# when do rats stop growing?



## luvmyratties (Jan 7, 2014)

Hello, I was woundering when do rats stop growing and how big do female rats get? and 9this is my last qwestian lol) when is rat conciterd a adult? 

Thanks! ox


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## Siringo (May 7, 2012)

Adult rats are 6+ months old, but stop growing at 8 months (give or take a month, depending on the rat). I'm not sure how long they are.. maybe 6-8 inches without the tail? My healthiest female rats are between 350-420 grams, if that helps.


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## alexn (Sep 30, 2012)

It varies, tbh. Yes, 8 months would generally be about right, but my Daisy had a huge growth spurt at about a year old. (Went from 225 to around 300 in the space of a few months).

In terms of weight, Poppy is my largest, at around 440, but she is a little tubby. Blossom on the other hand is rapidly catching up at about 425, and she's pretty muscly. I wouldn't be surprised if they hit 500 at some point - Poppy is nearly a year, Blossom is about 8 months.



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## Isamurat (Jul 27, 2012)

It depends masssively on the rat and when you define fully grown and adult lol. A rat can reach its full length anywhere from about 4 or 5 months to 7 or 8 months and even longer for a slow growing rat. However they are not done growing then, they often continue to put on bredth, especially bucks who broaden considerably from doe like rats into the typical broad faced buck depending on there testosterone levels, but even does will fill out and turn into women rather than gawky teenagers. This can still be happening past 12 months old. Porbably the latest i've seen a spurt is about 14 monhts in one of my bucks, but that was after an alpha had died and this often causes a surge in testosterone in the other rats in the group.


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## luvmyratties (Jan 7, 2014)

Thanks soo much everybbody! it really helped!!


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## Ilovemybabyrats (Feb 5, 2013)

I often wondered this because my babies are so small, almost a year and two months now and still not even the boys are as big as their mother. I thought they'd stopped growing, but I'm sure the babies seem to have grown a bit more recently. Not just weight wise, but they seem a little longer compaired to their mother. Still not as big as Nippy. I was worried because they seem so small, but except for Arrow the vet said they're all very healthy. Arrow's health issues have nothing to do with her size though. She had a bad case of pnumonia.


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## luvmyratties (Jan 7, 2014)

they must just be smaller rats!! one of my rats is alot smaller then most rats her age, shes very cute tho


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## Isamurat (Jul 27, 2012)

What are you feeding them on? Normally a buck will outgrow is mum fairly young.they could be genetically small but that mutation appears to be recessive so they shouldn't all be tiny. Sometimes nutrition can really slow down growth rate especially if they are missing something important


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## luvmyratties (Jan 7, 2014)

well, now that they are over 4 months I feed them oxbow rat block and somtimes I make my own mik I give them cherrios as a treat and fruits and veggies


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## alexn (Sep 30, 2012)

luvmyratties said:


> somtimes I make my own mik


Oo err.


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## Isamurat (Jul 27, 2012)

That sounds ok are they getting extra protien foods? Oxbow is only really suitable for adults on its own as its fairly low protien, though as good a block as youwill get.


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## luvmyratties (Jan 7, 2014)

I meant to say mix, like a mix food you can make, like subees, not mik


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## luvmyratties (Jan 7, 2014)

and yep I try to give them everything they need! the coats are shiny soft and healthy too and I feed them all organic vegges and fruit


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## Lovinmyratties (Jan 5, 2014)

What are the ox bow adult blocks? We feed our girls the ox now adult rat food and it's small triangle pieces..... Is that the same one?


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## nanashi7 (Jun 5, 2013)

Lovinmyratties said:


> What are the ox bow adult blocks? We feed our girls the ox now adult rat food and it's small triangle pieces..... Is that the same one?
> 
> 
> Sent from Petguide.com Free App


Yes, those are the blocks in question. 


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## luvmyratties (Jan 7, 2014)

yea I think its the same one lol


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