ema-leigh
Well-Known Member
Hi everyone, I am new to this forum but not new to the wonderful world of rats. I am an active member of ratforum.com but have joined this one also to further my knowledge and hopefully this forum will turn out to be a little bit more active than Ratforum.
My name is Ema-leigh (pronounced Emily) I am almost 20 years old and at current I am owned by 6 rats. Origionally I am from England but I emigrated to Kelowna, British Columbia, Canada almost three years ago now. I am a BIG animal lover and I also train horses and dogs. As far as education goes, I have graduated from both school and college - my chosen degree being a National Diploma in Equine Studies.
My rat story began with two petstore rats. A black berkshire and a hairless. I 'rescued' them from a feeder bin and had my heart broken twice, when the hairless passed away two weeks later and then 5 months later the other guy for no apparent reason. After this I did alot more research and learned the horrible truth about petstore rats. I searched for a responsible breeder in my area and after a LONG and grueling search I managed to find a wonderful lady who had been breeding rats for quite some time and was retiring. I went to go see the rats, and was impressed by their temperment, living conditions and health. You could SEE the quality difference and she clearly spoiled them. She kept a pedigree, with lots of photographs, vet notes and her own notes. I was impressed by her record keeping, and she explained to me the importance of it. I took note of color/health history of both rats so I knew where my guys were coming from. The rats I ended up adopting from her were Buck and Lucy (both I still have today). I took a male and female because I had two large cages and was planning on getting two additional rats from another breeder the very same day - who turned out to be a BYB so I was left with two single different gender rats. I knew rats had to have company, but they had to be quarentined anyway so I still had time to find them friends.
While showing off my rats to a friend she got really excited and insisted I come and check out her rats as she had some babies she wanted to show off. I agreed, although I was skeptical as I wanted really good quality rats. What I saw amazed me. She had about 20 rats who had a bedroom to themselves, decorated with ratty wallpaper + accesories. She also had a humidifier in two huge enclosures that looked like so much fun. She opened one cage and they all came running to her, some sitting on her shoulder. We gossiped for hours and hours about all things ratty. And I learned that she bred her own rats once every few years and kept every single baby for herself! The rats were gorgeous, himalayans, siamese, dilutes, blues even some dumbos. They were evidentally well taken care of and appeared in good health. So I did a little more digging, she did keep a family tree but it was a name only basis and any medical notes. One paticular dumbo girl caught my eye. She was an adorable albino with what I thought was a newspaper smudge on her nose (she turned out to be a dilute himalyan! and that newspaper smudge is now three times the size
) Anyways she was able to let me see and hold Stella's sisters (it was a 7 girl litter), mom, dad, grandparents and a great great grandmother who has over 4 years old! I was smitten and just had to have one of her rats. I learned alot from her with regards to caring for rats. They need large enclosures, large groups and stuff to do as well as the regular pet stuff such as being outside, playtime, bathtime and all that good stuff.
Stella came home with me when she was ready, was quarentined and then joined Lucy. They are best friends now, and Stella is the alpha even though she is a bit smaller and doesnt see as good... I think Lucy could easily dominate her but shes so kind a real mother figure.
Unfortuently I still couldnt find a suitable boy for Buck, I kept looking for rescues and when one cropped up he attacked other rats but was super friendly with people... I bought my cousin back and she adopted him the very same day, as I couldnt leave such a sweet creature to spend another night in a shelter he was only 2 months old. Newfie as she called him, turned out to have myco and he sadly passed away fairly quickly.
I was still looking for rescues and found a sweet little neutered boy, who was healthy and friendly. For some reason I didnt even think to sex the rat myself as I was getting him from the SPCA but Wilbur turned out to be a Winnifred. And Buck turned out to be highly fertile, we had an opps litter on our hands. I decieded to keep Whinny and her bubs and I found raising them to be so rewarding. Fortuently they were all healthy, and I placed them all with family members so I can still see the regularly and they are all doing great. (When the time come I knew I couldnt bare giving them away and never seeing them again and not knowing what happens to them.) I was planning on keeping one from the litter for Buck but we got all girls! (Poor Buck - thankfully I work from home so he became my shoulder warmer and even slept in my bed with me!)
Whinny went into quarentine so she could be placed with my other two does, but she kept getting URI's and eventually the treatment just stopped working and it progressed into Pneuomia (sp?) We let her go to sleep when the time came
I took Whinnys death hard, my attempts to rescue and save lives just kept meaning that I was adopting unwanted petstore rats with huge medical bills and risking the health of my healthy guys. I continued to rescue another male regardless, but he had seizures and I found him dead in quarentine in a pool of blood
I started looking for a breeder again, as I knew I couldnt keep taking all these deaths but couldnt find anyone who followed a set of ethics that I was comftable with. I hate linebreeding and I was suprised how many 'reputable' ratterys did it.
After explaining my situation to a friend she said.. 'Why dont you just breed Buck and Lucy?' I couldnt believe I hadnt thought of this before. I took an a long time to gather as much research as I could. I had bred horses before and dogs so I did have an understanding of genetics and whelping and such. I took peoples names on waiting lists who wanted a baby so I could be sure I had great homes lined up for them.
Long story short... we had a beautiful healthy litter of 12 and I kept a platnuim male (Finnigan), a black berkshire male (Oliver) and a black hooded dumbo female (Firkin')
So I do breed my rats occasionally but on a very small scale and I follow my own very strict breeding ethics as well as a very high standard of care for all my ratties. They are the greatest pet on earth I think and I hope to better the species, but also the experience of owning a rat for many people. Right now I am the only ethical breeder I can find in BC who isnt using pet store stock. I am not registered and I do not show - I just have no interest in doing so. :stickpoke:
Heres some pics:
My lovely boy TR Buck
This is the beautiful TR Stella
TR Finnigan my platnuim
TR Oliver..
TR Lucy
My name is Ema-leigh (pronounced Emily) I am almost 20 years old and at current I am owned by 6 rats. Origionally I am from England but I emigrated to Kelowna, British Columbia, Canada almost three years ago now. I am a BIG animal lover and I also train horses and dogs. As far as education goes, I have graduated from both school and college - my chosen degree being a National Diploma in Equine Studies.
My rat story began with two petstore rats. A black berkshire and a hairless. I 'rescued' them from a feeder bin and had my heart broken twice, when the hairless passed away two weeks later and then 5 months later the other guy for no apparent reason. After this I did alot more research and learned the horrible truth about petstore rats. I searched for a responsible breeder in my area and after a LONG and grueling search I managed to find a wonderful lady who had been breeding rats for quite some time and was retiring. I went to go see the rats, and was impressed by their temperment, living conditions and health. You could SEE the quality difference and she clearly spoiled them. She kept a pedigree, with lots of photographs, vet notes and her own notes. I was impressed by her record keeping, and she explained to me the importance of it. I took note of color/health history of both rats so I knew where my guys were coming from. The rats I ended up adopting from her were Buck and Lucy (both I still have today). I took a male and female because I had two large cages and was planning on getting two additional rats from another breeder the very same day - who turned out to be a BYB so I was left with two single different gender rats. I knew rats had to have company, but they had to be quarentined anyway so I still had time to find them friends.
While showing off my rats to a friend she got really excited and insisted I come and check out her rats as she had some babies she wanted to show off. I agreed, although I was skeptical as I wanted really good quality rats. What I saw amazed me. She had about 20 rats who had a bedroom to themselves, decorated with ratty wallpaper + accesories. She also had a humidifier in two huge enclosures that looked like so much fun. She opened one cage and they all came running to her, some sitting on her shoulder. We gossiped for hours and hours about all things ratty. And I learned that she bred her own rats once every few years and kept every single baby for herself! The rats were gorgeous, himalayans, siamese, dilutes, blues even some dumbos. They were evidentally well taken care of and appeared in good health. So I did a little more digging, she did keep a family tree but it was a name only basis and any medical notes. One paticular dumbo girl caught my eye. She was an adorable albino with what I thought was a newspaper smudge on her nose (she turned out to be a dilute himalyan! and that newspaper smudge is now three times the size
) Anyways she was able to let me see and hold Stella's sisters (it was a 7 girl litter), mom, dad, grandparents and a great great grandmother who has over 4 years old! I was smitten and just had to have one of her rats. I learned alot from her with regards to caring for rats. They need large enclosures, large groups and stuff to do as well as the regular pet stuff such as being outside, playtime, bathtime and all that good stuff. Stella came home with me when she was ready, was quarentined and then joined Lucy. They are best friends now, and Stella is the alpha even though she is a bit smaller and doesnt see as good... I think Lucy could easily dominate her but shes so kind a real mother figure.
Unfortuently I still couldnt find a suitable boy for Buck, I kept looking for rescues and when one cropped up he attacked other rats but was super friendly with people... I bought my cousin back and she adopted him the very same day, as I couldnt leave such a sweet creature to spend another night in a shelter he was only 2 months old. Newfie as she called him, turned out to have myco and he sadly passed away fairly quickly.
I was still looking for rescues and found a sweet little neutered boy, who was healthy and friendly. For some reason I didnt even think to sex the rat myself as I was getting him from the SPCA but Wilbur turned out to be a Winnifred. And Buck turned out to be highly fertile, we had an opps litter on our hands. I decieded to keep Whinny and her bubs and I found raising them to be so rewarding. Fortuently they were all healthy, and I placed them all with family members so I can still see the regularly and they are all doing great. (When the time come I knew I couldnt bare giving them away and never seeing them again and not knowing what happens to them.) I was planning on keeping one from the litter for Buck but we got all girls! (Poor Buck - thankfully I work from home so he became my shoulder warmer and even slept in my bed with me!)
Whinny went into quarentine so she could be placed with my other two does, but she kept getting URI's and eventually the treatment just stopped working and it progressed into Pneuomia (sp?) We let her go to sleep when the time came
I took Whinnys death hard, my attempts to rescue and save lives just kept meaning that I was adopting unwanted petstore rats with huge medical bills and risking the health of my healthy guys. I continued to rescue another male regardless, but he had seizures and I found him dead in quarentine in a pool of blood
I started looking for a breeder again, as I knew I couldnt keep taking all these deaths but couldnt find anyone who followed a set of ethics that I was comftable with. I hate linebreeding and I was suprised how many 'reputable' ratterys did it.
After explaining my situation to a friend she said.. 'Why dont you just breed Buck and Lucy?' I couldnt believe I hadnt thought of this before. I took an a long time to gather as much research as I could. I had bred horses before and dogs so I did have an understanding of genetics and whelping and such. I took peoples names on waiting lists who wanted a baby so I could be sure I had great homes lined up for them.
Long story short... we had a beautiful healthy litter of 12 and I kept a platnuim male (Finnigan), a black berkshire male (Oliver) and a black hooded dumbo female (Firkin')
So I do breed my rats occasionally but on a very small scale and I follow my own very strict breeding ethics as well as a very high standard of care for all my ratties. They are the greatest pet on earth I think and I hope to better the species, but also the experience of owning a rat for many people. Right now I am the only ethical breeder I can find in BC who isnt using pet store stock. I am not registered and I do not show - I just have no interest in doing so. :stickpoke:
Heres some pics:
My lovely boy TR Buck
This is the beautiful TR Stella
TR Finnigan my platnuim
TR Oliver..
TR Lucy
