# Squishy rat



## Hikari (Feb 5, 2013)

My rat Ditzy is squishy, I know she was used as a breeder, but so was Star and she isn't squishy. Ditzy is a fairly small rat and she doesn't feel fat just has a lot of extra skin which gives her the squishy look/feel. 
Ditzy is fairly active in her cage, she loves to run in the wheel, she has wheel tail from her last home having to small of a wheel. Outside the cage she wants to cuddle. 
Does anyone else have a 1+ year old retired breeder rat that is squishy. Is this normal thing?

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## zurfaces (Jan 16, 2013)

I have a rat that had 4 litters and oh man she is squishy. Lots of extra skin like you said she is also my laziest

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## Daize (Jun 8, 2013)

OK,
I have to ask. What makes a rat "squishy"?


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## Hikari (Feb 5, 2013)

zurfaces said:


> I have a rat that had 4 litters and oh man she is squishy. Lots of extra skin like you said she is also my laziest
> 
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Ok, I feel better then! Ditzy is by far not the laziest rat I have, I am pretty sure her daughter Twilight takes the cake there! I am not really sure how many litters she had, but at least 3 that I know about I am sure there was a lot more than that though.

As for what makes a rat squishy, I don't know exactly LOL, it was just the only way I could think to describe her. She isn't fat, but I could probably make another rat out of the extra skin she has. I'll try to get a picture of what I am talking about. 

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## zurfaces (Jan 16, 2013)

Well Quinn isn't lazy but she is more relaxed and chill than her cage mates

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## Rumy91989 (Dec 31, 2012)

I'd say the squishy quality is that they feel like you can squish them/are squishing them when you hold them. Most rats feel pretty solid, squishy rats feel a bit like a pillow. I have two very squishy girls, both retired breeders. Their squish is different from the fat on my Euphie. I think it's just from the skin expanding during pregnancy and never quite resetting.


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## zurfaces (Jan 16, 2013)

This thread is making me miss my squishy baby. ;'( going to have to call off work to go home and snuggle her. 

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## Flora (Aug 30, 2012)

I love squishy rats! They are so cuddly!


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## Hikari (Feb 5, 2013)

Flora said:


> I love squishy rats! They are so cuddly!


They do seem extra cuddly!  

Does anyone have a squishy rat that isn't a retired breeder? Or is that just just how rats become squishy?


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## Jenzie (Dec 26, 2012)

Older males tend to get squishy. Ratigan has been SUPER squishy since he was about 10 months old. I don't think females tend to unless of course they were bred or I guess if thy used to be really overweight and then slimmed down, they might also have loose skin.


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## Hikari (Feb 5, 2013)

Fluttershy and Twilight seem like they have the makings of becoming a squishy rat, but neither have ever been used for breeding. I think because they has this awesome ragdoll quality it makes them seem like they could become squishy. 

I wonder if becoming squishy could be linked to genetics as well? Ditzy is Twilights mom, and Twilight feels like when she gets older she will be squishy, Twilights dad is also a HUGE squishy rat! I don't know about Fluttershy background since she was from petsmart.


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## LightningWolf (Jun 8, 2012)

I love my Squishies  after watching Nemo again I really feel compelled just to start calling all male rats Squishy.

I'm not sure if it's linked to genetics. I think it's more linked to diet and overall health. Good nutrition and you get a squishy, bad or poor nutrition and you either get no squishy (a very skinny rat) or too much squishy, and too mush squishy isn't good (means they are probably overweight or obese). Though medical conditions can also affect it. My 2 thyroid boys (they had/have either hypo or hyperthyroidism. Storm and Niko) were/are never squishy. Storm was basically a Brick, and Niko looks like a ferret, though he still has more body fat then Storm ever did. Could be genetic though, would explain the squishy difference (size difference) between siblings even if they live in the same group.

Oh, and I think from here on we need to declare Squishy a technical term, instead of just one we all agreed on was the proper way to describe a big rat that feels squishy, because I had a very hard time keeping a straight face writing the above. 

Also, am my the only one that has squishies who Never want to sit still? Soda, now 2, still thinks he can run a marathon and attempts to everyday, and he's my biggest squishy next to Bentley. (Bentley will probably beat him when he gets older and gets more squishy). He's more hyper then the baby boys who are now about 8 months old. At least when I named him I gave him a almost too fitting of a name.


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