spooky garden rattery:

My name is Chloe and I've owned and bred pet rats in sunny So Cal for 7 years. I am currently located in Simi Valley. All of my babies are well socialized and raised around dogs, kids and tons of loving attention. I breed dumbo, topear, rex, velveteen, dwarves and hairless.... in every colour of the ratty rainbow!

In June of 2000, my boyfriend bought me a pet rat to be a companion for his boy. She was a pink eyed white rescue from the Petco feeder bin. I named her Spooky and, of course, the garden is named after her.

I was literally devastated when Spooky died a year later. I never wanted to look at another rat...

But eventually I started rescuing feeder rats again, starting with Pontuf - a fawn hooded siamese that came from the same store as Spooky. She never bred, either. Yet she made me realize how many beautiful colours there were out there and I started looking for fancies at local pet stores. I found my first two dumbos, Orchid and Jasmine. It was love at first sight. I was able to breed both of them to my boyfriends male and we kept one of the sons, Junior. Jasmine really started my tradition of naming all my dumbos after plants, hence 'the garden'.

I bred all of their offspring with more pet store rats for years and had more wonderful pets and experiences. Then, a few years ago, I somehow ended up with only three ladies. Two had to be put down on the same day due to old age complications. The other, Peach Blossom, died in child birth a week later. It was another crushing blow.

The sudden demise of all of my pet store rats at least gave me the opportunity to start over. I got some healthier, more sound babies from a friend of mine who hobby breeds (LBR). She started me on the path of researching genetics and conformation in rats, and since then I have learned much more. After a verrry shaky start, I have now started breeding my rats to those from other 'real' ratteries, too. Now I strive to have a variety of beautiful babies that will be a credit to fancy rats everywhere!

For now, the rattery consists of my boyfriend's room and living room at his home in Simi Valley. The rattlings get to be out with us for at least a little while every day and love to chase my aussie mix and play in the vast pile of pet toys in the den! When they're 'away' the girls have a huge four level Coast cage to play in and the boys have a modified chinchilla cage.

For more about adopting a baby, be sure to read the 'before you reserve' page. For more about pet rats in general, read the 'rat care and info' page...

Welcome to the Spooky Garden!