Originally posted by Breezy Top Cat
The sneezing thing.....my son had a pet rat Mikey and he would get raspy and sneezy when I put cedar chips into his cage. I had to switch to the regular pine. They didn't help with the odor, but I'm sure Mikey was allergic to the cedar ones.

I would put a divider in the cage or have a small container to put Chester in so he can eat. It sounds like both are males by their names and I'm not so sure two male rats would ultimately get along and as in any type of animal there is always a pecking order. It is your responsibility as their owner to be sure each gets his own share of food. You would do that with your children. You wouldn't let one starve because the other was older and stronger and stole the food. Maybe a seperate cage is needed. We purchased a large clear plastic storage box--like a rubbermaid container about the size of a laundry basket. We drilled holes in the plastic lid with a drill and it made a wonderful inexpensive cage and Mikey never got out. It was also easy to clean.
Actually, both cedar an pine shavings are bad -- they contain toxic aromatic oils called "phenols" which cause damage to the lungs and airways when inhaled. Cedar is the worst though, as it also has microscopic barbs that slice the airways and get caught in the lungs.

Male rats get along just fine, as long as they have both lived with rats before. I had a male that had been without another rat for over two years, and he accepted and loved the babies I gave him. They are very social animals. I agree that they should be housed seperatly when fed, but not forever -- they become very depressed if they are left alone for too long.