# This is just a problem waiting to happen!...



## lml8787 (Apr 16, 2010)

I saw this ad on craigslist today...



" I have 11 pregnant female adult rats that need to be placed ASAP. They range in colors from beige to blacks, to fawns, to albino to agouti. All are standard ears. All are bred to dumbos. All are extremely sweet pets that love attention and DO NOT BITE. This is a great way to get a colony going. All of them are very healthy, kept in large airy cages with lots of good food and attention. I am asking $5 for each female. If each rat only has 6 babies and you adopted them out for only $1 each, you would still make all your money back and more on this investment. Most of the time I sell the babies to pet stores for $3 each, or $5 to the public. 

These guys WILL NOT LAST LONG! hurry! 




it's NOT ok to contact this poster with services or other commercial interests



PostingID: 1805865318 "




All I can say is that with 11 pregnant females, these people are about to have a lot of babies on their hands. I am wondering why they have so many pregnant rats and why they are all for sale. I'm tempted to email them...


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## ema-leigh (Jan 24, 2010)

Oh wow, the stupidity of some people never fails to amaze me. Who would breed THAT many females with no regard to what happens to any of the rats :-\

The only good thing, is hopefully this means this paticular person is giving up BYB'ing.


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## lml8787 (Apr 16, 2010)

ema-leigh said:


> Oh wow, the stupidity of some people never fails to amaze me. Who would breed THAT many females with no regard to what happens to any of the rats :-\
> 
> The only good thing, is hopefully this means this paticular person is giving up BYB'ing.


Yes, I am only hoping that's why they are selling so many. Poor things.


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## lilspaz68 (Feb 24, 2007)

Definitely a BYB, a good breeder knows there's NO WAY they can socialize more than 2 litters at a time. Those big airy cages...makes me cringe. I have seen people advertising the small purple-based Superpet My First Home for Rats as a big cage suitable for a whole family of rats (when it can't even house 1 rat long term)...sigh.


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## laughingrats (Apr 21, 2010)

> If each rat only has 6 babies


I think they may have a little more than just six babies.... I wonder if this person knew what they were getting into if they don't sell them all. 

If each of those pregnant does had a litter of 20 each, that's 220 rats, not including the dumbo dads....


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## Blue (Jul 29, 2010)

Wow that's a lot of babies.... I have never have had the opposite sex rats even in different cages. I always have had two males or two females..and I have only had 2 at a time! I can't imagine that many!


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## ema-leigh (Jan 24, 2010)

The most rats I have had at one time has been 48. I had my original ratty pack, a litter of 12 on the ground and I took in a rescue litter of 14 to stop them going as snake food. I work from home, so I have tons of time to dedicate to my little ones, and huge homemade enclosures ....and the work load was still crazy. I was cleaning cages twice a day, they ate bags and bags of food. TONS of veggies. I can not imagine how someone, with no obvious passion for rats, could even look after more than 10 rats properly at one time.


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## lml8787 (Apr 16, 2010)

I have noticed that this same person has been posting practically an ad everyday for her other rats she is trying to get rid of. Tons of adult males/ females, and also babies. Seems like every new post she had a new litter born. Also, this person has been posting ads for african soft furr rats adults and babies for like $1.50 each. One of the ads said like hundreds to choose from! I just hope all those poor ratties find good homes to go to and don't end up being snake food or let loose or anything!  I would love to help some of these poor ratties, but I refuse to give someone like this money for such bad and irresponsible behavior, the same as most pet stores.


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## Brian (Jul 25, 2010)

Jeez she thinks only 6 babies from each. The breeder I got mine from was a litter of 14 and before that was 11. Ignorance


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## ema-leigh (Jan 24, 2010)

I'm guessing six was her average litter size from her BYB'ing days. Once you take into account the few that will die from poor nutrition/health/husbandry and some mom will eat due to stress. They may very well only have six remaining bubs! 

That and I've also heard of rats who are bred back to back having smaller than usual litters due to lack of proper nutrition.

I'm fairly sure the person was giving an example... like if they had at least six babies you could make your money back. Or maybe shes trying to fool adoptees into thinking rats do not have huge litters. Who knows.


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