White rat: “guinea pig” or pet?

Description of the animal

White rats are considered one of the most popular pets. Back in the 18th century, they seriously interested the Chinese, and they began to gradually tame them. Later, the rodents came to America and were crossed with albino rats. These animals have recessive genes and a unique set of chromosomes. Therefore, it is almost impossible to obtain them at home.

Nowadays, albino rats are actively bred in laboratories and are used for scientific research in the fields of toxicology, genetics, virology, micro- and radiobiology.

Appearance

The white rat is medium in size. The weight of an adult male is 400-650 g. Females are smaller in size and weigh between 300-450 g.

Externally, albino rats can be easily distinguished by the following characteristics:

• the muzzle is elongated, slightly pointed;
• the body is stocky, oval;
• eyes and ears are small;
• the tail is long, almost naked, covered with ring scales and sparse hairs;
• The molars grow in dense rows; between them and the elongated incisors there are free areas - diastemas.

On a note. An albino rat has a transparent eye white, riddled with many blood vessels. Therefore, it appears that her eyes are colored red. Occasionally, a defective albino with grayish fur and dark, beady eyes may be born.

Character and habits

White pet rats are funny animals that are very interesting to watch. They quickly get used to different conditions and easily adapt to the rhythm of life of their owners. Newly purchased young albinos can initially sleep during the day and be active at night. But after a few days, rodents develop new habits and adapt to the changed schedule.

Smart and curious albinos do not need constant walks. But in warm weather they will be happy to be outside (the pet is placed on the owner’s shoulder). Although white rats are not particularly timid, in an unfamiliar environment they will prefer to hide under the collar or in the owner’s pocket.

Contact albinos need constant communication with people and their own kind. White rats love to be petted and do not tolerate mistreatment. With a lack of attention, rodents can become fearful and angry.

Health and life expectancy

Decorative white rats with red eyes are characterized by poor health and live on average about 1.5 years. But with favorable conditions and proper care, this figure can increase to 3-3.5 years. Rodents that are bred in laboratories live up to 4 years.

A white rat with red eyes is prone to the following diseases:

• mycoplasma infection;
• suppuration and dermatological problems;
• allergies;
• problems with teeth due to their accelerated growth.

On a note. Due to the lack of camouflage, white rats are very vulnerable to predators and are unable to survive in their natural environment. Therefore, inevitable death awaits albinos who find themselves in the wild.

Prices for decorative rats from different sellers

The price of an animal depends on several factors, in particular the breed and where it is bought.

Where is the best place to buy a pet?

Buying from the market or from a private rat breeder is a good option if funds are limited and pedigree does not play a big role. But there is a risk that you will be unlucky and find out that:

• the purchased animal is an ordinary wild rat or a cross with domestic animals;
• or vaccinations, despite the seller’s assurances, were not delivered;
• or the conditions of keeping the animal were poor, as a result of which it was weakened;
• age and gender do not correspond to those stated, which is also not uncommon when making such transactions;
• or the animal is sick and needs urgent treatment.

If you are not a great connoisseur, do not take unnecessary risks. At best, you will be disappointed, and at worst, you will end up with a sick animal that you will have to tinker with, even if its disease is not dangerous to humans.

A rat in a pet store costs a little more, because they offer animals that have undergone a veterinary examination and even vaccinated. But the purity of the breed cannot be guaranteed, since the suppliers are often private rat breeders.

A specialized nursery provides a guarantee of quality. The breed is confirmed by a pedigree - a document containing information about several generations of ancestors. Animals with rare characteristics and colors are especially expensive. But the purchased animal is healthy and meets the breed standard.

Pros and cons of pet albino rats

The white domestic rat has managed to gain the status of one of the most popular pets. But, like any other rodent, an albino has its advantages and disadvantages.

Domestic decorative rats: gender differences in appearance

Male and female house rats are equally cute and fluffy, but differ slightly in appearance. The main indicators are size, body shape and coat properties. Gender differences in appearance are described below.

Male rats by :

• Larger size and weight
• Quite hard, dense wool
• Pear-shaped body structure

The distinctive features of a girl rat are:

• Smaller body size compared to males
• Elongated torso
• Silky, smooth and shiny fur

In addition to appearance, an important criterion for owners is the smell. Males smell stronger, mainly due to their habit of marking territory. However, with good care you can reduce it to a minimum.

Care and maintenance

White rats are unpretentious rodents; they quickly adapt to any conditions. Albinos do not require special care, and the key to their health lies in proper feeding, a clean, spacious home and maintaining basic hygiene.

Cage and filler

A spacious cage made of durable materials, the minimum dimensions of which are 40 x 50 x 60 cm, is suitable as a house for your pet. The more spacious the home, the more comfortable the white rat feels. It is best to purchase a cage with a metal roof, a deep plastic tray and closely spaced bars.

Inside it, it is recommended for an albino to install a wooden house for sleeping, a plastic drinking bowl and a metal or earthenware feeder. Additionally, the rodent cage can be equipped with a hammock, ropes and ladders.

When choosing toys for an albino, you need to take into account its main anatomical feature - a long tail. It prevents the rodent from exercising and is easily injured. Therefore, the white rat does not need a running wheel and walking balls.

When choosing a litter, you should give preference to corn, since it does not cause allergies in rodents and absorbs odors well. It is advisable to change it at least once every 4 days.

Every week, the albino cage must be thoroughly cleaned using detergents. After cleaning is completed, it is recommended to scald the animal’s house with boiling water and dry it completely.

Important! If a white rat is kept in an insufficiently clean cage, its fur begins to fall out, tearing increases and red dots appear on the skin.

Hygiene

To make a decorative rodent look neat, it is provided with proper care:

1. If the animal is unable to sharpen its claws on its own, they can be carefully shortened with nail clippers or a nail clipper. Otherwise, they will begin to bend and injure the skin on the rodent's paw pads.
2. White rats are unable to clean their ears on their own, so dirt accumulates in them. The albino ears are wiped weekly with a cotton pad soaked in a special ethanol-free product.
3. The rodent's white fur is regularly brushed with a soft-bristled toothbrush.
4. The albino's light coat does not require frequent bathing. A white rat should be washed no more than several times a year. To do this, the rodent is placed in a basin with warm water, gently moistened, treated with foamy shampoo and rinsed. The wet rat is thoroughly dried with a towel and only then released.

On a note. The appearance of yellowness on the snow-white fur of an albino may be a consequence of some disease or excessive exposure to sunlight.

Taming

The white rat is a very smart and sociable animal that is easy to train. To make the rodent more tame, it is often taken out of the cage and treated with a treat. After establishing close contact, the albino can be taught to respond to his own nickname and perform simple tricks.

What is the price

The cost depends on several points. Firstly, the breed of the animal, there are very rare rodents, and accordingly their cost will be higher. Secondly, the place of purchase, from private individuals, as a rule, the most affordable prices, the highest are in nurseries where professional breeders breed rats. Thirdly, the city, as a rule, in large cities and in the capital, prices are much higher.

Further in the table you can see the approximate prices for rats.

You need to understand that in addition to the cost of the animal itself, you will need to purchase a cage and equipment. In addition, the rodent must be vaccinated and care costs will be required.

Features of feeding

White rats love to eat tasty and satisfying food. The animals have no sense of proportion, so they are prone to overeating, which entails many unpleasant consequences. In order for rodents to stay healthy longer, they need a nutritious diet.

The main food of white rats is cereals. They can be given in the form of specialized feeds, bread crusts, pasta or porridges cooked without adding oil. Another important component of the rat menu is vegetables and fruits.

Find out in detail - “What to feed a white rat at home.”

Contrary to popular belief, albinos do not need large amounts of protein foods. To maintain balance, it is enough to feed them a piece of hard cheese or boiled meat once a week.

All food must be fresh and warm. Due to their sensitive digestive system, albinos should not be given food that has just been taken out of the refrigerator.

Important! White rats can live without food for no more than 2 days. Therefore, hunger strikes are strictly contraindicated for them.

In addition to a feeder with fresh food, the cage of white rats should have a drinking bowl with clean water and a mineral stone for grinding down teeth.

Nutrition

Rats eat almost everything, but the wrong food leads to diseases and allergies. Pets are especially susceptible to eating disorders.

A balanced diet includes:

• dry food, including millet, barley, oats, flax seeds, pumpkin;
• chicken, fish meat;
• dairy products: kefir, cottage cheese;
• greens in the form of dandelion leaves, parsley, dill;
• fruits: pear, banana (except unripe ones), plum.

Treating yourself to nuts will help grind your teeth. Sometimes animals can be pampered with dried fruits. Undesirable foods in the diet are:

• beet;
• cucumber;
• turnip;
• cheese (especially blue cheese);
• eggs;
• sour cream.

Breeding

The female white rat is capable of reproducing offspring from 3-4 months. The albino male matures a little later. A rodent's pregnancy lasts about 20-26 days, after which 4-10 rat pups are born.

Babies are born blind and deaf, and their weight does not exceed 6 g. Rats develop quickly and at 14 days they already begin to try adult food, and by the age of a month they become completely independent.

White rats are amazing animals, whose character and lifestyle make it easy to adapt to different conditions and give them the right to be called one of the most popular pets. Unpretentious and omnivorous rodents are highly trainable, and even a child can handle caring for albinos without any problems.

Final cost table depending on the place of purchase

To make it easier to determine the price of a rat depending on the place of purchase and breed, you can use a special table:

It is worth noting that the table shows only approximate prices for rats of various breeds. Prices for fluffies may vary slightly at different retail outlets.

How to determine the sex of a baby rat?

Determining the sex of a baby rat
Males and female domestic rats are distinguished, like all animals, by gender. How to determine the sex of a baby rat?

• To do this, you need to hold the rat in your palm with its tail down, carefully holding its head. You can carefully turn the animal onto its back.
• Signs of a male are testicles under the tail, absence of nipples and a significant ( about 6 mm ) distance from the anus to the urethra .
• Females , accordingly, have a double row of mammary glands on the abdomen, no testicles, and the distance from the urethra to the anus is smaller - about 3 mm .

Important : Do not hold a rat by the tail under any circumstances - this is a lot of stress for the animal. Carry out the inspection carefully and carefully.

Selecting the breed

It is worth saying that the choice of breeds is really large; the animals differ in body size, color, character and behavior. Next, we will look at each separately, which will allow you to make the right choice.

Read also: Certificate of Conformity TR CU

White

It should be noted right away that such a breed does not exist in nature. But there are white individuals who are called albinos. The animal gets this color as a result of a genetic failure. Albinos can appear in absolutely every breed.

If we talk about natural conditions, you will not find adult animals with this color in the wild. The fact is that when albinos are born, they are eaten by their own relatives. But they are popular among breeders; these cute rodents have a snow-white coat and beautiful ruby ​​eyes.

It is also worth saying a few words about rodents that have a coat of green, blue, pink and other shades. There are no rats with this color. If you see such animals for sale, know that these are the work of scammers.

They add a special substance to animal food, which is a coloring pigment. When this substance is consumed, the animal's fur changes color. After stopping feeding, the color returns to normal, but such a diet will not leave its mark on health.

Who to choose: female or male?

Females look more aesthetically attractive, since males have huge testes and this may seem strange to many. However, the character of males is much calmer, so a novice rat breeder should choose a male. Females are more playful. You can have several rats at once, but it is advisable that they be of the same sex, otherwise they may begin to multiply intensively within a month. It is worth remembering that the male can even kill the offspring.

Watching rats is very funny. These funny animals sleep sweetly and quickly work with their paws, similar to human hands. A rat can be taught to fetch things, walk on its hind legs, spin around itself, and much more. A rat can cheer you up and become a friend, no worse than a dog. These animals feel the mood of the owner and what they become depends directly on the owner, therefore, when getting a rat, be prepared not only to win its trust, but also to devote enough time to it. At least 2 hours a day.

It can be gigantic

An ordinary person understands a rat as the most common species on the planet - the Norwegian, or gray (Pasyuka), and its domesticated relative, which is bred in homes.

There are legends that these creatures grow almost to the size of a cat. This is not true - pasyuki do not grow. The largest of them rarely reach 50 centimeters including the tail and gain 450 grams.

But... In nature, there is not only this type of rat. In New Guinea, during the filming of a BBC nature film in 2009, a completely new species was discovered in the crater of the Bosavi volcano.

It was named the Bosavi woolly rat. This miracle of nature reaches 82 centimeters (including the tail). This “rat” weighs about 1.4 kg. And she is not at all afraid of a person whom she has never seen during her volcanic life.

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