# Buying/selling rats UK vs US



## xbexidabestx (Jun 17, 2013)

Hello

I am under the impression that in the US pet rats that are for sale in pet stores are sold from the feeder bins??

Here in the UK it is illegal to feed live animals to our snakes/other rodent eating pets. 

Where I am from in the UK, all the pet shops keep a maximum of about 4 ratties/hamsters/mice/rabbits etc in a single cage. Ready for sale as pets. And are about £10 each when sold in the shop. About $6.

To feed our snakes we buy already dead mice in various sizes that have been "frozen for freshness". Pinkies are about 40p, then the larger mice are about £1.50

BTW, I am not against feeding live animals, nor do dislike the frozen option. Just dont think Id have the balls to put a little mousey in with my snakes, Id just want to save it!!

I have though about breeding rats and freezing the babies but its probably illegal and there is just NO WAY I could do it without getting attatched. Especially if theyd come from my ratties <3

A reptile vet near me has many snakes and breeds mice and rats for their litters to feed his snakes with. Just occored to me he might be breaking the law, or maybe he has a special licsence to do so.

I was wandering how it works over in the US??

Just curious


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## FiMarie (Jan 19, 2013)

It really depends on the pet store itself. More and more pet stores I visit have stopped selling live feeders but many stores still do. Most stores have "feeder rats" in "small", "medium", and "large" as well as "fancy rats" for pets at a higher price. Usually the "pet" rats are pretty patterns and the "feeder" rats are typically albinos. But I've been to pet stores where they just have "rats" for feeder or pet all together. It seems like most stores separate them though. There's a new pet store near me that refuses to sell live rats for feeders and refuses to sell single rats unless you prove that you have a rat to keep it company at home. They try to sell them in pairs. I feel sad for rats that are born albinos and shipped to those pet stores.


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## PitterPatter (Feb 28, 2012)

To my knowledge there's no real law against breeding rats in a rat rack for feeding purposes. However, if someone is concerned about the welfare of the rats and has proof of abuse or neglect, you could report them and get a warrant to search and see how they're being cared for. 

About a year ago I adopted a male hairless rat named Mini, and he was about 3 weeks old. The man who sold him to me bred his rats as food for his snake collection, was irresponsible, and had more rats than he could handle. It was dirty, smelly, he fed the rats cheap dog food and they barely had water - nor did he change the huge rabbit bottles he had attached - the nozzles were filthy.

Mini ended up dying from upper respiratory because he was culled too soon from his mother, who was fed to a large snake when Mini was just 2 1/2 weeks. He thought the other mother in the bin would take the babies in but she didn't. He was put into a dirty 20 gallon tank with 33 other rats (I counted), male and female, ages 3 weeks to 6 months. He threw the food on the bottom of the cage. 


So, I'm sure this happens everywhere. It's not monitored here in Canada, and is the same in the US. I'm sure there's laws we don't know about, but I know these little guys don't have the same protection as dogs or cats.


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## FiMarie (Jan 19, 2013)

Even in the US dogs and cats that are bred for pet stores live in abhorrent conditions. They're considered "livestock" and are monitored by the US Department of Agriculture. Because they are a "product" and are considered "temporarily housed" awful living conditions are tolerated. It's why puppy mills are so prevalent here in the US. As long as there is food, water and only a moderate amount of filth, it's legal. So I seriously doubt we've got any laws over here about the well being of rodents for feeder/pet. I would assume those bred for pet stores are also under the governance of the USDA and I imagine their conditions are allowed to more deplorable. In fact, I used to work for PetSmart and they get their small animals (reptiles, birds and rodents) from one company that breeds and sells ALL of them for pet stores. The frequency with which their "stock" overturns makes me imagine a gigantic, dark warehouse with hundreds of small animals popping out litter after litter of offspring with questionable health.


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## Nimh (Jun 3, 2013)

Where I live rats are separated in three different cages.

Small 
Medium
Large

There is at least 10 rats in each tank and they are switched out every Wednesday with new rats. People buy them as feeder and pets. :/

When I bought Cheerio at the pet store I signed a contract stating she wasn't meant for a pet, strictly for feeder purposes so I wasn't entitled to any vet visits on them.


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## Daize (Jun 8, 2013)

The pet stores I frequent sell rats, but not as feeders. I guess if you're willing to pay "pet rat" prices, then you could use them as a feeder. I go to Petco and/or Petsmart. They both make you sign a contract when purchasing a live pet. In this contract it's stated you have a 14 day health guarantee and that you will take proper care of your new pet. This proper care includes food/water/caging/vet visits if needed. The rats they sell are intended as pets, not feeders. 

For feeder rats, they sell frozen.


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## FamilyRatters1 (Jun 22, 2013)

At my PetCo, they have a "small" "medium" and "large" tanks.

At PetSmart, they have a "fancy rats" and a "dumbo rats" tank. They treat theirs way better than PetCo.

We got ours from PetSmart and the lady there knew a lot about rats. We asked her questions(that we already knew the answer too) and she answered correctly on each one. She told me that on her breaks she goes in there and handles them daily. I don't know if all pet stores do this, but we were worried because we got 3 out of the 4 in the tank. We got worried because she would be alone. She told us that they have a 2 week quarantine before they're put in there and that two weeks would be up the next day.

She also let us know that they only buy females, so there is no need to worry about pregnancy.

This is just my experience and in my opinion, it was great. Her name tag even said "Super Flo", we later found out her name was Amy. (I believe that was what it was. My memory is terrible)


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## Cloud (Jan 16, 2011)

being from the UK and a former reptile owner, breeding rats/mice for food is not illegal. The law requires the offspring to be euthenised humanely ie; co2, and that is meant for personal use only, ie; your own pets. To sell them is illegal and to euthenise them without co2 is illegal.

At least that is my understanding anyway. It's not something i got into. Any mice or chicks i needed i bought frozen from the pet store. And there is more to live feed than simply the distress of the live animal you put it through. There's also the welfare of the reptile when the live prey fights back. It's not something i feel is worth feeding live.


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