# Finding rats & rat cold tolerance



## Sidurah (Sep 28, 2011)

I'm about 90% sure I'm getting rats. I'm starting to look for breeders in my area, but alas, I have found none. The two options are traveling or a local pet shop. A pet shop would definitely be easier and probably cheaper, but I don't want to get sick rats. 

I live in a very rural area (Humboldt County, CA), and I haven't found any rat breeders nearby. I'd be willing to travel to Redding or Santa Rosa (in CA) and Gold Beach, Ashland or Brookings (in OR). Are there any reputable rat breeders in those areas?

Also, I know rats don't do well with heat (not a problem), but what is too cold? It does snow a few times a year, and gets below freezing fairly regularly. The heat in my house doesn't work very well, but it never gets really, really cold.


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## Ressal (Oct 18, 2011)

I live in the UK so I'm not familiar with breeders in CA/OR but it's definitely worth the effort getting rats from a breeder. The majority of pet shop rats aren't handled and are very antisocial towards humans. As far as I remember, rats are most comfortable in room temperature and should the weather fall below 7 degrees celcius (45 degrees fahrenheit) then it's best to give your rats a little snug for them to curl up together in. An old shoe box turned upside-down with a hole for them to get through, along with some bedding (or even an old t-shirt) should give them enough warmth when they need it.


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## KayRatz (Apr 5, 2007)

Yeah, don't get your rats from the pet store, it's worth the drive and the extra cost--I got my boys a little over a week ago and have already paid over $70 in vet bills and possibly have more to come, depending on how things go with the sickly one. It's not worth it to buy from a pet store, in the long run it's just more costly.


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## Sidurah (Sep 28, 2011)

I think I found a good breeder about 4 hours away. It would be a bit of a road trip, but worth it.


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## smesyna (Nov 22, 2010)

Have you considered rescue? There are a few rescues in CA.

How could does it get? The ideal temp range for rats is 65 to 80.


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## HighwayStar (Aug 20, 2010)

I drove 5 hours to get two of my girls. Completely worth it. The pet store rats I have had were not nearly as sweet or curious as the group I have now.


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## Sidurah (Sep 28, 2011)

The temp in the winter is probably ~60-65F. It might get colder at night.


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## Kiko (Sep 18, 2009)

Wow, i'm moving there lol, warm winters! NYC has some brutal winters.

As long as those rats have some hammocks or something warm to burrow in they should be fine. Keep the cage free from drafty windows and all will be well.


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## Sidurah (Sep 28, 2011)

That's what the temp is inside. The house has an ancient heater that doesn't work very well, so we rarely use it. It's colder outside, but it still doesn't get terribly cold. The hoboes seem to be fine. XD


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