Q: What does dumbo, rex, agouti, berkshire, etc. mean?
A: Dumbo rats have large ears that sit lower on their head.
Elvis is a dumbo rat. Rex rats have a wavy, kinky coat. Lemon Head is a rex rat. Other breeds
include hairless, standard, and patchwork. Patchwork is also called mock hairless or double rex. They are a semi-hairless
breed produced by inheriting two rex genes. Agouti is a color. It is brown with black ticking, like a wild rat.
Other colors include blue, lilac, fawn, etc. Click HERE to display a page with pictures to help further explain the different colors. Berkshire is a marking.
It means that the rat is a solid color with a white belly and white feet. Self, irish, hooded, and mismarked
all refer to markings also. Click HERE for a link to a page to help explain the different markings.
Q: How much are your rats?
A: Most rats are $20 each and true/nude hairless
are $30. I always subtract $5 for a pair or more. Older rats and young adults are usually less.
Q: When can I pick my rat up?
A: Rats are weaned at 4 weeks of age. I will adopt them
out between 5 and 6 weeks old depending on the baby's progress.
Q: Where are you located?
A: I am in Sacramento, California. For those who know the area,
I am in South Sacramento near Florin rd and HWY 99.
Q: Do you ship?
A: No. Shipping is dangerous for the rats, expensive, and time
consuming.
Q: Can you deliver?
A: I deliver sometimes and only in the Sacramento area
or close to Sacramento (like Roseville or Davis). I charge at least an additional $35, depending on the area I will
be driving too. I will do my best to coordinate my schedule with yours but ultimately delivery will depend on my schedule.
If I have to hold the rat(s) longer than 7 days, the hold fee will apply. This applies even if the wait is because
you can not coordinate your schedule with mine.
Q: Can you hold my rats for me?
A: I have no problem holding rats for up to 7 days after they
are ready to go to new homes. If you need me to hold the rat(s) longer than 7 days, a hold fee of $5 will
apply and prepayment will be required. This can be done through paypal or via "snail mail".
Q: Can I get just one rat? or is two better?
A: Rats are very social animals and should be kept in pairs or groups.
This goes for both sexes. I will only adopt out a single rat to somebody who has other young rats or to somebody who
can spend a lot of time with the rat. For example, I once adopted a rat to a woman who was wheelchair bound. The
rat is always with her and only caged at night.
Q: Are your rats healthy? What history do you have of the parents
health?
A: I try my best to only breed the healthiest rats. I always sell
healthy rats. New rats are quarantined. I do keep records of my rats. Any rat who develops an illness
that is genetic is not bred. I have a 2 to 3 generation pedigree on most of my rats and can use that to research
the health of their relatives. All rats have a 14 day health guarantee. They are free of common illnesses
that rats usually pick up at pet stores, like lice, mites, or upper respiratory infections and are never pregnant. I
have never had any cases of serious Myco-related upper respiratory infection or mega-colon in my colony. I would like to
remind you that virtually all rats carry mycoplasma and no pet rat is completely, 100% immune to it.
Q: I have questions about general rat care, can you recommend a book
or web site?
A: First, my "Basic Rat Care handout" is an easy way to quickly learn the basics of rat care. One of my favorite web sites is also full
of information, The Rat Fan Club. There is also a great book written by the founder of The Rat Fan Club, Debbie "the Rat Lady" Ducommon.
You can buy it online. Click HERE for more info. Also check out my "Links" page.
Q: I have another rat and I want to get him/her a friend. Do
you have any suggestions on introducing them?
A: I am going to refer you back to the Rat Lady's site because
there is a great article on it about introducing a new rat. Click HERE to view this article.
Q: How does the adoption process work?
A: This is how it normally goes:
When the babies are born, I will announce their birth on my
"current litters" page. At two to three weeks of age the babies are big enough to be able to tell what color, breed,
and sex they are. I will take pictures of all of them and send out an e-mail that includes the pictures and info about
the babies and request that you e-mail me with your 1st and 2nd choices. People who want to pick out their rats now
can reserve babies, first come first served. If you want to pick out your baby in person, I advise you e-mail me
A.S.A.P. so we can set up a time. A side note on picking out babies in person, babies that have same sex siblings that
are identical can not be picked out in advance. You can come and meet them but it will be impossible for me, 3
weeks later, to pick out the same female blue dumbo you bonded with from a litter with 6 female blue dumbos. You can
reserve a certain type out of the bunch, just not a certain individual. At a young age you can usually tell who
is going to be more outgoing and who is going to be more shy but sometimes their little personalities change.
Please do not be surprised when the quite one you picked out 3 weeks ago is now a little ball of energy that can't hold still!
This process is a first come, first served to approved homes. I no longer keep a waitlist.
Please be on the look out for my e-mails and set your spam filter so my e-mails can get through as I sometimes send "bulk"e-mails.
Check the web site frequently. I will start setting up pick up times for the babies between 2 and 5 weeks of age.
(babies are not sold before 5 weeks of age.)
Q: Are boys better than girls?
A: This is purely a matter of preference. I prefer males personally.
They are bigger and tend to be more cuddly and laid back. They do however, tend to have a stronger smell, urine mark
(drip little drops of urine here or there when they are out), and their boy parts are quite noticeable.
On the other hand, girls can be just as affectionate. They just usually
tend to be busy bodies. They tend to be cleaner than the boys. They are usually more active than
the boys. Both are just as smart and both make great pets, even in pairs or groups.
Q: What kind of cage do you recommend?
A: I prefer wire cages to glass cages, with the exception of
the cage topper cages. Wire breathes better than the glass cages. Wire floors on wire cages should be no bigger
than 1/4 of a squared inch to prevent foot injuries. A rat cage for one rat should be at least 18" x
11" x 12". The bigger the better. Rats love ramps and levels. They should have lots of solid areas to rest
on to prevent a foot injury called, bumble foot. Here is a link to a site that sells great cages, Martin's Cages.
Q: Bumblefoot? What is Bumble foot?
A: I figured the last question might bring up this question.
Bumble foot (Ulcerative pododermatitis) is a bacterial infection in the heels. It is often seen in rats who live
in wire cages and that have no solid places to stand. It can also be caused by a dirty cage and/or irritating bedding.
Q: Can you recommend a good rat vet in the area?
A: My vet is Dr. Becky Van Riper at Elk Grove Animal Hospital in
Elk Grove, CA. 916-685-9589. It is very important to know of both a regular vet and an emergency vet in the
area that sees rats before there is a problem. It is no fun trying to find a vet hospital last minute in an emergency.
Q: My rat is sick can you help me?
A: While I might be able to share experiences
with you, I can not help your sick rat. If your rat is sick he or she should go to the vets A.S.A.P. This is exceptionally
true if your rat is not eating or is having trouble breathing.
