I had 2 rats that were bred specifically to be "cute" and they both were anxious biters that died at only 8 months old. Both went through severe depressive episodes after experiencing the deaths of a few of their cagemates and eventually lost the will to keep going. The place I got them from obviously had a breeder that was just looking to make a quick buck off of stupid parents who think, "Oh, it's like a hamster.
It's cute. The kids can practice taking care of it, and when it dies it won't be expensive. My hairless came from a rescue, unwanted. He was party of an all furred litter and was the odd one out.
He ended up being one of my most affectionate, loving rats and, despite the fact he required some extra care like vitamin E on his little naked body for moisture and a blanket on cold nights.
I loved him, and ever since he sadly passed from a pneumonia infection that antibiotics couldn't treat, I've searched for another boy that I could save from people who only want "cute" pets. Seriously, these animals get abused- by pet stores, by breeders, and sometimes even the people that take them home you don't see anyone feeding your pet ferret to a snake do you?
The love I feel for these animals is seriously beyond words. And the obvious love they have for my family and me makes them feel as though they are little people, with little personalities, just looking for affection and safety in the world.
People who could call ANY rat ugly There are thousands of rats in the world who still need homes and we are going to continue breeding in hopes of creating something different?? And not only are we creating MORE pets that will probably be abandoned by the impulse buyers, but we are also playing with extremely fragile genetics.
Hairless rats already have more than their share of health problems. Inexperienced breeders trying to breed them will end up with nothing but disaster! But if you are going to go with this. I would suggest you keep ALL of your babies and watch every single one of them through their entire life. I have had a hairless female for nearly two years now and she has devoloped quite a large mammary tumor and has experienced many terrible eye problems.
The breeder probably thought that her silky smooth skin and her perfect color was an indication that she was in good health. Boy was he wrong! I know you. I've seen you in the pet store oohing and ahhing over the "cute" animals. I've seen you pick one out without a second thought to researching its needs or weather it'll be happy and healthy or not. I watched you carry it around like a fashion accessory for a few months until you grew bored with it, at which point you neglected and even occasionally mistreated it if it got in your way or did something that inconvenienced you.
I saw when you either gave it away to some irresponsible kid down the block or you forgot to refill the water for so long, the precious creature died.
I've watched you then replace it with another "cute" animal. I loved your article. I have a hairless dumbo odd-eyed female who is probably pregnant since one of my males sneaked into her cage recently. I am a little worried because after reading your article, some things have become clear to me as to why previous litters of hers have not gone very well her last litter ended up being eaten by her and I was horrified. I don't want this to happen again and I was wondering if you had any advice on how to possibly prevent this with the coming litter.
I am also wondering what might happen since the male that was in her cage is her grandson. What would I need to look out for as far as problems with the babies?
BTW your Godiva is so cute!! I dont understand! I got a baby hairless rat like a month ago from the feed store. It was my first hairless one. The guy told us it was a boy. After a few weeks we just thought he didn't fully "mature" yet.
So when we went back we got him another boy hairless playmate. And it turns out our first one was really a girl. So we will probally be having babies, unexpectenly! Kim, thanks for stopping by. Furless rats are perfectly capable of living long healthy lives, they just have a higher risk of some things than furred rats much like some breeds of dogs have a higher chance of hip dysplasia or heart murmers. Happy to see you're enjoying yours.
I hope you're feeding them domestic roaches and crickets like the kind you buy at the pet store because wild insects can carry internal parasites and possibly diseases as well.
Otherwise a little protein boost can be a good thing. I had one who loooved crickets. I'd put him in a tank so he could find them amongst the bedding. Good mental stimulation! Feeding them cockroaches is like giving cookies to kids with a hard-core sweet tooth.
I have two male hairless rats. I know their mother, Wrinkles - she belongs to a friend of mine. However, my friend didn't know Wrinkles was already preggy when she got her. But, my lil boys are doing great. So far, no problems. I help anyone I can because I think the more people doing responsible work the better. It's better that then people starting out totally alone and learning along the way that leaves far too much room for really bad mistakes. I think that anyone who is considering breedng rats should find an already established breeder in their area.
The established breeder will mentor the new comer until the breeder thinks he is ready. Otherwise, the new comer may not know the ropes properly as to when to breed, how to, etc. Being mentored helps teach the tricks and tips to breeding rats. Health Problems. Freshwater Pets. Freshwater Aquariums. Saltwater Pets. Saltwater Aquariums. Exotic Pets. She may become more aggressive or less interested in playing. In rat society, a mother rat is usually dominant over all other rats, even if she is usually submissive.
However, when her job of child rearing is over, the mother will usually regain her former status and personality. It's worth noting that nursing mothers commonly have soft stools. The birth process normally takes about an hour or two. In general, the mother rat will deliver a new pup every 5 to 10 minutes with an average litter size is 6 to 13 pups. The first sign of labor is a bloody discharge from the vulva. Next, the contractions cause the mother to stretch out while her sides suck in, in a most amazing way.
Once the babies begin arriving, the mother will sit up and help deliver them with her hands and teeth. Then she will clean off the birth sac and lick the newborn. The mother will usually eat each placenta and the umbilical cord. During this process a healthy baby will wiggle and squeak, which inhibits its mother from eating it too.
However, if a baby is weak or dead, this inhibition may not occur. Most female rats are wonderful mothers, but there can be rare problems. If the mother is stressed, either because of pain from a long difficult birth, or from environmental disturbances such as unusual loud noises, she may kill and eat some healthy babies.
A poor diet may contribute to this problem. If this happens, you can remove the babies and give them back to the mom once she settles down. After the birth is completed and the mother settles down to nurse her litter, there is much less danger of her eating them. If you want to look at the babies, wait until the mother is off her nest and removed from the cage.
Some mothers will rush to defend their babies if they squeak when handled. Do not worry about putting your scent on the babies, as this will not cause the mother to reject them. However, if the mother seems very nervous, then you should look only and wait a day or two after the birth before handling the babies. It is a good idea to examine the babies every day to identify any problems or remove any that have died. Rarely, on the first day the umbilical cords may get entangled and you may have to separate them.
Birth in rats usually proceeds without need for assistance, but occasionally, and especially in first-time moms older than months, there can be problems. A Cesarean section may be possible if performed quickly enough. Once the birth process begins, the delivery of babies should begin within 2 hours. If it takes longer than that, there is definitely a problem. The rat's uterus is shaped like a Y and a baby can get stuck across the bottom of the Y.
Gently massaging the mother's abdomen may help to reposition the problem baby. Then the rest of the babies can usually be delivered normally or with the aid of oxytocin. If the mother survives the birth but has retained one or more unborn fetuses, she may be able to expel or reabsorb them.
In this case, your veterinarian may recommend treating her with antibiotics to prevent infection. If the mother dies and leaves surviving babies, or if the mother refuses to nurse them, the best chance for the babies is to foster them to another nursing mother.
At birth, the pups are born hairless, toothless, and with short limbs and tails. Hair begins to grow when they are 7 days old and their eyes generally open when they are 13 to 14 days old. Most mother rats know just what to do and take great care of their babies. Occasionally, a tiny runt may not be able to compete with their littermates for a nipple, especially in a large litter. It is easy to see if each baby has nursed by the white milk in their stomach, which is visible through their thin skin.
In this situation, the best solution is to temporarily separate some of the other babies into another container to give the runt a chance at the nipples. Leave about 4 to 5 babies with the runt to stimulate the mom to suckle them. If the runt is all by themself, the mom may not pay attention to them. As long as the other babies are kept warm, there is no harm in them being away from the mom for up to 4 hours.
Their container can be placed on a heating pad set on low or near a light bulb. Just be very careful not to let them get too hot. Rotating the groups of babies with the mom every 2 to 4 hours will give the runt the best chance.
Baby rats grow incredibly fast. Frequent handling will also help to stimulate and socialize the babies. When they are 2 weeks of age, you should play with the babies as much as possible. The more you handle them, the better socialized they will be. At this age they will also start to eat solid food.
They will either walk to the dish or their mom will carry food to the nest. In healthy rats, however, reproductive problems are uncommon. Also see professional content regarding rats as pets Mice and Rats as Pets Rats are more commonly kept as pets than mice. Both species are used extensively in research. Although a great deal of information has been accumulated on wild and laboratory rats and mice, From developing new therapies that treat and prevent disease to helping people in need, we are committed to improving health and well-being around the world.
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