# Bad Experience: Accidental Pregnancy = Mutant Babies[Help!]



## jamiecypher (Jan 27, 2009)

This is going to be a long one but please read so that you do not have the same issue as I do. 

Let me start off by giving my rat background. I am 25 and have had pet rats since I was 12, on and off for a while, but a steady rat owner since i was 17. I mostly dealt with top ear fancy and dumbo fancy. I do not by any means consider myself a breeder, but i've bred about a litter a year (for a few of my rat friends, and for another rat or two for myself when one of my adults passed on, needed to fill the void) 

About a year ago I had 1 male and 3 females, and my male passed on. I like breeding my own rats because the best pet rats i've ever had were the ones I handled from childhood. I found a dumbo eared tan and white hooded male at Petsmart, and ended up bringing him home. His names Bert, he's a little skittish to pick up but once you have him he's fine, that's what I expect from a pet shop rat though. 

Anyways on to the story. I bred Bert with Dot (she's all white, dumbo, with a black dot between her eye and ear) and 3 to four weeks later Dot had a very small litter of 4. Three survived. Anyways the babies ended up being REX! I was thrilled having never had a rex rat. Two of them had rex coat, and one didn't. I sex'd them all as female, but it turned out one was male. He ended up getting one of his sisters pregnant before they got separated, and here's where it gets weird.

There were 11 Rittens, 5 were rex, 6 were standard coat, and all were a jumbled mix of top and dumbo ear. After about 3 weeks I noticed all the rex rats were going bald on top of their head. I thought they were malnutritioned because I left the mother in with them, and they kept seeing nursing as an easier alternative to breaking open lab blocks. I separated the Mother and gave them a mix of seeds, fruits, and lab blocks, and they kept on losing more and more hair. I started thinking to myself "Could they be Hairless and Dumbo?" but quickly ruled it out remembering that both parents need to have hairless genes for hairless to occur. Then I started doing research.



> Homozygotes (ReRe, known as patchwork, semi-hairless, or double-rex) develop just like rex rats until about four weeks of age, when the coat is rapidly lost. Hair loss starts on the head and shoulders and spreads to the rest of the body (not surprisingly -- it follows the wave of hair follicle cycling from nose to tail). Hair loss is usually complete by day 36. A new coat erupts at each molt, but subsequent coat is thin, with some bareness. Their hairs are easier to pluck out than in normal rats and rex rats. Females are more affected than males and have larger bald areas (Robinson 1981).


Here's the part that stinks the most. I have 5 babies that I'm afraid no one will ever want, and that I cannot care for. I did not plan to have two litters back to back, even if the one was really small which was ideal for me. These rats are Cute, but they are like... Half naked. Not quite hairless (i have a true hairless male now, so I know). They are like Friar Tuck rats, and it said they are more than likely to be fully bald until they molt, where they will grow some hair, but it will fall out again. 

I do NOT want my rats to end up being snake fodder, and I only have two or three friends who like rats. I'm sure one, maybe two of them would give one a home, but that's because I can explain that I had an accidental breeding between two rex rats, and this is the outcome. I cannot home all of these babies. Does anyone have any advice?

Also, i'm located in the northeast ohio area, if that helps spark any ideas. Please help!


(too long didn't read version)

I accidentally had two rex rats produce a litter, and when you do that the babies end up having patchy hair that falls out and are partially naked. I have a feeling these will be hard to find homes for, and don't want them to become snake food. any advice?



-jamie


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## Gary26Uk (Oct 2, 2007)

I guess the moral of the story is don't breed pet store rats and breed responsibly. Theres alot more to breeding that just mating 2 rats. It takes months , if not years of research to guarantee as much as possible no birth defects or genetic problems.


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## lilspaz68 (Feb 24, 2007)

Hahaha, you have some double rex babies...people like double rex, but I don't advise breeding anymore until you know a LOT more.

When you said momma was white with a black spot, I was sure you were going to say your babies swelled up and died horrible painful deaths...which is a genetic issue called Megacolon...its horrible and caused by bad genetics...

Having double rex babies is not that big of a deal comparitively to all the medical genetic issues you could've had 

If you are looking for nice babies, you take home Ooops litters who have been handled since almost birth. Your rats were nice because they were socialized and MOST oops litters are. If you do this you will be helping the incredible homeless rats in your area, rather than contributing to the problem. Your purposely bred babies took the homes of other rescues instead.


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## Devi (Jan 8, 2009)

u.u

i live in Ohio. and i'd take one :\ if my rat didnt jsut have babies.
im having the same issue of finding homes.
most of the babies have homes with my family, but i can't find homes for two of them. D:


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## coliekumar (Jan 21, 2009)

I love to take one! Too bad I live in Chicago :-\ My hairless boy needs a mate.


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## AMJ087 (Aug 27, 2008)

Sorry to hear about the problems. Hope you find good homes for them!


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## Three Deep (Jan 8, 2009)

Aww. Double rex is no genetic defect. They aren't mutants. They are just another variety, and although any amount of baldness is unattractive to some people, I absolutely adore all rats, and have a DR myself, also known as a semi-hairless. Just make sure potential adopters know there isn't anything wrong with them, it isn't a skin condition or a genetic defect and they should be just as easy to place as any other rat babies. If I was anywhere near Ohio, I would take a couple off your hands for you. Good luck, have fun with them! 

Leah


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## HappyMooCow (Jan 10, 2009)

Could I see some photos please... I have NEVER ever seen that..

Only seen the naked ones...

Hope you are finding a good home for them!!


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## DarkDesires814 (Apr 8, 2007)

I'm not sure if any of those babies are looking for homes, but if they are please email me. I have been searching for a double rex for quite a while now and have gone so far as to plan multiple breedings to get some. My email address is [email protected] and yes, if you're thinking "well someone is a little desperate" I am.


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## Gizzmo_2m (Mar 8, 2009)

ok why cant you breed two petstore rats? what if they are both healthy and quarantined properly. like i have a rat and my sister wants to get one but we have a small house so if we have to quarantine we have to put it in the farthest room with open windows so if she gets a girl i wouldnt be able to have them breed? i just think that getting a special breed rat will be to much money and we wont be able to breed at all. Please help


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## zombunny (Dec 9, 2008)

Gizzmo_2m said:


> ok why cant you breed two petstore rats? what if they are both healthy and quarantined properly. like i have a rat and my sister wants to get one but we have a small house so if we have to quarantine we have to put it in the farthest room with open windows so if she gets a girl i wouldnt be able to have them breed? i just think that getting a special breed rat will be to much money and we wont be able to breed at all. Please help


You should not be breeding your rats at all. If you get a second rat, make sure it is the same sex or that they do not cohabitate. Leave breeding to the professionals, please.


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## Gizzmo_2m (Mar 8, 2009)

THEN HOW DO YOU BECOME A _PROFESSIONAL!_
im sick and tired of hearing it. you know that it isnt all about that!
Explain how people take care of accidental litters! i can do it to u know. im actually smart enough to learn and know things.


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## ration1802 (Sep 25, 2007)

> ok why cant you breed two petstore rats? what if they are both healthy and quarantined properly.


As explained in your other thread on this subject, pet store rats have terrible genetics. To breed healthy animals you don't just need healthy (as in the 'haven't gotten sick') parents, but good and healthy genes that they will pass on to their offspring. THIS is why you don't breed petstore rats and this is why many of us deteste people who do, as regardless of what the intentions may be, you are just creating more 'mess' for owners who love their pets to clean up.




> i just think that getting a special breed rat will be to much money and we wont be able to breed at all.


There are no 'special breed rats'. On par, breeders sell their rats at a few dollars (not extautionate amounts) higher than pet shop rats. If you can't afford a rat from a breeder, then don't get the rat period, as how are you possibly going to afford vet bills should they arise. Many breeders also make you sign a contract saying that you will not breed their rats, some say without their permission, some say not at all.



> THEN HOW DO YOU BECOME A PROFESSIONAL


I explained this in your other thread, but it is through research, knowledge and finally through breeding experience. BUT! The breeding experience comes after the knowlege, research and usually mentoring by an existing knowledgable breeder.



> Explain how people take care of accidental litters! i can do it to u know. im actually smart enough to learn and know things.


I really don't understand your hostility. If you are smart enough to learn things, why are you not listening to everything you have been told so far or read on the forum? Accidental litters are not breeding experience. Actual breeding goes far beyond the babies and the getting homes for them.

If you want babies, if you want to raise them etc etc etc, go looking for a pregant female in a rescue, or foster one. That way you get all your cute babies without adding to the problem as a whole.


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## Gizzmo_2m (Mar 8, 2009)

ok nevermind about that forum becuase that was yesterday so i think you should stop talking about it. But good idea :-\


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## ration1802 (Sep 25, 2007)

My bad, I didn't realise we had time restraints on replying now :


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## lilspaz68 (Feb 24, 2007)

Gizzmo_2m said:


> ok nevermind about that forum becuase that was yesterday so i think you should stop talking about it. But good idea :-\


HAHAHA, if you look at her post, you will notice that she actually posted YESTERDAY, so your time constraint doesn't count. And yes you post an idiotic question, we answer and you tell us that you don't care, we shouldn't answer because it was "yesterday", etc.

DO NOT forget this is a public forum. The more educated members often have to go around repudiating bad information put up, because everyone, not just YOU, reads these, and we need the right information to be posted for all time.


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## Gizzmo_2m (Mar 8, 2009)

geez you guys are jerks. what did i ever do to you? i said those questions becuase i got angry chill out. i didnt know there was a specific rule where if i was done talking about a thread in the past that i would get in trouble for saying i was done. Wow public police much


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## sqweg (Mar 11, 2009)

i wish i lived over were you live because i would have loved to give one of those rats a home. i have read some of the other replies you have reciseved and i understand that it was not your fault. om gutted i dont live near you i think they would be really cute. good look rehoming them.


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