[Spider]

Is it possible to have a "Mutt" Rat. All I see is a Hooded or a Berkshire, or a siamese. Can't a Rat be a Mutt like other animals or are the genes so different?
Spider
Personally I think all this breeding is a bunch of crap. Its too much like playing god, I think an wild(agouti) Rat the most beautiful.
I've heard some breeders kill the imperfect babies, this is crazy!
I'd like to see a rescue just for ugly Rats, deformed or otherwise visually unwantable creatures who through no fault of their own are in this mess.
It seems like every animal I've ever seen that was deemed too ugly too sell had the best personality, or was super kind, gentle, or some other quality.
I guess pet specifics are just an extension of type of society we have at the time, Mediocre.
Spider

 

[OnlyOno]

wow, i haven't heard of a breeder killing imperfect babies, but i suppose it's not too much of a stretch. how sad.

and as for mutt rats, i dunno. that's a hard question and i guess i've never thought about it. rats are classified according to coat, color, and ears (any maybe dwarf), and so i don't know if there are technically breeds. for example, my rat terrier has what you'd call "airplane ears", but that's not her breed, just a characteristic she has. i think that rat breeding might have to progress more before you can claim that you have distinct breeds, because you can still breed a himalayan to a berkshire and get agouti or whatnot, right? if you breed a basset hound with a rottweiler you get something that you can't really classify anymore.

 

[Rodere]

There are no specific breeds of rats, just varieties. Like the varieties of Schnauzers. There is a Giant, a Regular, and a Miniature. Some places, like the AKC (I think) won't recognize rat terriers because the breed has too many differences throughout it's animals. Some are large, some are small. The markings vary, as do the ear shapes, body types, etc.

With domestic rats there is no breed, just different types of ears, colors, body types, etc. Much the same as rat terriers I suppose.

And killing healthy pups because of one reason or another is called kulling. Reputable breeders do not kull any of their rats kittens. There is a higher incidence of that in show breeders, but not near as much in those who breed rats for pets.

 

[Forensic]

There aren't 'breeds' of rats. It's like having a dog (my dog's a Corgi, she'll be an example.) She's red. But her mother was tri-colored. Her father was red. The breeder's other dog was blue merle. One of the pups was a 'fluffy' (a disqualification for a show dog). But they're all corgis.

Agouti isn't necessarily a 'mutt'. It's just the color that many people find boring or too 'blah'.

If the breeders are killing perfectly healthy babies just because their color isn't the best for selling them, then they hardly deserve the title of 'breeder'. They just put rats together and sell them.

:evil:

 

[OnlyOno]

hey now, my little rat terrier is an akc-eligible dog! rat terriers originated in the 1800s from a mix of fox terriers, machester terriers, bull terriers, beagles, whippets, italian greyhounds, toy fox terriers, and other similar small hunting terrier breeds to bring out prey and pack drive, speed, and disposition, and consequently have differing colors and such. they've had 200 years to establish standards, and they have many categories of color and markings that are acceptable, and sizes can range from 10 to 19 inches tall. admittedly, a written standard was not made until 1999 or so, but they've been registered as rat terriers for longer than that, even though it didn't really mean anything until 1999. just thought i'd mention.

 

[LizLovesRats5]

Hey OnlyOno, does your rat terrier want to catch your rats? I've often wondered that about that particular breed of dog...

 

[Rodere]

It might be someone else, like the CKC, that doesn't recognize them. I'll have to check. Did you know the AKC doesn't guarantee that any dog who is 'registered' with them as a full bred dog is actually full bred? lol

 

[Spider]

Rat baiting used to be the big thrill in England. Get about 500 Rats from the Rat Catcher , put them in a 20 foot arena put in a terrier who begins catching and shaking Rats like rag dolls by the neck to kill. The most Rats killed by a terrier his owner was the winner. This was in the most civilized nation on earth, supposedly.
Sadly, Spider

 

[OnlyOno]

hey liz - actually no, i'm sure she has the instinct in her to do so, but she's kind of skittish and stupid, so she's generally more concerned with where her tennis ball is and what our other terrier is up to. the obsession with her tennis ball might be directed towards a rat if my rat went running across the floor in a neon yellow jacket, but i've never seen it (the jacket, or the instinct...). my other terrier mix though, mostly cairn, enjoyed tormenting my hamster until little toast died of old age, and is known to have caught birds out of mid-air, and killed and eaten several chipmunks. on that note, she is not allowed to play with my rats, as the sight of them gets her all hot and bothered.