3 ms·

Domestic rats are very fragile genetically, it would be nice to try to "fix" them. Also science knows a lot about rat genome so it would be even easier than dog

Domestic rats are very fragile genetically, it would be nice to try to "fix" them. Also science knows a lot about rat genome so it would be even easier than dogs.

estimator7292 11mo ago
Pet rat owners will fall over themselves to throw money at anyone offering a longer-lived and healthier breed. I would pay more money than I care to admit for a rat that lived just a few years longer. There's actually a huge problem with pet rats in that they're all remarkably inbred. If you don't get your rats from a dedicated professional breeder who's been at it for decades, your pet is likely going to get really sick at the end of their life. Females tend to get catastrophic tumors, and all have extremely delicate respiratory systems. Out of the dozens of rats I've kept, only one died quietly in her sleep of old age. The rest were horrific and gruesome. Yeah, there'd be a good amount of money in it for whoever can fix rats' genetics.
- more_corn 11mo ago
  Great, super rats. There no way that could go badly at all ever.
  - embedding-shape 11mo ago
    Put them on a planet and leave them there, at least then it couldn't go badly for us. And no, I'm fairly sure there are no books about this already.
  - toast0 11mo ago
    We need super rats (or at least one) to train the super turtles.
- neom 11mo ago
  How do you turn a $50 rat into a $600 rat? Get a rat. I don't even what to know how much I've spent on rats over the years, a lot. We do so much in rats for medical research you'd think we could produce some super rats! But as you mentioned, they're so in bread, and even from really good breeders, they're still gonna die shitty deaths from some cancer or respiratory infection. You're right, I'd pay up for a GMO rat that lived a super healthy life, even if it was shorter than other pets. Rats are so awesome!

3 ms·

Domestic rats are very fragile genetically, it would be nice to try to "fix" them. Also science knows a lot about rat genome so it would be even easier than dog

by Ziomislaw 11mo ago

Domestic rats are very fragile genetically, it would be nice to try to "fix" them. Also science knows a lot about rat genome so it would be even easier than dogs.

estimator7292 11mo ago
Pet rat owners will fall over themselves to throw money at anyone offering a longer-lived and healthier breed. I would pay more money than I care to admit for a rat that lived just a few years longer. There's actually a huge problem with pet rats in that they're all remarkably inbred. If you don't get your rats from a dedicated professional breeder who's been at it for decades, your pet is likely going to get really sick at the end of their life. Females tend to get catastrophic tumors, and all have extremely delicate respiratory systems. Out of the dozens of rats I've kept, only one died quietly in her sleep of old age. The rest were horrific and gruesome. Yeah, there'd be a good amount of money in it for whoever can fix rats' genetics.
- more_corn 11mo ago
  Great, super rats. There no way that could go badly at all ever.
  - embedding-shape 11mo ago
    Put them on a planet and leave them there, at least then it couldn't go badly for us. And no, I'm fairly sure there are no books about this already.
  - toast0 11mo ago
    We need super rats (or at least one) to train the super turtles.
- neom 11mo ago
  How do you turn a $50 rat into a $600 rat? Get a rat. I don't even what to know how much I've spent on rats over the years, a lot. We do so much in rats for medical research you'd think we could produce some super rats! But as you mentioned, they're so in bread, and even from really good breeders, they're still gonna die shitty deaths from some cancer or respiratory infection. You're right, I'd pay up for a GMO rat that lived a super healthy life, even if it was shorter than other pets. Rats are so awesome!