# Where'd You Get Yours?



## Ratfever

Where did you get your rats?  

I will hopefully be adopting 2-3 3 month old girls from a shelter soon, but I may get more eventually, and would like to see where the rest of Rat Forum got there rats!


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## lilspaz68

outside, from kijiji ads (like Craigslist but worse) for people getting rid of their rats, dumping their "breeding stock", offering their former pet rats up for snake food, from people who cannot afford vet care for their sick rat, or cannot deal with behavioural issues, etc.

I haven't adopted from shelters in a long time, because these other needy rats find me. Almost all my rats have some sad story or other.


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## Monroe

I got my three males from Petsmart. I know, I know.. But there are no breeders around me. They are healthy boys, however. I lucked out. 

I got my two girls the other day from an independent pet store that breeds their own. They are sisters. I hope they are healthy, theres also a 90% chance they are pregnant, so I hope they pull through it. I'm already so attached to the little buggers...


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## smesyna

My first two were from Petco unfortunately, and the next four I adopted were from Mainely Rat Rescue.


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## Timothy.P

got my first rat from petsmart i know but he was like "you's buy me and give me good home?"i didn't go in planning to buy a pet but i aw him and wanted him hes an awesome friend ^.^ and i got my other 3 from a family petstore they breed their own but their all well taken care of and healthy. I bought a hairless, dwarf, and a baby fancy rat


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## lilspaz68

Timothy just so you know, there are no dwarf rats in the pet stores...yet. Your rat may be small, but is unlikely to be a genetic dwarf.


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## Timothy.P

ah well then hes just really small xD eh and i ment to say dumbo  my mistake


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## Qku.

Haha, a dwarf rat. How silly would that be.

Mine actually originally come from the same pet store, but the first one I took in because a girl couldn't care for her anymore and her mom made her get rid of her, and the second one was a little grey dumbo that I really really liked and a friend of mine bought for my birthday. With my consent and me present, of course.


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## Jaguar

both my boys were rescues from nasty pet store situations :

bernard was shoved in a tiny tank full of pine in the back of a scummy pet store because he was being "picked on" by the other rats and was so doomed to live the rest of his life alone in it. i offered a $5 adoption fee and they let me take him.

ben was shipped in to a different store with the other three females the store had ordered. he had impregnated all of them and they so kindly "culled" the litters and left ben in the back, planning to send him back to the mill the next week. they let me take him for free.

they're best friends now


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## sorraia

Most of mine are "home bred" so to speak, that is they've come from my litters. Two girls are from a rescue.


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## Kinsey

Mine are all from slightly different places but all have crappy genetics.

Romeo, my first rat, came from a pet store. I wanted a rat and he was looking at me so sweetly- who could resist? He is my heart rat and given the choice between getting him again- giving the pet store money, and not ever having him, I would choose to get him. He is absolutely amazing<3

Snitch- Same chain of stores, a local chain. One store has a woman who is in charge of the pets who breeds her own rats. She handles them a lot, and Snitch was tame when I got him- he was her favorite baby of the litter. So, BYB rat. He is agressive, but I suppose that's what I get for buying rats with genetic time bombs like that.

Rosebud- Originally, she came from a pet shop, but she came to me when her owner decided she could no longer care for her rat. She was living alone in a tiny tank and eating puppy food when I got her. She is spayed and happy now, eating HT and living with two males in a huge cage.


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## Critter Aficionado

I got Helios at a shelter in Oregon because he was elderly, and Emile and Ratticus Finch were being given away for free via a Craigslist posting.


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## killybutt

I rescued my boys from http://littleheroesrattery.weebly.com/ 
They were in a litter from a feeder rescue. They were only 1 month old <3
The best rats I've ever had! They were handled a lot at the rescue and they have never bitten me or shown aggression.


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## lauraaa

Local pet store. I was actually on a waiting list for two baby boys from a breeder, but i walked in to my local pet store one day, on a hot summery day, i noticed a light on in a tank, on the floor, i had to lay on the floor to see what was in there. A bunch of baby ratties and my timid (now mental!) dobbie looking up at me. They had no water, no food (well, they had hamster type food that they clearly hadnt touched). And they were sleeping on what looked like old old hay. I love both my dobbie and my dumbo dumble! Its been almost a month and the rest of the litter is still there. No one can even see them unless they get on the floor.


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## theratsmother

I got my first 7 rats off a breeder not for me but for their new owner to collect from me, long story but I refused to hand them over when I heard many rumours about this person and was warned not to hand them over, 9 of the other 10 rats are all rescues but came from different places and are different ages so Ive had to go through the whole bonding process far too many times, my one pet shop bought rat is Valentine, she was in a pet shop and the staff were lifting her up by her tail  to check what sex she was, they dropped her and I caught her and I put her back in the tank, I cried all the way home because she was alone and probably hurt and my OH took me back to get her.


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## shinysticker

The first rat I got, Belle, was from a dirty petstore, and she didn't survive a week.
My next 4 babies came from exotic pet shops, that were cleaner and provided healthier rats. 
I got my two current boys from a rat rescue. This is now my preferred method!


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## shooper

ummmmm......the feeder bin at my local petstore. I've had good luck with my ratties from there, but would suggest getting them from a rescue or breeder.


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## ratsrulesok

Sebastian and Ceil I got from a breeder in trowbridge who told me there were boys and then a vet confirmed (as I was worried about the lack of male genitalia) and then I got Sophie and Anna, Anna being the mother of Sophie over bred and in god aweful shape when I got her, Sophie her daughter frightened of her own shadow will now take food from my hand and started climbing on me when I am leaning by her open cage door which is a MASSIVE step forward for her.

Cookie was a rescue male that I got to to move in with Sebastian and Ceil seeing him I knew something was up, so sebastian and Ceil became discovered as girls so now I have four girls, one boy (who escaped and got Anna pregnant} and 13 babies.


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## HighwayStar

My first rat was from a petstore. She had lots of tumors for alot of her life. My three current little girls are from Love of Rats Rattery. After Rory had so many problems I wanted to get some babies from a breeder. They are growing like weeds~!


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## noMoreFaith

HighwayStar said:


> My first rat was from a petstore. She had lots of tumors for alot of her life. My three current little girls are from Love of Rats Rattery. After Rory had so many problems I wanted to get some babies from a breeder. They are growing like weeds~!


I don't like the sound of that :-\

All of my rats were feeders. Because in my country, rats are not pets. 

So do breeder rats get fewer tumors? Or is it the same for all rats?


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## SenecaNyx

I have two feeder rats Xd Bought the two boys because they where so scared of everything unlike the others who where older and ill and near the end to begin with.I couldn't handl the taking on an older rat just for the fact I got them a few days after my first rat Lucky was put down.Acorn and Chance are now very friendly and loving now 



(I got Lucky from a friend's B-day party.She was a feeder rat they bought for their snake but decided to use for FearFactor.My friend said I could take her home though so I was happy when he said that and bugged my mom right away )


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## rattiesalem24

First one from a petstore (sadly)
The next 2 from Peninsula Humane Society
The last from the hoarding situation earlier this year in southern california


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## Rattymonday

My first two came from a "breeder".. Not a good one.. And if I'd known then what I know now, I probably wouldn't have went through him at all..
But, at least both boys were healthy, happy, and surprisingly very well socialized. 

After them, someone my mom worked with asked if I be interested in taking in her daughters rat.. She was apparently going off to college, and the poor girl was just suffering.. I got her.. She was a poor PEW in a hamster type cage, on pine bedding, eating seed mix.. And had for her 2 years of life.. She greatly improved in my care.. But she left me a couple months back..

The next two came from a pet store.. The first of the two.. I've given the story before so I won't repeat it.. We'll just leave it as.. I was not pleased with the treatment I saw.. And was caught at a moment of weakness.. The next was because my gf at the time was caught in a moment of weakness and got me a "present".. eh... >.>;... I wasn't the happiest at first, but he's been a wonderful little rat.

My final two I adopted from NTRR. I adore them both. And with that being said.. I will forever use NTRR or another rattie rescue. If I ever had the chance to go through a very reputable breeder, I might... But I've really enjoyed my experience with getting the "Texas boys" (as my mom refers to them ).


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## A.ngelF.eathers

ratsrulesok said:


> Sebastian and Ceil


8D


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## Kinsey

I just got two new ones from the humane society!


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## jadeangel

I got my first ones from pet stores, before I really knew what I was doing... and the ones after that I got from pet stores because there wasn't anything else in norther Louisiana.

My current three are from a friend of a friend of a friend (yeah...) who had an oops litter. But I now know of a nearby breeder and the North Texas Rat Rescue isn't too far away and I'm planning on getting my next ones from either of them.


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## Murinae

Both of my blue girls I got from a local feeder breeder. I have one Ball Python that won't eat F/T  I made the mistake  of looking in a bin of babies. Devon was 5 weeks when I got her but Maytag was only about 2 weeks. I had to hand rear her but she is doing great.

My double rex, Quark, came from a non-chain petstore and I got her the same day I picked up Devon. She was an owner turn in and of unkown age. I am glad I got her, she is a sweetie.


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## shadowgee

I got three little ones from a woman on Craigslist. Her rats has babies and she couldn't keep them. She said they were all female but I found out a few hours later that only one out of three was a female! So, I had to get a last minute buddy for the girl. I unfortunately got her from a pet store but she's actually very healthy. My most recent rattie (I got her about a week and a half ago) wasn't really planned on. I was at the pet store getting crickets for my Bearded Dragon and decided to play with the rats. She kept jumping into my hands and trying to get my attention. I felt so bad leaving her behind so I kept her.


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## genno

First two from Petsmart

The most recent was snake food/accidental litter from a private home, free from a Craiglist ad.


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## Ratsanctuary

My hairless boys Scabbers and Krum were from a Craigslist ad. My Champagne girl(Ruby) and her Minkbareback Sister (Delilah) were also from somebody on Craigslist looking to rehome. Then my Himilayan and Cinnamon Hooded were from a girl on another rat forum.


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## Jaguar

bernard was the "oh he doesn't get along with other rats so we shoved him in the back of the store in a hamster cage full of pine" adoptee. he's big and bossy to the other rats, but he's still a sweetheart. 

ben was accidentally shipped to a different store along with 4 females who he impregnated all of. the store so kindly "culled" the litters and gave me ben (who was also living in a hamster cage on pine shavings) so they didn't have to ship him back to the mill. the store has been closed down for a few months now. he's a bit timid and doesn't like being touched or picked up, but he is always following me around and nibbling at my fingernails.

my newest guy (still with no name) was from the same store as bernard, placed in a tank with 6 other rats and being sold for a $5 adoption fee. i should have stayed away from this one, but in my mind $5 is not enough to care for a rat for even a week, so the store was making negative or at least no profit on his sale. he's incredibly hyperactive, but turns to mush when you pick him up


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## A.ngelF.eathers

Guess it's time I threw my answer in.

Both of mine came from a local petstore. 

My next rats will probably come from either that petstore again or an out of state humane society since I don't know of any breeders close to me.


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## naricaution

I got my first boy at my friendly local petco... I gotta say the staff at the one by me is not bad at all though. The girl who helped me said that they do handle them and they seemed to know her so I'm keen to believe her for that reason. Funny thing is, I brought the smallest, friendliest boy Mu home and about a week and a half later I realize I need to get him a friend so I went back to the same petco and there were his 2 cagemates. The girl said she noticed one was bought and was glad that I was buying another. She also assured me they would get the remaining larger rat some company. Once I got Gu home it took little introduction time. I guess they remembered each other. Little Mu has a Napoleon complex too. X3


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## Kiko

3 of my rats, Lucy, Cleo and Mrs.C are from Mainely Rat rescue.

Curly is from an accidental litter on goosemoose.

Ted, Burke, Pigeon, Ivy, Eric, Godrick and Billy, are the Sons and Daughters of my rat Peaches who recently passed away.

Stinky is a free adoptee from a petco.

And Mystery-Muffin .Mystery-Muffin is from....well it's a mystery! And THAT is a story I save for another time LOL

Recently Passed are Peaches and Bono, Peaches is my one and only rat from a pet store. Petco, before I knew better.
Bono is her daughter.


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## abmama

I got my boys from petsmart, I tried to find a breeder for months b4 i went to the store but they are hard to find. I went to the pet store actually to apply for a job, but i saw anoki and chuchip cuddled in that tiny aquarium together and decided i had to have them. I actually didnt take them home though, i asked the store to hold them over night for me so i could think it over and when i woke up the next day i was even more set on getting them, good thing i did too bc as soon as i got there an old friend of mine was there looking at them and told me she was buying a rat for their snake, the petsmart employees knew this and still sold them a rat anyway ...


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## Kiko

abmama said:


> I got my boys from petsmart, I tried to find a breeder for months b4 i went to the store but they are hard to find. I went to the pet store actually to apply for a job, but i saw anoki and chuchip cuddled in that tiny aquarium together and decided i had to have them. I actually didnt take them home though, i asked the store to hold them over night for me so i could think it over and when i woke up the next day i was even more set on getting them, good thing i did too bc as soon as i got there an old friend of mine was there looking at them and told me she was buying a rat for their snake, the petsmart employees knew this and still sold them a rat anyway ...


Ugh! That is not allowed in Petsmart, those employes should be reprimanded since they are NOT allowed to sell rats for snake food.


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## abmama

> Ugh! That is not allowed in Petsmart, those employes should be reprimanded since they are NOT allowed to sell rats for snake roof.



I know, i even told my friend she should go elsewhere and maybe try frozen food for her snake bc they wouldnt sell her a rat but sure enough they did without a care.


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## ratfan06

The one near me, I've actually witnessed turn people down when they found it was for food. I know they all get from mills, but the two PetSmarts nearest me are actually pretty decent. 

However, none of my current rats are from pet stores. I try to rescue when I can. My girls, (Morgana and Sage), and my youngest boys, (Shawn and Gus), were from Mainely Rat Rescue. Their names were completely different when I got them. My two older boys were from a guy on Craigslist. The guy was new to rats and ended up with an accidental litter. He was really nice and we even stay in contact now and then.


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## GIZ-N-GAZ

Pets At Home


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## thelittleredladybug

A local pet rescue--I've also adopted from Petsmart 3 times, once I lucked out extremely. The 2nd time, was such a mean rat she kept beating my other nice rat up and the 3rd rat passed away suddenly in her sleep.


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## Gma and Gpa P

Our first two, Sally and Lucy, came from Petsmart. WAY before we knew that was bad. Josie came to us from a young girl who was having to move to another country and couldn't take her pet rat with her. Amy came from a hoarding situation in Alabama, involving about 300 rats. Cindy was given to me from CL, her 'owner' bred her doe to her daughter's buck, and all the siblings were fed to a neighbors snake. Molly came from a pet store in northern Georgia, from feeder stock. Her mother and father were shipped together, and both were hairless. Polly came from CL, she had recently lost her cage mate and her owners didn't want to get another rat. Frankie (my first boy!) came from a friend who had recently lost the others in her group. Koopa and Pidget (also boys) came from someone who was not able to spend as much time with them as they needed. Molly, Frankie, Koopa and Pidget were siblings and all were hairless. These 10 have since crossed the Rainbow Bridge.

Merry came to me from the vet's office. They knew we would be getting Frankie but someone had given them a sweet little girl with a degloved tail. Their 5 year old son had picked her up by her tail but they didn't want to pay for surgery to amputate it. They wanted her PTS. So the vets office asked them to relinquish her to them, they did the surgery then called me to ask if I wanted her. 

Kimmie came from a byb. They had been breeding everything from puppies and kittens to parakeets, hedgehogs and ferrets. A ferret rescue went to get the ferrets, saw there were 5 rats, and took the rats home along with the ferrets. No one else wanted to deal with the rats. The two boys and two of the girls had already found homes, but poor Kimmie was left behind. So I took her and named her for the girl who had rescued her.


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## luvmyfurbabies

I got my 2 girls from a lady who had recently gotten them from a Petsmart, I believe she said. I plan on getting another female (maybe 2) very soon from another girl that lives not to far from me. Apparently she had an accidental litter a while back but has since decided not to keep them all (I think she told me she has 8 girls and 3 boys).


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## malakhgabriel

We got our three boys from Tiger Tail Rattery. Brooke was great through the whole adoption process and has stayed available since to answer any questions.


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## RatAddict62

All five of mine were from the pet store. I know, I know... But I don't think there's any breeders around me, the shelters and rescues hardly ever have any in, and mine have proven to be sweet and loving pets. Fairly healthy, too; however, only one of mine DOESN'T have sneezing problems. The others sneeze a lot.

My first two, Emilie and Florence, came from an aquarium that said "dumbo rats," though Florence is certainly not a dumbo. The three babies came from a feeder bin, and they were so sweet and playful... I couldn't just leave them there.


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## Ramen

Romeo and Francis are both from a local, privately owned pet store. They breed their own rats but they take perfect care of them and handle them daily. At least one of the staff members has rats, and the owner of the pet store is very knowledgable about rats. Thank GOD they had rats or I'd have to go to Petco or Petsmart.


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## Muppet

My first two came from my college  I do an animal care course and they had recently rescued 2 (unknown to be pregnant) does a week later they both gave birth to 10 babies each, this was over the summer and so no students were around so when we went back they had decided to keep 6 and one was culled  so last friday me and this other girl took home two boys each  I think the rest are going to a rescue this week though  

The only other option for local ratties is [email protected] and our local is awful and i refuse to even buy supplies from there  They have been caught in the past knowingly selling infected livestock so i refuse to take that chance :/


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## pipsqueak

I got both of my girls from petsmart when I worked there.
Dizzy (my first rat) was in the backrooms sick for the longest time, and my manager never took her to the vet to get meds.
even though we constantly told them they really need to go, since she had a URI at the time. 
I picked her up and played with her every day i worked, and just fell in love with her.
I found out my manager put her out on the floor for sale, even though she was sick, and 
I didnt want anyone else to get her since i liked her so much, so I ran up there real fast and bought her.
About a month later I bought my second girl Tex from petsmart as well. I just thought she was too cute (all black with a big white spot on her belly)

A coworker and I called our DM, and told them we felt our animals were being neglected, and that they weren't being taken to the vet
even though some of them really needed to go. So hopefully that wont happen again. (I quit there awhile ago so idk if situations improved)


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## rodentlover

My current two girls I got from a CL ad after relocating across the country. My rats for the last 15 or so years leading up to my move were all acquired from feeder breeders that also selected for pets. Have also adopted from 501c rescues and small time home breeders over the years. In the early years we would get our rats from local pet shops (before the days of PetSmarts and Petcos), have been keeping rats for close to 50 years now.


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