Where To Get Rats?

Rats are readily available to the public in several different venues:

Pet stores, swap meets, and mill breeders should not be patronized to obtain new pets. For one thing, by giving these people money, you are supporting their breeding practices. You may feel good that you have "saved" the rats you purchase from becoming snake food, but for every rat you purchase, another is bred the same way and put into the same terrible situation. Additionally, because these animals are carelessly mass-produced, they are usually not being bred for health or temperament, and not being handled and socialized as babies. Many of them grow up in tiny tanks with little to no mental stimulation and learn to fight over food. They are often weaned at three weeks of age, long before being properly socialized by their mother, who is busy with another litter of babies. These animals are often sickly, of poor constitution, may carry parasites and often grow to be aggressive when they hit puberty. Lack of early socialization often prevents them from becoming truly loving pets.

Craiglist and free bulletins can be a source of good pets, but you should never purchase animals who were deliberately bred from such a medium. Again, by buying a rat from these people, you encourage their poor practices and put money in their pockets to continue it. Sometimes, people are moving or in a life situation where they can no longer keep their pets, and these animals are often given away or sold very cheap, and often include their supplies. This can be a good way to get a nice adult animal, but you must remember that you have no idea the background or health of the animal, so buyer beware!

Babies being sold at rat shows without a pre-contract to purchase are a grey area. While some people do like to be able to pick their own rats from a mass of available babies, you must remember that these breeders have deliberately bred the litters with no waiting list or adopters in mind, simply relying on the possibility of an impulse buy. In this way, they are little better than a pet store, and are not properly vetting the adopters of their babies. I do not believe that this is a practice that should be encourage, and so I'd like to discourage people from getting rats in this fashion. If you want babies from a breeder, go directly to the breeder, vet them and question them, and establish a relationship with them, rather than just buying a baby like a box of popcorn.

Animal shelters can be a good source of pets, but be sure to meet and examine the animal before you adopt it. Many animals abandoned at shelters are there because they have a problem that their previous owner did not want to fix. Many of them have behavioral issues, which are made worse by being in a shelter environment (being in a strange place surrounded by strange animals is a nightmare for a prey animal!) and may not be very friendly. They may be sick, and their previous owner may simply not have wanted to pay for their care. Many shelters do get pregnant animals in, and the volunteers will often help socialize these babies, so a shelter can be a good way of saving an animal from euthanasia and finding yourself a friend in the process!

Rescues should be vetted as carefully as a breeder. Talk to the person who runs it, question their practices, find out what their adoption contract looks like. Rescues should never breed at the same time that they rescue: it's not only unsafe for their animals, but a true conflict of interests. Find out what their quarantine practices are, what their surrender policy is, and whether or not they will take back an animal they've adopted to you. Talk to their vet if you are able. A rescue can be a wonderful place to adopt a socialized adult or bonded group, and they often have babies available as well.

Breeders are the best source of well-socialized babies from healthy lines, but beware, there are many non-ethical breeders out there. If you have a local breeder in your area, check them out carefully before adopting from them. Hopefully, the breeder you adopt from will be one who is consistent about temperament, breeds to a solid standard, keeps detailed health records, works well with other breeders, and is careful about where their babies end up!