本的老年鼠死亡時，讓剩下的大鼠變成獨居鼠，或者如果合籠失敗，才不會演變成有兩組獨居鼠。將兩隻幼鼠與老年鼠合籠通常很簡單，因為這些年輕人可以一起玩耍，不會一直騷擾老年鼠。

Young rats up to around 12 weeks of age are easy to introduce - put them together on neutral territory first, but you can put them into a cage together the first day they meet. This cage should be cleaned out first if one of them has been living in it for a few days.

Introduce adult rats gradually, letting them meet on neutral territory first, and only putting them together in a cage once they are comfortable. This may occur on the first meeting, or it may take many meetings, several times a day, over a week or two. If any fights occur, break them up by spraying the rats with water from a water pistol or plant spray. They have to stop fighting to groom themselves. Put the rats away, and try again later.

If both rats are aggressive, the cage should always be freshly disinfected, so that it does not smell of just one of them; if a cage smells like her home, a rat will defend it against other rats. Ideally, you should move them into a cage which neither has lived in for a week or so before. Alternatively, if one rat is definitely the bully and the other a wimp (eg an adult and a baby), put them in the wimp's cage (without cleaning it out). She will feel more confident (like a football supporter at a home match!) and the bully will be less aggressive. When the rats first move into a cage together, it will usually take a week or two for them to become truly friendly. But after a couple of weeks, they will almost always become the best of friends.

It is important that you remain calm yourself. Rats are very good at detecting tension in humans, and if you are on edge, they will become nervous and defensive. This may seem strange, but we have seen numerous cases where all that was necessary for a successful introduction was a calm human! Remember that it may take a couple of weeks, and some effort, to introduce rats. The author has so far never failed to find suitable companions for a rat, although sometimes it has taken a few attempts to work out which animals just don't like each other.

年齡大約12週齡的幼鼠較容易合籠；首先將他們放在中立區域，並且可以在第一天就將他們放在籠子裡合養。如果其中一隻已經在籠子居住了幾天，首先需要將籠子清洗乾淨、消除氣味。（補充：就是消除氣味，讓籠子變成中立地區的意思）

循序漸進式合養成年大鼠；首先讓他們在中立區域接觸，只有在較自在、和平時才可以將他們放進籠子裡，一天重覆數次。第一次接觸時通常都會打起來，包含往後的幾次接觸，一天可能會打好幾次、並且持續一個禮拜或以上。如果有打鬥情形，可以使用水槍或是植物噴霧器噴灑大鼠來阻止他們。他們不得不停止打鬥來理毛。這時可以先將老鼠分開，一段時間後再嘗試。

如果兩隻老鼠都比較有攻擊性，那麼你必須勤勞清洗籠子，才不會讓其中一隻的氣味過重；若是籠子聞起來像其中一隻鼠的地盤，那隻鼠就會為了保護地盤而攻擊另一隻鼠。理想情況下，你在合籠前，需要準備一個皆不屬於他們任何一隻鼠的籠子，讓他們一起住進這個籠子。如果一隻是強勢鼠，而另一隻是弱勢鼠，則讓強勢鼠住進弱勢鼠的籠子裡，並且不要將籠子清理乾淨。弱勢鼠將會感覺更有自信，因為他處於他的地盤，而且強勢鼠的攻擊性也會降低。當雙方第一次見面、合籠時，通常需要一、兩個星期才能對彼此比較友善。但再過幾週後，他們幾乎都會成為最好的朋友。

很重要的一點，你自己必須要保持冷靜。老鼠非常善於觀察人類的緊張情緒，如果你處於情緒邊緣，他們也會變得緊張和有防備性。這可能看起來難以置信，但我們已經看過許多案例。成功合籠的關鍵之一是需要一個冷靜的主人！請記住，合籠可能需要幾週時間和努力。到目前為止，筆者從來沒有在替大鼠找同伴這件事上失敗過，儘管有時要花一些時間來弄清楚他們不喜歡對方的原因。

Yes - both entire male and female rats will live happily in single-sex groups, and neutered males can live with either males or females. However, if you keep entire males with females, they will usually breed constantly.

Breeders often keep entire male rats in colonies of up to 6 boys, separating one male from the group for just a day or so when they want to breed from him. As long as the rat is not separated from his group for long, he can be reintroduced after mating. I have reintroduced males after they have lived with females for over a month, but this can be difficult.

Occasionally a male rat will become aggressive if his levels of male hormone are too high; he may start to bully his cage mates, and perhaps to fluff up his fur and hiss at people. This can occur at any time of life after about three months of age. If the aggressive rat is neutered, he will usually revert to his former friendly self after a few weeks, and will again live happily with his companions (even if you don't neuter him, an aggressive male rat should not be bred from; the tendency towards aggression is often inherited).

Neutered male rats can live with male or female rats. However, they often get along better with other male rats (regardless of whether or not the others are neutered, and regardless of how badly he got on with them beforehand).

Entire male rats can be introduced to other adult males, neutered males or baby males; in my experience it is very easy to introduce neutered males to entire males. Introducing entire adult males to other adults takes more time. Introducing adult males to babies is usually easy, but you do need to watch closely to ensure the baby is not battered by the adult.

可以；公鼠/母鼠都能在同性別的群體中生活，而且結紮的公鼠也可以和母鼠一起飼養。但是，如果你讓未結紮的公鼠、母鼠一起飼養，他們通常會不斷繁殖。

繁殖商通常將公鼠族群控制在六隻以下，當他們想要繁殖時，只需將一隻公種鼠從該族群分開一天左右。只要大鼠不與他原本的同伴分開太久，就能在交配後順利回到同伴身邊。但如果和原族群分開一個多月，將會很難融入原族群。

如果公鼠的雄性激素(賀爾蒙)過高，它可能會變得更具有攻擊性，雄性激素過高可能會在大約三個月大的大鼠中發生；它很可能會開始欺負它的同伴，也可能會對著人類炸毛或嘶嘶叫。如果好鬥的大鼠被結紮後，它會在幾週後恢復以前那個和善的它，並再次與它的同伴幸福的生活在一起（即使你不去結紮，也不應該養育一隻好鬥的公鼠；好鬥往往是會影響其他鼠的）。

〈補充：好鬥鼠可能會影響其他鼠，例如：被欺負到消沈、或忍無可忍反擊回去〉

結紮的公鼠可以與其他公鼠/母鼠一起生活。通常會和其他公鼠相處融洽（無論其他公鼠是否有結紮、無論他們事前相處多麼糟糕）。

可以讓未結紮的公鼠與其他成年公鼠、結紮的公鼠、幼公鼠合籠；根據筆者的經驗，可以很容易的讓結紮公鼠與其他公鼠合籠。讓未結紮公鼠與其他公鼠合籠 往往需要更多時間。讓成年公鼠與幼鼠合籠通常很容易，但你需要仔細觀察確保幼鼠不會受到成年鼠的攻擊。

Not really - 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. A single rat lives for his moments of freedom with you, but a pair can entertain themselves for the odd day. Of course, two rats will cost more to maintain, in terms of food and vets' fees, than one - but the extra cost is negligible compared to the quality it will add to the lives of the animals.

並不是的；任何足夠大的籠子（最小30x60cm的空間）都足夠容納兩隻，每週清潔一次通常足夠讓大鼠身上沒有味道。對主人來說，兩隻大鼠比起一隻大鼠互動性更佳；因為他們往往更加活躍，你可以看著他們互相理毛和玩耍。如果你平常很忙，不能花時間在老鼠身上，你也不需要感到內疚。獨養大鼠他只能在你空閒時刻才有人陪他玩耍，但是飼養一對大鼠，他們可以在每一天都有著樂趣無窮的時光。當然，就食物和獸醫費用而言，兩隻大鼠的費用肯定會超過一隻的費用，但與之相比，額外增加的金錢成本又怎麼比得上鼠的幸福生活呢？

In conclusion, there is no good reason to keep a single rat, but there are many reasons to keep rats in company. Many concerned breeders and good pet shops feel so strongly about this that they refuse to sell their rats to people who intend to keep them singly. Rats which go to their new homes in pairs have a great start in life - a friend to play with, no difficult introductions, and the companionship of their owner.

總而言之，沒有任何藉口能合理化獨養行為，但有千萬的理由可以說服你養一對老鼠。許多飼養員和好的寵物店對此有相同的感想，以至於他們拒絕將他們的大鼠出售給那些打算單獨飼養大鼠的人。帶成對的大鼠回家可以有一個很好的開始，有一個玩耍的朋友、沒有難度的合籠、以及主人的陪伴。

【特別感謝】

【資料來源】