I have 3 rats with hair and am thinking of getting a hairless but i am hearing that a hairless must be housed seperate...is this true?? Whats the difference between owning a hairless rat in comparison to a fancy rat??
2007-12-30 05:39:58 · 5 answers · asked by Thia 3 in Pets ➔ Rodents
No you can absolutely house hairless rats with fancy rats.
In fact it's reccomended as they will cuddle together and keep the hairless rats warmer.
Hairless rats need a diet slightly higer in fat, as they have a faster metabolism. Supplimenting with a good quality dog food will provide the extra calories needed.
Hairless rats have several genetic issues, including difficulty lactating, or higher rate of cannibalism amoung hairless mothers.
Hairless rats tend to need special care for their skin wich they tend to scratch up with their own claws, and their cage mates claws.
You will have to apply lotion to their skin to keep it moisterized.
Hairless rats require a little extra work to keep, but make just as good pets as furred cage mates.
Good luck!
Teej
http://tjratties.netfirms.com
2007-12-30 05:53:20 · answer #1 · answered by Teej 3 · 3⤊ 0⤋
No it is not true. You should always have at least one furred rat with a hairless to keep them warm. A fancy rat is any rat that is not a wild rat. It comes from people having a "fancy" for rats. It's like another term for pet. Hairless rats need to be bathed more often than a furred rat because they don't have fur to keep the dirt and bedding from irritating their skin. They are prone to skin problems such as dry skin and subcutaneous cysts and other things like that. I would use a fabric bedding for them because paper and wood beddings tend to irritate their skin. Keep a vet that knows rats fairly well on hand so that if you have any problems with your hairless you can consult them.
2007-12-30 16:46:47 · answer #2 · answered by MommyCaleb 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Our hairless rat shares a large cage with her 2 furry gal-pals. The hairless is a bit smaller than her friends, but she's definately the alpha rat.
Since hairless rats don't have the protection of a fur coat, they're much more vulnerable to scratches, skin irritations & cold. Their eyes are also more vulnerable than those of furry rats.
2007-12-30 15:20:42 · answer #3 · answered by Catkin 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
No big differences, really. Just feed them food with slightly higher fat and protein than the rest of your rats. For example, you could give your hairless rat a piece of cooked chicken, and the rest of your rats some rice, or something like that.
Just be sure that they are warm enough in winter. Put a hot water bottle beside one end of their cage, (not in the cage though, because they might burn themselves!) and give them scraps of fleece and other cloth for them to make a bed with.
2007-12-31 00:49:29 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
a fancy rat has a fancy apetite. they only eat name brand products. a hairless rat don't give a rat's *** and you can feed it anything you'd like.
2007-12-30 13:48:03 · answer #5 · answered by Big Carp 4 · 0⤊ 5⤋