# Large Pet Rats



## Kenowhereman (Aug 29, 2015)

Silly question, maybe, but where do you find large rats? My two girls are from Petco, from the "feeder" boxes. They're fully grown and they're both only a small handful, about 5 inches or so. Everyone I see with rats in videos have enormous rats that are big and huggable. Are there different breeds to look for?


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## moonkissed (Dec 26, 2011)

All of our pet rats are the same breed fancy rat (domesticated brown rat (Rattus norvegicus). There are not different breeds.

But rats can differ alot in size. It just depends on their lines. Just like some humans are tall and some are short 

If you want larger rats, males get quite a bit larger then females. In the videos it is likely you saw males. 
You can also contact a breeder with a line of rats that are a bit larger. 

There are also the gambian pouched rat, which is a completely different type of animal and not even really a rat but often people talk about them when wanting a big "rat". If you are in the US it is pretty much impossible to get them though as they are illegal to import.

I prefer sweet little petite rats myself


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## Gribouilli (Dec 25, 2015)

Also many of the largest pet rats you see might be overweight or even obese. Male rats tend on average to be less energetic than females so they can gain weight easily. Neutered male rats gain weight even more easily than intact male rats.


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## experimentallain (Jun 18, 2016)

If you want definitely large rats, go for boys, or (better yet) go for fully grown rats so you can see what size they are! There are lots of them at rat shelters.


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## Rat Daddy (Sep 25, 2011)

Our two largest girls weighed in at about 21 oz or perhaps a bit more. One was a bred for meat feeder rat and the other a show rat... The meat rat was a lot fatter, the show rat was just huge, but not fat. Both succumbed to mammary tumors.

We currently have rats from a breeder that breeds as small strain. The girls are well under a pound and slender. And so far they don't seem get mammary tumors and are very healthy. 

There appears to be a correlation between tumors and growth hormone, as in dwarf rats don't get tumors... I also prefer larger rats, and certain bred for meat rats get really large as do certain show strains... but I'm not sure the late in life health issues are worth the extra squishiness that larger rats provide.

On the other hand, if I knew of a large strain that didn't get tumors or have other health issues, I would definitely consider them. As to girls and boys... we have Spot and Lucky, Spot, the boy isn't large for a male rat, but is twice the size of Lucky his sister and they are from the same litter.


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## Fu-Inle (Jan 22, 2015)

Fancy rats seem to come in two main sizes, slender and potato.


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