Hairless rats.

[Kathleen]

Try to find Mazuri 9F(9% fat, 16% protein) from a local feed store that carries Purina products.

Anything you find in the pet store, food wise, is usually going to be crap. If it's Kaytee brand, get rid of it. It has been known to make them more predisposed to cancer.

Mine get fed the Mazuri blocks, a mostly organic mix that I make from foods from HEB(plus the Wellness Senior dog food in small quantities) and fresh foods a few times a week.

They really need a bit more fat and protein added to their diet. Hairless rats use ALOT of energy just keeping themselves warm, so their metabolism is through the roof. Try suppplementing with NutriCal(petsmart.com has it and you can print out the webpage and take it to the store so they can price match it) or NutriStat. And finding a better source of blocks will help them.

Have you considered finding them a haired female friend(after a 30 day quarantine of course)?

Thanks for the feedback/tips. And, no, I don't plan on getting any more rats.

[Kathleen]

Since it won't let me edit my post, I'm double posting. Sorry the other one was short; I had to run.

The brand I use is LM Animal Farms. 22% protein and 5% fat. I'll keep an eye out for the food and supplements you suggested.

Oh, and there's a bunch of reasons why I do not plan on getting another rat. For starters, the cage I have is quite big enough for two but I feel like three might be a crowd. And if, for whatever reason they didn't get along, I'd have no extra cage/space to house another separately. Also, I have allergic reactions to haired rats. And... my roommate would probably kick my butt.