# Do rats go bald with old age?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-rats-go-bald-with-old-age/631978>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [August 19, 2012, 4:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-rats-go-bald-with-old-age/631978 "2012-08-19T16:48:57Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Malleus\_Incus\_Stapes](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/malleus_incus_stapes/32/3293_2.png) [@Malleus\_Incus\_Stapes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malleus_Incus_Stapes)\
**Post date:** [August 19, 2012, 4:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-rats-go-bald-with-old-age/631978/1 "2012-08-19T16:48:57Z")

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One of my rats is starting to lose her fur along her spine. She’s at least two years old, so that’s probably elderly in a rat. She seems to be fine otherwise- that is to say, she doesn’t have any new problems.

The other rat is perfectly fine. I’m not sure how old she is.

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**Author:** ![Filbert](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/filbert/32/3433_2.png) [@Filbert](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Filbert)\
**Post date:** [August 19, 2012, 5:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-rats-go-bald-with-old-age/631978/2 "2012-08-19T17:46:41Z")

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Yeah, they can look really moth-eaten when they get old, mine certainly did. They don’t always lose that much hair, but it’s pretty common.

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**Author:** ![Malleus\_Incus\_Stapes](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/malleus_incus_stapes/32/3293_2.png) [@Malleus\_Incus\_Stapes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malleus_Incus_Stapes)\
**Post date:** [August 19, 2012, 6:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-rats-go-bald-with-old-age/631978/3 "2012-08-19T18:45:09Z")

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Okay, good.

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**Author:** ![Sierra\_Indigo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f0a364/32.png) [@Sierra\_Indigo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sierra_Indigo)\
**Post date:** [August 19, 2012, 10:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-rats-go-bald-with-old-age/631978/4 "2012-08-19T22:53:08Z")

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Two years old is getting to about the standard life-span for a pet rat. I’ve just had two die in quick succession at just over and just under 2 years old.

All of my boys are looking a bit shaggy now. Especially those who have rex genes (curly coat/whiskers). They’re prone to patchy fur anyway, but like any elderly animal the fur thins and they start looking a bit ragged.

If she’s otherwise healthy and squeaking along happily then it’s no big deal. You may want to keep an eye on her weight though. Rathbone started looking a bit raggedy, but then his weight suddenly plummeted and he deteriorated quickly, dying in his sleep overnight after I’d had him in the isolation cage and had been hand-feeding him for a couple of days.