IDENTIFYING HEALTHY RATS
This page is mainly to help identify healthy baby rats, and ultimately, avoiding buying from unethical breeders.
Theres a lot of things to consider and a lot of things to observe when looking at different breeders. Some things are more obvious than others. On this page, we will walk through some telltale signs that a breeder may not be all that great, and also some misconceptions. Some sections are general appearance of breeders based on images they share. Other information is for you to help you identify unhealthy rats in person. Always look over the rats you are getting to make sure they are going home healthy.
Theres a lot of things to consider and a lot of things to observe when looking at different breeders. Some things are more obvious than others. On this page, we will walk through some telltale signs that a breeder may not be all that great, and also some misconceptions. Some sections are general appearance of breeders based on images they share. Other information is for you to help you identify unhealthy rats in person. Always look over the rats you are getting to make sure they are going home healthy.
SCRAWNY BABIES & FAILURE TO THRIVE
Signs of poor quality can be seen quite early on, as young as a week old. Healthy baby rats should be plump and clean. Scrawny babies with visible bony structures protruding outward, with sunken in faces are a sign that something may be off. Breeders who leave very large litters on mama, mamas who are in poor condition, poor quality food and not selecting for quality litters can all lead to scrawny babies. Occasionally, this can happen even with ethical breeders who select for health and quantity. A mama not holding condition can happen to the best of us, and in these instances, babies should be fostered off when possible and mama retired. New lines can begin with poor quality babies as well. Occasional litters isn't always concerning, but take note if it is over half of the litters the breeder has. An important aspect to breeding is selecting for healthy rats, and that starts young! On the right, youll see a comparison of healthy and unhealthy babies. Look at photos. If more than half the babies produced are small and sickly, then there may be a quality issue and you should take note. |
Examples of clean, healthy, nourished babies. They dont necessarily need to be fat, but there is a clear difference between healthy and unhealthy babies.
Examples of unhealthy babies. Notice their lackluster appearance, bony, scrawny, oily look. These are all public photos from various platforms.
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This leads us into Failure to Thrive babies, or FTT. Failure to thrive is a condition where the baby is incapable of properly absorbing nutrients, which leads to malnourishment. This condition can be due to many factors, not all of which are identifiable, but often is a lifelong condition which typically leads to stunted growth and a shortened lifespan. Because there are so many possible causes of FTT, getting them in a litter is NOT indicative of a good or bad breeder. The separation of good an bad breeders are what they choose to do with them...
Failure to thrive are NOT runts. Its important to understand the differences between FTT. Runts are simply smaller. They reach milestones right along with their siblings and eventually grow into normal adults. Failure to thrive babies do not reach milestones the same. When their siblings are getting fur, a FTT baby will still be bald. And when the fur does come in, it may be thin and patchy. When their siblings are out and about and exploring, a FTT baby will be nest-bound. Where their siblings will be opening their eyes at 2 weeks, a FTT baby may not open their eyes until 2.5 or 3 weeks... A FTT baby falls behind in development. They are small and sickly. Runts can go on to live good lives, but their failure to thrive siblings will always be malnourished and stunted due to the inability to absorb the nutrients they need to be healthy. For FTT babies, the best option is euthanasia as to not prolong their suffering. Unfortunately, Ive often seen people selling failure to thrive babies as runts, or worse yet, "dwarf." Dont be fooled, and dont feed into anyones insistence that a FTT baby is healthy or pet quality. Anyone incapable of identifying FTT babies should not be selling pet rats, and anyone capable of identifying, but choose to home them out anyways, is even worse. |
CLEANLINESS & CAGING
Look at the conditions in the photos shared. This is always a key point for me. If someone is publicly posting pictures of filthy cages, it says a lot about what they consider normal or acceptable. Often, they will include something like "ignore the messy cage, its cleaning day" or "its not as bad as it looks." Dont be fooled by excuses when theyre accompanied by photos of cages that are absolutely disgusting. At this point, it doesnt matter that cleaning day is tomorrow when conditions show cleaning day should have been 6 days ago. When babies are raised in filth, it lowers their immune system and can cause issues like upper respiratory infections and even septic arthritis. If someone is willing to publicly display these sorts of photos, what arent they showing? Left is an assortment of publicly posted photos that I have gathered as examples. Youll notice that they include various housing. Bin cages, wire cages, tanks, racks... none are exempt. Poor husbandry is poor husbandry and caging is not always indicative of a good breeder. Bin cages can be successfully used as caging. Wire cages can be great cages. Racks can be good caging. Even tanks can be used with proper precaution and religious cleaning. Breeders and pet owners need to provide good husbandry always, and do not allow your cages to become filthy, especially if there are babies involved. |
LICE & MITES
Lice and Mites are a common issue in rats. Most rat owners will deal with this issue at least once over the span of their rat ownership. It can also happen in ratteries and is not necessarily indication of a poor breeder, but infestations that remain untreated are not good signs. Lice and mites can come from several sources. Wild rodents can transfer them to domestic rodents if they are in your home. You can also get them from bedding. Treating is fairly simple (and can be found on my medication guide) and should be done as soon as an infestation is noticed. Rats should be checked over periodically for scabbing around the neck and shoulders, which is indication of mites (they are not visible to the eye), as well as lice, which are visible, but often are identified by their eggs, which they lay on the fur. |
PORPHYRIN & OTHER SIGNS OF ILLNESS
Porphyrin is another sign that the rats may not be healthy. Porphyrin is red discharge that may look like blood. Rats with porphyrin around the eyes and nose may be suffering from an illness. You may also notice staining around their face and hands as they attempt to clean it off. Take note of porphyrin and always check over new rats to make sure they are clear of this. Other signs of illness include: Hunched posture (back arched), squinting, whiskers pulled back or forward, puffed fur, heavy or irregular breathing, excessive sneezing (usually accompanied by porphyrin), side-sucking, cold to the touch, pale extremities and lethargy (when made to walk, is often stiff movement, slowness and raised posture, as though they are walking on tip toes) |
DIRTY & URINE STAINING
Contrary to popular belief, rats are actually pretty clean animals, often choosing a single corner or litter box to do their business. They also spend a considerable amount of time grooming, comparable to a cat. For a rat to become stained with urine, they would need to be kept in complete and utter filth. The only exception being old rats who may have difficulty grooming themselves, especially if their cagemates are also old and do not participate in social grooming. Beyond that, there is no excusable reason why a young rat should be stained with urine. If a breeder shares rats that are dirty or urine stained, you should question the conditions they are kept in and steer clear. LEFT: Urine stained rats. These rats came from a feeder bin, which must have been quite dirty for the amount of staining on their fur. They were rescued and given better care. Regardless of their purpose, all animals should be given proper care and clean housing, even those destined for food. Keeping any animal in such conditions is deplorable. |