Ive gotten most of my rats from the SPCA. Some were ill, and of those i was able to get most well again. No idea as to their history, but figure they need TLC no matter what.
I’m ashamed to admit that I got mine from backyard beeeders before I knew what questions I should be asking. These days I properly interrogate them lol!
Your points about US breeders hitting me hard tonight. Trying to discuss with them is really difficult. And they say generalisations about UK breeders they've supposedly talked to but won't say who they are. And it's just not what I've heard as a prospective breeder and active member of the rat community here in the UK.😅
The UK definitely has a better support system for breeders than the US. I’ve talked to US breeders who have been black listed for refusing to do these practices. It’s very frustrating.
That’s one of the most frustrating things. The US gets so much of our care standards from the UK, but for some reason, the breeding standards are ignored. It makes no sense.
Ive been to several "reputable" breeders that were highly recommended and the rats were always terrified when i first got them. The most tame rats ive gotten have been from accidental litters that have been handled daily. I wish breeders would actually handle their rats instead of lying about it!
Unfortunately, a lot of breeders think they should be able to mostly ignore the rats and have them come out with great temperaments through genetics alone.
Seems like there is no perfect place to get rats from We have a rescue close by but it takes forever to get a response back from them which is kind of annoying Their prices are $30 for a baby, $20-25 for an adult, $10 for an old rat and neutered/ spayed are $100
I have a question, I am going to free roam my rats in my room soon but I am scared they won’t come to me when I have to put them back do you have any recommendations? Thanks.
You can teach them a recall. Basically, make a certain sound when giving them a treat, and slowly introduce them coming to you when you make that sound.
I have a few rats that are a bit more skittish. Just so long as the room has no “escape routes” if they’re not coming back set up a small carrier with treats and let them get in to “trap” them. I used to have my mischief trained to come when I shook the treats bottle (those baby cereal snacks), but they lost the skill around the time we moved / the older ones passed before the newer additions were trained. I wouldn’t force them to roam either, just giving the option by opening the enclosure might be a good idea. Do they come to you when you walk by / up to their enclosure? Do they take treats from your hand?
@@beyourbest3341 I think you’ll be ok, but be mindful of tight spaces if you can’t get into them (like if you have furniture you can’t move). Cardboard makes good makeshift walls if you need to limit the space more.
Ive gotten most of my rats from the SPCA. Some were ill, and of those i was able to get most well again. No idea as to their history, but figure they need TLC no matter what.
I’m ashamed to admit that I got mine from backyard beeeders before I knew what questions I should be asking. These days I properly interrogate them lol!
Me too! When they say they’ll answer questions, they practically get a quiz from me 😂
Your points about US breeders hitting me hard tonight. Trying to discuss with them is really difficult. And they say generalisations about UK breeders they've supposedly talked to but won't say who they are. And it's just not what I've heard as a prospective breeder and active member of the rat community here in the UK.😅
The UK definitely has a better support system for breeders than the US. I’ve talked to US breeders who have been black listed for refusing to do these practices. It’s very frustrating.
@@hallofrats703 they even blacklist UK breeders on these lists 😅
That’s one of the most frustrating things. The US gets so much of our care standards from the UK, but for some reason, the breeding standards are ignored. It makes no sense.
Ive been to several "reputable" breeders that were highly recommended and the rats were always terrified when i first got them. The most tame rats ive gotten have been from accidental litters that have been handled daily. I wish breeders would actually handle their rats instead of lying about it!
Unfortunately, a lot of breeders think they should be able to mostly ignore the rats and have them come out with great temperaments through genetics alone.
Seems like there is no perfect place to get rats from
We have a rescue close by but it takes forever to get a response back from them which is kind of annoying
Their prices are $30 for a baby, $20-25 for an adult, $10 for an old rat and neutered/ spayed are $100
Those are reasonable prices for a rescue. As for response time, I usually get make myself annoying and check in frequently.
What you wrote and said about the price of those rats are expensive compared to pet stores! Yikes!😅
I have a question, I am going to free roam my rats in my room soon but I am scared they won’t come to me when I have to put them back do you have any recommendations? Thanks.
You can teach them a recall. Basically, make a certain sound when giving them a treat, and slowly introduce them coming to you when you make that sound.
I have a few rats that are a bit more skittish. Just so long as the room has no “escape routes” if they’re not coming back set up a small carrier with treats and let them get in to “trap” them. I used to have my mischief trained to come when I shook the treats bottle (those baby cereal snacks), but they lost the skill around the time we moved / the older ones passed before the newer additions were trained. I wouldn’t force them to roam either, just giving the option by opening the enclosure might be a good idea. Do they come to you when you walk by / up to their enclosure? Do they take treats from your hand?
@@treetea they take treats from me, and I have been free roaming them in the bath tub for a few months now.
@@beyourbest3341 I think you’ll be ok, but be mindful of tight spaces if you can’t get into them (like if you have furniture you can’t move). Cardboard makes good makeshift walls if you need to limit the space more.