Decorative dumbo rat: cute little friend

The dambo rat got its name because of unusual disproportionate ears. They are an integral characteristic of the breed. Currently, there are two kinds of ears:

• Type "tulip". The upper part of the ear is slightly wrapped, like a petal. If you lightly press your finger on the auricle, you can see that one ear is round.
• Another type is fully open ears ("saucers").

The dam has a wider head than the other breeds of rats, the back of the head slightly protrudes. Body proportional, pear-shaped. The muzzle is sharp. It is this feature that is a sign of the purity of the breed. The rodent's tail can be short or long. The woolen cover is different:

- Standard. A short silky coat that covers the entire body.

- Satin wool. This is another type of cover. The wool is longer, only on the tail, muzzle and ears is slightly shorter.

- Rex - rough structure of the wool cover, even longer hair and curly.

- Sphynx or bald rats. Such a variety is derived from the action of mutated genes. The skin of such rats is wrinkled, pink, gray or other color.

- Manx (tailless rats). This kind of variation resulted from a mutation. When buying such rats, you need to be extremely cautious, since many unscrupulous sellers want to give out ordinary rodents, whose tail was already in childhood docked, for exotic representatives.

Character and nicknames

Such rats are less active than other relatives. They quickly get used to the master and become tame. This rodent can be quickly accustomed to the name, as well as to ensure that he returned to the cage at the first call.

When choosing a nickname for a rat, try to make it sound and simple, since rodents do not tend to remember long words. Best of all, if in the name there are consonant letters ("k", "t", "n", "c", "p", "sh", "d"), so the pet is easier to hear by hearing. For example, you can name Goldie, Bonya, Dina, Lala, Sonia or Ollie, and the male - Balla, Winnie, Teddy, Pete, Shonia, Duck or Tosh.

A dambo rat will, after a while, learn to react to the sound of your voice and will run to you. If you plan to release a pet to run, you must first accustom it to your hands, and then return it to the cage. Teaching the rodent, remember that this is not a dog, so be patient.

Important Features

The breed was bred in California laboratories in 1991, and such creatures were brought to Russia from England in the 2000s.

If you are wondering how many dambo rats live, then know that the life expectancy of such rodents is three years.

Representatives of the breed grow to 20 centimeters. Female weigh from 200 to 400 grams, and males - from 250 to 500 grams.

Dumbo rats: care and content

These active pets are intellectually superior to hamsters and guinea pigs. Such rodents do not need special care. It should be noted that the dambo rat marks its territory. Another feature: such animals gnaw everything that they get under their teeth, so you just need to watch out for a pet for a walk around the apartment.

Dangerous for such animals are the following plants: agave, narcissus, colanchoe, azalea, feces, nightshade, olenadra, horse chestnut, dienenbachia, lupine, lily-of-the-valley, mistletoe, poinsettia, amaryllis, crocus, cloves, geranium, spurge, ferns, myrtles, tomato Leaves), hydrangea, ivy, rhododendron, begonia, sunflower, tulips, hyacinths, cyclamen, aloe.

Cell

A cage with a rodent (or rodents) should be located away from drafts and sunshine. It is desirable that the temperature in the room in which the dambo rat lives is about 20 degrees. The cage should be metal and spacious. Wooden and plastic dwellings do not fit, as the rat gladly gnaws an obstacle.

It is desirable that in the cage the pet had equipment for rest and sleep. For example, it can be a house. It can be purchased at any pet store or made independently. To prevent rodents from getting bored, you can get several rats of the same sex. If you are planning offspring, then buy both female and male.

Litter

As a litter, you can use shavings or thick paper. Fine sawdust - this is not the best option, since they can accidentally get into the eyes of the rodent or the respiratory tract. Clean the cage as it becomes contaminated or when an unpleasant smell occurs - about 2 times a week. With disinfectants you need to process it once a month.

Feeding

The rodent should have fresh water in the water bowl. Change it every day. Rat diet should be balanced. You can give them millet, oats and, of course, barley. In the diet, add the heart, kidneys and liver. If you give nuts to the rodents, then you will not only feed the animals, but let them pound their teeth.

Encourage the rat can be a piece of some fruit, for example a banana, pear, apple, peach or plum. Occasionally, you can give dried fruits (raisins, dried apricots, dates, etc.). Adult representatives are fed twice, and children - four.

Prohibited products

Do not rats dams give the following products:

• chocolate;
• Raw potatoes;
• Bean curd;
• Leguminous crops;
• Raw beans;
• blue cheese;
• Artichokes;
• Liquorice;
• rhubarb;
• Sausage;
• Green bananas;
• spinach.

With care, rats are fed with such products:

• Beets;
• Almonds;
• Turnips;
• Pumpkin and sunflower seeds (no more than 15 pieces, because they contain fats, which can lead to the development of diseases);
• Radish;
• Cucumber;
• Cheese (no more than twice a week);
• Sour cream (this is a fatty product, so you can give the rat no more than once a week);
• Eggs (this is a delicacy for rats, which you can treat no more than once a week).

Pros and cons of the kind

Funny appearance - this is an undoubted plus of the breed.

Decorative dambo rats are unpretentious in feeding and maintenance.

The disadvantages include the fact that the home of rodents emits a characteristic smell. With timely cleaning, you can avoid its appearance.

A small conclusion

Now you know what the dambo rat is like. The photos that are in the article will help you to learn in detail the rodent. If you want to become the owner of such a pet, then know that you will not have any special difficulties in keeping and feeding.