Originally posted by Aspen and Misty


Snuggles - I don't hate breeders and I'm not really against them, but I think breeders should give back to the shelters. I also think Breeders should (not saying you don't) look around and notice how many animals ARE in shelters, or ARE in life or death situations. There just are not enough shelters! I think if they did, or even spent some time at shelters maybe they would relize how much the rabbit, dog, cats, rat, hamster etc. world NEED more shelters and less animals. (Again, not saying you don't!)
This is why I also do rescue work. I cannot tell you how many rats have been in and out of my home this past year, TONS!!! Heck, the last litter I bred was way back in December, December! I don't breed often, and when I do I have homes lined up for the pups before the pair is even put together, they are all adopted with papers and they are to be returned to me if they cannot keep the animal anymore. I have only had one rat returned to me and that was Ollie, who was to come back here anyway as he went to a daycare facility for the term. My last litter was from a doe that came to me pregnant. I have had NO litters myself this year, reason being is that there are a lots of rats in my area that need homes and I have been spending all my time finding my rescues homes. My motto is, if you don't rescue, don't breed!!! Rescuing aside, there is a very special need for responsible rat breeders, because if we do not better rats as a whole they are still going to have these problems for years to come, and still die horrible painful deaths.

We also do not have "breeds" of rats. We only have types, and you can get several types from a mating. I charge $25 dollars per baby I adopt, sometimes more. This helps keep them out of snakes bellies and out of greedy hands etc. My babies cannot be bred themselves without my written permission first. I think it is absolutely silly to tell everyone to go to the petshop to get a rat, or from a rescue. Rats are VERY different than cats and dogs. Shelter rats most of the time need LOTS of work, work that an inexperienced rat owner cannot do with the rat, and that will only make things worse and most of the time the animal goes back to the shelter and gets tossed around over and over. I only urge experience rat owners to adopt from a shelter, and if not go to a breeder. Yes, there are rats in shelters, but most of those rats came from petshop breeders or irresponsible breeders. I know where EVERY SINGLE ONE of my babies are to this day, and I make wonderful friendships with my adoptees. Not once has a rat of mine been in a shelter, and it will never happen because I care where my babies end up. We need to focus on the people who are supplying the petshops, breeding feeders, and selling babies for an easy buck. I am sick of hearing we don't need rat breeders, because if you truly knew rats, and their health issues you would understand that we DO need responsible breeders, so that the suffering of rats can end. Have you ever seen a rat die from Myco? I have and I cannot tell you how horrible it is to see them die that way. How about tumors? Pyometra? SDA, Sendai? the list goes on and on. These are HORRIBLE illnesses but they can all be eliminated through selective breeding of healthy stock, so that the first time rat owner doesn't have heartache, but happiness and doesn't have to watch their rat die of accute respiratory distress, but of old age, dying peacefully in their sleep on snuggled in their owners pocket.

Besides that, I also have a rescue and I rescue many different kinds of pets. I rarely breed but when I do it is nothing I take lightly. I get at least a hundred rats through my place each year. The list also includes, gerbils, hedgies, short tailed possums, hamsters and whatever else happens to waltz through my door. Ewok was a bottle baby I fed, a rescue. Most of my cats in the past were rescues, as were my dogs. Pooka came from the shelter, as did my corgi mix, as did Morgan. I LOVE shelter dogs!!! They are the best ever! I will continue to go to shelters too. I just took in a feral cat. She is still nervous and I am working on getting her to let me pet her, but I wouldn't trade her for the world. I love my rescues. I want a purebred Boston Terrier but I won't go to a breeder. I am waiting for one to land in a local shelter.