Best dedicated rat forums?

[onebreitgirl]

I lurk on goosemoose. Recently I contacted an admin over an issue with a local loony I did business with basically warning them about her...anyway I told the admin I was a feeder breeder and I'm not banned....But I also don't talk about it at all or post classifieds. If you do the same I'm sure you can find plenty of places to post....Just keep the feeder thing under wraps.

[ThyTempest]

I read the article from BVR on the goosemoose site....the rattery is only an hour or so from us...and I was a little surprised. One...his vet costs were over the top...most of the stuff was fine, but there were a few things on the list that just bugged me. The one that annoyed me the most was the charge for euthanasia. CO2 is by far more cost effective, and is still endorsed by several animals rights organizations, etc.

Apart from that, I still think they are high and mighty. I don't believe a potential breeder needs to be a master of everything rat before they can breed. Take the "high and mighty" stance on megacolon for instance. Ratteries and the higher end private breeders are very careful about keeping megacolon out of their lines, but they assume that every feeder breeder is going to screw it all up. I see no difference between this and what almost everyone on this site will protest against when the gov comes knocking because a handful of people let out some burms or retics.

I honestly believe that these people are taking their hobby to the extreme. Before I got our rats from Connie, I contacted several ratteries in the area, and none of them were willing to even talk to me about any breeding plans. All of them quickly ended the conversation as soon as feeders came up. What I think a good alternative would have been is..."Typically I dont sell to feeder breeders because I have found that the majority of them do not take this seriously, but I would be willing to mentor/"Get to know
you to see if you would in fact be suitable for a potential client"

I realize this is a lot of potentially tedious "homework" on the sellers part...but isnt the overall expansion and progression of the hobby and the rats their main concern to begin with?

I think I have been taking the generous, helpful and overall good nature of this forum far too light, and I am sorry, I just wish people in other hobbies could be so open minded too.

[littleindiangirl]

I realize this is a lot of potentially tedious "homework" on the sellers part...but isnt the overall expansion and progression of the hobby and the rats their main concern to begin with?

I think I have been taking the generous, helpful and overall good nature of this forum far too light, and I am sorry, I just wish people in other hobbies could be so open minded too.

Austin, You've gone a repeated pretty much my own thoughts from what I've told fancy breeders.

They do not like that you feed any of their offspring off (and potential suffering), that they will not have control of any potential offspring that you sell or give away, the shortened life span from constant breeding; they do not like the housing we keep them in, what we feed them, the way we care for them.

They put years of effort into perfecting these rats as companion animals, they see absolutely NO reason to give these companion animals to feeder breeders, because the main goal for feeder breeders is to produce FOOD in BULK, Not friends. Especially after their breedings are based on careful consideration of temperament, color, shades, physique, size, geneology, etc etc etc.

Just get used to it, your preaching to the choir, but frankly, unless you find one like/more open minded than Becky, you will never get a rat or lick of time from these people if you are open about your intentions.

[greghall]

what do rat breeders do with the extra rats keep them for ever? rodents are mostly for food. I like them too,but pedigrees thats a little crazy.also ball pythons for feeders I have no proplem with that either cobras eat other snakes they need to eat too.

[JamieLynn]

what do rat breeders do with the extra rats keep them for ever?

YUP, if they can not find a home for their prefect little rat they will keep them, or find another rat breeder with the same ethics and trade. truely just do a search fo rat breeder, amazing what you will come up with.
I was breeding rats long before i had a snake, and trust me, if the rats you are breeding did not come with a pedigree they will not sell you one of theirs.

[greghall]

YUP, if they can not find a home for their prefect little rat they will keep them, or find another rat breeder with the same ethics and trade. truely just do a search fo rat breeder, amazing what you will come up with.
I was breeding rats long before i had a snake, and trust me, if the rats you are breeding did not come with a pedigree they will not sell you one of theirs.

thats cool,people think im a wierdo with snakes & rats.

[onebreitgirl]

Everyone is going to have their own personal set of values. I can totally understand where the rat people can't stand the thought of feeders.

Would you sell your snakes to a boot maker? Would you sell puppies to someone into dog fighting?

I'm not saying they are the same by any means...Snakes HAVE to eat, but rat people can say keeping snakes is unnecessary. They have the right to not deal with feeder breeders and trying to get them to see your point of view is like hitting an atheist over the head with a bible.

[JamieLynn]

thats cool,people think im a wierdo with snakes & rats.

I don't...I have both, and both are fun...I just don't have pedigrees for my rats

They have the right to not deal with feeder breeders and trying to get them to see your point of view is like hitting an atheist over the head with a bible.

so true...so tell those bible thumpers to stop knocking on my door
my head hurts.

[ThyTempest]

Thanks for the reality check Connie...young and stupid...no...naive.

Either way, agree to disagree...I'll stick with this crowd through and through, we really have a great community here...not just a discussion board.

And Becky, I hope you didn't take offense to anything I said, if so, I am sorry, and I am sure you are tired of dealing with the people who think exactly like me about this issue all the time.