Rat.. health.
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Depends. Pet Store rats are much more susceptible to diseases. All rats have sensitive lungs. And, by virtue of their life spans, they turn into old ratties after two years or so.
Getting a breeder's rat may be a good way to avoid some illness, but nothing's perfect. :?
Then, if you're looking for a pet that never gets sick, may I suggest the fabulous Pet Rock?
Getting a breeder's rat may be a good way to avoid some illness, but nothing's perfect. :?
Then, if you're looking for a pet that never gets sick, may I suggest the fabulous Pet Rock?
Mine have gotten sick a lot... but then again they were ex feeders brought up in horrible conditions or bred poorly. Getting a rat from a breeder that breeds for health and temperment first is a good idea. It will help avoid such issues.
Compaired to other animals, it seems rats are more prone to sickness. Might be their short life spans that does it. Saving up a couple of hundred for a vet fund before you get the pet, and adding to it every week after is probably a good idea.
Compaired to other animals, it seems rats are more prone to sickness. Might be their short life spans that does it. Saving up a couple of hundred for a vet fund before you get the pet, and adding to it every week after is probably a good idea.
Our eldest rat is 18 months old and has not been sick, yet *touches wood*.
There are a lot of factors that make up how well your rat is - bad breeding, poor husbandry, just plain bad luck... If you keep your rats happy, clean and feed them a healthy diet, you can certainly help reduce the chances of your ratlets getting sick.
There are a lot of factors that make up how well your rat is - bad breeding, poor husbandry, just plain bad luck... If you keep your rats happy, clean and feed them a healthy diet, you can certainly help reduce the chances of your ratlets getting sick.
a lot of "pet fancy" magazines are only published quarterly or otherwise rarely, etc, and they know that you're probably going to buy *one* and stick with it for the life of your ratties (example: the two books on hamsters that my dad has had since the 1970s, lol), so the mags usually will put in an article on all the major sicknesses of that animal or breed, and then a few on shows or competitions, and then a few articles on "oh look how cute they can be!".
and besides, all animals have *a lot* of possible sicknesses, and very few end up with many of them at all. most rats aren't going to be sickly their whole lives, or if they are, they don't usually get *everything* that a rat is prone to getting (like you'll have a tumor-factory for a rat, but probably not a tumor-factory that also has bad lungs and skin, etc.), but for educational purposes they have to mention all of the potentials. i would try to adopt from a breeder as all breeders breed with the ultimate goal of health and temperment in mind, to greatly reduce the chances of getting a sickly rat.
and besides, all animals have *a lot* of possible sicknesses, and very few end up with many of them at all. most rats aren't going to be sickly their whole lives, or if they are, they don't usually get *everything* that a rat is prone to getting (like you'll have a tumor-factory for a rat, but probably not a tumor-factory that also has bad lungs and skin, etc.), but for educational purposes they have to mention all of the potentials. i would try to adopt from a breeder as all breeders breed with the ultimate goal of health and temperment in mind, to greatly reduce the chances of getting a sickly rat.
My first rat was from a local animal shelter, she was alone as her sister had died. They told me she was 18 months old when i bought her home. She died about a month ago and i had had her for just short of 2 yrs. She had the same old chesty problems but i kept ontop of it and gave her a varied diet. that too me was a rip old age for a rat. i now have 2 lovely dumbo girls, they both arrived home with the sneezes etc. Shop treated them for a while but I wanted them home so now im giving them good old Batryl and they are doing brilliantly. it's well worth it! and amusing when you miss with the syringe in their mouth and end up giving them a sticky mohican. :lol:
Thanks guys.
I'm pretty sure we're buying from breeders for these rats. The reason I'm kinda asking is because I had a really traumatic experience with a cat less then a year ago. She had a horrible sickness that made her belly bloat (it was her stomach filling with liquid) and we did all we could to save her.
I'm pretty sure we're buying from breeders for these rats. The reason I'm kinda asking is because I had a really traumatic experience with a cat less then a year ago. She had a horrible sickness that made her belly bloat (it was her stomach filling with liquid) and we did all we could to save her.
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