I have recently been contacted by several people who have had bad experiences dealing with breeders they've found so I feel it is important for me to explain a bit further the signs that may indicate a breeder who should be avoided. While it's wonderful that an adopter recognizes the importance of buying from a breeder (or a good rescue) rather than getting rats from a pet shop, it must be noted that all breeders are not the same. Anyone can call themselves a breeder, pair rats up and produce babies. When adopters buy from a poor quality breeder or "backyard breeder" it may forever cause them to view all breeders in a poor light. Determining who is a good breeder and who is a bad breeder (one to avoid) is not something the average person knows how to do. They think they are doing the smart thing by just finding a breeder to deal with. The people who have contacted me regarding their bad experiences with breeders had no way to know not to deal with the breeders they'd found. They were badly bitten by the rats they adopted and then burned when the breeders refused to acknowledge the seriousness of the situation, and either refused to take the rats back and/or refund the money the adopters had paid. PLEASE heed the following warning signs to avoid similar scenarios:
A breeder asks for extra money before giving you a pedigree.
A breeder is also a rescue.
A breeder cannot show you pedigree records or any other records related to her/his breeding of rats.
You can smell the odor of urine outside the house, before you knock on the door.
Cages and premises are dirty and unkempt.
Rats are heard to be sneezing or bodies are covered with scabs.
Rats do not have at least three generations of known pedigree information. (You may note this on the breeder's website when looking at her/his rats OR if you inquire to see pedigree information.)
Breeder claims her/his rats are tumor free, megacolon free, live 4-5 years, etc.
A good breeder knows her/his animals and keeps careful records about their health and breeding information. The rattery should be clean and well kept and rats should appear healthy, with no sign of sneezing or scratching (or scabs) which could indicate mites. Good breeders will readily share information, be willing to provide references, and will always tell you that she/he is willing to take rats back at any time (and in fact may ask that you return any unwanted rats to the rattery rather than the adopter rehoming them) and/or refund your money should there be some health or temperament related issue that shows up.
If a breeder makes claims that seem "too good to be true" regarding the health or longevity of their rats, a "red flag" should definitely be raised. No breeder who has been around for any length of time can legitimately claim not to have had rats who developed tumors, for example. The normal life span of a rat is 2 1/2-3 years. Claims of having rats who live to the ages of 4 or 5 years are not to be believed. ( Rats CAN live as long as this but it is very rare and certainly not something you can expect, no matter what kind of claims a breeder makes.) There are no special diets that can keep rats tumor free or extend their normal life spans. Unless you are able to confirm a breeder's claims by research you do online, and from well-known studies, be extremely leery. One thing I cannot stress enough is that no matter how far you have driven to reach a breeder, or how eager you are to get rats, if you see anything that leads you to question the quality of the breeder or her/his rats (and their temperament or health), LEAVE WITHOUT GETTING RATS. The people who contact me about their bad experiences knew things "weren't right", ( smelled ruine before entering the breeder's home, saw cages piled high, overcrowded cages, rats kept in unclean conditions, were asked to pay extra for pedigrees, etc, etc), but because they were eager, had driven a far distance, had children with them who were eager to get rats, etc, they disregarded their better judgement and bought rats anyway and were later very sorry they had done so. These people "found out the hard way" and learned some painful lessons. I hope potential adopters will read (and heed) my warnings when looking for a breeder from whom to buy good quality pet rats. Adopters who get their rats from a good breeder have told me on more than one occasion that they can really "tell the difference" in quality (temperament and/or health) from rats gotten from pet shops or poor/backyard breeders.
Debbie
Wednesday, September 8, 2010
Monday, September 6, 2010
Why should I get my rats from a breeder? What's wrong with just going to my local pet shop?
Most of the rats sold in shops will be sold as "food" for reptiles, while a lucky few will be sold as pets. (It is only relatively recently that some shops have been aiming to sell to the pet-buying public.) This means that the rats do not need to be "nice", or socialized with people before being sold. They don't need to be healthy, beyond the first short days, weeks or months, since they will not be living long anyway. The large population of reptile owners demands a constant supply of "pinkies" (rats less than a week old), "fuzzies" (rats one-two weeks old), and older animals, often labeled as "small", "medium" and "large", in the cages or "feeder bins" of pet shops. For all these reasons, most pet shop rats come from facilities where there is mass production of rats. Breeding any and all females (regardless of age), over and over and over again, is the norm. It doesn't matter what males father litters, so rats are all jumbled together, producing litter after litter, which then go out the door and into the shops. Rats can be fed on poor quality food, just what is needed to get them to live for a while, and no veterinary care is given, as this would be too costly, and is not necessary, given the goals of mass production. There is no selection for future health or temperament, and no handling/socializing of babies.
I have heard many sad tales, of people adopting rats from pet shops, only to have them fall ill shortly after, or even die within a very short time. Many are purchased already sneezing from respiratory problems, and carrying mites. Many are skittish and afraid of people. Others, who appear friendly, can "turn mean" or bite a few months later, as a rat's hormone levels change. Sweet, healthy rats can be purchased in shops, and may even live long lives. (Rats normally live 2 1/2 - 3 years.) The odds though, are stacked against this happening.
A good, responsible, reputable breeder carefully chooses healthy, good-tempered rats as breeding stock. In fact, the rats will have pedigrees that are known for many generations. Records are kept on the health and longevity of each animal, which a breeder then uses to choose which rats to pair. A good breeder wants to produce healthy, people-friendly animals. Some, who also show their animals, work to improve type (conformation) as well. Babies are handled from the day of their birth and are well socialized by the time they are placed in new homes, no earlier than 5 weeks of age. (Most breeders place babies at anywhere from 5-8 weeks of age.) Breeders put in a lot of time and effort raising their rats, so they naturally have a desire to see that babies are placed in homes where they will be cared for properly (appropriate cage, bedding, diet, and lots of playtime with their human(s)), and with owners who will keep the breeder updated as to the health of the animals. (This is to aid the breeder in being aware of any health issues which may affect the future use (or not) of a particular breeding line.) When you contact a breeder about wanting to adopt rats, expect that you will be asked a series of questions about how you plan to care for your new pets. Responsible breeders will also require that you adopt in same-sex pairs (due to rats' social nature) unless you have other rats already. You will be asked to sign an adoption agreement too, where you agree to provide proper care (and veterinary if ever needed) of your new rats, agree not to breed (anything sold as pet only...breeders have special requirements of those to whom they sell breeding stock) to sell to pet shops or to produce "food" for reptiles.
Many people call themselves breeders. Sometimes sorting out the good, responsible, reputable ones from the uneducated, irresponsible ones can be tricky. The best breeders will be established, meaning that they have been around for at least a year, and ideally, several. They will have good reputations. Ask around! Don't ever be shy about asking a breeder for a list of references, either from other breeders, or from people who have adopted pet rats from them before. A good breeder will eagerly advise prospective buyers as to what constitutes proper caging, bedding, and diet, and will answer any questions about rats as pets. She/he will be able to tell you about the parents and relatives of any babies you are interested in adopting, and will be able to show you a pedigree. Their breeding rats will all have at least three generations of known pedigree, and will be registered on NARR (North American Rat Registry -- http://www.ratregistry.org/) Any babies the breeder produces who do not find new homes will be kept by the breeder, and are NEVER given/sold to pet shops. Any breeder who raises so many rats that they can't keep what doesn't get placed, or who gives/sells rats to pet shops is NOT a good breeder. Responsible breeders will also tell you that they will take back any rats they have raised, at any time, should the adopter ever feel compelled to re-home them.
Buying rats from a good breeder gives adopters the opportunity to add healthy, socialized pets to the family. While there are never any "guarantees," responsible, reputable breeders will have done all in their power to produce rats that will live out a normal life span with good health. Should an adopter's rat(s) become ill – respiratory problems are common, unfortunately – the breeder should "be there" to offer help and advise as to care you may be able to give yourself, or to tell you when to take your pet to a rat-knowledgeable veterinarian. Good breeders KNOW what they will produce in terms of health and temperament. Adopters of animals that have such relatively short lives, deserve to start out with rats that have been bred with care. If you choose to buy from a pet shop, you are playing a kind of "rat roulette"!
© 2008 Debbie Fratini
I have heard many sad tales, of people adopting rats from pet shops, only to have them fall ill shortly after, or even die within a very short time. Many are purchased already sneezing from respiratory problems, and carrying mites. Many are skittish and afraid of people. Others, who appear friendly, can "turn mean" or bite a few months later, as a rat's hormone levels change. Sweet, healthy rats can be purchased in shops, and may even live long lives. (Rats normally live 2 1/2 - 3 years.) The odds though, are stacked against this happening.
A good, responsible, reputable breeder carefully chooses healthy, good-tempered rats as breeding stock. In fact, the rats will have pedigrees that are known for many generations. Records are kept on the health and longevity of each animal, which a breeder then uses to choose which rats to pair. A good breeder wants to produce healthy, people-friendly animals. Some, who also show their animals, work to improve type (conformation) as well. Babies are handled from the day of their birth and are well socialized by the time they are placed in new homes, no earlier than 5 weeks of age. (Most breeders place babies at anywhere from 5-8 weeks of age.) Breeders put in a lot of time and effort raising their rats, so they naturally have a desire to see that babies are placed in homes where they will be cared for properly (appropriate cage, bedding, diet, and lots of playtime with their human(s)), and with owners who will keep the breeder updated as to the health of the animals. (This is to aid the breeder in being aware of any health issues which may affect the future use (or not) of a particular breeding line.) When you contact a breeder about wanting to adopt rats, expect that you will be asked a series of questions about how you plan to care for your new pets. Responsible breeders will also require that you adopt in same-sex pairs (due to rats' social nature) unless you have other rats already. You will be asked to sign an adoption agreement too, where you agree to provide proper care (and veterinary if ever needed) of your new rats, agree not to breed (anything sold as pet only...breeders have special requirements of those to whom they sell breeding stock) to sell to pet shops or to produce "food" for reptiles.
Many people call themselves breeders. Sometimes sorting out the good, responsible, reputable ones from the uneducated, irresponsible ones can be tricky. The best breeders will be established, meaning that they have been around for at least a year, and ideally, several. They will have good reputations. Ask around! Don't ever be shy about asking a breeder for a list of references, either from other breeders, or from people who have adopted pet rats from them before. A good breeder will eagerly advise prospective buyers as to what constitutes proper caging, bedding, and diet, and will answer any questions about rats as pets. She/he will be able to tell you about the parents and relatives of any babies you are interested in adopting, and will be able to show you a pedigree. Their breeding rats will all have at least three generations of known pedigree, and will be registered on NARR (North American Rat Registry -- http://www.ratregistry.org/) Any babies the breeder produces who do not find new homes will be kept by the breeder, and are NEVER given/sold to pet shops. Any breeder who raises so many rats that they can't keep what doesn't get placed, or who gives/sells rats to pet shops is NOT a good breeder. Responsible breeders will also tell you that they will take back any rats they have raised, at any time, should the adopter ever feel compelled to re-home them.
Buying rats from a good breeder gives adopters the opportunity to add healthy, socialized pets to the family. While there are never any "guarantees," responsible, reputable breeders will have done all in their power to produce rats that will live out a normal life span with good health. Should an adopter's rat(s) become ill – respiratory problems are common, unfortunately – the breeder should "be there" to offer help and advise as to care you may be able to give yourself, or to tell you when to take your pet to a rat-knowledgeable veterinarian. Good breeders KNOW what they will produce in terms of health and temperament. Adopters of animals that have such relatively short lives, deserve to start out with rats that have been bred with care. If you choose to buy from a pet shop, you are playing a kind of "rat roulette"!
© 2008 Debbie Fratini
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)