Why can't I find female rats in pet stores?

I would advise you not to get a pet rat from a store, most are mass produced, like puppy mills and can have health problems, also you really have no idea where your rat really came from. I suggest you search online for a reputable breeder in your area. That way not only can you pick what type of rat you want ( there are tons of varieties and colorings ie, rex, dumbo, hairless, siamese, etc) but they will be healthier as well. A rat from a breeder generally costs no more than the mass produced pet store variety.

If you're serious about owning a rat then I wouldn't suggest getting one from a pet shop. Some of them were not raised with human contact so it could take them a while at warm up to you if they ever do. I would put in the extra money to get one through a breeder.

I'm not sure why you're having a hard time with finding a female. I don't want to sound harsh, and I hope it's all in my head, but they could use the females for snake feed. Can't get pregnant when you're lunch.

most of the time big corporate pet stores will coordinate and a certain region will only sell a specific sex. in my area you can ony find females unless you go to a smaller locally owned pet store that breed their own rats and they will probably have both. any way it sounds like the area that you are in only sells males so if you really want a female then i would try a small pet store or you may have to travel a little ways to get one.

I work at a petsmart in new jersey, and I don't know if all petsmarts are the same, but the one I work at strictly only sells female small pets (rats, hamsters, germils, etc.) We have so many rats. So maybe, try a petsmart?