rats changing colors?

[Beckabean11404]

When I got Maizy she had a dark black hood and her front feet where white, now it seems that her hood is turning more of a chocolate color. Lol I'm pretty excited since I wanted a chocolate rat, but I'm wondering will all of her black turn chocolate, or am I going to have a multicolored rat? I wish I could capture her true colors with the camera, but untill I get a new one I'm stuck not knowing how to use the settings on the one I have lol.

[jennawing]

Her color is likely just fading a bit- not uncommon. When breeders do not breed especially for colors- dark colors will fade or be nor very dark to start with.

If you want to see a rat really changing colors- you should see my Ditto. He started mink, turned rusty in spots, and when the rust faded, he was a richer brown but with lots of lighter hair amongst it. Pretty wierd- he's 18 months now and still got just a tiny bit of rust around the bottom and very white spots in some places This is
his album- you can see the change- though it doesn't illustrate that well in pictures-
http://imageevent.com/critterscoop/rats/ditto

[Skratikans]

well, at least the change isnt too dramatic

[Vanilla_Rat]

Young rats do sometimes change color,either becoming lighter or becoming darker.

My little girl,Sprinkles was first a light beige/white hooded...then as she got older,she turned into siamese and now she is himalayan...lol...it is true!When she started getting in dark,seal point points and still had her hooded markings...I looked it up and found out that siamese hooded rats are known as triamese.But now at 3 months,she has completely lightened up...no hood and the points are light,she is a himalayan now and prolly that to stay!

Also my rat,Karma is blue and for the longest time he was a blue self and then just a couple weeks ago I noticed his belly turned white and he has the berkshire markings.

I am in a rat forum and lots of people always post about their rats turning colors...so it is more common then you think!

[GeishaGirl]

Quote: Originally Posted by Vanilla_Rat Young rats do sometimes change color,either becoming lighter or becoming darker. My little girl,Sprinkles was first a light beige/white hooded...then as she got older,she turned into siamese and now she is himalayan...lol...it is true!When she started getting in dark,seal point points and still had her hooded markings...I looked it up and found out that siamese hooded rats are known as triamese.But now at 3 months,she has completely lightened up...no hood and the points are light,she is a himalayan now and prolly that to stay! Also my rat,Karma is blue and for the longest time he was a blue self and then just a couple weeks ago I noticed his belly turned white and he has the berkshire markings. I am in a rat forum and lots of people always post about their rats turning colors...so it is more common then you think!

YEAH same with my Blue "SELF", he was one and now is a berk like his brother!!

[dumbo rat]

one of my rats changed colour. She was born with black and whit fur, the black going down her back and white at the sides. The black fur has now changed to a silvery grey color with some parts still being black, she is only 8 months old so i dont know how much she will change colour!

[Fubie]

Mine doesn't stop changing color XD He gets a chocolate head one month, and then a black cape the next, thats because they molt every few months, sooner when they're young.

See? Black cape!

[Vanilla_Rat]

My Zephyr is a silver black berk,but with age (he is over 1 now) he is starting to turn a rusty brown color,but only halfway down his back! To someone who doesn't know rats and rat colors,they would argue that he is brown,not black...LOL!

[pinkie1205]

Rats shed their fur. I don't remember the months that they do it at. I want to say it's around 2 months and 6 months. They can completely change color.
I'm happy that my blue rat stayed blue. My Jack's black lightened up a bit.