Aww she is very cute. I've never seen a hairless one either..do they need any specialist care other than the 'normal' stimulating environment that you provide for the others Laura?

Like Kath I have never seen a hairless one before either, but Ithink she is sooo very cute. Give her a cuddle from me pleeze.

no they don't need any special care as such. i choose to keep her in a smaller group, because her skin can get scratched easier than other rats. I don't think whether it's warm or cold makes too much difference, as long as she has bedding and other rats to snuggle

They're not throwbacks as such - like any other variety, such as blue, topaz or dumbo, the hairless rats are a genetic mutation. In America, true hairless (which Pauline is not) are bred for, because there are no health problems as far as i can tell. Over here though, true hairless have lactation problems among other things - and so we don't breed the. They are bred as snake food, because they get to be bigger without hair, instead of only using babies. i believe this makes them more digestible for the snake?

Pauline is a double rex. Basically, when breeding rex rats (like this one

with curly fur and whiskers, one should always breed a standard furred rat with a rex. basically, rex is dominant, so it can't be carried. so two standard furred rats will never make a rex (there is now a recessive rex gene, but that's still very new and being studied and tested at the moment). Anyway - breeding two rexes together will give you a litter where a portion of the babies are 'double rex' with two copies of the rex gene. This means they go patchy - some lose more hair than others, but the general look is patchy with patchs of bald skin and patches of hair.

look here for more info:
http://www.hawthorn.org.uk/varieties.asp

if you scroll right down the menu to 'coat varieties' it shows you fuzz, hairless and double rex and explains them

xx

oh and to answer the question about whether they're better for people with allergies, I don't think they would be, as their skin is still the same as other rats, and it's generally dander that causes a problem, not fur. though I don't know for sure.

xx

had pauline out for snuggles and licks today - and she sat and started being photogenic! so i got these!





sorry to post lots of pics, but she's so wonderful!
Jules did a fabulous job with her, she's a fearless, friendly little lass!

xx

Have to say I am captured I came on again and found your new pics and just had to post this and say how much I enjoyed seeing these pics of Pauline I agree she is very photogenic.

aww thank you! I love getting nice comments about my rats as I do love them all so much!

xx

Have to agree with Eunice, I'm not surprised you are so taken with her, she is the most adorable little lady, and those new pics :smt007 :smt007 :smt007 :smt007 I think I'm in love!

OOOOOO ! ! !

She is gorgeous ! And how very unusual ! ! ! ! Very cute :smt007 :smt007 :smt007 :smt007

Oh, and yes, I did get contracts, will get them signed a returned asap. Hank and Charlie (OH names them after characters in Me Myself and Irene , but it's suits them somehow so it's stuck) doing very well indeed.

Oh I have just noticed this, I want to steal Pauline she is soooo sweet. I love her little paws ahhhhh I want to have her!