Selling Pet Rat?

[j94712]

Does anyone sell some of their color rat as pets? I do it because they can cover some of the bedding and food money. And I sometimes feel bad to feed those cool looking pattern and colored rat to my snakes, so I want them to be someone's pet. But sometimes when people are looking to buy my rats, they ask me if they are pet rat. This is a pretty hard question for me because I want to sell them as pet, but they are produced as feeders. I always tried to avoid this kind of question since most people have a pretty bad image about breeding rats for feeders and those rats do not live in good conditions. However, I feed all my rats with the best rat food i can find (harlan). All my rats are super healthy and never bite people, so the rats are pretty good quality (They are definitely better quality than those rats in pet store). Any of you guys have this kind of dilemma?

[Slim]

But sometimes when people are looking to buy my rats, they ask me if they are pet rat.

The simple answer to that question is, "Yes". What you do with the other rats you produce is your business, and beyond their purview.

[Evildrdee]

I have bred beautiful fancy dumbos, Rexs, Double Rexs, & velveteen for over two years and tried to sell them for $10ea on Craigslist. Multiple times. Good deal for a pretty and healthy baby right? Cant seem to even give them away. I have given up. People want the sick feeder rats at Petco or the aged $13 psycho rats at Petsmart.
Ill pretend that my snakes like the pretty ones best, so they will still be loved. Just as food not a kids pal.

[MrLang]

What Slim said. 'Is this rat a pet' - Yes it is a pet for sale. If it doesn't sell it may not be a pet, but what do you think happens to pet store rats and hamsters that stick around too long? I've sold some rats as pets. Actually the people felt a little bit like they were 'saving' the rats from me, which is fine. They were pretty cool about it... I explained I don't feed live, raise them in uncrowded conditions, treat them as pets, give treats, etc. My experience has been with people who are more curious than upset.

I have some VERY rare and fancy rats, so I'm sure the people who buy those might ask more questions. The ones that are going up for pets get put in a tank and socialized and put in a high traffic area of my house so they aren't scared of people. I think most people ask because they're wondering how socialized the rats are when they get them.

[Archimedes]

Whether you breed show rats, pet rats, or feeders, they should all be shown equal amounts of care and husbandry techniques. If you're breeding feeders, would you want your snakes to eat sub-standard stock? If you treat them as valuable, they will remain healthy and well bred. The difference for most people is the level of socialization, as the above reply mentioned.

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[j94712]

You guys are absolutely correct! Although I rats are for feeders, I treat them with respect and they do not live in crowded condition. Sometimes there are just people who would rather choose pet store rats that are eating terrible and expensive pet shop food. I don't really like to say that pet store terrible because people still buy them.
So yesterday, someone was interested in my rats, and she asked if they are pets. And i said yes because i'm trying to sell them as pets, but then she asked if the rats' parents are pets as well. I answered no and said that the parents are breeders. This kind of situation is just pretty frustrating because they will usually misunderstand what i really mean.
Thanks for all the input that you guys have, really appreciated.
By the way, i can post some pics of my rats. They are really cute in those pics!

[Archimedes]

Please do post photos! Some people are very particular about their rodents...

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[satomi325]

I breed pets that just also happen to be feeders as well.
I breed food for myself and the extras get sold as pets to cover the cost of food/bedding.
All of my rats have been selectively bred for color, coat, and ears. All of my rats are dumbos. Some are rex and double rex. I am very particular about my rats and their care. Some of the folks who have bought pups from me still contact me for care advice.

Honestly, I think most small scale feeder breeders are some of the best rat keepers around.
I can bet that most of our rats live better lives than some pets out there. We want clean healthy rats because quality rats = quality food. We also intentionally breed for temperament. Biters are culled and not allowed to pass on their genetics since aggression and behavior is heritable. Not to mention that tame friendly feeders are safer feeders for our carnivorous pets.

And what most people don't know is that almost all pet store rats do come from feeder lines (usually from big commercial breeders). The difference is that our rats are socialized, get a quality diet, and are bred for temperament.

[j94712]

Please do post photos! Some people are very particular about their rodents...

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I will when I get home!

[aldebono]

I often feel like it is easier for us as feeder breeders to produce friendly, healthy pet rats. If we happen to get a rat who is aggressive, bites, antisocial, unhealthy, etc; we do not have to house it forever or find it a forever home in which someone may be unnecessarily burdened because of poor genetics. We are able to cull those that do not make the cut, and quickly get to breeding the best of the best.