# Double Rex



## FunkyRes (May 24, 2008)

Other than usually looking rather fugly, are there any detrimental effects of a double rex rat?


----------



## Mana (Apr 22, 2007)

Double-rex and hairless rats have a higher metabolism than furred rats. It's harder for them to keep warm, since they don't have any fur. They're more easily scratched and cut without the protection of fur. And it's kind of hard to pet them ^^; Other than those things, they're just like other rats. Oh, they tend to be smaller as well.


----------



## ration1802 (Sep 25, 2007)

Hairless rats are beautiful creatures. Many consider them anything but 'fugly'. 

In addition to above; They suffer generally from more eye issues and have a greater likelihood of getting abscesses and cysts than regular furred rats also.

I've found mixed experiences with their cuddle and pet-ability, but I personally find mine as cuddly, if not more so in the case of Jack and Gus, than furries.

Really though, beyond the odd nail trim, a little extra bedding and an extra protein loaded treat every now and again, their care isn't much different


----------



## beanieboo-rattles (Jan 3, 2008)

FunkyRes said:


> Other than usually looking rather fugly, are there any detrimental effects of a double rex rat?


That comment about hairless / double rex rats , was totally uneeded and utterly thoughtless. Many people own and love hairless rats so youre comment about them being "fugly" would be taken as extremly rude. 

Please keep personal appearence preferences to yourself in future.


----------



## Marysmuse (Apr 28, 2008)

Ummm Well, I'd have to go with ugly, too. Maybe leave off the "f"... That was a little harsh. Hey, ratties have feelings too!  :wink: But of course everybody has their own preferences... some people (obviously) love hairless. 

What's a double rex? For that matter, what's a rex? We have a rex bunny, with no guard hairs, so she has that super-soft coat. Is a rex rat the same?

Rejoicing in the day,
-Mary


----------



## ration1802 (Sep 25, 2007)

I'm no expert in the genetics of what makes what .. but basically a 'rex' rat has curly/wavy fur.

A double rex is the product of two rex rats - producing a mutation that causes the rat to lose it's hair. (Is that right?)

And I actually have to agree, FunkyRes, the use of "fugly" I actually took to be very offensive. It wasn't necessary to the question really, was it?


----------



## KayRatz (Apr 5, 2007)

I didn't like hairless at first but I've grown to love them and hope to own one someday XD


----------



## FunkyRes (May 24, 2008)

BeanieBoo-Rattles said:


> FunkyRes said:
> 
> 
> > Other than usually looking rather fugly, are there any detrimental effects of a double rex rat?
> ...


I'm sorry - I did not intend to offend anyone with that remark.
I asked because I am potentially considering adopting one (not for a little while) - I don't consider aesthetic beauty to be important in selection of a pet, I often like oddballs that the general population considers to be less than aesthetic.

I do apologize though, I should have picked my wording better.


----------



## Marysmuse (Apr 28, 2008)

Oh, that's bizzare. I should think losing hair would be a bad side-effect. 
Weird...

Rejoicing in the day,
-Mary


----------



## ration1802 (Sep 25, 2007)

Ahhh I'm glad you're looking to join the ranks of Little Pink Alien lovers!

"Take me to your finger"


----------



## beanieboo-rattles (Jan 3, 2008)

that pic is adoreable


----------



## MariHxc (May 23, 2007)

i'd be lost without my little nakie. i think everyone should at least have one.


----------



## CaptainFlow (May 16, 2007)

Why would adopt an animal you consider "fugly"? I don't really get that. I'm a mutt lover in dogs, but I still prefer my own animals to be the cute mutts! Though I am very much aware that cute is completely subjective, as evidenced by some of the extremely not-cute (to me) purebred dogs out there. 

If it's the stigma of being weird you desire, furry rats usually work for the majority of the population. And there are lots of furry rats out there that need help.


----------



## Marysmuse (Apr 28, 2008)

Yeah, and I'm sure there are naked rats needing homes too. 

Good luck with your "aliens". 

Rejoicing in the day,
-Mary


----------



## FunkyRes (May 24, 2008)

CaptainFlow said:


> Why would adopt an animal you consider "fugly"? I don't really get that. I'm a mutt lover in dogs, but I still prefer my own animals to be the cute mutts! Though I am very much aware that cute is completely subjective, as evidenced by some of the extremely not-cute (to me) purebred dogs out there.
> 
> If it's the stigma of being weird you desire, furry rats usually work for the majority of the population. And there are lots of furry rats out there that need help.


It has nothing to do with a stigma of being weird.
I already own many snakes - that makes me plenty weird in the eyes of the "normal".

Maybe it was just the way I was raised, value was not put on aesthetics - the whole "don't judge a book by its cover" thing. Again I apologize for calling it "fugly" but from the photos of them I have seen, they are less appealing to the eye than most rats. That does not however devalue them as pets. Additional health consideration that drive up vet bills might though, which is why I asked. IE - albino Iguanas are very troublesome because they need UVB to properly process their diet, yet without Melanin in their skin, that UVB light causes cancer and blindness, so an albino Iguana is a poor choice for a pet, and IMHO it is ethically wrong to intentionally produce them.

I do like the unusual, but not because of any masochistic desire be labeled weird or unusual by others. I just find the unusual to be more interesting.


----------



## A1APassion (Jul 29, 2007)

the hairless rats that are generally found in pet stores these days are almost always prone to lots of health issues because they are being mass produced as feeders for the herp crowd. They tend to believe that lack of hair is better for the digestion of their pets. 

I did my research prior to getting our first "alien" & I really thought I found a great source. We came to find out that pretty much everything we read about them was pretty much dead on. 

All I can say is do your research, more research & once you think you have it pretty well figured out... research it a bit more.

I lost my dear Fluffy & everyone of her babies (yup, the dreaded buy 1 rat get a litter free saga). Everyone of the babies died one by one for 2 months & then a couple months after that Fluffy had a sudden decline & passed quietly snuggled up in the crook of my arm. This was the same place the rest did except for Smeagol. He never even let on he was sick. I literally look away from him for about 5 seconds after putting him back in his cage & he was laying there motionless. All I did was reach down to pick up his food bowl. I couldn't see paying for a necropsy for each rat so the vet & I went on our best instincts based on each of our research & both came to the conclusion that it was genetic & that it was kidney related. Kidney issues & lactation issues seem to be two of the leading problems with many hairless rats & Fluffy also suffered this issue. She was a wonderful mother but it was I who fed these babies. She stopped producing milk within the first two weeks after they were born. 

Now on the bright side... I have a surrendered rat that is hairless & she seems to be doing pretty good. She is approximately 1 year old, she did have a litter prior to being in my care & she was able to nurse the babies that survived. I believe it was only 4 babies. 

I know many people have very happy stories with their hairless rats but before you get one for the oddity of having one please research this variety & understand what you are getting yourself into. Having a pet for the shock factor or for wowing friends or simply satisfying an impulse to have the unique/interesting pet can get you in way over your head if you don't know both the pro's as well as the con's of what having this wow pet.

Good luck


----------



## FunkyRes (May 24, 2008)

A1APassion said:


> the hairless rats that are generally found in pet stores these days are almost always prone to lots of health issues because they are being mass produced as feeders for the herp crowd. They tend to believe that lack of hair is better for the digestion of their pets.


I never heard that - and I've been keeping herps since I was 9.
The "feeder rats" I buy as F/T and the "feeder rats" that are sold at pet stores that cater to rats are almost always black hooded. Sometimes PEW and sometimes Black but almost always black hooded.

The "Naked" rats I've seen in pet stores generally are priced to high to be feeders.


----------



## CaptainFlow (May 16, 2007)

Okay, fair enough. I'm still not sure I get it, it's not quite how I chose pets, but that obviously doesn't, and shouldn't, matter to you. 

Good luck finding some cute little nakkies! They'll melt your heart.


----------



## Marysmuse (Apr 28, 2008)

Sorry for the gross-out factor... But snake owners usually want the hair as fiber for their snakes' diet. 

I'd say what's happening in your area is, someone's breeding them on a large enough scale to sell cheaply to the petshop. Whatever's cheap is generally sold as a "feeder", whether it's the best quality or not.

Sad, actually.

Rejoicing in the day,
-Mary


----------



## Ophelia (May 25, 2008)

CaptainFlow said:


> Why would adopt an animal you consider "fugly"? I don't really get that.


Why would you pass up an animal that needs a home just because it's "fugly"?? If you think about it it's the people out there who are willing to take in "ugly" pets who are the most valuable. 99% of people at the shelter are looking for a cute animal only and have no interest in ugly pets. So many dogs and cats with amazing personalities end of being euthed just because people weren't interested in them because of their looks.
I have had a couple adoption dogs that were downright hideous. I adopted them because they had nice personalities and I knew that they had already been passed over several times in favor of cuter guys at the shelter. The dog I have right now is one who isn't much to look at.
Kudos to anyone who adopts an animal that isn't quite as attractive as it could be. And shame on those who won't love a pet just because it's "ugly". I have respect for the OP. They think hairless rats are unattractive but are still willing to give one a good home. That's what I would to too if one needed a home and I don't like the way they look either.


----------



## A1APassion (Jul 29, 2007)

I was only writing about what I am have been told by various pet shops. Most who sell them as pet only won't sell the hairless variety as feeders, thus the higher price since they fall into that "fancy" category. They tell me that as soon as they catch on that someone is buying any of their "fancy" stock, they discontinue selling to that customer because it is obvious that the pets are not going home as pets. One location takes this to heart because the shop is owned by a man who is a huge fan of rats & he said he simply can't stand the thought of those he considers pet stock going out of his store as food. He can't even personally sell the feeders because of his love for rats, so he has one of his associates that is ok with it do it & he also told me that he won't make any employee do this if it bothers him. Why would he sell feeders at all... it's business & in these times no one is going to turn away business. What I have also heard commented on is that many of the herp folk will gladly pay the higher price for a rat out of the fancy bin because they believe they are buying a healthier animal. Why would you go out of pocket hundreds of dollars on a pet & then get cheap when it comes to properly feeding it? Heck, most of us have been able to get our rats for $5 or less but we will special order the best food out there & pay the shipping fee just to get it to us. Right?? 

Maybe it is a trend in Florida... I really don't know because I am not a world traveler. What I do know is that every shop I canvased in my search for hairless rats were shops where their primary business is a reptiles/exotics store. Any day of the week one could walk in & find large amounts of hairless rats that they openly admit that their customers prefer them to the furred rats & yes, they fetched a higher than standard feeder price for them & no one walked out complaining about paying a few bucks more for them. As for the comment about fiber... keep in mind, there is a long period of time in a hairless rats life that is has a fair amount of fuzz so if it is fiber you are talking about, they are getting it. The rats don't completely shed out until they are young adults (4 to 6 months) & many hairless rats keep some fuzz around the head & tail region.

I have never kept snakes or other exotics that require little furry critters as food. I did have an Iguana some 10 yrs ago but he didn't eat that. So I don't know much about what they need to eat regarding fiber. 

This isn't the place to discuss herp diets so I think maybe it is best we not go that direction & I am sorry that my follow up post is going that direction. My only reason for bringing it up was because of what I found out... hairless rats were being mass bred (at least in a very large area of FL) in order to keep up with feeeder demands so the specific care in breeding for longevity & personality was not the first thoughts running through the minds of those who supply the shops (at least the shops in that I have searched from Tampa, over to Orlando & down south all the way to Miami. I checked as many sources as I could for over 6 months while looking to get my first hairless rat. This trek started out roughly 2 1/2 yrs ago. I have since stopped looking since we had such a heartbreaking experience & I now I would only obtain them via a surrender. 

If you do get your hairless rat I truly hope you find a good buddy because I absolutely loved all of the nakeds I had & I would never change the fact that I did have them in my life... even if for only a short time.


----------



## Ophelia (May 25, 2008)

A1APassion said:


> the hairless rats...are being mass produced as feeders for the herp crowd. They tend to believe that lack of hair is better for the digestion of their pets.


I have to join in even though someone else has already commented on this and say that in my experience nothing could be further from the truth.
I can tell from this comment that you have not owned snakes, because I have been owning them for ten years and have never yet met even one person who said that hairless rats are preferred for feeding.
Responsible owners of snakes feed their pets f/t mice and rats. F/t stands for frozen/thawed. The only responsible owners who feed live are people who own a snake that refuses f/t prey and these people are almost always working on switching their snakes to f/t. Just it takes time. There are no hairless f/t rats (that I have ever seen or heard of) and if there was a huge demand for hairless rats as feeders you can bet that the companies who sell the frozen feeders would be offering them. Since there are no hairless rats being sold frozen obviously the demand for them is minimal.
I think that whoever told you this was just pulling your leg, because like I said I'm a longtime veteran of snake owning and was even a member of a reptile club for a while some years ago and never heard this.


----------



## Marysmuse (Apr 28, 2008)

I agree with Ophelia. I don't know why there's a trend in FL, but it's apparently localized.

Keep in mind, some of us who've owned snakes in the past loved them as much as you love your ratties. 

I agree, in general, that this isn't the place to talk about "feeders" as it upsets some people, but the subject does come up. I've seen it handled respectfully by both herp and rat owners, so I see no reason to censor it completely. There's even a thread on it, which I think covered the subject pretty well. No need to re-visit old arguments.

Rejoicing in the day,
-Mary


----------



## Buggzter (Feb 13, 2008)

hmmm... I've never seen any hairless ones in my area (sarasota/manatee counties), and I've gone to each pet store in the area, especially in Manatee county, many times and I've only seen furry ratties...  Especially with the start of my rattie mischief, I likely would have picked one up and given them a good home, even if it wasn't as long as the furry-types'. But, apparently, in Fort Myers there is a flea market that has them there constantly in not small numbers (maybe 1-2 dozen, I think the girl said...)... *sigh* If it wouldn't help propagate the demand for the furless babes thus more raised in poor conditions, I'd go and pick out a couple when I have some more room... *cough* Need a house of my own, not a rental... *cough*

But I like the double rexes - CUTE!!!! Rrxrr means 1/4 babes will be rex, RrxRr means 1/4 will be a double/hairless, 2 rex and one standard, RRxrr is all rex, RRxRr will be half rex half double rex/hairless, and RRxRR will all be hairless like the parents!  YAY ALIENS!!!

Oh, and my hubby thinks they are ugly too, yet he can't help but pet and hold Lady Godiva... :mrgree:


----------



## VioletRooster (Apr 11, 2008)

I have three... two Double Rex and then one who is... I don't know what but he stays neked all the time. He is cute and cuddly and friendly. My Double Rex ones don't like to be held as much... and I personally think my double rex male is the ugliest thing to walk this earth!!! Well not always, but when he's in the "patchy" stage... but I still love him to bits!


----------



## lovinmyworm (Feb 18, 2008)

I'm going to go another way with this and say that nakies are some of the ugliest little critters. However, that doesn't mean they aren't lovable, little creatures. Lets think of it this way....

You meet some really pretty girl or guy on the street, your thinking to yourself "wow this person is gorgeous" but after you get to know them you suddenly think to yourself how ugly this person is. Or you meet a ugly person on the street, but their personality is one that makes them beautiful. 

Nakies are kind of like that. They aren't particularly "cute", but their personalities make them that way to their owners. I've owned nakies before and honestly they are ugly, but I love them just the same and after getting to know them they were cute to me. Friends would make comments about my weird looking rats, but I just couldn't see it anymore after I got to know them. They were pretty to me! 

Anyways, I always had problems with my nakies in the cage with other rats if I didn't keep their nails really filed down. Their skin is really suceptable to scratches and normal rat fights will happen if they are furred or not so they are far more likely to get scratched and then get an abscess because of infection than furred babies are. Also, they eat almost twice as much as the other rats and are hard to keep warm in the winter. I used little cubes for them to keep the heat in better. Also, don't forget the sun screen if taking them outside. They can get sun burn really quickly.


----------



## MariHxc (May 23, 2007)

i don't know. i think it depends on the hairless. i've seen some which were awkward looking, then others who made my heart melt... i mean come on.. look at this face!


----------



## ration1802 (Sep 25, 2007)

I agree, it depends on the hairless. My Daphne is a beautiful hairless, but my big blobby saggy-skinned Jack and Gus are more personality rats than 'omg, sooo pretty' rats.

Mind you, I'm completely biased. I will look at any hairless and think they are god's gift to nature. Looks like the ugly wagon trollied off and left me behind because I can honestly say they are some of the sweetest, cutest creatures I've ever laid my eyes on :lol:


----------



## MariHxc (May 23, 2007)

Ration1802 said:


> but my big blobby saggy-skinned Jack and Gus are more personality rats than 'omg, sooo pretty' rats.


:lol: i think your boys are adorable though. their pictures make me laugh everytime and i have no idea why.


----------

