Can a rats tail be docked?

I have 4 rats and I know with some animals their tails helps balance, is it the same way for rats or can a rats tail be docked? I also thought that the whiskers also help for balance, so..I was just curious...thanks!

There's no reason to dock a rat's tail - its just cruelty for no purpose.

I understand that, but my question IS, can it be done or is the tail for balance? I dont care to know what people's opinions are morally on wheteher it is right or wrong, I am asking a question to learn the facts on the issue...thanks anyways...

The tail does affect balance.

Here's what a rat's tail does...from...

http://www.ratbehavior.org/RatTails.htm

Thermoregulation

The rat's tail has a thermoregulatory function: it serves as a heat-loss organ. The tail is well suited for this purpose, because it has no fur, has a large surface to volume ratio, and is perfused with many blood vessels, especially at the tail tip and midlength (Yulong et al. 1995). The rat's tail comprises only 5% of the rat's surface area, but it can dissipate about 17% of the rat's body heat (Monson and Oyama 1984).

Rats control their body temperature through their tails by dilating or constricting their tail blood vessels. When the rat's body temperature rises by a few degrees, the tail vessels (especially the veins) swell -- called vasodilation -- permitting lots of warm blood to flow through the tail (Vanhoutte et al. 2002). The warm blood loses heat through the surface of the tail and returns to the body at a lower temperature, thus cooling the rat. The warmer the rat, the more blood flows through the tail, and the more heat is lost (Thompson and Stevenson 1965, Little and Stoner 1968, Rand et al. 1965, Raman et al. 1987).

When the rat's body temperature drops, the tail vessels shrink in diameter -- called vasoconstriction -- thus restricting blood flow to the tail (Owens et al. 2002). Less blood flows into the tail for cooling, and body heat is conserved.

Rats use their tails for balance. They climb ropes and anchor chains, they walk along fences and telephone wires and branches, and their tails help them balance.

The tail can also help change the center of gravity of the rat, though this change will remain small because the tail weighs so little. In the photograph to the right, the rat is holding on to the rope with his hind legs, and his forequarters and tail are hanging below and to either side of the rope. The rat's center of gravity is low and close to the rope. A low center of gravity makes balancing easier, because a larger rotation is required to tip the rat over.

the tail greatly affects balance
the wiskers greatly affect its balance as well
there tale is like another leg
if you cut of one of your own legs, it would affect your balance
and cutting it off would only be cruelty because theres no need and no reason to do it
theres no need to even have an animal just to cut some of it off

With rats, I think it's more for temperature regulation than balance...but still I don't see the point in docking tails of anything.

He's NOT going to dock his rat's tail, he was just curious if they needed their tails for balance. They question Can a Rat's Tail be Docked probably brings a lot of attention to it, therefore, lots of answers... fast. He's not going to dock it right, puglover?

No, Didnt and wont dock the rats tail, just a curiousity question...

so ... lol what if I dock one of my baby Giant Rats Tails when they are young? Sure animals can adapt but will it be to much adaptation to their temperature considering that it is an inside animal. I mean really its going to stay inside