Rex Rat

Coat and looks how to spot one

Rex (curly coat and curly whiskers); the body follows the standard fancy rat type

A Rex rat has the same sleek, long body as any fancy rat, but its fur is curled or wavy all over, a little less so on the belly, and it has very few long guard hairs, so the coat feels soft rather than wiry. Even the whiskers are kinked and usually shorter than a smooth-coated rat's. Babies show the tightest curls; after the first moult at around six to seven weeks most settle into a softer wave. Males tend to carry the best coats.68197

Personality what they are like

The rex gene changes the coat, not the character, so a Rex rat has the same friendly, curious nature as other fancy rats. Well-socialised rats bond closely with their keepers, enjoy being handled and learn tricks readily. AFRMA breeders describe some rex lines as very sweet.751

Daily activity how busy a day looks

Just as lively as any fancy rat. Most active from dusk into the night, they need daily supervised time outside the cage plus climbing, foraging toys and short training sessions to keep busy and content.510

Grooming and care the hands-on bits

Rats keep themselves and each other clean, so the curly coat needs no brushing or bathing. Expect the coat to change through the rat's life: tight baby curls relax after the first moult and the coat becomes lighter as the rat matures, which is normal for the variety. Regular spot-cleaning of the cage and daily gentle handling cover the rest.1911

Home where they are happiest

The same set-up as any pet rat: the biggest multi-level cage you can fit, with shelves, ropes, ladders, hammocks and hideouts, dust-free bedding such as cellulose or shredded paper, and a quiet spot kept at roughly 19-23 C, out of direct sun and draughts.103

Food basics what goes in the bowl

A complete rat nugget or pellet as the daily staple, with small portions of vegetables, a little fruit, grains and cooked egg counted into the ration. Keep sugary or fatty bits for training rewards, scatter some food to encourage foraging, and provide fresh water from a bottle at all times.11

Company who they like around

A very sociable animal that should share its home with at least one other rat, in a same-sex pair or small group or a neutered mixed pair, and enjoys daily time with its people.57

The story where it all began

The curly rex coat is known in several pet species, and in rats it was bred in England in 1976. The AFRMA credits geneticist Roy Robinson with the English rex rats, and the newly founded National Fancy Rat Society standardised the variety that same year, showing curly rats at the 1976 Bradford Championship Show, the society's first show appearance. Rex rats then spread to the United States through pet shops, universities and private keepers. Karen Robbins got her first rex, an agouti Irish male, from Mary Sheridan in 1983 and bred her first rex litter on 22 September 1983, and Mary Sheridan exhibited two rexes at a show on 8 October 1983. On 29 November 1983 a shipment of 32 rats arrived from England, including three rexes, which helped build up American lines. Rex is now one of the seven varieties in the AFRMA standard. In 2010 Japanese researchers traced the rat rex coat to a small change in the Krt71 keratin gene, the same gene involved in the curly coat of the Devon Rex cat.1281213

Recognised by the official bits

National Fancy Rat Society (UK)

Standardised in 1976 and shown at the Bradford Championship Show that year. Listed among the NFRS Rex/Dumbo varieties; the standard asks for an evenly dense, evenly curled coat with few long guard hairs and curly whiskers, in any recognised colour or pattern.6

American Fancy Rat and Mouse Association (AFRMA)

One of the seven recognised AFRMA rat varieties, shown in any recognised colour or marking.8

Rat and Mouse Club of America (RMCA)

Has its own Rex standard calling for an evenly dense coat that is not overly harsh, with curly whiskers counted as normal.14