Pets

Irish Pet Rats are similar to the moon bear in terms of the markings that they carry on their bodies. However, unlike the moon bear that has a ‘V-Shaped’ white mark on its black body; Irish pet rats have a white equilateral triangle on their chest. Irish pet rats are extremely adorable and come in two different varieties – American and English Irish pet rats.
The triangle on the chest of an Irish pet rat needs to be absolutely clear & distinct and should not appear as a small blot or spot on the body. The triangle must be equilateral, of course not to the exact scale, but the shape needs to resemble that of one.

The colour on an Irish pet rat has no particular format and can be anything as long as the triangle is white. In the English Irish pet rats, there is a slight difference in the markings as compared to an American Irish pet rat.

In the English Irish pet rats, the triangle marking is the same as that of the American Irish variety however, there is a marked difference in the colouring of the foot. The front and back feet of an English Irish pet rat are white but only till the halfway point. The white triangle doesn’t occupy any more space than the area between the front legs.

In American Irish pet rats, while the markings are the same there is a significant difference in the colouring of the feet and the tail. While the English Irish pet rats may only have one of the prescribed fur colour, as prescribed by the local associations, you will notice that there is no such limitation for the American Irish pet rats.

American Irish pet rats have white feet and the white colour extends for the entire length of the feet and not just to the half-way mark as in the case of the English Irish pet rats. American Irish pet rats also have coloured tails and the more the tail is coloured, the better it is considered although they are supposed to have a white tip that’s no longer than one-fourth of the total length of the tail.

Identifying an Irish pet rat is quite simple and it is equally simple to take care of them. The only factor to remember is that whether breeding or simply rearing them, you will have an incredible time with Irish pet rats.