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
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