Little rex rat beside curly whiskers?
My little girl rat is a rex but her fur is only slightly kinky (was more curly when she was a baby). My question is nearly her whiskers. They are curly and very short. Is this normal in a rex? My boyfriend say she has limited abilities because of it (less sense of touch). Is this true? Or are her whiskers commonplace?
My other rats all have straight whiskers so I have no thought.
A good show quality rex has curly whiskers. This will not boundary her abilities in any way. I bump up and show them. I am a vet.
Rex's own mutated genes that carry curly hair on it. Which includes whiskers, that are modified hairs. Most rex's are more curly as babies and afterwards tend to straighten and frizz as adults. Only some retain there totally curliness. These are more sought after for the fanciers that show rats. She doesnt have limited abilites they still work. She might a moment ago not be as sensitive as a straight whiskered rat, but since its in a cage it doesnt have to verbs right?
I used to breed Rex and Teddy Guinea Pigs and Rex Rats
Answers: Her whiskers are perfectly normal. Rex rats' coats and their whiskers can vary greatly from rat to rat, sometimes they are super curly and coarse, sometimes merely rounded and soft. Her ability wouldn't be limited by her whiskers, at least not amazingly much. What can be a concern, though, is the curly hair bending backwards into her eyes. If you notice red discharge from one or both eyes and she isn't showing any other symptoms of stress or illness it may be her fuzz irritating her.
Hope that helps, good luck with your rat!
Rex's do usually have curled whiskers as well. It doesnt' create them less sensitive just shorter so their reach around them is not relatively as far.
