My rats live in very large cages in a 7 x 7 foot shed, which is fully air conditioned in the summer and heated in the colder months. I currently use Ferplast mito's and Duetto's as the main habitat for my rats. I have nursery cages for matings and for the initial birth and then doe and kittens are housed in Ferplast Jenny's OR Zoozone rabbit cages untill they are ready to leave me after six weeks. I keep does and kittens in the house (In the living room) so that they are use to everyday noises and are handled by everyone in the family on a daily basis - They will also be use to cats!! The rats definatly rule the roost here! :-)
I try to make their environment as interesting as possible by furnishing them with plastic tubes, Hammocks, ladders, igloos, parrot wood toys, bounceback rats and cardboard tubes.I use Hagan indoor guinea pig zoo zone cages to seperate the babies into single sex pairs at five weeks of age and these incorporate the same furnishing as the permanent cages. My cages are cleaned out approx once a week, everything is dismantled and thoroughly disinfected with Virkon. All bedding and carboard tubes are diposed of then and replaced with fresh. I use megazorb as the base substrate for all my adult rats and home shredded paper for the nests.
I curently feed my adult rats on PAH rabbit mix, Senior/light Wainwrights dog kibble, un-sweetened cereal and dry pasta spirals as the staple diet and then feed daily serving of a variety of fresh fruit and vegatables and the occassional treat of unsalted roasted nuts.
My nursing mums and kittens are fed on the same diet but I also include Kitten food and EMP/CEDE mixed with lactol bitch milk for the first four weeks of the lifestage.
My aim is to breed rats of excellent health and temprement so therefore I will only use rats with a known back ground or those that come with a documented pedigree from respected breeders stock. I will choose my breeding stock carefully and will only use rats that are friendly and eager for human companionship, also they must be temprementally sound with other rats aswell - I want my rat kittens to grow into pets that are a pleasure to keep and hopefully they will be. Also I wish for my rats to be as close to the standard as possible and will be aiming towards improving not only health, temprement, longivity but I also want the physical attributes to be made better along the way. I hope that along the way I will win some shows (yey!) , I will not however cull to achieve this, I hope to believe that I can breed beautiful rats through selective breeding and a good diet.
I will have between 1 and 2 litters at a time only - Thus ensuring that I have enough time to spend individually with each rat so that they are fully socialised before going to their new homes. I am breeding my rats for quality not quantity and do not breed to satisfy peoples demands or *to order*. I am breeding to improve upon health, temprement and life expectancy, and in doing so hope to produce beautiful rats suitable for the show bench, however my main priority is reducing health problems with the lines that I am working on.
My kittens will only be homed with perspective new owners if they successfully complete my application form and are accepted. If satisfied then these new owners will be welcome to view my rattery subject to appointment before reserving kittens or alternativley they can be reserved without a viewing. I do not have a contract of sale BUT I do have a sale sheet that details how animals must be cared for in relation to the five animal freedoms - which is enforceable under the animals act.
My kittens are handled from three days of age and so therefore will be fully socialised with humans, rats and other pets when they go to their new homes. I will only allow my kittens to leave my rattery at the minumum age of six weeks but will happily hold onto them longer if nessercery. They are to go in the minimum of single sex pairs and I will refuse any one who wishes to purchase 'just one' unless it will be living with another rat of similar age. I will need comfirmation from the breeder or evidence that the kitten exist before I allow a single kitten to be reserved. My kittens can be reserved from three weeks of age and will be available to pet homes unless booked explicitly for breeding. I do not guarantee show quality, and will only supply kittens for breeding if suitable. My kittens are pets first and foremost and it is important to me that they find not just good, but excellent homes.
I am happy for perpective owners to view my rattery, meet my rats and myself at a convienient time, so please just ask.
If you would like details of upcoming litters or would like to contact me for any reason, simply send me an email
