Hairless Rats

[julesj0812]

I am currently looking into adopting a hairless rat from a rescue in MN. I currently have a almost year-old Dumbo female that I would like to have another female companion. I am getting serious about this girl, and before adopting her and bringing her to my single female, I'd like to know more about hairless from someone who has had experience with them. I want to make sure that I'll be able to do this poor thing some good. I'll include below the rescuers email to me about her. She also has one eye that never developed... and I have been told that debris could have gotten under there as a baby and never been flushed out, causing the eye to stop developing. She is half-blind because of it. I do not know about age.

------- email below -------

I was with a friend who was buying some fish supplies at a rural family pet store, the only pet store in probably 150 miles...so truly rural. I have no idea how this hairless rat got to their store, but anyway. I went in and of course it was awful. In the back, with the yelping puppies, was Pinky.  I could see her trembling with each yelp, so I asked to see her. Then I found out that she was female and blind in one eye. I'm normally very against buying or even taking animals from pet stores, so I left her there. I thought about it over night and just could not stop thinking about her. So the next day after that I called to store owner and got him to reserve her for me. I picked her up the following day because of the drive. Basically, getting her was no easy decision.

They claimed she was two years old (although I have my doubts), and had been "with a bunch of them", but at the time I found her she was living alone in a 5.5 gallon aquarium. The eye causes her no trouble, but sometimes a thick opaque liquid rests on the lid, which I assume is normal since it's doesn't seem out of the ordinary for her. She has not been seen by a vet, although I have talked with two different vets about her. She has not been in any direct contact with any rats. My rats live in the same apartment, but are healthy (and I was more worried about her making them sick, believe me!). I've been following as strict of a quarantine as I can make due, as I didn't have the option of quarantining elsewhere.

Since it just re-occured to me that she could still be pregnant, I think I need to go through the math. She has been alone for at least 22 days. If we add days until you'd get her it would be 26 days, which I think would be pretty safe to say she's not pregnant. Considering they would usually show signs of pregnancy in the last week and there are none that I see. Should she miraculously give birth after you get her I would take the babies back, or due to the distance help to find homes for them. Are you comfortable with this?

She is active, she is destructive, and she holds her head high. But she's very lovable, loves attention, and clearly hates being alone. She's quirky but cute.

-------- email above --------

I have been told numerous thing about hairless and they are all conflicting. I have been told they are MUCH more difficult than a furred and I have been told they are virtually the same, short of needing more warmth.

I am also looking for help on introducing my single female to the new hairless, should I decide to bring her in.

[August]

Hi, I think you should go for it. I've had two hairless rats and they're just like furry rats other than their lack of fur. Supposedly they're more susceptable to disease than other rats but both of mine lived long healthy lives. I'm actually rescuing two hairless rats today. Good luck!

[julesj0812]

Thank you so much! I appreciate all the help I can get - and I am so impressed and grateful that people are responding to me. My biggest concern is whether my single female will accept the new one. Any ideas?

[MsDisarray]

I've got a hairless boy and he is SO sweet. They have more health problems, but are amazing pets.

In terms of your current female accepting a new female it could go either way. There are a lot of threads on introducing. I would check those out.

[mandycoot]

Do they really have more health problems? I've never heard that. I've always heard that hairless rats are pretty much exactly the same care-wise as furred rats. They just need to be kept warm more.

[tweaks]

I agree with Slap. Go for it. I have 6 hairless 3 girls and 3 boys. They all have different personalities but I have found intros with the girls to run very smoothly and my females have been happy to have another snuggle buddy. The last one I adopted is a hairless dumbo Lily. She is about 5 months and is quite active compared to the other girls who are both around 2 years old. She is very sweet so sweet I really want to adopt her sister as well. The boys seem more territorial. Well 1 of my boys, the alpha has gotten so mean to his brother and dad that I have had to keep him in a separate cage. They have all been wonderful pets and I find them to be very endearing. I am trying to knit them some little clothes though as winter is coming soon and they need to be kept warm.

[babyd3578]

I haven't been dealing with hairless ratties for long (about 3 months or so now) however the only thing that differs as far as I've seen is that they need to be kept warm and they do consume a little more food than my furred girls. This is because they need the extra energy because they burn it up quick to keep warm. 4 of my 6 are hairless and all of them little sweetie pies and so far all in perfect health. I would most definately advise adopting her. 

[Panda Phil]

 You're so lucky. I'd love to have a hairless...or twelve.

[BarbedDragon]

Hairless. I love hairless. I have only ever owned hairless aside from Zim, but he's new so He might think he doesn't have any hair.

 They needs to be kept a little warmer, not much....just confortable, make sure you add extra bedding so they can snuggle. I have heard differeing things about adding new ones to exiting hairless, I've been told get a furred to keep them warmer and I've been told to get another hairless because they seem to understand each other sensativities with skin better.

Well I got both I guess I'll just need to see. Zim can't go in with my hairless females until everyone all FIXED. NO BABIES. I went through that with Shimmy (bought her/him pregnant) and she didn't lactate and it was a nightmare. The babies didn't end up living.

Always keep food in the bowl to keep up with their faster metabolism, I really have never seen a fat hairless (has anyone???)

 I have heard differening things on the hairless, they are more suseptable to bacterial infections and hypothermia because of a lowered immune system. I really don't think this is the case. I KNOW albinos have a lowered immune system, but thats not just hairless. When you add hairless and albino gene I'm sure it can make the genetic material a bit wonky, but I really only noticed a difference with my albinos, not the normal hairless.

Is this the same hairless on petfinder?? IF so congradulations!! I was hoping to be able to get up there to adopt her, but I live in TN--I like long drives, but my work does not allow the time.
Take good care of her and she will be wonderful.

As far as introduction go there are plenty of webpages out there that deascribe how to introduce. I just did this with Shimmy and Elvira. Put them in the bathtub after the quarentine was over (REMEMEBR TO QUARENTINE THIS WILL SAVE YOUR RATTIES LIFE!) and after I have let them see each other for a few days. I watched them, Shimmy-the older female got a little rowdy with Elvira and nipped her back once, didn't break skin. I assumed it was "I'm the dominiant rat, don't mess with me" deal and let it be. After 2 days of playtime in the tub, I introduced them to thier new cage. I didn't put them in each others cage after the intro because I figured it would be better for terratory issues if I just used a bigger new one no one had been in. Thus far 3 days after putting them in everything is going peachy! No fights, Elvira is bouncing everywhere. Shimmy not so much, but she's still getting used to the big new cage. They have a vet visit wednesday so I'll find out if anything is wrong.

Hope this helps!

http://ratguide.com/care/behavior/introducing_rats.php

http://www.ratfanclub.org/newrat.html

[liza]

We have six hairless over here, 4 girls and 2 boys.
They drink a ton more than my furred kids and eat a lot too without gaining any significant weight. Mine are all young though...
Somehow, we have had three abcesses over here already, for no apparent reason, right on the belly. No bites or anything. It might be something specific to my kids.

I've read that true hairless (no fuzz whatsoever) have more health issues than peach hairless.

Also, they do get wounds easily. One (or more) of mine constantly has scratches somewhere from either playing with each other or simply scratching themselves.

Other than that, they are just like my furry kids. Totally sweet!

During integration, you need to remember that there is no fur to protect her.
Good luck!