Online Rat Communities?

sorraia- I know what you mean. Forums tend to pool the "extreme" individuals of any hobby. When I was on a cat forum it was the same way.

I would like to get into breeding, but if I do it'll be on a small local scale and I likely won't try to show, etc. Keeping rodents (and exotics in general) in my area is extremely rare, so showing would basically be impossible for me. i guess I would be classed as an evil "backyard" breeder when I do decide to breed. :p

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Originally Posted by artgecko

sorraia- I know what you mean. Forums tend to pool the "extreme" individuals of any hobby. When I was on a cat forum it was the same way.

I would like to get into breeding, but if I do it'll be on a small local scale and I likely won't try to show, etc. Keeping rodents (and exotics in general) in my area is extremely rare, so showing would basically be impossible for me. i guess I would be classed as an evil "backyard" breeder when I do decide to breed. :p

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I know there are a few pet/show breeders in Florida, but I seem to remember Georgia and other southern states generally being devoid. Seems the pet/show breeders are clustered into specific locals: Chicagoland, eastern seaboard, northwest, and Cali. There are a few in Texas too, but that's a big state! There seems to be a growing group (compared to years past) in the southwest too.

I'll have to admit, I guess I'm one of those "evil backyard" feeder breeders now too. Oh well. I'd rather know what my animals are eating and how those animals were cared for than to pick up goodness knows what. I'd love to raise the food for my dogs/cats too, but that's not entirely feasible right now.

There are cliques and nutty people in almost any fancy/hobby. Don't judge all by the actions of the most vocal.
Most care about HOW you care for and breed the rats, and that feeders and killed humanely before being fed. Also that you are HONEST. Hiding that you raise feeders, hiding that rats sold to someone as pets, or as pet/show breeding stock, are from a feeder background, can do much worse harm IMHO.

On Facebook, a sane group with both pet/show and feeder breeders is: https://www.facebook.com/groups/RatGenePool/

I raise my own feeders and have sold a handful as pets to people. I don't see any reason to ruthlessly separate "feeder" lines from "pet" lines. I'm going for the exact same thing in a rat, a healthy, well grown, good attitude rodent that grows well on decent food without getting ill.

My feeder rats all have to have good friendly attitudes. They have to grow well, have nice sized litters that grow quickly and stay healthy. Other than litter size, I don't see anything in that would not be essential to a pet rat, or even a show rat. Just because a rat is close to the ideal of "rat-dom" in size, shape and markings doesn't mean it's a lousy breeder or a slow-grower after all.

I do give my colony and feeders the best life possible. They all get premium food(Mazuri I order from a feed store), clean bins, fresh water, treats and 'stimulation' in the form of treats hidden in balled up paper or toilet paper rolls and such. I don't overcrowd them and I don't starve them or mistreat them.

The local "big breeder" of feeders also has pristine conditions and fat healthy calm rats. I used to buy my feeders from them and I was amazed at the quality of their "feeder rodents". I can say for certainty that they matched or surpassed ANY pet rat I've handled or bought. I have seen lesser quality "big breeders" in the past, but rarely seen any I would hesitate to buy from and none that I felt mistreated their rats.

I also have pet rats. It's possible to take wonderful care of your rodents to feed to your reptiles. It's possible to love a pet even if it's the same species that you use as feeders. It's like someone who has a potbelly pig but still enjoys bacon.

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Originally Posted by wolfy-hound

I also have pet rats. It's possible to take wonderful care of your rodents to feed to your reptiles. It's possible to love a pet even if it's the same species that you use as feeders. It's like someone who has a potbelly pig but still enjoys bacon.

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I agree, unfortunately a lot of people seem unable to make roar distinctions.

I have chickens, and still eat chicken. Some of my layers will probably go to freezer camp when they so laying, and be replaced by younger birds. Some will remain as pets. I've got milk goats too, and they are pets. But milk requires babies, can't keep all, may not all all, some will probably become food. It's just life.