I lost my Gus / What do you want from breeders?

Oddly, there's been an upswing of rat breeders in Ontario, as well as demand for rats. As I'm booked (to private adoptors), I refer them all to this forum, but advise them when looking to make sure breeders and/or rescues will disclose bloodwork. You are paying equally much in rat vet bills as you do other pets (eg. dogs) that live 10x as long ...so why should you accept so much less?

At the time I had Zen Rattery and Bumpus Place Rescue back in 2001-2005, still young and foolish (20s!), I had the basic sense to get my vets onboard with Elisa-testing (@400/piece --a whole paycheck for me at the time!) all new rats entering both facilities (not my fosters).

Now with Idexx technology cutting the serology testing cost from $400 to only $100, there's no reason for a breeder (or rescue) not to protect their charges by newcomer (or general) testing. I wish I'd the courage to say this before, but logically speaking, if one can't (or is too cheap or lax to) budget the $100 for a disease test, one should not be pumping out animals.

I feel we as fanciers need some sort of cohesiveness, a creed, in order to stand up to the garbage breeders and reduce their patronage. Even as a breeder, I've been scammed by fellow breeders electronically doctoring their test results and killing my rats I've stated my case but I want to hear from what standards and policies the rest of you desire to see from a breeders (and rescues)?

I am very very sorry that Gus didn't make it.


This is going to sound rude but ......

As for your concern re standards and policies, most breeders will not follow any of them.
Of course I would like to see breeders being responsible and testing rats and no longer spreading diseases and no longer producing rats with genetic diseases.
I would also like to stop seeing breeders producing huge numbers of rats that end up in rescues

Rescues rely mainly on strict quarantine procedures and can only afford to test few rats and only when necessary because of circumstances.
It would be wonderful if rescues had the funds to do more.

Personally, I think you might have a more useful discussion on a breeders site
not on a rescue based forum, where people are encouraged to rescue or adopt and to not purchase rats from breeders or stores.

Again I am very sorry for your loss

Oh, I am so sorry SQ (I didn't realize this was a rescue site). I don't associate with any breeders or breeding forums (they hate me). I just happened to see an awful lot of posts about breeders, and I thought we could make an impressive campaign against them if we wanted to. You cant stop them churning out numbers, but you can boycott those who aren't interested in their animals' health. I realize bloodwork is no proof at all really, but it shows a distinctive respect for protocol.

Rescues do often quarantine, and foster out. That is not to say, that in-house testing of sample animals should be discounted. It would make them more adoptable. I would be happy if not another rat was bred in Canada, but that would mean campaigning against their sale in pet stores. A lot harder.

I didn't think you sounded rude.

Sorry if I misled you, this isn't a rescue site but rather a rescue based forum where all are welcome
and mine is just one opinion, as I am not a mod

It is certainly interesting to hear about the advances in testing. The prevalence of the serious rat diseases effects all of us,
especially those involved in rescue.