Decorative bald rat. Hairless sphinx rats are an amazing variety of decorative rats. Health of Sphynx rats
Friends, did you know that I exist? sphinx rats? Today we will tell you about them, how to properly maintain and care for them.
Characteristics of hairless rats
What can I say about the sphinx rat, So this is about numerous advantages - after all, the animal is completely hypoallergenic, and besides, it is kind and sweet. Sphinxes They love to play and lie on their arms. In addition, the rodent quickly gets used to its new home and becomes attached to its owner. It’s also worth remembering about the animal’s intelligence, because you can teach different tricks, so go ahead and train your pet!
MAINTENANCE, CARE AND NUTRITION OF HALD RATS AT HOME
Maintenance and care of hairless rats
To begin with, purchase a roomy and comfortable cage for the rodent, build several houses, stairs, hammocks and other loopholes there. Of course, rats can live without all this goodness, but they need communication and activity, so all of the above will only be beneficial.
Care not complicated: change the water in the sippy cup daily, feed twice a day, bathe as needed, clean the cage. You understand that since the rodent is deprived of fur (which does not make it any less attractive), you need to avoid straight sun rays, in order to protect against burns and avoid drafts.
What to feed a rat at home
Bald rat diet does not differ from the standard ones, except that, in addition to food and solid food, once a week the sphinx can have boiled meat and fish, and, of course, vitamins. But it’s better to abstain from fatty foods, sweets, and salty foods; fruits and berries are sometimes allowed in moderation; raw vegetables unacceptable, for example, like potatoes, cabbage, spinach. Cookies and cheese are treats for your pet that should not be spoiled more than once every two weeks.
VIDEO: ABOUT RATS
IN THIS VIDEO, WE INVITE YOU TO LEARN ABOUT BALD RATS IN MORE DETAIL
Hairless rats are exotic pets that are easy to keep. Such animals do not cause trouble and bring a lot of joy to their owners, which is why today hairless Sphinx rats are increasingly found in our homes. They are sharply different appearance from all common rodents. It is interesting to watch them for both children and adults. Let's tell you in more detail about the content of this animal.
Description of the animal
The Sphynx rat is a hairless species that is smart and easy to care for. Animals that are small in size can be completely naked or have small, sparse fluff. The skin is thin with a slight pinkish color. Vibrissae (whiskers) are absent or very short. It is acceptable to have small fuzz on the cheeks, groin area, ankles and wrists.
One of the features of the Sphinx rat species is their thermophilicity. In the summer heat, rats feel comfortable and remain active even at temperatures above 30 degrees. But in winter, the air temperature in the room should not fall below 22 degrees. If you are keeping a pair of Sphynx rats, the minimum acceptable temperature is 16 degrees.
Such animals are extremely interesting in behavior. They friendly, so you can keep several animals at once in a small cage-aviary. The only thing you should remember is that pets are afraid of drafts. Respectively, the cage with animals must be located at a distance from front door and windows.
Such pets need constant human communication and attention. Therefore, if you are leaving home for a long time or cannot spend time with your pet, then it is better not to buy a Sphinx rat. In general, keeping such pets does not present any difficulties, so such animals are perfect as a gift even for small children.
If we talk about the advantages of keeping such pets, we note the following:
- Exotic, spectacular appearance.
- Affection for people and kindness of an animal.
- Completely odorless.
- Hypoallergenic.
- Easy to care for.
The only thing you should remember is the need for attention to the animal. If the owner is not at home for weeks, and the animal is not given proper attention, the Sphinx rat may wither away and die from loneliness.
The popularity of such pets is largely due to their ease of maintenance. You just need to provide the animal with the following:
- Diet.
- Hygiene.
- Optimal air temperature.
- Attention owner.
Let's talk about keeping these pets in more detail.
Correct temperature
Experts recommend keeping Sphinx rats at temperatures from 22 to 30 degrees. A short-term increase in temperature up to 35 degrees is allowed. But in winter, if there are problems with heating, it is best to place the cage with the animals near electric heaters. It is not recommended to take the cage with the Sphinx rat outside in the summer. Fresh air. This animal has no hair, so skin is susceptible to tanning and exposure to sunlight.
Humidity levels in the room should be 75-80 percent. These are natural humidity indicators for any modern apartment. However, it is still not recommended to install a cage with a rat in the bathroom, kitchen, or near open sources of water. High humidity and evaporation can cause various diseases
your pet.
Choosing a pet cage
To house a Sphinx rat you will need a spacious, large metal cage. It must be located in a secluded place without drafts. When choosing such a cage, pay attention to the fact that it does not have sharp edges that could injure your animal. There are no difficulties in choosing such a cage for an ordinary rat. A plate and food tray should be placed inside the cage. Also place some cloths or napkins here for your pet to sleep on.
Due attention will need to be paid to hygiene and cage cleaning. Rats, especially hairless ones, are known for their cleanliness, so full cage cleanings are carried out at least once a week. Experts recommend cleaning the Sphinx rat's cage twice a week. This will allow you to maintain the necessary hygiene, and your animal will not get sick, and its skin will always be clean and beautiful.
Communication with your pet
Previously, we have repeatedly emphasized the importance of constant communication and attention to the animal from the owner. Partially solved this problem This is possible by purchasing several pups from the same litter at once. It is best to choose animals of the same sex. From time to time you should play with a hairless rat, pick it up, stroke it and bathe it often.
Mandatory hygiene
Once a month it is necessary to trim the rat’s sharp claws with special scissors and pruning shears. Otherwise, the little rat may scratch itself, other pets, or its owner.
It would be a good idea to completely disinfect the cage once a month. This will be an excellent prevention of various diseases in your pet, and will also prevent the appearance of an unpleasant odor.
Proper nutrition
It is best to feed hairless Sphynx rats in small portions and often. You can purchase special food for such pets, or give the animal vegetables and fruits.
Rat diseases and life expectancy
Unfortunately, Sphinxes do not live very long, so in captivity, even with appropriate care, such pets rarely live more than 3 years. Often the animal suffers and dies from various diseases. The lack of hair makes the skin susceptible to various wounds, and the appearance of purulent ulcers is not uncommon. Also, hairless rats often die due to cancer. This disease is explained by a combination of genes that are responsible for the lack of hair in an animal. Unfortunately, it is impossible to do anything here; there is no treatment for oncology in Sphinx rats.
Conclusion
As you can see, keeping hairless Sphynx rats is not particularly difficult. Even children can easily care for such pets, and a small animal will bring a lot of joy and pleasant moments to children and adults. Just remember the rules for keeping such animals, proper feeding and mandatory hygiene with optimal temperature conditions. This will allow you to easily keep such pets that will live with you for several years.
I would like to say right away that those who squeamishly say that they don’t like rats because of their long hairless tails don’t even need to read this article, since we are talking not just about rats, but about rats that are hairless from the tip of their tail to the tip nose
Very little time has passed since hairless cats jumped from the category of rare and outlandish animals to the sofas of everyone who wants to buy such amazing pets. Due to their unusual appearance and unique character, these animals have gained such popularity that they have overtaken many ordinary animals in numbers. fluffy breeds, although initially leading feline experts predicted the collapse of the hairless cat breed, calling them squalor and mutants.
But a cat is a fairly large animal and requires certain costs - both time and money. This is probably why hairless rats, or as they are also called, sphinx rats (Hairless), are becoming increasingly popular. Unlike hairless cats, sphinx rats immediately received public recognition and love. Exotic appearance, small size, unpretentiousness in maintenance and minimum food costs, affection for the owner, cleanliness and high price allowed bald rats to become at the peak of popularity in the shortest possible time.
The rat is a very intelligent social animal, with proper care and a friendly attitude towards her, she becomes a true friend for a person. You can often hear the opinion that if it is not possible to have a dog or cat, you can fully replace them with a rat.
Rats distinguish family members from strangers and respond to nicknames; released into the room, they run on the heels of the owner, trying to climb onto the arms or shoulder. But when allowing the animal to move freely, it is necessary to constantly look at your feet so as not to step on the rat. You should also always be prepared for such minor troubles as chewed wires, chewed wallpaper and curtains, small objects that the rat likes are stolen and hidden in a cage in the house.
What you shouldn’t worry about during your rat’s free walks is its cleanliness. Most rats choose a corner in their cage for the toilet and, even running around the apartment, they always try to return to the cage to settle their toilet matters.
Hairless rats, bred as a result of mutation, differ from their furry relatives not only in appearance, but also in character. Warm, with delicate and soft skin covered with folds, sphinx rats require more attention from the owner.
Like all domestic rats, sphinxes are very sociable, inquisitive and active. Like cats, they love to play with a piece of paper tied by a string. But since they do not have fur, they prefer to be warm, in the arms of the owner, they are tamed faster.
Skin care requires close attention. Although rats are very clean and spend a lot of time washing and cleaning their bodies, their bare, hairless skin becomes dirty, both from skin secretions and dust. Therefore, from the very beginning, hairless rats must be accustomed to regular water procedures.
Rats are good swimmers, and many love to swim. For washing, you must use either special shampoos for rodents, or hypoallergenic shampoos for puppies and kittens.
Rats only in nature are distinguished by exceptional vitality and endurance; unfortunately, this does not apply to hairless rats bred artificially. With proper care, rats have virtually no health problems, but any errors (in feeding, in maintenance) can result in serious illnesses. Hairless rats most often suffer from abscesses, eye diseases, allergic reactions, skin diseases, tumors.
Hairless rats must be protected from exposure to direct sunlight and drafts, and try to prevent them from hypothermia. To compensate for the lack of fur, sphinxes are forced to eat much more than ordinary rats, so there should always be food in the feeder and clean water in the drinking bowl.
Another difficulty that owners of hairless rats face is the difficulty in breeding them. If you buy a pair of ordinary rats at a pet store, then almost every month they will “delight” their owners with newborn babies, of which there can be up to 20 pieces. Therefore, it is advisable to keep rats either alone or with same-sex friends.
On the contrary, many people buy hairless rats in pairs, hoping to get offspring. But, sphinx rats raise babies only in isolated cases; more often than not they have no milk, and the babies, if they are not hand-fed or not fed to another rat-nurse, die of hunger. Or bald mothers turn out to be completely devoid of maternal feelings, do not care about the little rats, and crush them. In addition, pregnancy and childbirth do not have a very favorable effect on health, significantly reducing the life expectancy of a rat. The vast majority of hairless rat pups are obtained from woolly females - carriers of the hairless gene.
Therefore, it is better to leave the breeding of hairless rats to professional breeders, and enjoy communication with your pet.
Thanks to selection, many species of domestic rats have been bred, differing in type, breed, disposition and character. Animals may differ in coat color, ear size, and build. There are odd-eyed, tailless or completely white. The selection became famous for creating a special hairless breed of domestic rodents, this breed was called the “Sphinx rat.”
Representatives of this breed do not have hair, but in some places almost imperceptible fluff predominates. Those sphinxes that are lucky enough to have mustaches cannot boast of their longness; the mustaches are short and quite sparse.
- The hairless Sphynx rat is hypoallergenic. Therefore, people who want to get such a pet, but are allergic to animal fur, do not have to worry about their health.
- The decorative Sphynx rat has a good disposition, so breeders of this breed get a lot of positive emotions from communicating with their pets. Animals are pleasant to the touch and love to lie in the arms of the owner.
- Wonderful creatures quickly get used to their new home and quickly become attached to their owner. The animal prefers to watch the actions of household members from above, climbing onto the owner’s shoulder.
- Sphynxes love cleanliness, so the rat toilet needs to be cleaned and the bedding changed on time. Due to the lack of hair, representatives of this breed do not emit an unpleasant odor.
- Decorative animals are partial to bathing. Animals should be washed in warm water without using soap or shampoo.
- Science has proven that the Sphinx rat Dumbo is an intelligent animal; the pet will easily remember its name, the names of other pets and household members.
- The Sphinx is practically no different from the maintenance of ordinary individuals. The only difference is that hairless animals require a special room temperature. It should be from 22 to 30 degrees. If there are several animals in the cage, the temperature may be slightly lower.
What should a pet's cage be like?
Animal buyers are primarily interested in the cage. It should be spacious. It is better to give preference to plastic products. The cage must contain:
- drinking bowl,
- feeder,
- sports equipment so that the animal can frolic.
Read about how to choose the ideal cage for your rat.
note! There should be no sharp objects in your pet's home, otherwise the rodent may get hurt.
It is necessary to ensure the cleanliness of the cage. It needs to be cleaned at least twice a week. Complete disinfection of the house should be carried out once a month. If the owners maintain hygiene, the animal will not have any health problems, and the skin will be clean and beautiful.
Care and maintenance of the Sphinx rat
The cage should have a special corner for sleeping. The sleeping place should be created from small rags and napkins. You can give the animal the opportunity to arrange a place to rest.
There should be no draft in the room where the cage is located. Humidity levels should not exceed 75-80%.
You cannot install a cage with a pet in the bathroom, kitchen, or near an aquarium.
Increased levels of humidity and evaporation can cause various diseases.
As bedding, you can use a special filler for cat litter or sawdust. It is prohibited to use softwood sawdust.
It is necessary to ensure that there is always fresh water in the drinking bowls, because the skin of hairless rats quickly evaporates moisture.
Sphynxes cannot maintain body temperature with the help of fur; to increase body temperature, these rodents begin to consume large amounts of food. Make sure that your pet has enough food in his cage during the cold season.
Once a month, the animal needs to trim its claws using sharp scissors or pruning shears. Otherwise, the animal will scratch not only itself, but also its owners, other pets, and damage the upholstery. Scratches on the delicate skin of the Sphinx can turn into purulent ulcers and cause numerous diseases.
Diet
The menu of ornamental animals should be varied, it should contain various grains, fruits, and vegetables. The animal's body requires protein, so they can be fed boiled lean meat or insects. You should feed your pet often, but little by little.
Rats periodically renew their front teeth. During this period, animals need to chew something. For this purpose, you can put a block of wood or regular bread crumbs without flavoring into the cage. The body of rodents needs to be enriched with minerals. To do this, you can buy chalk or mineral supplements for pets.
Diseases
Hairless creatures have poor health. Typical diseases of sphinxes are:
- tumors;
- skin diseases;
- kidney, heart, eye disease;
- anemia;
- bladder infection;
- diabetes.
Representatives of this breed often develop allergic reactions, so it is important to choose a high-quality filler and monitor the diet.
Breeding rules
Reproduction of sphinxes causes a lot of trouble. You need to know the basic rules of breeding:
- the weight of the female at the time of mating must be at least 300 g;
- male weight – at least 500 g;
- the age of the female for the first mating is 6-8 months;
- The age of the male for the first mating is from 8 months;
- Adults preparing for mating must have impeccable health.
The female Sphinx is rarely able to feed her offspring on her own. The reason for this is the underdevelopment of the mammary glands. Those who breed Sphinxes buy an ordinary rat to feed their offspring.
How long do Sphynx rats live?
The hairless breed of rats lives no more than two years. But, if the owners pay due attention to the pet, treat it with love and care, then the rat can live up to three years.
Conclusion
Hairless house rats (sphynxes) appeared at the beginning of the last century as a result of mutation. Because of non-standard appearance they were preserved and the trait of hairlessness was reinforced through generations through artificial breeding. However, keeping such a pet at home is not easy. Hairless rats have difficulty breeding, have poor health and do not live long. Genetically, these rodents have three types of hairless genes in their genotype. Also, the absence of hair may be due to duplication of the “rex” genes.
Appearance
The whiskers of these domestic rodents are curly. The pet either should not have hair on its body at all, or it may be present in small quantities on the limbs, head, belly, and cheeks. Both individuals are allowed to participate in exhibitions. The skin may have wrinkles.
Features of care
Hairless rats are sensitive to physical characteristics environment. They require relatively high indoor humidity and a temperature range from 20 to 28 o C. The cage must be equipped with houses, hammocks, and warm bedding. It is better if the naked rat is kept not alone, but in the company of another (woolly) one. However, the latter should be non-aggressive to avoid fights and damage to the delicate skin of the sphinx rat. For the same purpose, the cage for such an animal must be chosen very carefully; there should be no sharp corners or bent rods. It is necessary to place a room with an animal, as well as with furry pets, avoiding drafts and places near air conditioners and radiators.
Feeding
The metabolism of these pets is accelerated. They need high-calorie foods with increased content proteins and fats. A hairless rat eats the same food (seeds, grains) as a “woolly” pet, but representatives of this breed are given more in quantity. Your pet should always have water large quantities, he drinks a lot.
Diseases and life expectancy
Unfortunately, these charming creatures do not live long. Hairless rats suffer from diseases of the urinary system, heart, eyes, are susceptible to tumor diseases, allergies, and diabetes.
They are very sensitive to stressful situations. Rats with the rnu hairless gene do not have a thymus gland — thymus gland, which makes them susceptible infectious diseases. Hairless rats have many difficulties with reproduction. Females — bad mothers, often abandon the litter or eat it. In addition, they often suffer from underdevelopment of the mammary glands and their lactation process is disrupted. Nevertheless, these hairless small animals are very fertile, rat pups are born normal sizes. Animals with hairless genes can live from 9 to 20 months. Most often, the cause of their death is severe renal dysfunction or
