Temperment Facts
Rats are bold animals and enjoys the company of other rats. However rats are territorial and will fight if over-crowded. They are a social species and should be housed with at least one other rat in a suitably sized cage. It is ideal to own a pair of same-sex rats if just stating out as they are more likely to get along. On occasions, males may become aggressive, particularly after reaching maturity at three months. This problem is best avoided if the buck is purchased from a responsible breeder who selects for a placid temperament such as myself i always make sure that i breed from the best tempermented Rats , unlike from the pet shop where temperament is often not considered. Rats are VERY intelligent and with gentle positive reinforcement are trainable.
Health and lifespan
Health and lifespan having descended from laboratory rats bred specifically for medical research, pet rats are unfortunately susceptible to a range of health problems. Mammary tumours are not uncommon amongst the does, and many rats can suffer from respiratory diseases, particularly Mycoplasma Pulmonis, with its likelihood increasing if the rat is kept in poor conditions. Many of these conditions is heritable and it is upon Breeders to select the healthiest possible lines to breed. Rats don't require any vaccinations Rats have an average lifespan of about 2 to 3 years but with good breeding and care some rats live up to even 5 years..
Maintenance:
Rats don't smell and are in fact clean animals. It is however important to thoroughly clean their cage regularly. This will protect their health, your health and minimise odour from droppings. Bedding should be changed at lest three times a week. (fresh water daily) Claws can be kept blunt by placing a brick in front of the water container Running over the brick will ware the claws down. or using a small animal clipper but its more you getting cliped them there nails.
Breeding and cost:Rats can reach sexual maturity from as early as five to six weeks and are very easy to breed. The best breeding period is between 6 and 12months. Average litter size is quite large, between 6 and 24 pups and pregnancy will only last 21-23 days. It is best to take the males out of the cage once the female has delivered her pups as they are very quick to breed again. Despite common belief, males do not eat their young. The young are born hairless, with eyes and ears closed and can be handled, however the mother may be a bit nippy on occasions. Females and males are easily identified and if you are buying a doe from a pet shop, assume that she is pregnant as every pet shop i have come across leave males and females together. Young doe's who give birth at a young age can and in most cases do have trouble in labour and even die due to there bodies cannot withstand labour at such a young age, Most does reject there offspring when breed young.
Health and lifespan
Health and lifespan having descended from laboratory rats bred specifically for medical research, pet rats are unfortunately susceptible to a range of health problems. Mammary tumours are not uncommon amongst the does, and many rats can suffer from respiratory diseases, particularly Mycoplasma Pulmonis, with its likelihood increasing if the rat is kept in poor conditions. Many of these conditions is heritable and it is upon Breeders to select the healthiest possible lines to breed. Rats don't require any vaccinations Rats have an average lifespan of about 2 to 3 years but with good breeding and care some rats live up to even 5 years..
Maintenance:
Rats don't smell and are in fact clean animals. It is however important to thoroughly clean their cage regularly. This will protect their health, your health and minimise odour from droppings. Bedding should be changed at lest three times a week. (fresh water daily) Claws can be kept blunt by placing a brick in front of the water container Running over the brick will ware the claws down. or using a small animal clipper but its more you getting cliped them there nails.
Breeding and cost:Rats can reach sexual maturity from as early as five to six weeks and are very easy to breed. The best breeding period is between 6 and 12months. Average litter size is quite large, between 6 and 24 pups and pregnancy will only last 21-23 days. It is best to take the males out of the cage once the female has delivered her pups as they are very quick to breed again. Despite common belief, males do not eat their young. The young are born hairless, with eyes and ears closed and can be handled, however the mother may be a bit nippy on occasions. Females and males are easily identified and if you are buying a doe from a pet shop, assume that she is pregnant as every pet shop i have come across leave males and females together. Young doe's who give birth at a young age can and in most cases do have trouble in labour and even die due to there bodies cannot withstand labour at such a young age, Most does reject there offspring when breed young.
Raise planned or unexpected litter of pups
A female rat is called a doe, if pregnant is will have her litter of anywhere beween 6 to 24 pups, but smaller litters are more comment then bigger one although my doe sandy she had for her second litter 18 pups and all were extreamly strong, not all bubs even if they come from healthy parents will always make it, some pups can die without a known reason, such as still borns or undeveloped pups, A mother while being preganant should be fed on a high calorie die and high in protine not exessive but more then normal so that the it sustains her body for birth and to ensure her pup get all they need to grow big and strong(good quilty dog dry food,meat,chicken eggs scrambled with butter is some great ways to keep her and the bubs healthy, i also give my does vitiins and alot of vegies and fruit. A doe should be houses indoors with her pups, its ok to keep her with her female friends but if she becomes agressive or protective with her food i suggest you move her to a birthing cage, a doe should always be given things to nest with such as newpaper,fleece,breeders choice cat litter,tissues,old tops , nothing stringy as is can choke the pups, also carefree bedding is nice a soft for the babies, A exepcting mother will franticly make nests to perpare for birth, she will give bith to her pup within 21 to 23 days after mating, mating can take up to 30 seconds to a few hours if she is in heat, (Mother always be houses alone just before there give birth around the 21 to 23 day and left sperated with her babies untill they are 5 weeks old, always make sure the mother has her own cage to give birth and raise her pups)
When your doe has her litter be sure to leave her in a dark room alone and only check her once a while, if she is exessivly bleeding this can be a sign of big trouble, although all does loose some amount of blood this is normale, but if she is crying out and stops giving birth for more then an hour see a vet ASAP, after she has had her litter it is ok to let her out and to check the babies and see how many they are and if everyone is ok, A mother will never eat her young if you touch them, it is a common story, some mother although do eat there young if they feel in danger of losing all there pup or if one or two are ill and she wants to make room for the rest, A young mother can reject her offspring due to stress and very young age or illness in herself,
Dvelopment
Pups start to show signs of there colours almost straight away, if there dark they will have a black or dark shadow around there eyes at a day old, this shows that they can be mink,black or even agouti brown, pups start to show pattens within a few days old and markings can be seen, sexing the bubs is not very hard, females have a smaller genatal area then males ,females genatals are lower down to there back side, males even as they grow will show there male genatals ,they starts showing quicker for example a males area will show more like a lil fat dot or tiny ball and is more swollen then the females, female also start to show nipples at around 5 to 7 days time. Pups will breast feed untill there around 4 weeks old and mothers will slowly wean them when they feel its right, Pups open there eyes at 2 weeks old and start nibbling at there mothers food at 2 weeks old once they have opened there eyes, at this time they love to explore everything and run and playfight, One thing i must stress is that you seprate the boys and girls at the exact 5 week dead line, rats sexualy mature at 5 weeks old and can breed, males will breed with there sister and mother, so seprating them is to ensure no more pups, Pups can be rehomed at 6 weeks old. By 5 weeks they can eat,drink and live on there own,(own sex groups) rats always need a same sex pair for company if not they can become very depressed agressive and lonly. ( baby rats can be called kittens.rattlets.or pups) If iv misses anything or you have more questions about rats or babies feel free to contact me and ask away!!!
When your doe has her litter be sure to leave her in a dark room alone and only check her once a while, if she is exessivly bleeding this can be a sign of big trouble, although all does loose some amount of blood this is normale, but if she is crying out and stops giving birth for more then an hour see a vet ASAP, after she has had her litter it is ok to let her out and to check the babies and see how many they are and if everyone is ok, A mother will never eat her young if you touch them, it is a common story, some mother although do eat there young if they feel in danger of losing all there pup or if one or two are ill and she wants to make room for the rest, A young mother can reject her offspring due to stress and very young age or illness in herself,
Dvelopment
Pups start to show signs of there colours almost straight away, if there dark they will have a black or dark shadow around there eyes at a day old, this shows that they can be mink,black or even agouti brown, pups start to show pattens within a few days old and markings can be seen, sexing the bubs is not very hard, females have a smaller genatal area then males ,females genatals are lower down to there back side, males even as they grow will show there male genatals ,they starts showing quicker for example a males area will show more like a lil fat dot or tiny ball and is more swollen then the females, female also start to show nipples at around 5 to 7 days time. Pups will breast feed untill there around 4 weeks old and mothers will slowly wean them when they feel its right, Pups open there eyes at 2 weeks old and start nibbling at there mothers food at 2 weeks old once they have opened there eyes, at this time they love to explore everything and run and playfight, One thing i must stress is that you seprate the boys and girls at the exact 5 week dead line, rats sexualy mature at 5 weeks old and can breed, males will breed with there sister and mother, so seprating them is to ensure no more pups, Pups can be rehomed at 6 weeks old. By 5 weeks they can eat,drink and live on there own,(own sex groups) rats always need a same sex pair for company if not they can become very depressed agressive and lonly. ( baby rats can be called kittens.rattlets.or pups) If iv misses anything or you have more questions about rats or babies feel free to contact me and ask away!!!
