My rattery is a closed rattery. This means I do not allow people into my rattery. I do this for the safety of my rats and the babies going to their new homes. I can not guarantee the health of babies if they have been exposed to a bunch of people. People may not follow my instructions and they may bring in lice or illnesses. I do pickup at a separate location (my Mom's house).
"If people are not allowed inside the rattery then how do we pick out our babies?" - How baby picking works.
"If people are not coming to your house how does pickup work?" - How pickup works.
My rats and their offspring are very important to me. They are all my pets. I will do my very best to assure that they go to good homes. I make sure they are well cared for, healthy, and happy.
I do not support backyard breeding and the rats will come with a contract that states that you will not breed them. Breeding contracts can be given to people with proven experience in breeding rats. The contract will also state that if you can not keep the rat for any reason, you will return them to me (refunds are based on the individual situation). (I do not often sell to breeders. I would rather trade rats with them. Thus we would become breeding partners and help each other with our love of rats.)
If your rat develops any illness you will report it to me so I can make a note of it and adjust my breeding rats accordingly. I do not want to have any health problems in my lines and the only way to know is if my adopters keep in contact.
As you may know female rats are prone to mammary tumors. Unfortunately when they were first domesticated and bred they were bred to have tumors for laboratory work and experiments. The goal of rat breeders is to reduce the chances of mammary tumors in our lines.
The average rate is 50% of females getting tumors. I've worked to greatly reduce that percentage and have succeeded. But with not everyone keeping in contact it can be hard to have completely accurate data.
As an incentive to try and get adopters to remain in contact I have a policy for my female rats. If your girl gets a mammary tumor then I will offer you a baby for free in your next pair.*
I require a photo to verify the rat and a photo of her tumor. This is so I can identify the rat and see the placement of the tumor.
If you have vet documentation of a tumor removal that will work as verification too. (It must show your name and have a semi current date.)
You do not have to get another pair right away. You can wait until you're ready. However you must inform me immediately so I can document it and adjust my breeding as needed.
*I reserve the right to not honor this policy at any time as I see fit. I offer this opportunity as a kindness and incentive to keep me informed. If I decline I will inform you why. (I have never refused an adopter who has provided the required proof in the history of my rattery. But I need to add this to protect my rats and myself.)
No rats will be adopted without an approved application.
If you change your choice of food, bedding, or cage you must notify me immediately to get the change approved. Your application was approved based on the supplies you filled out the application with. It does not cover any undisclosed changes. I highly recommend getting the change (especially a cage change) approved before purchasing it.
If you are under 18 or still live with a parent/guardian I will have to talk to them on the phone to make sure it is ok that you are getting rats.
If you use Carefresh bedding, anything like it that uses recycled paper/paper fluff, cedar, or scented bedding then I can not adopt to you. My fact page explains why. ( My fact page has a list of beddings that are not acceptable but the list is not all inclusive.)
If you will feed the rats a seed mix or a homemade mix as their main diet then I can not adopt to you. My fact page explains why.
If you have a cage that is too small, an aquarium, or a cage that has wire levels that are not covered then I can not adopt to you. My fact page explains why.
Sorry if this sounds harsh, but I love my rats and only want the best for their offspring. My fact page explains why I feel this way and explains the knowledge I have to back up my beliefs. Once you read it and know how harmful Carefresh (and other beddings like it), wire levels, and seed mix as a main diet can be to rats I am sure you will understand and agree.
By adopting my rats you promise that you will keep me informed on the health of the rats. (I would also like to know when they pass away.) I need this information so I can adjust my lines accordingly and keep breeding healthy rats.
By adopting my rats you promise that you will keep me informed if you rehome them. Remember I will always take back my rats or help you find a home for them. Taking Back My Rats Policy
I'm sorry but I only sell as pairs or more. Even if you already have rats.
Baby rats can not live with older rats until they are 12 weeks old. When you adopt them they will be 6 weeks old. That means they'd have to live alone for at least 6 weeks. (Even if they were older they'd still have to live separately from your other rats because they need to go through quarantine and then the introduction process.) Being solo can have a negative effect on them and lead to behavioral problems and social issues. (It would be like living in solitary confinement. It can be traumatic.) The baby may have a harder time integrating back into a community. They are at an essential age where they need to continue to socialize with other rats and learn proper rat etiquette.
When you have two they will keep each other company while they grow big enough to live with adults. (Or while they go through quarantine and the introduction process.) Then when put into the adult cage the two babies will continue to keep each other company while the adults get used to them. They will have each other to play with and have the same energy levels so they are not annoying the adults and causing the adults to lash out at them.
I can not accept a deposit until the application has been approved.
I can not hold your place in line and I can not hold rats without a deposit.
The deposit is about half of the adoption fee. The other part of the adoption fee is due at the time of pickup. People pick babies based on the order that they sent their deposit in.
Deposits are nonrefundable. There are few exceptions where they are refundable; it is at a case by case basis and completely at my discretion. Your deposit lets me know you are serious about adopting rats and are fully committed to these little living beings.
_* The primary list (waiting list/deposit list) is for people ready to adopt and holds their place in line. People who are not planning to skip available litters should be on this list. Of course I understand that things happen and you may need to skip a set of litters.
The secondary list acknowledges that you have sent in a deposit, it is valid for a year, but it does not hold your spot in line. You must email me within the year to be moved back onto the primary list. After a year of not asking to be moved to the primary list your deposit is forfeited. *_
If you put down a deposit but for some reason can not adopt any more, need to wait longer, you have skipped four sets of litters, or it has been over a year since you sent in a deposit then I will have to move your deposit off of the primary list. I will send you an email with this notice. I will also give you the option to adopt from the next available set of litters instead of moving onto the secondary list. If you can give me a definite time frame of when you're able to adopt (such as there are babies available in May but you want to adopt after September) then I can keep your name on the primary list but you must adopt babies that are available during that time frame.
Once moved to the secondary list I will only be able to hold your deposit for a year from when I notify you of this deadline. (After a year without telling me you're ready to adopt then your deposit is forfeited.) Your deposit will go on a different list that keeps track of your deposit for the year. But it is not holding your picking spot on the waiting list. This is because the primary list sets the order in which people pick their babies and it let's me know how many immediate homes I have secured. It makes things confusing when your deposit is included in the count but it's unknown when you will actually adopt. It's also inconvenient for others who are waiting because they do not know their true place on the waiting list. (They could be planning on a certain time frame due to their place in line and waiting to buy their cage closer to the expected time. However because of the unknown time frame deposit they could then be moved up several places and suddenly babies are available much sooner than expected. This means they do not have everything they need yet because they thought they had more time.) It puts me in the position of having to hold babies past the pickup date because it's not the adopters' fault that unexpectedly babies are available. Sometimes it leaves me with no home for the babies and I scramble to find them a home. It becomes stressful. You must contact me within the year to get added back onto the waiting list. I will not contact you because I am waiting on behalf of your request. (I will only contact you with available babies if you gave me a specific time frame.) Once you contact me I will add you back onto the waiting list and tell you your place in line. Once added back onto the waiting list you will need to adopt within two sets of litters when babies become available to you. (Meaning, you can only skip a set of litters once. You must adopt when I contact you with the second set of available babies.) This is so people do not use this as a way to have me hold the deposit indefinitely.
If there are babies available to you, you do not respond at all to multiple attempts to contact you, and the pickup weekend has passed then you will forfeit your deposit. By this time it will have been at least a month with no contact from you since I initially told you that babies are available. When you send in a deposit you are telling me that you are ready to adopt (unless otherwise noted). The ladies paired are based on the number of deposits because those deposits insure I will have a home for those babies. When you promise to adopt but then disappear it leaves me with babies who may not have a home.
If you have confirmed that you are adopting babies from the current set of litters but I do not hear from you for several days (you're aware of your pickup date and should be in communication with me the week before pickup), you haven't responded to multiple attempts to contact, you haven't responded to emails about baby picking, scheduling a pickup time and verify your supplies/set up cage, and/or you have not verified your supplies/set up cage and it is the pickup weekend (meaning it's the Friday night before pickups) then I will send you a deadline to respond by. (Such as 12pm on the last day (Sunday) of pickups.) If you do not respond by that deadline then your deposit will be forfeit and I will list the babies as available that afternoon on Sunday. There is no reason for this to be last minute and it's highly unfair to me to schedule the day of pickup. Depending on the situation and how often during the adoption process you failed to respond in a timely manner then I will not accept a new deposit from you and I will not be adopting to you. I understand that things happen and life can be busy however if you're unable to respond to emails that require a response in a timely manner then it makes me concerned that you will not have adequate time to care for the rats.
If you do not respond to the request to reverify your supplies and show a photo of your cage all set up and/or you do not schedule a pickup time then once the pickup weekend has passed with no communication you will forfeit your deposit. I send out reminders. I shouldn't have to email you every day of the pickup weekend to get that information. Scheduling last minute (the day of pickup) or disappearing during the pickup weekend and not verifying your supplies/set up cage or scheduling a pickup time is extremely stressful to me.
I reserve the right to refund your deposit and cancel the adoption at any time. Depending on the situation, for my mental health, I may or may not give you a reason and I will cease communications.
Such instances would be in extreme cases. Like finding out information that makes you an unsuitable/unsafe home, me being verbally abused or treated rudely, inconsistent/lack of communication (such as me having to email and text multiple times over multiple days to get a reply to time sensitive questions every time I need to contact you), etc.
If you do not like any of the available babies then your deposit can be transferred to the next set of litters. (I post many sets of group photos so you have a good idea of what the babies look like.)
If you're skipping a litter (for any reason) you must inform me by three weeks old so I have enough time to find the babies a home. Otherwise your deposit is forfeit for canceling last minute. (Telling me last minute is extremely inconvenient and does not give me enough time to find them a home before they're ready. That's also very unfair to the babies.)
People pick babies based on the order that they sent their deposit in. Babies are picked from photos. I take multiple sets of group photos then one set of photos of each individual baby at around five weeks old. I also take videos of the babies (at the time individual photos are taken) so you can get an idea of their personality. These are uploaded to YouTube. (A set contains 10 to 30 photos of the baby to show their color and unique pattern.)
People pick their rats from the baby photos. There is absolutely no picking babies in person. (Since people pick babies in the order they send in their deposit it'd be impossible to have them schedule appointments in that order. Also, I do not let anyone handle any babies except for their owners. (I even separate their babies into a smaller cage before they arrive to make sure there is no contact with other people's babies.) I do this because someone could bring an illness or parasite in and infect all the babies. I can not risk sending home a rat who has just gotten sick or infected with lice. I want to be confident that I am sending home healthy babies. I can't do that if they are all being handled by every person who comes into my rattery.)
I will email you with links to the baby albums and YouTube videos when it is your turn to pick. I will tell you which babies are taken and which are available. Please respond in a timely fashion. There are people eagerly awaiting their turn to pick. If I do not hear from you within 24 hours of sending the email then I will send a reminder with a deadline that gives you another 24 hours. If I have not received your pick or heard from you in 48 hours (from the first email) then I will have no choice but to move on to the next person. That will have given you two days to pick your babies. It's extremely unfair to the other people waiting to pick their babies. You will still be down for two rats but you will have lost your place in line.
If you do not like any of the available babies then your deposit can be transferred to the next set of litters. (I post many sets of group photos so you have a good idea of what the babies look like. If you're skipping a litter you must inform me by 3 weeks old so I have time to find the babies a home. Otherwise your deposit is forfeit. Telling me last minute is extremely inconvenient and does not give me enough time to find them a home before they're ready. That's also very unfair to the babies.)
About a week before the pickup weekend I send out the take home email and the pickup procedure email. You must reverify what food and bedding you are using along with sending me a photo of your cage all set up. If you are adding rats to your mischief I will need to see their temporary cage all set up and a photo of the cage they will all be living in once introductions are over. Reverification MUST be done before you pick up your rats. You need to be cleared for pickup otherwise you can not pick them up until you do so.
If you own rats I will ask that the day you are coming to the rattery that you wear clothes that your rats have not come in contact with and that you not hold your rats that day. I ask this of all clients who have rats. I also ask that you do not visit a pet store 72 hours prior to visiting my rattery. Pet store rats are often sick and you could easily carry something home on your clothing or in your nasal passage way (like mycoplasma). All of this may seem silly but it is to keep everyone safe. Thank you for understanding.
I do baby pickup at a separate location that is located about 15 minutes away from my house. My Mom allows me to use her breezeway to do pickups. I bring all the babies to her home and they wait inside for their owners. Before the pickup appointment I bring out the babies you've previously selected. That way your babies are only being exposed to you and handled by you. (I wash my hands in between appointments and babies are all in their own cages.)**
**With the pandemic I do curbside pickup at my home. Appointments are scheduled in ten minute sessions.
You will need to bring something to bring the babies home in. A carrier with appropriate bar spacing or even a cardboard box. Please put bedding in it.
If you are concerned that the rats may get hungry or thirsty on the drive home you can put in food and vegetables/fruits with high water content like cucumbers or watermelon. The rats should be fine even for a couple of hours.
I will contact you before the designated pickup weekend to schedule appointments. I try to schedule everyone on the same day. Appointments are 30 minutes long. (You do not have to stay the full 30 minutes.) I schedule 30 minutes so you can handle your babies and ask any questions you may have. Please try to arrive on time and please try to not stay longer than 30 minutes (that takes away from others' appointments).
I let you know as soon as the babies are born what weekend they will be ready. (If I am unsure, due to their size, I give you two weekends.) I ask that you pick them up on that weekend. They must be picked up on the weekend they are ready. (I can not let them go home early.) If you can not pick them up on the weekend that they are ready then I ask that you pay a fee to cover the costs of their supplies and care. I only factor 6 weeks into their price (If I choose to keep them for 7 weeks I do not increase the adoption fee.). For the extra time I am keeping them I have to house them in a separate cage, pay for food and bedding, care for them, and I have to continue to socialize them every day. Of course if you have only just contacted me on the weekend they are ready and can not come that weekend I understand. But then you will need to come get them the next weekend. Otherwise I will have to charge a fee for every week they are with me there after. Thank you for understanding.
IMPORTANT. Effective 3/30/2015 - Inappropriate Supplies. If you show up with the wrong supplies then I have the right to turn you away and not adopt to you. (You may come back the following weekend (remember I ask that you not visit a pet store for at least 72 hours before coming to my rattery so going out that day and buying the supplies does not work) when you have bought the appropriate supplies but you are subject to the fee for picking your rats up late.) When submitting an application you are telling me what supplies you are choosing. I discuss the options with you if you are unsure or if you are choosing an inappropriate supply. So you have ample time and information to get the right supplies. If you change your mind on a supply you need to verify the change with me. (My contact me page, my fact page, and my "Taking Home Your New Baby Rats" information email (it is sent out at least a few days before you come to get your rats.) goes over the kinds of food, beddings, and cages that are appropriate for rats. They also go over what is not appropriate. I do ask you to re-verify your supplies before selecting a pickup time. There should be no reason why you do not have safe supplies.) I can not guarantee the health of any rat nor am I responsible for any rat who is not cared for with the proper supplies.
If you can not longer keep the rats adopted from me then you promise you will let me know so I can take them back or help find them homes. (I highly prefer to not take back rats when I have babies. I can not risk them getting sick. If I have litters then I will most likely ask you to wait until they are gone to their homes.) It's also an easier transition for the rats if the new adopter gets the rats from you. Rather than the rats coming back to me, adjusting to my home, then being uprooted again and having to adjust to a third home.
There will be no judgments passed. If you can not keep the rats or you feel the rat has a social problem I will take them back. I only ask questions to better determine what I may need to do for the rats and to alert any potential new adopters about the rats' personalities.
In most cases I do require that they are returned with their cage. I do this because One: I do not have extra cages suitable for long term living for the rats to live in while they are being evaluated, quarantined, and then waiting to be adopted. Two: If you are getting rid of the rats, you do not need the cage. I have seen people return rats and then get another pet and use that cage. Which shows me they grew tired of the rats and I find it highly unfair to the animals. Three: Most times when I adopt out older rats who were returned, they are free with the purchase of the cage. (That money from the cage pays for the supplies and the time they spent back at my home.) Or if someone already has a cage I can sell the existing cage to pay for their care.
Depending on the situation a refund may be given. Refunds are given on a case by case basis and are only given at my discretion. If you just grow tired of the rats I will not give a refund, if you no longer have the time and/or money to care for the rat I will not give a refund, if it has been a few months and this is the first you have contacted me about an on going problem I will not give a refund, if you have not followed my advice then I will not give you a refund, ETC.
If something happens (a rat dies, you lose a rat and can't ever get them back, etc.) I will not take back the rat who is left and adopt a different gender to you. That is highly unfair to the rat you have left. It would be completely irresponsible to take back a rat that has no issue and then adopt new rats to you just because you "now have to opportunity to get a different gender". If your current rat is altered and you have vet proof then I can adopt the opposite gender to you.
I will not adopt out rats of the opposite gender to the ones you already own. (If you have females, I will not adopt out males to you. If you have males, I will not adopt out females to you.) If those rats are spayed/neutered then I will. But I will need to see the vet bill/record as proof.
In the event that you think there is a personality issue with the rat (the rat is biting) I will take them back. I then give three options.
1. I can take the rat back. (If you only have one rat left then I will require that you make plans for a new cage mate. It is unfair to the rat left to live alone. (Of course age will be taken into consideration.) To be fair to the other rat I'd prefer not to take back the rat in question until you have made arrangements to get a new cage mate. Rats should never live alone.)
2. I can take the rat in question back and you can buy two new babies. (I say two babies because baby rats should not be introduced to grown rats until they are at least 12 weeks old. This means that the baby will be alone for at least 6 weeks until they can join your old rat. This is extremely unfair to the baby. Rats should never be alone. After going through puberty, just leaving all they know, and then being kept alone it may change their personality. (I rarely adopt out single rats because I feel so strongly about the babies being kept alone.) It's also possible that your older rat may not accept a new rat and now the new baby has no one to live with. (They'd have to be alone longer to get a new cage mate.) But if adopted with a sibling the new rat has that sibling to live with.) I will require that you buy the two new babies and upon evaluation of the problem rat a refund may be given for one of the babies. (I will only replace the rat who has an issue for free if the rat shows that issue here. (I evaluate* them for two to three weeks. My breeding partner does an evaluation if needed.) If the rat does not bite here then I can not replace the rat for free because it may have been situational. (Your home may have been a little chaotic for that rat and it made them fear bite. (Each rat is unique and not all rats are for everyone.) There was mishandling and they now bite you and your family because they are scared. (It takes a lot of work to gain the trust of a traumatized rat. It may take many months before they trust a human again.) You were hand feeding/feeding through the bars so now the rat bites your hand when you hold your hand in front of them because them assume they are getting fed, etc.)) Most times I do not have babies available right away; it's advisable to keep the rat in question as a cage mate for your rat and then drop them off when I have babies available for you to take home.
3. I can take both back. Either that's all or you can adopt two new babies after evaluations. I will require that you buy the two new babies and upon complete evaluation of the problem rat a refund may be given for one of the babies. (I will not replace the rat that didn't have an issue for free. I will only replace the rat who has an issue for free if the rat shows that issue here. (I evaluate* them for two to three weeks. My breeding partner does an evaluation if needed.) If the rat does not bite here then I can not replace the rat for free because it may have been situational. (Your home may have been a little chaotic for that rat and it made them fear bite. (Each rat is unique and not all rats are for everyone.) There was mishandling and they now bite you and your family because they are scared. (It takes a lot of work to gain the trust of a traumatized rat. It may take many months before they trust a human again.) You were hand feeding/feeding through the bars so now the rat bites your hand when you hold your hand in front of them because them assume they are getting fed, etc.))
My goal is to make everyone happy but I also have to be fair to the rats and myself. Please understand that. The rats will always come first.
* Evaluations last two to three weeks. (Longer if needed.) During the first week I will hold them and interact with them as normal letting them adjust to the new settings. After a week I will begin behavioral testing. Basically I will try to illicit a bite. (I will touch them every where, lightly tug their tail/ears, look in their mouth, clean the cage with them in it, wash the cage levels with them there, pet them in the cage, etc.) I will do this for one to two weeks. If I do not get bit or I discover the root of the biting then I will not be able to refund for a new baby.
The root of the biting is something such as, the rat was hand fed so now when you pause in front of the rat they think they are being fed so they bit. Which means not holding your fingers out to them results in not getting bit. I will then begin to train them to not bit fingers offered. It may be a hard habit to break as most rats are very food motivated. But that was not a defect with the rat. It was what they were taught after they were adopted.
Or maybe they were mishandled (dropped, squeezed, tailed pulled, etc.) resulting in fear that lead to them biting in order to protect themselves. (Before allowing you to take home more babies I will do a quick physical examine of the rat. The rats leave here very social and healthy. If they return and there is physical evidence of mishandling/abuse/neglect then I will not adopt more rats to you and I will not refund you. If during the two to three week evaluation they display signs of abuse then I will not refund you for the baby you purchased and I will never adopt to you again. I also will alert other breeders of this issue and allow them to make their own decision. (This decision will not be made lightly. Rats are rodents, they are prey animals, so some are timid/skittish. They may also be nervous if they are not handled often. But like other animals they will display signs of abuse and it will not just be that they are unsocial.)
