Maintenance, care and reproduction of rats at home

2024 Author: Priscilla Miln | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 00:21

Increasingly, people have rodents as pets. Among them are guinea pigs, hamsters, squirrels and ornamental rats. The latter are quick-witted, unpretentious in care and quite nice. By the way, some seek to combine business with pleasure and try to breed animals at home. In the article, we will consider the basics of caring for a domestic rodent, the reproduction of rats and the features of the existence of young animals.

What to feed?

Rats are practically omnivores, but there are foods that are beneficial to them, and those that are not recommended for consumption. Moreover, it is impossible to feed rodents exclusively with grain crops. To ensure normal life, it is important that their diet is varied and balanced. A good owner is always attentive to the nutrition of his pet.

What can you feed a rat at home:

• crops;
• beans;
• nuts;
• dried fruits;
• boiled and raw meat;
• fish;
• cheese;
• boiled eggs;
• cottage cheese.

Decorative pets should not be given fruit seeds. Some of them contain a toxic substance - amygladin. In the process of decomposition, it releases hydrocyanic acid, which can cause acute poisoning. Most amygladin is found in the seeds of persimmons, apricots and citrus fruits. It is not advisable to feed them almonds and berry seeds.

The list of non-recommended foods for rodents includes:

• white cabbage;
• turnip;
• eggplant;
• radish;
• pineapple;
• banana;
• sorrel.

House

Caring for a rat at home starts with furnishing a home for the pet. The larger and more spacious the house, the better the rat will feel in it. The minimum cage size for one decorative individual is 60 by 40 cm. If the cage bars are made of metal, the optimal opening size is 1.5 by 1.5 cm. Even if the pet decides to stick its head into the cell, it will not get hurt. For a comfortable stay in a cage, rats should be:

• feeder;
• bedding;
• water bowl.

Since rodents are active animals, it would be good for them to organize a play area. There may be mazes, slides, stairs and other toys. The most favorite pastime for rats is swinging in a hammock. You can buy it at any pet store or make it from available materials.

Bathing

Despite the widespread belief that pet rats love water, they are far from bathing enthusiasts. Water procedures can be complicated by the animal's pronounced resistance, but some pets are tolerant of this procedure - it all depends on individual characteristics. You need to bathe the animal in the following cases:

• if the wool has an unpleasant smell;
• when the rodent is unwilling or unable to take care of itself;
• when infested with parasites.

Diseases and vaccinations

Decorative rats are prone to various infectious diseases. If one of the following signs of illness is present, the animal should be taken to the veterinarian:

• sluggishness;
• poor appetite;
• discharge from eye sockets or nose;
• tousled wool.

The most common causes of feeling unwell are:

• salmonellosis;
• pox;
• listeriosis;
• pasteurellosis.

If the owner does not have the appropriate education, it will be extremely difficult for him to remember the symptoms of each of the listed diseases and possible complications. However, with a careful attitude to the pet, the owner will immediately pay attention to the deterioration of his he alth and will contact the veterinarian in a timely manner. Before breeding, the rat must also be shown to a doctor to identify hidden diseases.

Inadequate care of a rat can provoke the development of parasitic diseases. In most cases theycaused by the activity of various pathogenic microorganisms that quickly infect the body of the rat. If the rodent comes into contact with other animals, it can become infected and become a carrier of infections such as helminths, lichen, and scab. Unlike other pets, anthelmintic treatment of rats is not carried out, the animal is treated only after infection.

Decorative rats do not need any vaccinations, but if the animal was not purchased from a pet store, it must first be taken to the veterinarian to determine its condition and possible treatment.

Types of Breeding

Reproduction of rats in nature occurs throughout the year, it all depends on weather conditions. At the beginning of the mating season, the male pursues the females and cares for them, then mating takes place with each of them. Pregnancy lasts up to 24 days. Before the appearance of the babies, the female prepares the nest and supplies. Usually up to 15 cubs are born in a litter. After a month, the young are able to live independently, and by 12 months they grow to the size of an adult rat. The rate of reproduction in a pair of rodents in the wild, taking into account their offspring, reaches 2-3 thousand individuals per year.

Domestic rats are bred by crossing different types of breeds or maintaining the purity of a particular breed.

If we talk about purebred crossing, it is divided into the following types:

1. Linear crossing. Such breeding involves crossing specimens that have a common ancestor. The resulting offspring has a good genotype, hemizygosity is preserved, negativecharacteristics are becoming obsolete.
2. Inbreeding. The method of inbreeding helps to fix high-quality qualities. Breeding in this way is characterized by the study of the gene pool and the selection of the best producers among the closest relatives. Close inbreeding is often expressed by a reduced number of viable offspring, to avoid such an effect, individuals are selected under strict control.
3. Outcrossing. This method is used in case of a necessary increase in the number of litters while maintaining their valuable qualities. Crossbreeding involves individuals born by linear crossing, but not having related ancestors in the fourth and later generations. To improve the performance of the breed, young animals with unsuitable genetic data are excluded from the litter.
4. Outbreeding. To improve the performance of the breed and the he alth of the offspring allows reproduction by outbreeding. To do this, the best representatives of the breed who have no relationship are selected. However, as a disadvantage of this breeding method, there is the possibility of undesirable qualities in the offspring and a change in the proportions of the rodent with repeated use of the method.

Even strict selection and various selection methods cannot guarantee an accurate result. There may be deficiencies in color, quality and length of coat, he alth and number of individuals in the litter.

Preparing male and female for crossing

To breed rats and get he althy offspring, it is important to select a he althy female and male with high breeding performance.

Female. If athe female is primiparous, it is important to consider her age. Individuals older than five years, but not younger than ten months are suitable for breeding. A female rat can become pregnant at 5-6 weeks, but mating before 4 months is highly discouraged. If she nevertheless brought offspring, then crossing continues up to one year.

Male. The age and nutrition of the male are fundamental to his sexual activity. You can start mating a rodent from 6 months of age and continue to do so throughout your life. If mating at a young age was limited, then in a more mature period of life, his sexual activity is significantly reduced.

Knitting

Pets have a year-round breeding season. Rats that live outside can only breed in warm weather (plus temperatures in winter don't stop rodents).

How is the mating of rats at home? The male is placed next to the female during estrus. Its onset occurs in the interval from 4 to 10 days and lasts for 24 hours. During this period, there is a change in the behavior of the animal. Sometimes other females will climb onto a female in heat, feigning false mating.

During this period, the vaginal opening of the rat acquires a rich red color, opens slightly and becomes wet. Touching the pet, she arches her back and makes vibrating movements with her ears. As a rule, one individual of both sexes is enough for crossing, but in some cases up to 3 females are planted for the male.

After 36 hours after giving birth, the female is again ready forfertilization, so it is better to remove the male from the cage.

Pregnancy

On average, the duration of pregnancy in domestic rats lasts 20-24 days. For the first 10-15 days, no obvious signs of pregnancy are observed, but closer to delivery, the rat begins to arrange its nest.

Reproduction of rats at home involves providing enhanced nutrition. During pregnancy, apples, fish, eggs, cottage cheese, meat should be introduced into the diet of the animal.

Exclude from the diet: yolks, garlic, tomatoes, onions and grapes. If possible, give spring water.

Closer to childbirth, you need to purchase or make a nest, give the female pieces of paper and cloth. In order not to cause stress in the animal, it is not recommended to move the female to another cage during this period and not to plant other rodents with her.

Gender of the newborn and care for him

Female ornamental rats are attentive parents. In the first week, the mother does not leave the rats, it is not recommended to take them in hand. Having smelled someone else's smell, she can eat newborns. It is important to provide a complete diet for a nursing rat.

A couple of weeks after breeding, domestic rat pups open their eyes. During this period, the temperature in the nest should not fall below 38 °C. The third week is full of discoveries for kids: they become more active, interested in the environment. It is advisable to examine the animals in order to determine the sex of the offspring only in the absence of the mother. Newborn females have small nipples.

After twoFor weeks, animals try the surrounding objects for a tooth. They eat not only their food, but also that which is intended for adults. In order for the animals not to be injured, all sharp objects must be removed from the cage. At the fifth week, newborn males are removed, as they can fertilize females.

Description of young animals

Baby rats are born blind and deaf and weigh 4-6 grams. They depend on their mother for the first three weeks. After 3-4 days, the ears of the rodents open, by the end of the first week a woolen cover is formed. Teeth erupt after 10 days.

By the end of the third week, the rodent's coat becomes thicker. They begin to clean it on their own and are already able to digest solid food. The full development of the rat is completed only after a year. Their growth and development is significantly influenced by the diet, it should be dominated by proteins and calcium.

Artificial feeding

If the female refuses self-feeding or dies during childbirth, offspring can be produced using infant formula. It is prepared as follows: 50 ml of regular high-fat milk (or condensed) is mixed with 1 tablespoon of the mixture and 0.5 calcium tablets. Use insulin syringes without a needle, which is convenient to feed the cubs. The portion should be gradually increased. If possible, it is advisable to attach newborns to another female, but on the condition that she accepts them.

Rat breeding is an interesting activity that allows you to learn more aboutlife of a rodent.