How many years do rats live and what does it depend on?

Decorative rodents are very popular as pets. They are easy to take care of. Even children can take care of domestic rats. In addition, rodents have a fairly developed intellect. Therefore, it is very interesting to watch them. But in comparison with many other pets, tame rodents, unfortunately, are not so long-livers. The article will focus on how long rats live and how you can extend the life of these animals.

The free life of rodents in their natural environment is associated with constant physical activity. Wildlife rats and mice have many predators as enemies. They are also hunted by snakes, hedgehogs and many birds. Therefore, rodents need to be on the alert almost constantly. They are forced to move very quickly, to hide from all kinds of dangers.

Rats and mice have very fast metabolism, which allows them to maintain their body temperature in cold weather. But because of this feature, they need very frequent snacks. Wild animals most of the time are busy looking for and foraging for food for themselves and their offspring. And if in the territory where the rat pride lives, food is tight, the individuals begin to quickly deplete and die. In some cases, rodents from hunger can attack their own kind, that is, rats, mice and their cubs.

Rats breed very often. One brood can contain more than ten rat pups. But the family does not always live up to adulthood. Rat pups are very vulnerable and defenseless in the wild. The mother rat, because of the search for food, is often forced to leave the nest.This makes it impossible for her to protect her brood constantly. Baby rats do not tolerate heat and prolonged cooling. Power outages also quickly weaken them and lead to the death of immature individuals.

On average, wild rats can live for about a year. Individuals living up to one and a half years of age can be considered long-livers, record holders.

Decorative rats live a little longer than their wild relatives. The lifespan of a tame rodent ranges on average from 2 to 2.5-3 years. Moreover, most often males live a little longer than females, even if they receive the same care.

In rare cases, the rats kept in the house, thanks to good conditions, live up to 4 years. These are only isolated cases, which are considered, rather, an exception to the rule.

In the Guinness Book of Records, a case of a record lifespan of a domestic rodent was recorded. He was seven years old, which is extremely atypical for this type of animal.

At the age of two, the domestic rodent is, in fact, old age. This affects his life and health. At three years old, the animal's body is already wearing out, this period can be considered decrepitude.

Many species of rats have been bred specifically for use in laboratories for testing any medicine or for the study of disease. Such breeding assumes that when individuals are crossed, a particular gene will prevail in the offspring, which is necessary for specific scientific purposes.

Therefore, many rats initially carry a predisposition to any disease or pathology. It can be a tendency to oncology, obesity, diabetes, etc.

Unfortunately, even rodents that are sold in specialty stores are not always completely healthy at the genetic level.

Related matings also give bad heredity. The offspring in this case is born very weak, many individuals die in the very first days. Cubs born from closely related crossbreeding tend to degenerate and live much less than other individuals.

For breeding breeds, external data are taken as a basis: the color and length of the coat, the size of individuals, the presence of a tail, the shape of the ears, the color of the eyes, etc. But such a selection also lays an imprint on the functioning of the animal's body.

Blue rats and dumbo are relative long-livers among the breeds of tame rodents. With proper care, animals can easily live up to 2.5-3 years. Long-livers are not uncommon among them. Husky rodents mimic the popular breed of dogs in their color. Most often they are white with beige or gray spots. They can also be classified as centenarians. Most individuals live up to 3-3.5 years.

The shortest life expectancy in albino white rats. Onor have weak immunity. And genetics also rewarded them with a tendency to cancer. Animals rarely live up to one and a half years.

Exotic sphinx rats do not have hair. Therefore, they require special conditions of detention. The slightest hypothermia or draft can undermine the health of the pet and lead to death. The average lifespan of albinos ranges from one and a half to two years.

Standard and Rex breeds are average in life expectancy. Their average life span is about two years.

Due to the very rapid metabolism, rodents are quickly depleted in the absence of food. An absolutely healthy individual can die after just two days of hunger.Domestic rats are not affected by negative natural factors such as cold. But their digestive system and metabolic processes are designed for regular intake of food throughout the day.

Sharp strong teeth are almost the main and important tool for the rat. With their help, she crushes and gnaws food. The rodent diet consists of 80-90% of very solid foods and feed. Having lost its teeth, the animal will also be deprived of the opportunity to fully eat the food that it needs.

Rats require periodic physical activity and the ability to be active. In a too small house or cage, the rodent will not be able to move as much as it needs. The result will be a gradual atrophy of the muscular apparatus and obesity.

The cage or house with domestic rats should be in a room with a normal temperature.

You cannot argue with the genetics and characteristics of each specific breed. But the owners of domestic rodents are quite capable of at least slightly extending the life of their pets. Who knows, Perhaps, thanks to your care, the tame rodent will become the next record holder for life expectancy among its relatives.

The appearance of a domestic rodent in an apartment begins with the arrangement of his home.

Regardless of whether it is a cage or a cardboard house, the main thing is that the animal has enough free space for movement. For females, tall cages with several levels of hammocks or shelves are best.

In the house, you need to highlight an area where the rat can hide and feel safe. This can be a small tunnel, a box with a hole for entry, or a corner covered with cloth. Rats are naturally quite shy. Therefore, they need to periodically retire in a quiet, closed place. Over time, you will be able to notice that the animal for sleeping most often chooses its own secluded corner.

Take care not to frighten or disturb the rat. Consider a suitable location for the cage in the apartment. Avoid placing the pet house in a room where loud noises are often heard. Better not to put the cage in a room where they watch TV or listen to music.

A tame rat needs to be active

It helps to keep muscles in good shape and is a good prevention of obesity and other health problems. Therefore, it is necessary to equip 1-2 attractions in the house, where the animal could warm up.

Also, at least 1 time a day, and better and more often, if there is such an opportunity, the domestic rat needs to be released to run around the apartment. Only such walks should be carried out only under your close supervision.

In their natural environment, rats live in flocks or at least in pairs.

Therefore, keeping one individual in complete isolation from relatives does not have the best effect on its general condition. Like other animals, rodents need communication and play with their own kind. Do not deprive your pet of this. Add 1-2 friends to him.

So that the pet is not afraid of you and does not experience stress when you manifest, interact with him more often

Rats are quite social animals, so contact is important for them, including with a person, side by side with whom they live.

Tame rats love to sit on the shoulder of the owner. They also love affection and conversation. There are often cases when these animals even learned commands and could perform various tricks according to the conventional sign of a person.

There is an opinion that rats, including domestic ones, are completely omnivorous, and they can be fed with anything.

But this is not the case. You should also pay attention to the nutrition of these animals if you want your pet to live as long as possible and not get sick.

The diet of rats should be at least 80% cereal... It is the main source of micronutrients for them. In addition, rodents grind their teeth against hard grains, which allows them to quickly grow new and strong ones. For the same purpose, a branch of a tree should be attached to the rods of the cage. The animals gnaw it with pleasure to keep their teeth in order.

Also, in the menu of a tame rodent, it is necessary to add raw vegetables, fruits and herbs daily. Do not get carried away with feeding domestic rats, as they say, "from the table." Many individuals are really happy to feast on cheeses, pasta, boiled potatoes and other dishes from the human diet. But such products are neutral for rats, that is, they do not contain the substances and microelements necessary for them. And their excess in the diet can disrupt the digestive system of the rodent.

Rats can be given some boiled lean meat. The use of nuts is allowed, but infrequently and in small quantities.

In nature, rats are very clean. But since the home keeping of rodents involves the limitation of their living space, then the responsibility for maintaining the hygiene of their home falls largely on the owner.

Untimely cleaning, food residues in the cage provoke the active development of pathogens. In other words, the poor sanitary condition of the home of a tame rodent significantly increases the chances of a pet developing any disease.

It is not recommended to use softwood sawdust toilet filler. They contain a large amount of essential oils, which are not very useful for rodents. The filler should be changed in a timely manner as it gets dirty.

The cage should be washed periodically using cleaning and disinfecting agents.

Periodic bathing is necessary for the animal itself. If the size of the cage allows, you can install a kind of bath in the rat's home. It can be built from a small plastic container and filled with water. The animal will wash and clean itself by its bathtub, and you will get a lot of pleasure watching it.

Once a month, a domesticated rat should be washed with special shampoo for rodents. It can be found at veterinary pharmacies and pet stores. Using human shampoo and rat bath soap is contraindicated. After washing, the animal needs to be dried a little by blotting with napkins or a towel. During the drying of the fur, hypothermia of the pet should be excluded and protected from drafts.

Veterinarians who specialize in providing medical care to rodents are called ratologists.

So far, such a specialist can not be found in every veterinary clinic. In any case, an ordinary veterinarian can also conduct an examination and advise you on the health of your pet rodent.

Therefore, if you find any signs of deterioration in the health of your rat, or there are obvious symptoms of a specific disease, seek medical help. Rodents are quite hardy, and in most cases, mild forms of the disease can be successfully treated in the same way as in other animals.

For the pros and cons of keeping domestic rats, see the next video.