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Pet Forum / Mammals / Rats / April 2004How to determine age
How can I determine the age of my newest rat. When I got him he had not dropped his testicles (that was on Saturday last), but within 24 hours after I introduced him to my current rat, Stewart, his testicles dropped. Stewart has been showing classic dominance over Caramel since this happened. He is also spending allot of time grooming Caramel. Is this normal behavior for rats when they first meet? I'm new at this so I am trying to learn as much as I can. Any help would be appreciated. Cheryl  SignatureDon't breed or buy while shelter dogs die. Adopt a stray and save a life. > Stewart has been showing classic dominance over Caramel since this happened. > He is also spending allot of time grooming Caramel. Is this normal behavior > for rats when they first meet? From what I've seen, they either fight for dominance (usually doesn't last long unless they are evenly matched) or they move to the next phase which is "Ok, he is in charge, so I'll let him do whatever the hell he wants to me." I always took that as a sign that they were bonding. I should also note that I have seen less dominant males groom the dominant males regularly, so maybe it is more of a "bonding" thing. I gave up trying to understand them when I realized they were smarter than me ;) SignatureSuper Mike "Mi asno querría un enano y un yate, por favor." [My donkey would like a midget and a yacht, please.] How delightful that one is grooming the other. This is all normal and its just Stewart asserting himself and Boss..:)) Hope all is well with your new additions to your family. Regards Kate Signaturehttp://community.webshots.com/user/ollieogg > How can I determine the age of my newest rat. When I got him he had not > dropped his testicles (that was on Saturday last), but within 24 hours after [quoted text clipped - 8 lines] > > Cheryl > How can I determine the age of my newest rat. If he still has a full coat of fluffy baby hair, he's almost certainly under 5 weeks old. The baby coat starts to be lost at around 4-5 weeks, starting on the tummy, working its way up the sides (can look like a horizontal tide-mark where the new shinier fur is growing in!) and finally finishes on the top of the head and the base of the tail at about 6-7 weeks. Any rat with a full coat of shiny sleek fur is likely to be over 7 weeks. (With the possible exception of stunted babies from badly nourished litters, who may be a little slower to moult). Another guide is that the tail on a baby aged 4 weeks seems shorter in proportion to an older rat, and they have a "mouse" like look. Other than that it's not easy to guesstimate age, although a baby rat nearer 3-4 months may have longer nails than one under, say, 8 weeks. Sue ---------------------------- pendragon fancy rats & rare breed rabbits Portsmouth, England, UK www.pendragonrats.co.uk > > How can I determine the age of my newest rat. > [quoted text clipped - 21 lines] > Portsmouth, England, UK > www.pendragonrats.co.uk Caramel still is the fluffy baby. His fur has not started to change yet, but his tummy fur is beginning to get sleeker. So I figure he is around 5 weeks from what you describe. Stewart was the same size and had the same type coat when we got him 2 and a half weeks ago, so this doesn't make him that much older than Caramel. How big will my boys get? I just want to make sure the cage I have is going to be big enough for them. I can't afford a new one right away but I am one of those people that hate to see animals cooped up in cages that are too small and that are never let out to play. Both of them are with me most of the day, but I will be starting back to work soon so they will be spending much more time in the cage and I just want them to feel comfortable and be happy ratties. Cheryl > How big will my boys get? I just want to make sure the cage I have is going > to be big enough for them. Well, that can vary, but bucks generally are fairly big rats. They grow quite fast too - I have a young lad aged 15 weeks, who weighs 15 ounces (423g), and another aged about 11 weeks who tips the scales at 14 ounces (397g). Both of these are from breeding lines which produce big-boned, heavy boys, though - so yours may not grow so large so quickly. Fully grown, most boys fall between 1 pound to 1 pound 9 ounces (450 - 700g), although some can weigh as much as 2 pounds/900g!. One of my older boys, who will be a year old in June, weighs 1 pound 4 ounces (567g), which is fairly average. If you want a guide to how big a cage to get, consult the Cage Calculator here: http://www.fancy-rats.co.uk/information/habitat/cagecalculator/index.php Bear in mind that adult bucks, although larger, are far less energetic and active than girls! Sue & the Pendragons ---------------------------- pendragon fancy rats & rare breed rabbits Portsmouth, England, UK www.pendragonrats.co.uk |
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