| Standard of Care My rats are my pets, first and foremost. I love them all very much, and I feel a strong bond to all of them, both my "permanent residents" and my litters. I make sure they have food, and water, and a clean and physically and mentally stimulating environment. They get individual attention from the moment they enter my life to the moment they leave it. I make sure none of my rats have to live alone (unless they cannot live otherwise due to personality issues) and none of them have to live with rats that they can't get along with. I see that they get medical attention when they need it. And, I make sacrifices of my money and time, and my parents and siblings help me out when I can't do something whether it be financial or I have to be away, or whatever. I have a family vet open during office hours all week and an emergency vet open on nights, weekends, and holidays. Both have proven to be very knowledgable and helpful to my rats.  Quarantine When I get a new rat, I quarantine him/her for 2-3 weeks. A 2-3 month quarantine applies to any new rat that exhibits symptoms of illness. When a rat gets sick and the disease is contageous or can't be identified, I quarantine my colony for three months after the symptoms are gone and keep the sick rats as far away from the healthy ones as I can. Quarantine takes place with my mom in Belington (three hours away from my apartment) to avoid contact with the other rats. I strongly recommend all rat owners to practice similar quarantines or even longer ones. They are the best/only protection our rodent pets have against disease, because vaccines are not readily available. I do not currently participate in or observe rodent shows or get togethers. It is partly because there are none nearby and mostly because, even with excellent procedures and precautions, such events still pose a risk (however minor) and I couldn't bear putting my rats through an illness I can prevent. If any are ever near me, I would like to attend--without my rats. Breeding I keep myself informed about genetics, and I alternate inbreeding with outcrossing/linebreeding. If a rat displays aggressive tendencies or is prone to illness or at high risk of passing on genetic disorders or disabilities, he/she is not bred. I have a few litters a year and breed females only when they are physically and mentally able to handle it. I usually breed females for the first time between 6 months and a year old. I have only litters that have a specific purpose in my breeding program. Most females I breed will have only one litter their entire lives. Males are usually bred only when they are at least 8-10 months old (particularly rats I didn't raise from birth), so that any behavioral problems will be apparent. I try to breed two females when possible in order to have a foster mom if something goes wrong. I also have the means to handraise orphaned litters. As for breeding from pet store rats, this is something I practice not out of necessity or impatience but only when a particular rat has a lot of potential and shows exceptional health, temperment, and type. Breeding of any rat with unknown lines (and in most cases those with known pedigrees) is not done until a female is at least 7 or 8 months old or over a year for a male. By that age, health and personality problems are likely to have come to the surface. I do not consider rats from breeders, even exceptional breeders, to be free from the potential for hereditary problems and the "pet only" designation. Even if they have no "faults," some of these rats do not fit my personal goals or have any breeding "use" for my lines. Many of the rats I buy or adopt were done so to be my pets and will never be burdened with the stress of breeding. Raising Litters I NEVER cull (or "thin" or "kill" to be blunt with the terminology) litters . Instead, I use foster moms, rich diets, and/or supplemental feedings if the litters are large. I closely monitor growths and keep any babies from falling behind and being runts. I make sure they all have a good start in life. I handle all babies individually everyday from the day they are born or when the mom will let me hold them. I try to name the babies if possible when I can tell them apart, so I can monitor their growth and behavior. I give litters names starting with a particular letter of the alphabet. I do not force weaning. I have seed and dry food available and the babies start eating at their leisure. Typically, they start eating some solid food at 2 to 3 weeks and use the water bottle on their own. When they are 4-5 weeks old, the babies are separated by gender. I start finding new homes for the youngsters at 5 to 8 weeks. (6 weeks or later if there is possible megacolon risk or other health concerns in the litter.) New Homes I place babies in same-sex pairs, trios, or more unless the adopter already has at least one other rat near the same age of the same-sex or sterilized or has other circumstances. I charge a fee to the general public to help ward off people who want a rat for "shady" reasons. I screen all potential adopters with a series of questions about care and household. Sometimes I give adopters toys or treats and always try to supply a small bag of the food they are used to, so in the end, the rats aren't terribly expensive... I also am open to make suggestions and answer any questions anyone wishes to ask about care. I do like to stay in touch with adopters and be updated about *my babies.* I would like to be informed of any health or behavioral issues that occur, so I can keep accurate records and a good line. Feeders: I DO NOT sell my rats as feeders under any circumstances. Don't ask. You can buy frozen feeders through reptile catalogues or online, acquire live feeders in stores/warehouses, or find another food source for your pets. The rats I breed are bred SPECIFICALLY for qualities that make them good PETS. Pet Stores: I won't sell to pet stores. One reason is that most rats in pet stores are sold as feeders, which goes totally against all the effort I put into breeding for health, looks, and personality and socializing them. (And even the best pet stores can't guarantee the animals will get good homes where they aren't abused, no matter what is done to screen buyers.) Perhaps an even more pressing reason is that pet stores, though no real fault of their own, encourage people to impuse buy pets, and many pet stores have constant low standards of care, especially of small mammals, due to the influence of money. A pet store is a business, but to me, raising rats is a labor of love. Classroom Pets: I will not sell rats to live in elementary school classes, ever. I may adopt them out to teachers to live as pets in Biology or other science classrooms provided that me or my parents know the teacher well. The rats must have all the space, care, and mental stimulation (and live with another rat or rats) they require. The teacher must take total responsibility for care and safety and bring the rats home on holidays. And the classroom must be a suitable temperature and environment for living in. | |||