Bald rats: breed characterization and grooming tips

Exotic pets have been very popular lately. This trend was not spared by rodents, which are often bred as decorative pets. Today the bald rat is actively grown by many breeders, so fans of sphinxes can be found all over the world.

The rodent breed Hairless or just the sphinx was obtained artificially by an American scientist. Initially, such animals were needed for various experiments and studies, but over time, strange bald rats interested a person as decorative pets. This served as an impetus for the exit of individuals beyond the boundaries of scientific offices and laboratories.

Three pedigree species of sphinxes stand out.

• Standard. Rodents with a long mustache and small areas with hair on the skull, limbs and sides. Some breeders, due to their external characteristics, call individuals porcupines.
• Rex. Rats with curled vibrissae and a rather rare wavy coat on the head, in the inguinal region, on the legs.
• Double Rex. In individuals of this species on the body there is a rare coat.

Since the hairless gene is recessive, it is not transmitted to every animal. This led to the birth of rodents with a partial hair covering on the body. Such distinctive features in appearance suggest the classification of animals into several subspecies. Today we can distinguish the following:

• hairless;
• naked;
• fluffy;
• balding;
• naked;
• sheared.

Immediately after birth, one can observe how in rodents the hair grows and covers their body, but later falls out, resulting in rare hairs remaining on rats.Therefore, based on the hair covering, it will be possible to attribute an animal to a particular subspecies no earlier than a month and a half after its birth.

The size of the sphinxes can vary between 15–25 centimeters, while the mass of adults is 400–700 grams. In light of the lack of undercoat and the coat itself, the animals have a rather elegant body shape.

As for the skin color of bald decorative rats, ideally, it should be pink in color, free from defects and splashes. In this case, the presence of folds is allowed, to the touch the body of the animal will resemble velvet. As a rule, boys stand out with more dense skin in comparison with girls. Now, by selection, animals were bred whose skin color is not pink, but smoky, black, cream and even chocolate.

Rodents have a mustache (vibrissa), which are located near the eyes. The antennae are slightly twisted, in light of which they will visually be shorter in length than in ordinary decorative rats.

It can be noted in bald individuals a certain difference in the shape and fit of the ears. As a rule, they will be planted quite low, in addition, their sizes will be larger in comparison with the ears of ordinary rodents. There are animals with a characteristic shape of the auricles, like in rats dumbo. The eyes of the sphinx are pronounced, located on both sides of the skull. The color of the pupils can be black, husky, red and even pink. Among the animals of this breed, it is also possible to meet animals with different eye colors.

Sphinxes are distinguished by their flexible disposition, however, this does not affect their activity in any way, therefore rodents willingly play, and also very quickly get used to their owners. A similar peculiarity in the character of bald rats is due to the fact that, due to the lack of hair, animals can and should be allowed to spend more time in direct contact with humans - in their arms, in the bosom, on the shoulder. The outgoing heat from the owner’s body acts in a calming manner on them, in addition, it warms.

At home, with regular contact with humans, rats can very sensitively recognize the mood of the owner by the intonation of his voice. Therefore, the breeder should control his timbre when communicating with the pet, so as not to scare him. Bald rats are able to remember and respond to their nickname. The animals are clean, therefore, with a free walk around the house, breeders do not have problems with cleaning the waste products of the sphinx in its places of movement.

The decorative breed of bald rats stands out for its strengths and weaknesses. The advantages of animals include the following points:

• due to the lack of hair, such pets can be wound up even if a person has allergic reactions to animal fur;
• rats hardly exude the unpleasant odor characteristic of small rodents;
• unlike hamsters, sphinxes are very contacts, therefore they rather readily go into the arms of a person;
• animals stand out for their decorative appeal due to their unusual appearance;
• bald rats possess high intellectual abilities, therefore they well recognize the mood of a person, and are also able to remember their nickname.

Among the minuses of such rodents, it is worth highlighting the following nuances:

• sphinxes can suffer from depression alone, therefore, animals should definitely communicate;
• rodents are not long-livers, therefore one individual with a person will not live long.

For such exotic pets, the main point regarding the maintenance is the temperature regime in the room. Experts recommend placing cages with rodents in rooms where the air will be warmed up in the range from +22 to +30 C. Sometimes you can allow the thermometer to increase to +35 C.

In winter, sphinxes are usually kept close to heating devices or radiators. As for the summer months, bald rats should be protected from sunlight, because due to the lack of hair, they can get burns from ultraviolet radiation.

Pets live in spacious cages with metal rods, inside them there should be a container for food, a drinker, as well as cuts of paper or napkins as material for creating a nest in which the sphinx will sleep. The appropriate size of the house will be 70x70 centimeters, in such conditions the rodent will have enough space for movement. It is best to choose houses with several tiers, with stairs and partitions.

In addition to the material for the nest, it is worth installing a house inside the cage in which the rodent will rest and sleep, as well as take cover if necessary. Animals sleep rather willingly in hammocks.

Cleaning the house is recommended twice a week, the rodent will also need a tray. As a filler, you can use conventional products designed for cat toilets.

As for the diet of a bald rodent, such pets can be fed with specialized feed mixtures, additionally treating vegetables and fruits. Once every seven days, the sphinx should be given boiled fish and meat, vegetables should also be pre-boiled. Animals cannot be salty, smoked and spicy food, you should abandon the temptation to treat the rodent with sweets from the general table.

Sphinxes quickly grow claws on the front and hind limbs, so the owner will need to take care of the rodent cut them once a month with sharp scissors. Neglect of such rules will later be fraught with wounds on the body of the animal, in addition, the rat can injure its owner with the claws in the process of communication.

It is recommended that the pet be bathed in warm water once every 2-3 monthshowever, additional care products cannot be used, water for hygienic procedures will be quite enough, since the rat is washed in the intervals and takes care of itself.

For such small rodents, a very important point is the attention from the breeder - if the owner knows in advance that the rat will be mostly alone at home, he should purchase several sphinxes at once. It is best to choose animals of the same sex and from the same litter. But this does not eliminate the need for daily contact and communication with the rat.

As noted earlier, bald rats are not distinguished by their survivability, most often the rodent suffers from a variety of skin ailments. Some abrasions and wounds on the animal’s body can turn into purulent ulcers.

Another common ailment among sphinxes is oncology, this predisposition is due to gene mutations, as well as the lack of hair. Similar diseases in rats are not yet subject to treatment.

Rats breed well at home; in females, estrus occurs every 5–7 days. That is why heterosexual animals living in the same cage will regularly bring offspring to the breeder. Mating sick animals is not recommended, as it is likely that they will pass on their disease to their offspring.

Sphinx breeders strongly recommend buying such decorative pets exclusively at specialized pet stores, as animals that are offered on natural markets are often kept in violation of their conditions, which can lead to further health problems. In addition, specialists can receive important recommendations regarding the care of a decorative rodent.

Sphinx breeders recommend paying attention to the fact that the teeth are regularly updated in animals. To facilitate rats in the painless and proper course of these processes, a piece of wood should be specially placed in the house.

For inexperienced breeders who have purchased two pets of different sexes, however, do not plan to breed animals, many veterinarians offer sterilization and castration services for animals. This will avoid possible problems with the numerous offspring of bald rats in their homes.

In the next video, watch the little breeder’s opinion about her pet - a bald rat.