This is another commonly asked question. Why buy from a breeder when pet store & feeder rats are so much cheaper?

You know the old saying "You get what you pay for?", well it is incredibly true when it comes to rats. These are the general rules of buying from a good breeder vs a pet sore or feeder breeder, I am not saying that there are never exceptions to this but it is not commonplace.

Choosing a breeder is a big deal, you are deciding who to support, so ask questions to determine if they practice the kind of breeding & care that you want to support. 

P.S. I understand that alot of people have the desire to "save" or "rescue" rats from pet stores or feeder bins, please remember that by doing this you are actually giving them business and helping with the success of it.

P.P.S. It is also very important to note that these are all very important questions to ask a pet rat breeder as there are many out there with very poor ethics.

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1. HEALTH:

GOOD breeders track genetics & health issues. Tumors are INCREDIBLY common in pet store & feeder rats, the vast majority of rats coming from those places will die at an early age and usually due to tumors (This is also common in an uneducated breeder that does not keep proper genetic tracking & does not breed for health first & foremost). I have had zero issues with tumors in my current lines. Rats already have a short lifespan & I want everyone to have them in their family for as long as possible, not having to worry about them passing away from anything other than old age. 

Other than tumors there are numerous other health issues that plague alot of pet store & feeder rats. Mites, lice, mycoplasma & other respiratory issues. Those issues will not be commonly present in a good breeders rats & if anything ever does arise they will have knowledge of how to deal with it & treat it efficiently & effectively. 

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2. TEMPERAMENT:

MOST rats from pet stores or feeder breeders are not handled regularly. They do not get the daily attention & taming that most rats from a good pet breeder do. They are generally not bred for their temperament, and if a mother has maternal aggression or breeders and babies are skittish they usually don't worry about breeding this out of their lines. If any behavioral issues or undesirable temperaments are noticed in a good breeders lines they will immediately address is and discontinued the line. I temperament test ALL my babies before they leave as well as them getting daily socialization. If any issue ever arises it will be immediately addressed and taken care of.

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3. HOUSING: 

This is a HUGE one for me personally. With the sheer volume that pet store & feeder breeder produce most do not have adequate housing, they get no enrichment & have little room. Most of these operations use Rat Racks. This does not stop at those breeders unfortunately there are alot of pet rat breeders that use improper housing as well, such as tanks. So this is a great question to ask and investigate what the breeder you are looking into houses their rats in. 

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4. VARIETY: 

A good breeder will know genetics very well. Color genetics, coat genetics Etc. We know who to breed with who & we breed things together that actually make sense and complement eachother. We know what recessives our rats carry and everything in between. We offer a variety of uncommon coats like Rex, Velveteen, & Harley. We usually have more variety of color. We know what patterns we can create when crossing certain things etc. In fewer words, we do not just throw rats together to produce babies, we logically think about who will pair best with who based on what they are & are carrying for what we are wanting to produce. 

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5. SUPPORT: 

A good breeder will offer LIFETIME support that does not end after you pickup your babies. We will be there to answer ANY question you may have with care & patience. You can count on a good breeder to help you with any questions you may have BEFORE & AFTER you purchase your babies & take them home. Guidance, especially when it is a first time pet for you is a huge help. 

 

6. ETHICS:

Breeding ethics is a huge deal. Many of the rats from pet stores & feeder breeders are bred too often & too early. I personally do not breed my females until they are 4-5 months old & they are only bred 2 times (3 on a VERY rare occasion) in their lifetime. They are also given a 2-3 month break AFTER weaning before I rebreed. Unfortunately many rats that supply pet stores & feeders are bred COUNTLESS times & are rebred IMMEDIATELY after they have weaned their babies. 

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