Hi guy's and gal's

[AMortem]

Hello people, I was a referred to this site by by commenter on reddit when i made a post ranting about a lack of places to get rats (not from a pet store) around me statewise. I've boughten 4 rats over several years, my second pair ended up mating (pet store lady didn't realize one was a male) so in total I've had about maybe 8 rats over the years. The last rats i had died around 2 years ago and i just miss having rats so i want get a couple more because as you guys know rats are amazing. I've primarily have had females but I'm thinking of getting males this time but who knows. I probably won't be getting any for a few months as i want to get a new cage all other things i need. I'm hoping by the time I'm ready i can find a breeder or a rescue place close enough to me to go pick them up without too much trouble. Sorry if this a little long but this is an introduction lol, I hope i can have fun here and get to know some of you.
-AMortem

 

[glitchiq]

Welcome to the Shack!

I started off with pet store ladies too, and I just recently rescued a pair of pink-eyed-white (PEW) brothers! This is a predominantly rescue-based forum, and so I think you'll find that there are a ton of lovelies on here who will be encouraging you to rescue (instead of purchasing from a breeder) and helping you find some ratties in need near you when you're ready to bring more home! I will say that rescuing is very rewarding, just to know that you've given ratties in need a good home.

I find that PetFinder is a great resource; that's how I found my boys. Craigslist can also be good, but only if you're careful when reading through the listings. Facebook can be a help too!

 

[AMortem]

I would love to rescue a rattie, but it's pretty much the same situation lol of me trying to find where to find them, I recently did sign up for a website that notifies me when they're available so hopefully after i get everything set up I can find a couple. I can understand wanting to urge people to rescue rats seeing as how most people won't adopt them because they're "icky" and "carry diseases" but if i ever get the chance I'm sure i'll jump on it. My only concern is adopting a rattie and because it's probably going to be older losing it much sooner, other than that yeah I'll adopt if the opportunity arrises.

 

[glitchiq]

I would love to rescue a rattie, but it's pretty much the same situation lol of me trying to find where to find them, I recently did sign up for a website that notifies me when they're available so hopefully after i get everything set up I can find a couple. I can understand wanting to urge people to rescue rats seeing as how most people won't adopt them because they're "icky" and "carry diseases" but if i ever get the chance I'm sure i'll jump on it. My only concern is adopting a rattie and because it's probably going to be older losing it much sooner, other than that yeah I'll adopt if the opportunity arrises.

I understand what you mean about adopting older ratties, what with their short life spans. I was lucky to find a couple of pretty young boys, only 5 months old. But I've found that there's actually more young rats available than you'd think! Of course I don't know about your area, but it seems like there's a lot of "oopsie" litters/pregnant mommas that rescues take in.

 

[AMortem]

I definitely had one of the "oopsie" litters, unfortunately i didn't know about being able to take rats into a shelter so a lot of the ones that survived went back to the pet shop. As i said before I'm getting everything i need in order first and then I'll really buckle down and start looking, I'll definitely come back to this forum a lot, maybe get a little help finding a couple, maybe a little help deciding on what gender to get (I've always had females).

 

[SQ]

Please read through the various sections of this forum, including the reference section as there is a lot of good info on diet, cages, housing etc
The minimum standards of care have changed over the years and we are always learning new info so you may discover new things.
Also there are many rescues that have rats for adoption, including baby rats.

Please add your location (at least country, prov./state) as it will allow people to provide info that may be more helpful as things are different in different countries and different areas

 

[AMortem]

Thanks for the info SQ, I'll definitely check out all that stuff and update my profile.

 

[jorats]

Welcome to the Rat Shack!