what you need to know before hand...
When you’re picking out your rat it is important to pay attention to a few things. Firstly, make sure that wherever you’re buying him/her from looks safe and clean, that they have plenty of food and water, and that the males and females are in seperate cages (no matter their age!). Look at their eyes, ears, and nose for a red discharge which can be indicative of stress or of a common but sad disease called Myco. Now, this isn’t always a bad sign, as porphyrin is a natural fluid, so if you see some red but they appear to be healthy and active it could not mean anything.
I have bought two of my girls from pet-stores and have been lucky with no complications yet, but by far, the best place to buy a rat is from a responsible breeder. I say responsible, because some are not. A breeder who has only a few litters of baby rats (called 'kittens') at a time should have handled them from an early age, so that they are well socialized. With Yoshi and Daisy (both pet store ratties) I spent a good week building trust and a relationship with them, but when Boo and Peach came home to me they were SO wonderful and loving. Rats from a breeder will have been spared the traumatic upheaval of moving to a busy shop at a young age, and so will have suffered less stress. They have had fewer opportunities to catch diseases from other animals. You will be able to meet the parents and relatives of the baby rats, and to check that they are healthy and friendly. A good breeder will be able to give advice after you have taken the rats home, and will usually take her rats back if you have any problems with them.
Some pet shops have wonderful and knowledgeable staff who handle their rats daily and treat them well, but others was see them as just another ‘thing’ to be piled high and sold cheap. Advice from pet shops can be unreliable (in my experience) as there are no qualifications or experience necessary for a ‘sales assistant’ in stores. The size of the store is no guide to the quality of the animals or of the advice, so its important to look around before choosing a store. It’s a good idea to find out where the get their rats from. The best store take a small number of rats at a time from local breeders, or breed their own, and give them lots of attention.
No matter where you buy from, consider all the circumstances to decide whether they meet your standards. Good breeders and pet shops put a lot of time and effort into breeding and socialising pet rats and they only breed from good quality, healthy, and friendly animals and will allow the mother rest between litters. The babies will have been well handled- long before their eyes have opened- and should be confident and happy to socialize with you. They will usually be six weeks or older, no younger than 5 weeks; and its a plus if the breeder or pet shop can tell you their date of birth. They will have no problem telling the sexes apart and will have kept the male and female rats seperate at 5 weeks, because females can become pregnant at this point. Good breeders and good pet shops will certainly care about the welfare of their animals, and will want to make sure that you have suitable housing and know how to keep rats, before they will let you buy any from them. It is common to sign an adoption agreement with a breeder, and you should honor this at all times. Don’t be scared to tell your breeder if there are problems or to ask for help long after you’ve brought your rat home.
I have bought two of my girls from pet-stores and have been lucky with no complications yet, but by far, the best place to buy a rat is from a responsible breeder. I say responsible, because some are not. A breeder who has only a few litters of baby rats (called 'kittens') at a time should have handled them from an early age, so that they are well socialized. With Yoshi and Daisy (both pet store ratties) I spent a good week building trust and a relationship with them, but when Boo and Peach came home to me they were SO wonderful and loving. Rats from a breeder will have been spared the traumatic upheaval of moving to a busy shop at a young age, and so will have suffered less stress. They have had fewer opportunities to catch diseases from other animals. You will be able to meet the parents and relatives of the baby rats, and to check that they are healthy and friendly. A good breeder will be able to give advice after you have taken the rats home, and will usually take her rats back if you have any problems with them.
Some pet shops have wonderful and knowledgeable staff who handle their rats daily and treat them well, but others was see them as just another ‘thing’ to be piled high and sold cheap. Advice from pet shops can be unreliable (in my experience) as there are no qualifications or experience necessary for a ‘sales assistant’ in stores. The size of the store is no guide to the quality of the animals or of the advice, so its important to look around before choosing a store. It’s a good idea to find out where the get their rats from. The best store take a small number of rats at a time from local breeders, or breed their own, and give them lots of attention.
No matter where you buy from, consider all the circumstances to decide whether they meet your standards. Good breeders and pet shops put a lot of time and effort into breeding and socialising pet rats and they only breed from good quality, healthy, and friendly animals and will allow the mother rest between litters. The babies will have been well handled- long before their eyes have opened- and should be confident and happy to socialize with you. They will usually be six weeks or older, no younger than 5 weeks; and its a plus if the breeder or pet shop can tell you their date of birth. They will have no problem telling the sexes apart and will have kept the male and female rats seperate at 5 weeks, because females can become pregnant at this point. Good breeders and good pet shops will certainly care about the welfare of their animals, and will want to make sure that you have suitable housing and know how to keep rats, before they will let you buy any from them. It is common to sign an adoption agreement with a breeder, and you should honor this at all times. Don’t be scared to tell your breeder if there are problems or to ask for help long after you’ve brought your rat home.
where to buy...
These are some places that I have had a good experience with or that are recommended by people I trust, but none-the-less please use your own judgment when buying your rat.
pet shops
- Northcote SC pet store (not really socialized, but they care about their rats and give good advice)
- Epping SC does not give accurate advice about taking care of rats, but Yoshi has been healthy as a horse & super loving
- Northland SC pet store does not have rats. They do carry a limited supply of houses and toys, but they do sell natural and organic cage cleaner.
breeders
concerns
Some ethical concerns were just brought to my attention concerning Teddy Bear Rattery located in Geelong. As a community of breeders we have to take a proactive stand towards mistreatment of our pets.
