Do male pet rats smell? I have always only owned male rats, so I am with out a doubt biased - I just love the males to bits, and find that the females tend to do their own thing a little bit more. But males do not smell as much therefore I definitely recommend you get a male hamster than a female. I prefer males myself. My females, being more curious, often get their food on them, and get dirtier, but neither gender is more smelly. Two of the more common concerns raised about rats relate to their naked tails, and their larger body proportions. Do Males Smell Worse Than Females? Thats not to say boys fight all the time or cannot live together in perfect harmony, it just means that girls generally rub along together a bit easier sometimes. They’ve developed a new way to exterminate by the sex pheromone of the male … They're bigger than females, which just adds to their cuddle factor, and surprisingly affectionate. | Live Q&A Highlight The Rat Guru. i know that the males are lazier then the females, i would really prefer to get a male rat, but am a bit put off because people say they smell a lot worst then females. I have heard male rats are much more of a lap rat and tend to be more lazy and better to snuggle. They emit something called Buck Grease which is a scent marker. Maybe they aren't peeing more, maybe I'm just smelling it more. I have 5 male rats (which have more potential to stink than females) and they do not smell bad. Health Differences Many illnesses affect male and female rats equally, but females are much more prone to mammary and pituitary tumors , and also get diseases that affect their uterus and ovaries. Rats reach puberty at around 5-6 weeks of age, but they reach social maturity at around 5-6 months of age. Female rats are more active and very playful, but they wouldn't sit still to cuddle and are more prone to tumors than males. You do have to be careful when housing male rats together. ... should i get a male or female rat? Other than that, male rats are really cool. They're cuddly, relaxed, and kind of lazy. I do have a very sensitive sense of smell, and my females I can put right up to my nose and they just smell of warm skin. Males mark even more when they smell a female nearby! A stinky cage odor will smell of urine and/or feces. My females, being more curious, often get their food on them, and get dirtier, but neither gender is more smelly. Smell: Some people believe that males smell more than females. Male rats don’t really show the overly territorial behavior that other male pets do, and they tend to be more placid than females. It has been stated that males do this more than females, but this is not backed up by research, which has found an equal likelihood of both sexes marking.