To Breed or Not To Breed?

If you want to breed mom again, let her rest for at least a month after the babies are weaned before she has to go through the whole thing again. Female rats should not have more than 3 litters per lifetime - it's just not fair to them. And if she wasn't a very happy mom the first time, please, please, please don't put her through it all over again!

Important considerations for females:

• Family history: Try to pick a female who comes from healthy parents - the mother's genes will be passed on more strongly, so if you don't have too much info on the dad, try to at least get a good idea of what her mother's health was like. Try to breed from the best myco-free, long-lived lines you can find.

• Confirmation: Look for sturdy, strong bone structure, a long, wide face and an attractive appearance. Very small rats with narrow bodies are poor candidates for motherhood and might carry the dwarf gene, which is becoming more prevalent in the rat population.

• Temperament: Watch out for nervous, aggressive rats. Nervous mothers can pass on their fear of everything to their kids. You will need to do a lot of socializing to avoid raising a whole, stressed-out nervous group of baby rats! Aggression is partially hormone-based and, therefore, can be passed on to the children, so aggressive rats should never be bred.

Choosing the Dad

Although dad won't be helping raise the kids (unless he helps out with the boys when they're older), he is still an important guy. The genes and temperament he passes on will make or break the combination, so do mom and the kids a favor, and pick a guy with a winning mixture of health, looks and temperament. Males also seem to know what girls they will go perfect with, so listen to your rats when choosing a mate for your female!

Male rats can never be too young (well almost never) or too old to have kids. From about 8 weeks of age to 8 years (well, if they lived that long they would still be...), male rats are fertile. Dad should have a good, solid build, without too much fat and should have a nice, well-shaped head and body. Male aggression is a horrible thing to pass on, so never, ever breed an aggressive male!

Important considerations for males:

• Family history: This is not such a big deal as it is for
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