# Rat breeders who breed for health in WA/OR gone (not looking, just wondering)?



## Critter Aficionado (Jan 30, 2011)

Lately I've noticed an uprising of rat back yard breeders posting on Craigslist, although one seems to have stopped posting or even breeding (hopefully, they were selling rats too young and only breeding for color/money). Of course I flag them. But that got me to wondering, so I did a search on google for rat breeders in Washington state and Oregon just out of curiosity. It seems all the ones breeding for health and temperament are either all gone (websites taken down completely), are no longer breeding, or have moved to another state completely. I also hardly ever notice rats in shelters around here anymore; once in a great while the Oregon Humane Society or Seattle Humane Society will get a few, and there's only one rescue I see here on Petfinder in the Pacific Northwest that has numerous rats for adoption (that have been there for quite some time now). But that rescue does not seem to keep in contact well with potential adopters (I emailed them twice, a month apart, when looking for a friend for Helios, but never got a response back, and it's been around 10 months now since I emailed them last). I'm not looking for any rats right now (although if a female or neutered male that would be compatible with our girls needing rescue came along I wouldn't say no). I'm just curious why all the reputable rat breeders around here have stopped breeding or left, and why there hardly seem to be any shelters or rescues (not that that's necessarily a bad thing if it means rats are in good homes) right now.


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## Jaguar (Nov 15, 2009)

only one i can think of off the top of my head is ROUS - http://www.worldofrats.com/ROUSIndex.html their website is outdated but i think they're still breeding.

i don't know of any others, but on this side of the continent they are pretty sparse as it is. i haven't really been noticing any less lately. i've actually been seeing quite the opposite - lots of the terrible bybs that used to be here are now gone, and there are some ratteries on the coast spreading out and breeding within other areas.


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## Critter Aficionado (Jan 30, 2011)

I'm glad to hear the back yard breeders are stopping at least (I have been noticing fewer on Craigslist). I'm just surprised I haven't been seeing more non back yard rat breeders, surely there has to be some demand for pet rats in this part of the Pacific Northwest.


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## sorraia (Nov 10, 2007)

Backyard breeders come and go, constantly. It is not unusual for a big "crop" of them to show up one year, breed for a few years (2-5 years), and then just suddenly disappear. That's pretty normal. BUT... there are always more to take their place. In the 10 years I've bred pet rats, I've never seen an overall decrease in backyard breeders. I have seen local changes, and I have seen many come and go. I have seen them move around to other areas, or take a break to "re-invent" themselves then start up again doing the same things they did before, just maybe with a prettier website that's harder to pick out the "red flags" on. But overall I have never seen a decrease, just a stable number or sometimes and increase. Backyard breeders tend to "breed" more backyard breeders. They stick together, defend each other, encourage each other, and help each other. 

Being a responsible, ethical breeder takes a lot more out of a person than being a backyard breeder. It really IS hard, and honestly, you get very very little "thanks" in return. In fact, you are lucky to get ANY thanks. It is harder to get started as a responsible, ethical breeder. It is harder to build up that support base needed. As a result, there are very very few ethical breeders out there, much fewer than backyard breeders. Those who are out there may be around for awhile, but at some point, in my experience, tend to fall into the background and "disappear" because the politics of the rat world just isn't worth staying involved in. On top of that, it is so discouraging to always get lumped with the backyard breeders, than many responsible breeders will "disappear" (though not stop breeding) just to avoid having to deal with that. Responsible breeders are constantly having to deal with being slapped in the face when someone chooses a backyard breeder over them because that backyard breeder has babies RIGHT NOW and the responsible breeder doesn't. It is a constant slap in the face when the responsible breeder is told their adoption procedures are too hard, take too much time, or their rats are too expensive (especially if that breeder is trying to make sure their rats are spayed and neutered prior to adoption!). It is a constant slap in the face for that breeder to see people say things like "Oh well a breeder's rats will always have a good home, so I'm going to a pet store instead." Responsible, ethical breeders put so much into their rats, and get so little back from people, it is so discouraging, many of them cannot stick around for that reason alone. It really is hard to do something you believe in when you have very little support. Many just give up, because what's the point when all they get is dirt thrown at them?

As far as finding actual ethical, responsible breeders in the Pacific Northwest, I can't help you. I am in the Pacific Southwest and am not familiar with the breeders up there. What I can say is I've come across quite a few who are highly recommended ("reputable") but NOT so ethical or responsible.


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## Jaguar (Nov 15, 2009)

sorraia - i was mostly referring to the small area i live in (okanagan, bc, canada)... we had 3 terrible bybs that were the only rat suppliers in the area that are all gone now. after they dumped all their unwanted stock at the spca, they were warned that if they were caught breeding rats again they would all be seized and heavily fined. i do have to agree about the reputable vs. ethical/responsible thing, though - i've been hearing some things have gone downhill with northwest breeders lately (evergreen rattery has particularly been on the radar, and sith has had me questioning a few pairing choices) ... but i'll have to wait and see how it pans out.


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## Critter Aficionado (Jan 30, 2011)

I was specifically talking about Washington state and Oregon, I'm sure there are lots of back yard breeders for rats in other areas. I know there are some here, because pet stores in these states get rats, but I haven't seen nearly as many on the Craigslist and Kijiji sites around where I live.

As an animal rescuer, I nodded my head in agreement when you talked about getting little to no thanks, and people claiming the adoption procedure was "too hard" (because why should they have to sign an adoption contract when they can just go buy from some pet store without having to sign or read anything).


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## Jaguar (Nov 15, 2009)

lots of bc breeders were also in supply of washington and in connection with all those breeders in the north west as far over as idaho. evergreen, rous, sith, joy, etc. all share stock and outcross their lines all the time. it is all really sad


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## ratjes (Mar 26, 2011)

Did you check Dream Mountain Rattery in OR


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## sorraia (Nov 10, 2007)

Critter Aficionado said:


> I was specifically talking about Washington state and Oregon, I'm sure there are lots of back yard breeders for rats in other areas. I know there are some here, because pet stores in these states get rats, but I haven't seen nearly as many on the Craigslist and Kijiji sites around where I live.


I guarantee you there are probably lots of backyard breeders everywhere. It isn't an issue isolated to just one or two geographic locations.


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