fallblossom
Senior Member
I went to a backyard feeder breeder to buy a hairless rat. He had twenty of them. Four or five were mothers and the rest were pinkies up to rats that were three weeks old. Although I fell in love with a three week old, I didn't buy her because I told him it best that she nurses for a week longer to be weaned properly. Now a week has passed, he has not contacted me about her.
The rat's living conditions are as follows:
- habitat is a long aquarium (he didn't know ammonia builds up from rat urine)
- bedding is pine (he didn't know pine was a no-no)
- fed strictly a mixed seed diet
- water bottle literally had 1/4" water left (I told him they need more)
- no huts to hide or sleep in and no hammocks
- no enrichment such as toys to chew on
The rat breeder has furred rats too, but he didn't show me them since I was interested in hairless. I am sure they're living in identical housing. Should I report this breeder?
The problem with reporting him is he will know it is me. One of his rat's had respiratory issues and I told him she needed meds. He seemed all interested and I emailed him a long message on what she would require and told him I'd compound the meds myself - for $1. I never heard back.
These rats are living in horrible conditions. He stated he never handles them. I think they just exist as food for snakes, not for pets since my initial phone call to him was answered with, "What size do you need?".
I had a nightmare last night about the rats and that he sold the girl I wanted for snake food.
ETA: Whew! I called the breeder to ask if the girl I want is weaned. He told me he hasn't checked in a while and said he'd call me later. Really, what's the point of breeding rats for $3 each? Is there any money in this? For the twenty rats he'd receive $60. Not much of a supplemental income, is it?
The rat's living conditions are as follows:
- habitat is a long aquarium (he didn't know ammonia builds up from rat urine)
- bedding is pine (he didn't know pine was a no-no)
- fed strictly a mixed seed diet
- water bottle literally had 1/4" water left (I told him they need more)
- no huts to hide or sleep in and no hammocks
- no enrichment such as toys to chew on
The rat breeder has furred rats too, but he didn't show me them since I was interested in hairless. I am sure they're living in identical housing. Should I report this breeder?
The problem with reporting him is he will know it is me. One of his rat's had respiratory issues and I told him she needed meds. He seemed all interested and I emailed him a long message on what she would require and told him I'd compound the meds myself - for $1. I never heard back.
These rats are living in horrible conditions. He stated he never handles them. I think they just exist as food for snakes, not for pets since my initial phone call to him was answered with, "What size do you need?".
I had a nightmare last night about the rats and that he sold the girl I wanted for snake food.
ETA: Whew! I called the breeder to ask if the girl I want is weaned. He told me he hasn't checked in a while and said he'd call me later. Really, what's the point of breeding rats for $3 each? Is there any money in this? For the twenty rats he'd receive $60. Not much of a supplemental income, is it?
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