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Post by pinkyandthebrain on Feb 20, 2009 17:38:10 GMT 10
Hi everyone, Just noticed that my boys (Who I thought where PEW) are getting hood markings (Although faint) I looked it up and found that there adult coats (With markings) comes in around 12-14 weeks old. Is this an accruate way to figure out there age (As the pet shop had no idea at time of purchase!). Thanks  ;D |
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Post by Leeann on Feb 22, 2009 9:11:18 GMT 10
Some colors are very faint, so rats may look like a pew but are actually hooded.
Do you have any pics of when you got them and of them now, we might be able to help with an estimate of age from them.
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Post by Kim on Feb 24, 2009 12:05:10 GMT 10
Its true that around 12-14 weeks age they will basically have their adult coat, so it makes it easier to tell colour mainly, once the rat is 14 weeks old or older.
As colours like dove and mink can look very similar until the Minks start to darken up and get a masked look.
But like Leeann said some colours are very faint so its not always easy to tell ages of rats.
If a rat looked like a PEW and is now starting to get hooded markings it could be as young as 6 weeks old or as old as 12 weeks.
Champagne is an off white colour so many PEW's that start to get hooded markings tend to be Champagne Hoodeds if its very pale.
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Post by alissadee on Mar 1, 2009 18:00:29 GMT 10
Does that mean that you could have a baby rat say 4 weeks old that shows hooded markings but that actually changes colour when older to a certain extent??
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Post by Kim on Mar 1, 2009 19:24:25 GMT 10
Yes .. especially with the colour Mink.
At 4 weeks old you will have a pale silver/grey hooded baby, but as that baby gets older that pale silver/grey will start to become a dark grey.
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Post by alissadee on Mar 1, 2009 19:26:59 GMT 10
Oh ok what about blue?  |
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Post by Kim on Mar 1, 2009 23:01:32 GMT 10
It would depend on if the Blue was a pale powder blue or just a Blue.
Blue tends to be very similar to Mink.
Of course I dont breed blues myself due to having had them as pets and having many of them die from strokes and other internal bleeds.
So I've never really experienced Blue's right from Pinkie stage up to the Adult stage.
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Post by vandemanrats on Mar 16, 2009 12:48:18 GMT 10
Just to get a little off topic here but i once had a very healthy adult black and white hooded male rat and after a while his coat became very rough to the touch?? I took him to the vet and they said that he was healthy and that their was nothing wrong with what i fed him or the beding in his cage, but as i said it went from being nice and soft to very course over a couple of weeks (about 6 months old when this started). He lasted about 6 years before he finally died. Was the vet right or wrong? He was the only one to do that on me thats all Regards Nikkie |
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Post by wulfyskingdom on Mar 16, 2009 21:33:14 GMT 10
it could be too much male hormones, I've heard if males are desexed their fur gets softer so its more like a girl's fur, maybe it can do the opposite?
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hermit
Aussie Rat Owner 
Posts: 19
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Post by hermit on Mar 17, 2009 16:56:52 GMT 10
Boys usually have a coarser coat than a females its quite normal.
I do have silkies males for sale currently and there coat stays softer than an average adult male. They are such gorgeous boys too. Helping rehome for a friend.
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Post by Kim on Mar 17, 2009 17:20:48 GMT 10
I'd be interested ina Silky boy if you think they would be anything that would suit me as I no longer have any breedable silky males or females.
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Post by Australian Rat Forum on Mar 18, 2009 10:29:36 GMT 10
He lasted about 6 years before he finally died. I was just wondering if you had proof that this rat lived to be 6 years old, as I know people in the rat world here in Australia who have been with rats for years and years and none have ever had a rat live more than 4 years. 95% of rats die between the ages of 18 months and 3 years. With just a handful living close to 4 years. I'm not saying thatyou are lying about having a rat who lived for 6 years. I am saying its a bloody miracle to have a rat live to 6 years and it would be great to see proof that rats can on very, very rare occassions live that long. As in human age a rat that gets to be 4 years old would be equal to a human being 120 years old. So that would make a rat that is 6 years old close to 200 years in human time.  |
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hermit
Aussie Rat Owner
Posts: 19
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Post by hermit on Mar 18, 2009 11:25:15 GMT 10
Hiya Kim Of course you can have a silky boy will pm you the photo's so you can take your pick. Thought you'd got over GMR  LOL ..... |
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Post by Kim on Mar 18, 2009 12:06:17 GMT 10
Great, as I've been looking for silky rats again for a while now. My last Silky boy died recently and he was over 2 years old. So although I have a couple of Carasilk boys I have no Silky boys. I do have 3 Silky girls but one is 18 months old and the other 2 are both 28 months old, so too old for breeding. I have a Carsilk girl who I will be breeding to her brother in April and I would love to breed her to a Silky boy for a second litter later on. |
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Post by vandemanrats on Mar 18, 2009 21:10:12 GMT 10
He lasted about 6 years before he finally died. I was just wondering if you had proof that this rat lived to be 6 years old, as I know people in the rat world here in Australia who have been with rats for years and years and none have ever had a rat live more than 4 years. 95% of rats die between the ages of 18 months and 3 years. With just a handful living close to 4 years. I'm not saying thatyou are lying about having a rat who lived for 6 years. I am saying its a bloody miracle to have a rat live to 6 years and it would be great to see proof that rats can on very, very rare occassions live that long. As in human age a rat that gets to be 4 years old would be equal to a human being 120 years old. So that would make a rat that is 6 years old close to 200 years in human time. lol I understand completely, With all new pets into my home, as i breed ferrets as well, all new pets go into quarantine and undergo a full vet check before they are introduced to the established pets, the same went for Gizmo1 (black and white Hooded rat), he was 4 weeks old when i got him, passed his vet check with flying colours, mind you from 4 years 7 months he started to go down hill condition wise, but seemed healthy in every other respect, all my ferrets get a yearly check up, the rats get checked every 6 months, every time i brought the old boy in the vet was stunned he was still going, by the time he was 6yrs though he was anorexic, and slightly anemic and we decided to put him to sleep, believe you me there is not a time when i look at my rats and not remember him, Gizmo2 has the exact same temperment and thats why he was named the same, it's kind of like having my furry friend back. Regards Nikkie |
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LOL .....