Tiny Delights : The Dwarf Rat

I work primarily with dwarf rats at Coiled Whisker Crittery. Dwarf rats are not just the result of breeding together smaller-statured fancy rats. Dwarves are specifically influenced by the Spontaneous Dwarf Rat (SDR) gene, a dwarf strain derived from the Sprague-Dawley (SD) rat.

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Dwarf rats do not have different care requirements from standard sized rats. Cage size, care, and feeding recommendations remain the same.

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Dwarf rats produce smaller litters than their standard-sized components, with most does giving birth to 7 or fewer pups. For this reason, as well as needing to retain pups for the future of the crittery, the ability to provide same-sex pairs may be limited or infrequent. Adopters are advised to be aware that even after application approval, it may be a wait before a suitable pair of rats is available for adoption.