(WRAL) The earliest documented evidence of domesticated rats originates from Japan and dates back to the Edo period (1603 to 1868). The tradition of keeping fancy rats may have originated in Japan, but pet rats have become more mainstream over the years.
The term fancy rat is used to refer to a rat that has been bred to be a pet as opposed to a wild rat. The standards for fancy rats are set by the American Fancy Rat & Mouse Association (AFRMA).
Rats can make excellent pets for the right family. Rats as pets face a lot of stigmas as they have been branded as vermin, but they make loving pets that can be trained just like any dog. Some rats can even be trained to execute highly complex tasks such as sniffing out land mines!
While there are a wide variety of domestic rats out there, they all stem from the brown rat (Rattus Norvegicus). That is why domestic rats have blunt noses, smaller ears and eyes, and a tail that is the same length as their body. While there is some variation due to genetic variance that resulted in the hairless rat, commonly, all pet rats share the same features.
Keep reading to find out more about the different types of pet rats and all the varieties that exist today.
The Standard Rat
The standard rat is as close to the wild brown rat as you can get. These rats eat a standard rat diet, and they don’t need any specific requirements.
To care for a standard rat, you need a cage that has floors made out of solid material, so no wire, to keep their feet and legs safe.
- The floor should not be made out of wood as it can absorb urine which can lead to lung problems; The top and sides of the cage can be made out of wire to improve airflow.
- For an adult pet rat, the cage should be at least 14″ by 12″ by 24″.
- You should stay away from pine or cedar shavings as they are toxic to rats.
Your rat needs a shelter or sleeping box in the cage. Litter and bedding need to be cleaned twice a week.
The temperature should remain below 90 degrees Fahrenheit to prevent heatstroke.
Standard rats eat laboratory pellets or lab blocks.
Include a water bottle that allows your rat to drink when needed, as water bowls can be spilled.
Your pet rat needs 0.16 to 0.19 oz of food per 3.22 oz of body weight. An average adult rat will eat 0.48 to 0.64 ounces of food each day.
These listed requirements are the minimum needed to care for a pet rat, so you can add more items as long as they are appropriate for rats to use.
Rats need love and affection in order to bond with their owner, so in the same way, you’d spend time with a new puppy, you need to spend time with your new pet rat.
The Rex Rat
The name of the rex rat comes from the rex mutation. The rex mutation is a genetic variation found in mammals that leaves them with soft curly fur.
The whiskers and eyelashes of rex rats also tend to have a curl and wooly feel to them. This is why rex rats are sometimes referred to as sheep rats. If a rex rat has two of the rex genes, its fur, eyelashes and whiskers are tightly curled
As rex rats age, their fur starts to thin out, which can result in some bald spots.
