And Another Two Bite The Dust

I had been so hopeful. My new mentees Jessica and Samantha seemed so "gung ho" and eager to become good rat breeders. But alas, both "bit the dust" and are no longer interested in breeding. This rat breeding stuff isn't for everyone. It takes time, space, money, and the ability to respect and respond to the public on an almost-daily basis. A love for the animals and an interest in genetics is a basic requirement but it isn't enough. I am very much saddened that there is such a lack of interest in becoming a (good) breeder of pet rats as soon there will be no recourse for adopters than to get their pets from shops, feeder bins, rescues, reptile swaps, and Craigslist. The rats will have the poor health and poor temperaments that I(and other fast-disappearing breeders) have been spending years breeding to improve. All the knowledge, the excellent breeding lines, will be lost in the not-too-distant future. This is my 15th year of breeding. I can't keep it up forever but there is no one to replace me. The reason I have kept breeding for this many years is because I want so much to be able to give adopters a place where they can find a quality pet rat. I love hearing the stories from adopters about how much they are loving and spoiling their pet rats and how much joy they get from them. But breeders like me are dying, or retiring, and all their lines and knowledge are going with them. I want so badly to be able to"pass the torch" (so to speak) to others, share what I have learned, and see someone else get the kind of satisfaction and pleasure "I" get from breeding. There MUST BE "wannabees" out there, right?