Photoshoot with Toogoods Tiny Paws

Towards the end of last year, we took a little trip to visit my friend Steph from Sceville Rats / Toogoods Tiny Paws. If you didn't already know, Steph does photography and I've admired her rat photoshoots from afar for a while now. As I had what felt like 100 keepers after my last litters, and I dreaded the idea of trying to get nice shots of them myself, I thought what better time to ask Steph to take some photos? Luckily for me, she said yes! 

I took all of my keepers, plus Amatis one of the older vari does, as I wanted some shots of her with her daughter. I didn't expect to get through every single rat and just thought we'd pick the most well behaved ones but Steph powered through and got them all! There was a wide variety of props which was really fun to choose from and I loved seeing the behind the scenes process. 

Amatis & Amalia

The Importance of Vet Funds

I shared this on my Facebook page a couple of weeks ago but figured it's pretty important so should be on my site too! It's a common misconception that rats are cheap pets, however most people learn quite quickly that this isn't true. Ignoring the cage setup and food, vet bills alone can sometimes cost hundreds which is why it's a good idea to have a 'vet fund'. Whilst with most other pets you can get insurance, insurance for rats is very limited and often not worthwhile. The best option is to put money aside each month so that you have finances available whenever you need it.

I am a hobby breeder, not a pet shop...

I just wanted to write a brief post as I've received a few messages and emails recently which have been quite frustrating. There also seems to be a lack of understanding about how breeding, and getting rats from breeders works. This process is something that is frequently explained on breeders pages and Facebook groups, however some people are obviously missing this information or just not quite getting it. 

Like many breeders, I have made it very clear on all my social media pages and my website that breeding is purely a hobby, and that I breed for my own lines. I do not breed hundreds of rats in order to cater for the number of enquiries I receive. I only breed for certain varieties and these are also very clearly listed. What is then frustrating is to receive emails asking for "a blue rex dumbo" with a timescale of...next week for their son's birthday. In case it wasn't obvious, I don't breed/have blue rex dumbos! Please take the time to read the pages and information provided by breeders. Look at what varieties they breed and research them before you apply. I've had numerous people apply to me saying they don't want rats with red eyes which is really helpful when the rats I breed have ruby eyes. Unlike pet shops, ethical breeders also do not have kittens available all the time. I generally only plan to breed twice a year and I hold a waiting list so my kittens usually go to people that have already waited months.

If you are thinking about getting rats, or adding more rats to an existing group, then I highly recommend researching local breeders and applying to their waiting list in advance. Wait times can range from a couple of months to over a year, especially if you are after a specific variety. If you are planning on buying rats for your children (with the full guidance and support from yourself), and breeders do not have kittens available when you want them, a lot of people recommend buying them the cage/accessories as a present instead. You can then spend time together setting the cage up and doing research whilst waiting for your rats! 

Finally, I quickly wanted to mention messages and response times. As I've already stated, this is a hobby, not something I do 24/7. I think compared to some breeders I probably reply to messages and emails fairly promptly (usually 1-7 days, as opposed to several weeks/months). However, there are days or weeks where I'm particularly busy so I won't respond as quickly. I'm happy for people to give me a nudge if I've not replied after a week but chasing me after a day or two is unfair. 

Obviously I've spoken about this from my point of view, however most of what I've said will apply to all breeders. We all have lives outside of our rats/ratteries so please be patient and kind. Being rude is certainly not going to get you rats any quicker! Not wanting to end on a sour note, thank you to all of the individuals that send lovely messages. I really do love chatting with people, especially about rats!

Sexing Kittens Photo Series

If you follow my Facebook, you may have seen a little photo series I did over the course of my last litter. Identifying the sexes of kittens is something that comes up frequently on social media, usually with oops litters and inexperienced breeders. Despite being new to breeding, I'm all for helping people learn so I decided to take weekly photos to show the differences between a young buck and doe. I don't know which kittens they are in week one but for all following weeks, they were the same two dumbo topazes. 

Breeders & the NFRS

Good afternoon! How are we all? This is a post I have wanted to write for a little while and I've finally found the time to sit and put my thoughts into words. Let me start off by saying this is obviously based on my own personal views and experiences. No one has told me to write this, nor am I doing it for any reason other than to inform people and put my thoughts across. I'm not the most eloquent person in the world so please forgive me.

For those that don't know, the NFRS is the National Fancy Rat Society. It was started in 1976 by a group of rat lovers with the aim to promote rats as pets and show animals. The NFRS is the organisation that writes the UK standards for the different varieties and provides a ton of information for both pet owners and breeders. Anyone can sign up to be a member and doing so will give you access to the Forum as well as the magazine Pro-Rat-A which comes out every couple of months. If you're a breeder, you can register your rattery with the NFRS after being a member for a year and later earn your studname by earning the required awards at shows. You can find out more about this here.

I've been a member of the NFRS since last year and in November I will finally be able to register my rattery which I'm super excited about! When people post on Facebook "Where do I find a breeder?", the first thing people send is the link to the NFRS breeders list. This is the first place I started when I was looking to get rats and is obviously a really great idea. What a lot of people aren't aware of is that anyone who has been a member of the NFRS for a year can register a rattery. There are no checks done and they're not inspected! The only thing (as far as I'm aware) that they will check is that the rattery name is not the same as someone else's. What I'm trying to get at is that just because someone is on the list, it does not mean they are necessarily a good breeder. There are actually some NFRS breeders that I would advise pet homes to avoid where possible. Similarly, if people are not on the list for valid reasons e.g. they are having to wait until they have been a member for a year, that does not make them a bad breeder. I'd like to hope that people don't automatically write me off because I'm not NFRS registered! What is absolutely vital is that when you look at this list of breeders, you do your own research and contact them to ensure their ethics align with yours. All breeders are individuals; we all care for our rats in different ways and have different breeding practices so you have to find the right breeder for you. 

Zoe from Azuline Rattery has a great post here about how to identify a reputable breeder. I'm not going to reiterate all her points but one of the main things for me is that a reputable breeder will not avoid questions or decline to show photos of how their rats are kept. They should be happy to answer any and all questions about their rats/rattery really! There is a useful Facebook group called UK Rattery & Breeder Reviews which you can use to check for feedback on any breeder you're considering. There may not necessarily be reviews for every rattery but you can pretty much bet that someone will know something about them! If you're still stuck, you can try messaging a breeder/rat owner that you trust and ask for your local recommendations. 

Another particular thing I find troubling is breeders that avoid being a part of the NFRS or refusing to show. This ties in with some common misconceptions about the NFRS being "just about showing". The NFRS is so much more than that. It is a huge and welcoming community that exists to promote healthy and happy rats. Shows are not simply about competing and winning (though that is a bonus), but about ensuring rats are healthy. Going to shows and having experienced rat owners/breeders handle your animals is incredibly beneficial as they can provide feedback on things you are doing well and things you need to improve on. If you are the only person that ever sees your rats, you can become "shed-blind" and fail to notice your rats heads are getting increasingly shorter or that your rats have no muscle tone (for example). Shows are also great for the social aspect. It's a brilliant chance to meet up with other breeders/owners from all over the country and just have a good old natter about rats and other things! Since starting breeding I've had an overwhelming amount of support from breeders all over the place and I really can't thank everyone enough. I couldn't imagine breeding without having this huge knowledgeable community behind me. 

I'm not entirely sure I've accomplished what I set out to here...it's a complicated topic! Basically, the NFRS breeders list is a great starting point but don't be mistaken in believing it is a list of entirely trustworthy and ethical breeders. Of course the majority of breeders on the list are brilliant and I would recommend them to anyone in a heartbeat. The reason for this post is just to ensure that everyone is aware that the NFRS does not monitor or check those on the list so of course some slightly less ethical people will slip through. It's an absolute minefield out there and it can be really hard to know who to go to. Sometimes it's about going with your gut. If alarm bells are ringing somewhere, stay away.

Kiwi Custard x Bayo Flora - Keepers

So I wasn't able to keep up with the weekly blog post updates oops... Six kittens in a global pandemic plus a house move really keep you busy! However, I thought I'd do a quick post to introduce my four lovely keepers. Obviously as I only have two does in the litter, it was pretty clear that I would be keeping them but it took a while to choose my boys. Naming them was also really hard! Anyway, I won't waffle on...let's crack on with the introductions!

Kiwi Custard x Bayo Flora - Week Three

Hello, I am back again! Time for the week three update! I really need to get more organised with these posts... Obviously I don't need to do them but I just like them as it gives me an easy way to look back at the litter. Of course, as it's my first litter it's extra exciting so I want to document as much as I can. It also gives me a baseline for what to expect with future litters. 

I was really looking forward to week three as I'd seen many breeders say it was one of their favourite weeks. Having now been through it, I can certainly see why!

Day 15 - 06/04/20