Hi I'm a newbie hoping to get my first ratties at the end of August if I can ever find a suitable cage. I currently own 3 geckos, and a cat. I'm hoping to get two baby boys, I'm super excited. I'm hoping it will go over well, my mother's kind of terrified of rodents. I plan on getting them from a local breeder that looks great, but for now I'm going to continue learning, I frequent another forum, but am excited as there seems to be more Canadian users on here.
Hi From ON
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Sheldon
Rataholic
Hi there and welcome! I see you are in Ontario...I know there are a lot of Canadian rescues with babies in need of a loving home. Have you considered adopting?
lilspaz68
Well-Known Member
Welcome!
Can you tell us the name of the breeder you are looking at? Then we can tell you if they are credible or have a bad reputation (most look good on their sites8 but it's mostly midtruths)
Can you tell us the name of the breeder you are looking at? Then we can tell you if they are credible or have a bad reputation (most look good on their sites8 but it's mostly midtruths)
I've thought about it, but for my first babies I'm more comfortable going to a breeder. I've talked to someone on another forum who has gotten multiple rats from the same breeder and says shes great. I've also asked her questions and she emailed back very quickly. I'm planning to go with Atlantis Rattery. They're nearby and look great.
lilspaz68
Well-Known Member
That is what I was afraid of. Ashley's website looks great but she's actually just a miller (mass producer of rats with little care and ethics). Her rats are usually very pretty but there's no proof she is breeding for health and temperament at all. She sometimes will take her plainer babies to her friend and takes his fancier ones and sells them as her own (you don't want to know the fate of the babies dropped off). I am working with a girl who adopted one of these, and a year later is still having a terrible time.
A good breeder carefully selects mom and dad to give them a litter that improves on their qualities...they are looking at temperament, health, physical conformation next, then last and least colour and markings. They only breed 2 litters at a time (Ashley just bred 8 litters with 81 babies in ONE month)...that;'s more than a ethical breeder will produce in a year! I take in rescues and I know how much work it is socializing a litter, and there's no way 8 litters CAN be socialized even if you were a stay at home person. I don't dislike breeders, I dislike breeders who fool their adopters, and who breed to make money. I have a lot of breeder friends actually and know of one ethical breeder in Brampton called Rattuity.
lilspaz68
Well-Known Member
As a rescuer I keep an eye on he breeders in our area, as most times this is where a lot of the rescue rats come from 
I now have 2 (picked up another one this weekend) and crumbilina has 4...Ashley has noapplication or adoption contract so there's definitely no taking back of any rats she adopted out.
You might want to read this...Sorraia of Black Wolf Rattery in California wrote this...
http://bwr-rats.blogspot.ca/2011/10/red-flags.html
I now have 2 (picked up another one this weekend) and crumbilina has 4...Ashley has noapplication or adoption contract so there's definitely no taking back of any rats she adopted out.You might want to read this...Sorraia of Black Wolf Rattery in California wrote this...
http://bwr-rats.blogspot.ca/2011/10/red-flags.html
Really? I've heard nothing but good from another rat buyer. And I've emailed back in forth with her a bit talking about cages etc and she seemed to know what she was talking about. Plus is close and easy to public transit to, where as Brampton is over an hour one way via public transit. Do you have anything to back this up? Or any other breeders/rescues in ON? I'm in Hamilton.
Hi there. I'm from Orillia. I don't know anything good about breeders, but I do know quite a bit from the perspective of someone who tried to research rat ownership and along the road of actually taking in several rescues, found out many things I'd wished I'd known beforehand. It's great that you're here and doing your best to research rat ownership before delving in. :joy:
So without further adieu, here are some important things you should have in order before adopting.
1) Check local rescues. They often have rats that are already very well trained and bonded to each other, are young and have plenty of life to live, and will make wonderful companions and be forever grateful to you. They know.
2) Spay and neuter, as soon as possible. With female rats, they have about an 80% or higher chance of getting a mammary tumor if they are not spayed very early in life. I did not know this, and all of my females have had tumors now. It's not a death sentence, but it's very likely recurring, and it's about the same price as spaying. Besides, there's other afflictions (such as pyometra, an infection) they can get if they are not spayed. I have had to pay for the tumor removals then spay them as well, so I've spent much much more money in the long run, and cost my rats more down time and discomfort. I will ALWAYS spay right away with any females I get in the future. For males, neutering is important because it reduces any possible aggression or territoriality, and of course allows them to mesh with your rat pack better, including females. You can expect to pay about $250 for a spay, and maybe about $100 for a neuter. This can vary widely from vet to vet, so price that out before you adopt.
3) Find a good vet you can trust. I would go and talk to several local offices that treat rats, and maybe ask them several questions about their procedures. I can help you work up a vet interview question list later if you want. You need to balance cost with getting the best care possible. Just because a vet is more expensive doesn't mean he's better, or if one's cheaper doesn't mean he's worse. You just have to research them, and you can always ask on here too.
4)Lots of cages can be hard to clean and uncomfortable for you and your rats, even tho they look decent from the start. I strongly advocate the critter nation brand. I got mine from ferret.com. As you are beginning and will not have more than maybe 3 or 4 rats, you should get the single level. If you later add more to your family, you can buy the add on unit and it is expandable. These cages are fantastic, easy to clean, healthy and sanitary, spacious, rats love them, they're just all around good stuff. You will pay just a little more than you would for a totally bunk cage, and it is worth every penny. You'll thank yourself later.
5)As rats are highly social and need others of their own species to thrive, you should get a minimum of 2, but I would strongly recommend 3 rats. You and your animals will be much much happier in the long run.
6)As you have other animals and people in your home that may not be rat friendly, be sure you have an area (your bedroom?) prepared to be off limits to other animals. It is easy to have a cat that's really nice, and we think they are safe around our little babies, but all it takes is 2 seconds of a curious cat, dog, or frightened person and you have a possibly mortally injured rat, and that could have been prevented. My rats stay in my bedroom where nothing or no one else can get to them, and the door stays locked. There is a dog downstairs, a big black lab, that is really nice and doesn't mean any harm, I think, but one day I had a rat on my shoulder and he jumped up towards her and snapped his jaws. Had he caught her tail he could have killed her. I screamed at him and ran away, and you better beleive I never let him anywhere near me when there's a rat on me. I generally don't even take them out of the room anymore.
6)Be sure to set aside time every day for bonding, playing, and running around. Some people use kiddie play pens but mine just run around on my bed and desk which is kinda connected to one area. Probably at least one hour dedicated out time is good.
I'm sure there's more stuff but those are some of the things I wish I'd known. I mean, aside from the obvious like getting proper food (oxbow regal rat?) and buying some toys/blankets/hammocks for them. This thread has lots of pix for how to decorate the critter nation (CN), remember, many of these are the double version, you'll probably want the single version for now. Although there is a lot to know about properly caring for rats and it may seem like a lot at first, I have found this to be one of the most rewarding, life-enriching experiences I've had. They're extremely smart and affectionate. They frequently shower me with love and affection, and even when they are not well, they show love to me in the cutest ways, and they know that I'm working my best to help them be happy and healthy. They pick up n things very quickly and come up with the funniest ways to entertain themselves and me too I am confident that if you continue to put this much into your endeavor to be a rat parent, you will find your life equally as enriched.
Welcome to the forums! There's tons of fellow Ontarians here and more who are very nice and knowledgeable, so have fun getting to know errybody!
So without further adieu, here are some important things you should have in order before adopting.
1) Check local rescues. They often have rats that are already very well trained and bonded to each other, are young and have plenty of life to live, and will make wonderful companions and be forever grateful to you. They know.
2) Spay and neuter, as soon as possible. With female rats, they have about an 80% or higher chance of getting a mammary tumor if they are not spayed very early in life. I did not know this, and all of my females have had tumors now. It's not a death sentence, but it's very likely recurring, and it's about the same price as spaying. Besides, there's other afflictions (such as pyometra, an infection) they can get if they are not spayed. I have had to pay for the tumor removals then spay them as well, so I've spent much much more money in the long run, and cost my rats more down time and discomfort. I will ALWAYS spay right away with any females I get in the future. For males, neutering is important because it reduces any possible aggression or territoriality, and of course allows them to mesh with your rat pack better, including females. You can expect to pay about $250 for a spay, and maybe about $100 for a neuter. This can vary widely from vet to vet, so price that out before you adopt.
3) Find a good vet you can trust. I would go and talk to several local offices that treat rats, and maybe ask them several questions about their procedures. I can help you work up a vet interview question list later if you want. You need to balance cost with getting the best care possible. Just because a vet is more expensive doesn't mean he's better, or if one's cheaper doesn't mean he's worse. You just have to research them, and you can always ask on here too.
4)Lots of cages can be hard to clean and uncomfortable for you and your rats, even tho they look decent from the start. I strongly advocate the critter nation brand. I got mine from ferret.com. As you are beginning and will not have more than maybe 3 or 4 rats, you should get the single level. If you later add more to your family, you can buy the add on unit and it is expandable. These cages are fantastic, easy to clean, healthy and sanitary, spacious, rats love them, they're just all around good stuff. You will pay just a little more than you would for a totally bunk cage, and it is worth every penny. You'll thank yourself later.
5)As rats are highly social and need others of their own species to thrive, you should get a minimum of 2, but I would strongly recommend 3 rats. You and your animals will be much much happier in the long run.
6)As you have other animals and people in your home that may not be rat friendly, be sure you have an area (your bedroom?) prepared to be off limits to other animals. It is easy to have a cat that's really nice, and we think they are safe around our little babies, but all it takes is 2 seconds of a curious cat, dog, or frightened person and you have a possibly mortally injured rat, and that could have been prevented. My rats stay in my bedroom where nothing or no one else can get to them, and the door stays locked. There is a dog downstairs, a big black lab, that is really nice and doesn't mean any harm, I think, but one day I had a rat on my shoulder and he jumped up towards her and snapped his jaws. Had he caught her tail he could have killed her. I screamed at him and ran away, and you better beleive I never let him anywhere near me when there's a rat on me. I generally don't even take them out of the room anymore.
6)Be sure to set aside time every day for bonding, playing, and running around. Some people use kiddie play pens but mine just run around on my bed and desk which is kinda connected to one area. Probably at least one hour dedicated out time is good.
I'm sure there's more stuff but those are some of the things I wish I'd known. I mean, aside from the obvious like getting proper food (oxbow regal rat?) and buying some toys/blankets/hammocks for them. This thread has lots of pix for how to decorate the critter nation (CN), remember, many of these are the double version, you'll probably want the single version for now. Although there is a lot to know about properly caring for rats and it may seem like a lot at first, I have found this to be one of the most rewarding, life-enriching experiences I've had. They're extremely smart and affectionate. They frequently shower me with love and affection, and even when they are not well, they show love to me in the cutest ways, and they know that I'm working my best to help them be happy and healthy. They pick up n things very quickly and come up with the funniest ways to entertain themselves and me too
I am confident that if you continue to put this much into your endeavor to be a rat parent, you will find your life equally as enriched.Welcome to the forums! There's tons of fellow Ontarians here and more who are very nice and knowledgeable, so have fun getting to know errybody!
lilspaz68
Well-Known Member
I have screen shots of ALL the litters she just had, do you want me to post that? This is 97 babies from March 18 to April 29...it truly is insane.
I would have to ask permission from the woman who saw her home, and did business dealings with her, if I can share her story. I know of breeders that have turned their back on her, because she gave them rats that had contagious viruses and megacolon (both very fatal). A member on here (cannot remember her name) bought 2 high white babies (a lot of unnatural white markings) and these poor little things suffered and died of megacolon.
Mine is Nate. A woman emailed me about a baby boy that she was gong to have put to sleep, but she had heard I was one of those people who worked with difficult rats and hoped I could save him. I had NO clue what I was getting when she took a bus all the way from Pickering to Toronto. She then opened her carrier and it was a young male she called Tank. He was about 10 weeks old and she'd had him for a month from Atlantis. This girl went and took home 6 rats from there, and the others were okay except the other blue babies were tiny and skinny...she thought they might be dwarfs until I explained about failure to thrive. Nate seemed okay for the first 24 hours, very scared and very skittish. Then supposedly after that he started biting randomly. She took him to the vet and the vet even said, lets just have him put to sleep and you can get another one...he's NOT fixable.
But she found me and I took him home. I discovered something odd very quickly...Nate was cage aggressive. Once he was in a cage, he was soo frightened that he would defend it. He even got this attitude within 1 hour of being in my carrier. I have NEVER heard of a baby being cage aggressive, but thought back to what one of the adopters told me, about being force-weaned at 4 weeks (too early to be away from mom), and tossed in with other babies, older babies. Possibly fighting for food, space etc...this makes rats cage aggressive...Nate was an easy fix...I took the cage out of the situation, and let him run around on the bed with some elderly sweet girls I had...within an hour he was fine, no issues in his cage EVER again.
Unfortunately at 5 months Nate become hormonally aggressive and by then he had already developed a cataract in one eye (these are all things with genetics). Nate was neutered and is a happy boy once again.
As for rescues IN hamilton there's Ladybird Animal Sanctuary.
In Toronto there's All Creatures Rescue.
Minnieflower has some young babies she rescued and brought up (she has a thread somewhere). I met 3 on Friday when they were being transported to Hamilton LOL They were lovely socialized healthy babies, real darlings
I picked them up because I am in Toronto, then they went to Hamilton the next day I just had a rescue litter myself a few months ago, so baby rats are NEVER in short supply, unfortunately
We do this ALL the time, transports to get to people who want rats
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lilspaz68
Well-Known Member
and this is Rattuity or Lisa...you might want to contact her and get put on a waiting list.
https://www.facebook.com/Rattuity
https://www.facebook.com/Rattuity
Thanks for the info Maladie I always thoroughly research before getting any of my pets, It's been a toss up for months between a pair of rats or a hedgehog. No cats are allowed in my room as I also keep my reptiles in there, so other pets aren't a problem for me. I can't have a critter nation cage, it wont fit on my shelf, so I'm still looking to try and find a cage that will work.
Sorry lilspaz, I didn't mean to sound like I didn't believe you, I just like proof to back things up. I did a short search on the board as well and wont be buying from her. Thank you for alerting me to this!
Are there any rescues that spay/neuter their rats before adoption?
I always thoroughly research before getting any of my pets, It's been a toss up for months between a pair of rats or a hedgehog. No cats are allowed in my room as I also keep my reptiles in there, so other pets aren't a problem for me. I can't have a critter nation cage, it wont fit on my shelf, so I'm still looking to try and find a cage that will work. Sorry lilspaz, I didn't mean to sound like I didn't believe you, I just like proof to back things up. I did a short search on the board as well and wont be buying from her. Thank you for alerting me to this!
Are there any rescues that spay/neuter their rats before adoption?
I don't think it's as common to spay/neuter before adoption with rats as it usually is for like, cats or dogs, unfortunately, I don't often hear of SPCA's or many rescues doing this. You'll probably want to find a vet that will take care of this for you when you get them. If you get like, 2 or 3 bonded brothers you may not have to neuter them, but I'd hate to say that you shouldn't give females a chance too, they are fantastic. And, any rat can end up with pricey later-in-life care and tumors.
lilspaz68
Well-Known Member
I don't know of any rescues that spay/neuter before adoption myself, but if you end up getting rescues, I might be able to get them done through me/my rescue.
I highly recommend looking for a rescue or rats in need of a home. I can tell you from first hand experience how many amazing babies need homes. I have rescued three litters in the passed month all from irresponsible breeders. I have ten babies ready to go, ten that are way too young to leave their mom but were given to me anyway or they would be snake food. Anf i also had 15 more that now have homes(half im keeping) all are completely social since i spend time with them everyday, but when they got here they were terrified. Back yard breeders are a huge issue with rats. Right now I have a home for all males but if you are ever interested in some females you can check out my bunch.
temblabamomo
Senior Member
So glad to read you are considering rescue! And thank you for hearing us out about Atlantis..I've followed the stories and they make me shudder.
Thanks! I'll definitely contact you two in August to see if you have any rescues when I can get them. And THANK YOU for letting me know how terrible Atlantis is! I've been looking on the forum and am relieved someone let me know before I got babies from her.
Hello and welcome to the Rat Shack, it is good to have you here! I am so glad the folks here helped you out with your questions and that you are hopefully going to be adopting from a rescue instead of a breeder, that is terrific! :joy:
Keep us posted on how things go with getting your new furry kids..you will LOVE having rats...there is nothing more joy inducing on this planet than loving, and being loved by a ratty (my humble opinion!)
Again, welcome! :wel5:
Keep us posted on how things go with getting your new furry kids..you will LOVE having rats...there is nothing more joy inducing on this planet than loving, and being loved by a ratty (my humble opinion!)
Again, welcome! :wel5:
Hey, we're nearly in the same situation! I'm getting my first rattie boys at the end of August and I'm sooo excited! This forum is really helpful, and you can get a lot of help and information. Don't worry, my parents don't exactly like the idea of rats either, but they'll get over it What breeder are you going to?
What breeder are you going to?Wow I did NOT know that. I was actually considering adopting from her! Ah! Thank you so much for sharing that info! She sounds awful!
