Goosemoose Pet Portal

I rescued Dib and Gaz after they were dumped at Petsmart. No matter how I tried to do and re-do intros, Dib was VERY aggressive to everyone but Gaz. There was constant fighting and high pitched squeaking. The other rats would run from him but he would chase them down, and the victim would look terrified.  :BlueDumboBigEyes: So, I eventually separated those two from the rest of the group.

That worked out fine, but lately it seems like Dib is getting a bit food aggressive. He and Gaz will make their own stashes, and sometimes Dib will start fights when he tries to steal from Gaz's stash and Gaz wont let him. Gaz stands his ground pretty well, and doesn't seem to get as stressed out as my other rats did from the squabbles, but now I'm wondering if I should consider getting Dib neutered. If Gaz goes to the Bridge before he does, I definitely would have to because I don't want him to be alone, but he wont tolerate anyone but his "brother".

The thing is, I'm not sure how old Dib is. He was full grown when I got him...I believe that was in January or February... Are rats ever "too old" to neuter? He is a healthy rat except for being on the fat side. ((Both him and Gaz were this way when I got them...they were dumped with a bag nutriphase seed crap. :doh:)) After working with their diets and making them exercise, Gaz has slimmed down A LOT, but Dib is still a fatty. Will neutering him give him more challenges with his weight? I've heard that neutering can make animals gain weight, but I'm not sure if that's true.

I think its something you would have to discuss with your vet.  A pre-neuter appointment is always necessary anyway and it will give you a chance to discuss your concerns about his potential age and if the vet feels confident about the surgery.
Extra weight is almost always a problem in males as they age, neutered or not.  So it will be something you'll probably be battling anyway considering his bad diet history.