# African Soft Furred Rats



## LadyVictorian (Jan 4, 2011)

Well some people call them mice and some people call them rats. Anyways I have been looking to find some as pets but it seems everyone I find breeds them as feeders and not pets. Does anyone know where to find breeders who breed for pets? I am looking for more tame and healthy ASF to the aggressive poor health ones that feeder breeders have.


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## Jaguar (Nov 15, 2009)

They've only been in the feeder scene for a short while, I don't think there's anyone really aiming to breed them for domestication yet.


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## Korra (Dec 11, 2011)

There are a few people on Mouselovers.com that breed them for pet purposes.


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## Jaguar (Nov 15, 2009)

Interesting. I really don't think it's been long enough for anyone to breed out aggression/skittishness etc. yet, especially because I would assume they are working with pet store stock. It will probably take a few years.


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## Korra (Dec 11, 2011)

Yeah I assume that too. I have read that they are getting better but still have a while to go before they have the docile temperaments of fancy mice.


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## calisphere (Oct 25, 2011)

I thought about breeding them myself in the future. I have snakes and they would like them, but I know if I came across one that had a good personality, I would not be able to put it down. I assume like other rodents, if you start at an early age, the individual animal would become a sweetie. The only major problem I see is if they have health problems like megacolon. A breeder couldn't guarantee health for a few years until they could prove that health was good. I suppose that is always the problem with new domestication situations.

That being said, I hope at least one person is working on pet quality ASF rats. I think they're adorable.


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## Ralph The Rat (Jan 21, 2012)

I work at a pet store and ASF are evil! They are for feeding purposes, but I have attempted to tame a few. The second you pick em up they bite. Hard. I'm sure if you handle them from a young age they could be tamed. Good luck!!


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## LadyVictorian (Jan 4, 2011)

Hmm...I am almost thinking I am going to end up domesticating them myself and breeding pet quality ASF. I already have been studying genetics for 2 years because when I am in my 40's I want to breed mice. Only this is an species I literally would have to invent the wheel and start with temperament and health before getting to play with conformation and colors. Now the question is finding some half way decent ASF that haven't been destroyed by the clumsy careless feeder breeder industry. Almost thinking I would have to get them straight from the wild to get clean lines and I am against taking wild animals out of the wild. It's how we got domestic rats but it gives me less to work with temperament and tameness wise. It seems no one has discovered them as pets yet and i have seen a handful as pets and hear they are like chinchillas. If properly raised they can be wonderful pets.


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## omegaville (Apr 7, 2012)

I own a small pet store in salt lake city, UT. I have several ASF that are very handleable. I hold them daily, Several of them are calming down. They are still fidgety and jump when holding. I am working on that though. I breed for food for snakes as well as starting to breed them for pets also. 

They are very adorable with their bulgy eyes. The key I have found is that start by petting them behind the head with both fingers. then after a few weeks you should be able to start picking them up. however you have to hold them securely in your hand with just their heads popping out then they feel secure. this is what I have found. 

I agree it is going to take some time to get them to be as tame as regular rats and mice.

Arnold


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