Where To Get Your Rat
Animal Shelter:
Animal shelters, though they do not always have rats, is always a good place to look first, because if those rats don’t find homes, they will be put to sleep. If you do find a rat at an animal shelter, make sure you like its personality, and also make sure it doesn’t have any parasites or tumors. Often people give their rats up for adoption because they do not want to spend money fixing an illness, or because it is not a nice pet. Beware of these facts when choosing a rat from an animal shelter.
Breeder:
A breeder is the best option you can have, though it is not always available. Check the internet (most reputable breeders have their own websites). With breeders, you can tell exactly where your rat comes from, you can most likely see the mother and the father to get an idea of what your rat’s personality will be like, and you will know its birthday and other statistics, perhaps even get baby photos! Also, breeders can give out tips and information for you, and most stay in contact with you even after you have taken your rat home.
How do you know if a breeder is reputable? If you don’t know a lot about rats it can be easy to be misled by a bad breeder. A lot of people think if they don’t let you visit their rattery that they are a bad breeder. This is very untrue. Most every reputable breeder has a closed rattery. People coming in from the outside can bring in diseases that can harm or even kill their rats. Also if they don’t know the parents or parents history or can’t tell male from female. There are so very many signs to watch out for. Breeders who sell rats to pet stores for food should be avoided. A reputable breeder will always answer your questions. Don’t hesitate to ask the only dumb question is one not asked. Reputable breeders will also know about proper quarantine, never cull babies and never breed more than they can properly care for.
Rescues:
There are many wonderful rat rescues out there which take in unwanted rats and find them new homes. A rescue is a great place to start if you simply want a pet. Rescues always have rats that are in need of homes. You can search the internet to find rescues in your area.
Rat Show:
Rat shows can be a great place to find the rat for you. At rat shows most of the time breeders from all over come. You’ll be able to see the different varieties that are out there. You can also learn a lot by speaking with the breeders. Even though these breeders know what they’re doing you should still do a health/temperament assessment. You can search online to find if there are any shows in your area or join a rat club.
Pet Store:
Generally a pet store isn’t the best place to find a quality pet rat. Many pet stores don’t care for them properly because their just selling them for snake food. They are never really socialized with people and most likely never been handled properly or given any attention. They’re very fearful of humans and may bite. They have overcrowded filthy cages which can cause illnesses. Most with both males and females in the same cage. Don’t get me wrong there are occasions that someone will get lucky and get a wonderful sweet rat from a good pet shop. A lot of people think they’re “rescuing” them from being snake food. Yet on the other hand their just making more room for more rats to be brought in and making the pet store more money.
