Tumours

Question
Hi my names leah and I cannot decide which gender of rat I should get. I would prefer to get 2 female rats, however I have read a lot of articles about tumours in female rats. I wanted to know should I be put off by this? Should I get males instead? How often are tumours found in female fancy rats and should I be worried about this.

Regards

Leah

Answer
Hi Leah,
Mammary tumours are quite common in female rats. About half of them get them. And pituitary tumors, which are fatal, are also quite common. About 20% get them.  To help prevent these tumours, you want to get female rats spayed. Then the chance goes way down.

Personally I prefer boys. They are not as active and crazy as the girls. The girls always have to be doing something. The boys tend to be more mellow and tend to make better lap pets.
Deb