Hi everyone,
I have a quick question, i keep rats as pets and i love them to bits but the pet shop where i buy them from i dont trust where they are getting them from. the last load i had from them had so many problems i practically became a nurse to them (have any of you actually tried to get a rat to sit still while you inject antibiotic into its mouth??? its not easy lol) rather then their owner.
Does anyone know of any rat breeders? im thinking if you buy direct from the breeder they might be a bit healthier, or am i just being naive?

Take Care XxX

I got mine from a local breeder that was recommended by some rat keeping friends, she also supplies one of the local petshops

It might be best to check on http://www.fancy-rats.co.uk/ to see if they can suggest a local breeder

hiya

Thank you very much ill have a look on the site and see whats what. Im not looking for a rat at the mo but ive only got 1 little girl left (out of 4) and shes quite old now (about 2 years 8 months) so i was just wondering.

DEFINITELY go to a breeder, I had 9 rats, i have 5 left. The 4 that died before they were 12 months old were pet shop rescues

A lot of the larger pet stores buy in their rodents from "farms" so they are not bred for temperament and you can't trace their lines.

A good breeder will be able to show you mum and dad rat and any problems with the rats, the breeder will want to know and will be able to help.

You can get a list of most NFRS-registered breeders by sending an email to breeders@nfrs.org. I would also recommend going to a breeder rather than a pet shop. The rats will have better health, will be well socialised and you will have the support of the breeder for the life of the rats. I'd also recommend the fancy rats website listed above as a good place for beginners (I used to be an admin there).

Thanks everyone, i really appreciate the advice, im deffo going to do this in future! i also cant stand how the big chain shops harp on about not having too many animals in one cage but then when you go into the shop the animals are practically living on top of each other. its cruel and unnecessary on how much im sure they are making!