Increasingly, as pets, people give birth to rodents. Among them are guinea pigs, hamsters, squirrels and decorative rats. The latter are quick-witted, unpretentious in care and pretty nice. By the way, some seek to combine business with pleasure and try to breed animals at home. In the article, we will consider the basics of caring for a domestic rodent, the reproduction of rats and the characteristics of the existence of young animals.
What to feed?
Rats are almost omnivorous, but there are products that benefit them, and those that are not recommended for consumption. Moreover, you cannot feed rodents solely with crops. To ensure normal functioning, it is important that their diet is varied and balanced. A good owner is always attentive to the nutrition of his pet.
How to feed a rat at home:
- cereals;
- Beans
- nuts
- dried fruits;
- boiled and raw meat;
- a fish;
- cheese;
- boiled eggs;
- cottage cheese.
Decorative pets should not be given fruit bones. Some of them contain a toxic substance - amygladine. During decay, it releases hydrocyanic acid, which can cause acute poisoning. Most amigladine is found in the seeds of persimmons, apricots and citrus fruits. It is undesirable to feed them with almonds and grains from berries.
The list of non-recommended products for rodents includes the following:
- White cabbage;
- turnip;
- eggplant;
- radish;
- a pineapple;
- banana;
- sorrel.
House
Caring for a rat at home begins with arranging a home for the pet. The larger and more spacious the house, the better the rat will feel in it. The minimum cage size for one decorative specimen is 60 by 40 cm. If the cage rods are made of metal, the optimal size of the openings is 1.5 by 1.5 cm. Even if the pet decides to stick his head into the cage, he will not be injured. For a comfortable stay in a rat cage should be located:
- feeding trough;
- litter;
- drinking bowl for water.
Since rodents are active animals, it would be nice for them to organize a play area. There can be mazes, slides, stairs and other toys. The most favorite entertainment of rats is swinging in a hammock. It can be purchased at any pet store or made from available materials.
Bathing
Despite the widespread belief that domesticated rats love water, they are far from a swimmer. Water procedures can be complicated by the expressed resistance of the animal, but some pets are tolerant of this procedure - it all depends on individual characteristics. It is necessary to bathe an animal in the following cases:
- if the coat has an unpleasant odor;
- if the rodent is unwilling or unable to care for itself;
- when infected with parasites.
Diseases and vaccinations
Decorative rats are susceptible to various diseases of an infectious nature. If one of the following signs of malaise is present, the animal must be shown to the veterinarian:
- lethargy;
- poor appetite;
- discharge from the orbits or nose;
- tousled hair.
The most common causes of poor health are:
- salmonellosis;
- smallpox
- listeriosis;
- pasteurellosis.
If the owner does not have the appropriate education, it will be extremely difficult for him to remember the symptoms of each of the listed diseases and possible complications. However, with a careful attitude to the pet, the owner will immediately pay attention to the deterioration of his health and timely contact the veterinarian. Before breeding, the rat also needs to be shown to the doctor to identify hidden diseases.
Inappropriate care of a rat can trigger the development of parasitic diseases. In most cases, they are caused by the activity of various pathogenic microorganisms that quickly infect the rat. If a rodent comes in contact with other animals, it can become infected and become a carrier of infections such as helminths, lichen, scab. Unlike other pets, the anthelmintic treatment of rats is not carried out, treat the animal only after infection.
Decorative rats do not need any vaccinations, but if the animal was not purchased at a pet store, it must first be shown to a veterinarian to determine its condition and possible treatment.
Breeding types
The reproduction of rats in nature occurs throughout the year, it all depends on weather conditions. At the beginning of the mating season, the male pursues the females and cares for them, then mating occurs with each of them. Pregnancy lasts up to 24 days. Before the appearance of the babies, the female prepares a nest and supplies. Usually in a litter, up to 15 cubs are born. After a month, young animals are able to live independently, and by 12 months old grows to the size of an adult rat. The breeding rate in a pair of rodents in the wild, taking into account their offspring, reaches 2-3 thousand individuals per year.
Domestic rats are bred by crossing different types of breeds or maintaining the purity of a particular breed.
If we talk about purebred crosses, it is divided into the following types:
- Linear crossing. Such breeding involves crossing specimens that have a common ancestor. The resulting offspring is distinguished by a good genotype, hemizygosity is preserved, negative characteristics are eliminated.
- Inbreeding. The inbreeding method helps to strengthen high-breed qualities. Breeding in this way is characterized by studying the gene pool and selecting the best producers among the next of kin. Close inbreeding is often expressed by a reduced number of viable offspring, in order to avoid such an effect, individuals are selected under tight control.
- Outcrossing. This method is used in case of the necessary increase in the number of litter while maintaining their valuable qualities. Crossing involves individuals born through linear crossbreeding, but not having related ancestors in the fourth and later generation. To improve the performance of the breed, young animals with unsuitable genetic data are excluded from the litter.
- Outbreeding. Outbreeding allows breeding to improve breed performance and offspring health. For this, the best representatives of the breed that are not related are selected. However, as a disadvantage of this method of breeding, there is the possibility of manifestation of undesirable qualities in the offspring and a change in the proportions of the rodent with repeated use of the method.
Even rigorous selection and a variety of selection methods cannot guarantee an accurate result. Defects in the color, quality and length of the coat, health and the number of individuals in the litter may appear.
Preparation of male and female for crossbreeding
For breeding rats and obtaining healthy offspring, it is important to select healthy females and males with high breeding rates.
Female. If the female is primogenous, it is important to consider her age. For breeding, individuals older than five years, but not less than ten months old, are suitable. A female rat can become pregnant at 5-6 weeks, however, before 4 months, mating is highly not recommended. If she nevertheless brought posterity, then the crossing continues until one year.
Male. The male’s age and nutrition are fundamental to his sexual activity. You can begin to mate a rodent from 6 months of age and continue to do this throughout life. If mating at a young age was limited, then in a more mature period of life, its sexual activity is significantly reduced.
Knitting
Pets differ year-round breeding season. Rats that live on the street can produce offspring only in warm weather (the positive temperature in winter does not stop rodents).
How are rats mated at home? The male is planted in the female during estrus. Its onset occurs in the interval from 4 to 10 days and lasts for 24 hours. During this period, a change in the behavior of the animal is observed. Sometimes other females climb onto an individual with estrus, simulating false mating.
During this period, the rat's vaginal opening acquires a deep red color, opens slightly and becomes moist. Touching the pet, she arches her back and makes vibrating movements with her ears. As a rule, one individual of both sexes is sufficient for crossing, but in some cases the male is planted up to 3 females.
36 hours after giving birth, the female is again ready for fertilization, so it is better to remove the male from the cage.
Pregnancy
On average, the duration of pregnancy in domestic rats lasts 20-24 days. The first 10-15 days, no obvious signs of pregnancy are observed, but closer to delivery, the rat begins to build its nest.
Breeding rats at home involves providing enhanced nutrition. During pregnancy, apples, fish, eggs, cottage cheese, meat should be introduced into the diet of the animal.
Exclude from food: yolks, garlic, tomatoes, onions and grapes. If possible, give spring water.
Closer to delivery, you need to purchase or make a nest, give the female pieces of paper and fabric. In order not to cause stress in the animal, it is not recommended during this period to transfer the female to another cage and not to plant other rodents.
Gender and care
Female decorative rats are attentive parents. In the first week, the mother does not leave the rat pups; it is not recommended to pick them up. Sensing someone else's smell, she can eat newborns. It is important to provide a nursing rat with a complete diet.
A couple of weeks after breeding, domestic pups open their eyes. During this period, the temperature in the nest should not fall below 38 ° C. The third week is full of discoveries for kids: they become more active, are interested in the environment. Inspect the animals in order to determine the sex of the offspring is desirable only in the absence of the mother. Newborn females have small nipples.
Two weeks later, the animals try the surrounding objects on the tooth. They eat not only their own food, but also that which is intended for adults. To prevent the animals from being injured, all sharp objects must be removed from the cage. In the fifth week, newborn males are relocated because they can fertilize females.
Description of the young
Young decorative rats are born blind and deaf with a weight of 4-6 g. The first three weeks they depend on the mother. After 3-4 days, the ears of the rodents open, by the end of the first week, a woolen coat forms. Teeth erupt after 10 days.
By the end of the third week, the rodent's hair becomes thicker. They begin to clean it on their own and are already able to digest solid food. The full development of the rat is completed only after one year. Their growth and development is significantly affected by the diet, proteins and calcium should prevail in it.
Artificial Feeding
If the female refuses to self-feed or dies during childbirth, offspring can be released with the help of a baby formula. It is prepared as follows: 50 ml of ordinary milk of high fat content (or condensed) is mixed with 1 tablespoon of the mixture and 0.5 tablets of calcium. Use insulin syringes without a needle, which is convenient to feed cubs. The portion needs to be gradually increased. If possible, it is advisable to attach newborns to another female, but provided that she accepts them.
Breeding rats is an interesting activity that allows you to learn more about the life of a rodent.