# Adorable fat rat...& Another video I found



## Berks (May 15, 2007)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WT9twD_rHlI


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## Darksong17 (Feb 11, 2007)

*Re: Adorable fat rat*

On one hand it's _adorable_.... on the other I'm rather concerned about the rats weight =/


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## Berks (May 15, 2007)

*Re: Adorable fat rat*

yea...adorable how he loves the music and is just veggin there, but I do believe the rats health weightwise is not a good thing.


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## twitch (Jan 4, 2007)

*Re: Adorable fat rat*

wow! that's a big rat!


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## RambunctiousRatzSFL (Dec 11, 2007)

*Re: Adorable fat rat*

looks to be a zucker rat


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## sunbirdx (Dec 1, 2007)

*Re: Adorable fat rat*

Awww, I bet he likes the vibrations, what a cutie. Porky as heck, but cute!


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## Katherose (Nov 20, 2007)

*Re: Adorable fat rat*

Wow.... That's cute!!


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## Sami (Dec 11, 2007)

*Re: Adorable fat rat*

That's so cute. :3
My younger brother plays guitar really well, but my future ratties will never get to hear _how_ well, because I live on the other side of the country from him and the rest of my family.

Was that rat bruxing in the last scene?


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## Berks (May 15, 2007)

*Re: Adorable fat rat*

Yea, you could see her muscles moving from the bruxing and the boggling for just a bit


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## Phobie (Jun 3, 2007)

*Re: Adorable fat rat*

That is a grossly overweight rat. D'oh.


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## Kimmiekins (Apr 14, 2007)

*Re: Adorable fat rat*

Cute, and adorable with the boggling, but oh so obese. My thought is also that she may be a Zucker rat, but I would assume not under treatment, given her size. Her poor body... Zucker rat or not, she needs a strict diet and (if a Zucker) treatment.


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## twitch (Jan 4, 2007)

*Re: Adorable fat rat*

ok, maybe my mind is just fried from all the exams (just finished my last one too-WOOT!) but i can't for the life of me remember what a zucker rat is let alone what treatment it would need. what comes to mind is a genetically obese rat with an illness of something that i can't remember.... can anyone help me refresh my memory here?


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## Kimmiekins (Apr 14, 2007)

*Re: Adorable fat rat*

Zucker rats are a substrain that have a faulty leptin receptor - which is a molecule that binds the receptors in the hypothalamus. The rat never feels full, because the leptin can't bind to faulty receptors. So the rat eats and eats. They often (or always? I'm not sure completely...) have type II non-insulin-dependent diabetes. Also, heart, lung and bone/joint problems. Much the same as extremely obese humans.


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## cjshrader (Feb 15, 2007)

*Re: Adorable fat rat*



Kimmiekins said:


> Zucker rats are a substrain that have a faulty leptin receptor - which is a molecule that binds the receptors in the hypothalamus. The rat never feels full, because the leptin can't bind to faulty receptors. So the rat eats and eats. They often (or always? I'm not sure completely...) have type II non-insulin-dependent diabetes. Also, heart, lung and bone/joint problems. Much the same as extremely obese humans.


Nerd!


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## Berks (May 15, 2007)

*Re: Adorable fat rat*

lol!!!


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## Kimmiekins (Apr 14, 2007)

*Re: Adorable fat rat*

*shrug* Given I could come across one, not really.


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## Berks (May 15, 2007)

I keep coming across videos...This is one of some rats diving under water 
for treats. 
I dont think I could ever get my girls to do this. I think they would be traumatized!
http://vidsearch.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=vids.individual&videoid=23334649


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## Sparker (Jun 17, 2007)

My rats do that. They love it.

Anyway, Kimmiekins, I had never heard of a Zucker (is that what you said?) rat.

I recently adopted a rat named Sam and she is OBESE. When I adopted her, she weighed over 25oz and she has barely lost any weight.

She is on a diet, doesn't get treats, etc. She also exercises every day.

I have been blowing through food like I have never seen. I have to ration her food, because if I don't, she will eat as much as my OTHER THREE RATS all by herself. 

Gah. 

I work with vets and none of them had ever mentioned it. But then again, they work mostly with dogs and cats.


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## Kimmiekins (Apr 14, 2007)

Could be a Zucker. I've never seen one in person myself, but you might want to do a Google search. Zucker rats is what you'd look for. Might test her for diabetes... It may indicate something. I honestly don't know HOW one realizes a rat is a Zucker, but you may find something about it in searches. I believe you can find a diet for Zucker rats. There's certain things that I think you'd want to keep them from eating. They're fascinating from a scientific standpoint... They use them in labs for finding out about obesity, heart disease and diabetes. It's almost like compulsive overeater's, though with the rats, the problem isn't psychological, it's physical.


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## Sparker (Jun 17, 2007)

Interesting. When I have more time, I will google it. If you want, I'll send you some of the more interesting info...

 Thank you!


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## Charlet_2007 (Nov 10, 2007)

he boggled at the end lol


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## twitch (Jan 4, 2007)

thanks for clearing up the zucker rats for me. i remember reading about them now. though it was mostly just what you said anyway. 

but how in world do you teach a rat to swim like that. i think most of mine would just kangaroo out of the tub.


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## rat_ratscal (Sep 23, 2007)

that swimming one was cool, my girls are traumatized when their paws get wet! :roll: isnt it bad to get water in their ears?


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## Kimmiekins (Apr 14, 2007)

I'd like that, thanks Sparker. 

Rats are actually excellent swimmers. That's how they (wild) get from place to place. I'm thinking if you can start them young, they won't be so afraid... like humans.  I had a rescue litter that would dive and splash in the water when we set them up for pea fishing. They LOVED it... They looked like little kids playing in the pool.


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## twitch (Jan 4, 2007)

some of mine will play in water like that too but i doubt i would be able to convince them to go so far under water like that rat did. and others look at me as if i betrayed them but making their treats float in the evil water of doom... i wouldn't doubt their natural ability for swimming though. it seems that most animals CAN swim if they wanted to.


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## Night (Feb 23, 2007)

That's most definitely a Zucker rat. Poor thing


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