What to expect from me as a breeder
As a breeder, I care very much about the rats that I care for and breed. I have a Facebook group which owners of my rats are a part of, so I can monitor and watch my lines, and see how the rats are doing in general.
This also means that I will provide life long advice and help to any adopters should they need it. I am always happy to give support and advice where needed, for example, with introductions, bonding with your rats, medical issues (I can only give my experience and guidance, no diagnosis). However if it is a medical emergency, I encourage people to contact their veterinarian before me. Whilst I have a lot of medical knowledge, in an emergency situation I cannot treat, nor diagnose. If you need advice/support, you are welcome to message me on my social media page(s), or email me any time.
I will contact adopters every 6 months for updates on their rats I have homed, or more regularly if an issue arises. This, again, is to keep an eye on my lines and discuss any concerns adopters may have. If you would prefer me to contact you more regularly, you can also request this.
I will always be open and honest, and transparent about any problems which may pop up in my lines. There is no such thing as a ‘problem free’ line. Problems are not something I will keep a secret as I feel it is important to be open about these things. If issues do crop up in my lines, I will take all of the necessary steps to breed away from that issue.
I will also always be transparent about the amount of litters I have, and how I keep my rats. You will regularly see my rats being rats, photos of their environment, as well as update photos of litters. I feel, as a breeder, these things are important to potential owners, so you are able to see where the rats are kept, and stay up to date with any litters I may have.
This also means that I will provide life long advice and help to any adopters should they need it. I am always happy to give support and advice where needed, for example, with introductions, bonding with your rats, medical issues (I can only give my experience and guidance, no diagnosis). However if it is a medical emergency, I encourage people to contact their veterinarian before me. Whilst I have a lot of medical knowledge, in an emergency situation I cannot treat, nor diagnose. If you need advice/support, you are welcome to message me on my social media page(s), or email me any time.
I will contact adopters every 6 months for updates on their rats I have homed, or more regularly if an issue arises. This, again, is to keep an eye on my lines and discuss any concerns adopters may have. If you would prefer me to contact you more regularly, you can also request this.
I will always be open and honest, and transparent about any problems which may pop up in my lines. There is no such thing as a ‘problem free’ line. Problems are not something I will keep a secret as I feel it is important to be open about these things. If issues do crop up in my lines, I will take all of the necessary steps to breed away from that issue.
I will also always be transparent about the amount of litters I have, and how I keep my rats. You will regularly see my rats being rats, photos of their environment, as well as update photos of litters. I feel, as a breeder, these things are important to potential owners, so you are able to see where the rats are kept, and stay up to date with any litters I may have.
What I expect from potential and new owners
As a breeder, I also ensure that the homes I adopt rats out to, match my standards on care and ethics. These are both very important to me.
I expect all potential and new owners to;
I expect all potential and new owners to;
- Have at least, basic knowledge on keeping rats. Anything I feel needs correcting will be discussed upon applying to home my rats, and changes to meet this must be made. I strive to give my bred rats the best homes as their welfare is very important to me. If you are a new, first time rat owner applying to home Sceville Rats and are unsure, please don’t hesitate to ask. I will always provide guidance when needed.
- Have the correct environment for their rats. As a minimum, I would expect a cage to provide 80cm x 50cm floor space, with a deep substrate base. Their environment needs to provide the opportunity to encourage all of their natural behaviours - burrowing, foraging, climbing.
- Provide a suitable substrate. Examples; kiln dried dust extracted shavings (bedmax, littlemax, snowflake supreme), aubiose (chopped hemp), shredded cardboard, bioactive soil set up. Fleece is not an appropriate substrate.
- Provide a nutritionally balanced, enriching diet. Nuggets are not an appropriate
- To have researched and found a Veterinary Practice knowledgeable in rats. This is on my homing application form. Unfortunately, too often people adopt rats first without considering veterinary care. This is one of the most important things to me as a breeder - my rats must be well cared for and have access to a vet in an emergency.
- Have a vet fund, or consider how they will fund higher veterinary bills. E.g. surgery, ongoing medical treatment for a respiratory issue. As rats are classed as exotics in the veterinary world, their treatment and care is more complex, so veterinary bills may be higher. A vet fund with rats is essential.
- Have a plan in place to prevent lone rat situations. Whether this is a rolling mischief or contacting me to take on your lone rat when the time comes (if you are no longer keeping rats after your past mischief) etc. Rats are social animals and should not be housed alone.
- Contact me first if your circumstances change and you are no longer able to care for your Sceville Rats. I will always take back my own bred rats, and will either keep them with me, or rehome them.