Adopt A Rat

Yes, we only breed Dumbo to Dumbo. And get 100% Dumbo results.

We opt for Rex lines, planning our breeding accordingly. Rex is the type of coat the rat has. It is usually, softer, wavier, curlier, and can be longer. You can learn more about our BREEDING PRACTICES.

Our rats are sourced from reputable breeders. See our FAMILY TREE to learn more about our rats, and whether we bred them ourselves or if they originate from somewhere else. We do not inbreed. But we do keep our circle tight. Healthy, well-tempered (rats that do not bite) are very important to us. You can also see our BREEDING PLAN for 2026.

1-3 depending on the situation. There is a spot on your application to let us know your preferences. You can always check our wait-list to see who is available or will be.

No! We don’t tolerate biting around here. If your rat should begin to bite (not gentle nibble) please let us know immediately so we can adjust our breeding plan.

So no. You should not “get bit” unless it is a curious circumstance.

We feed high quality food. All of our adult males are currently being fed Oxbow Essentials. Our mothers nursing or breeding, including the pups born receive Kalmbach 23%. More information can be found, here.

They also get homemade rat treats from time to time.

Through a variety of methods. I would say the it starts with them being in cages. They can acquaint themselves with the surroundings, and have surroundings to explore.

We do bond with them, using hoodies and wearable bonding pouches. Bonding usually occurs 3-5 times a week, in 30 minute increments. During this time, if permitting, Mom is allowed to free roam the rat room. We begin bonding with the babies around day 6. This will last for at least three weeks. Once they are older, we will spend more time having them get used to me from inside the cage, with the doors open and welcoming arms.

Our door to the rat room is usually open, except from 12-3 which is their nap time everyday. Otherwise you have me, Jax, going in and out all day, along with my kids and various dogs. This helps naturally adjust to people and their happenings.

Yes, we are working our way down the list. Currently we have done one rat, who was tested for 11 things and came back negative (or clear) of all of them. We do use this breeder for about half of our stock. The next test we have sent in and are awaiting results before breeding Ernest and Humphrey. We got them from a hobby breeder and though we know there is nothing to worry about, it’s better to know then not what is going on with the rats we breed. You can find the exact test we take here: https://www.zoologix.com/rodent/Datasheets/RatBreedingPanel.htm

How exciting! We are here for you every step of the way. If you have questions or just need general advice, we are here to provide that to you. It’s sort of a packaged deal. Which is another reason we promote our packages so hard, advice is included.

Rex – refers to having a wavy, curly hair compared to a standard coat rat.

Dumbo – large eared, usually the ears fall more on the side of the head, different than a standard eared rat.

Yes this is a house! We are currently only doing scheduled virtual tours. Thank you for your understanding.

Please understand, we want this process to seem as straight-forward as possible. We are licensed to sell our complete packages, but we cannot have a license to sell rats since we are in a residential area. Our complete care packages and main website: Rattery.org , is our first website. You can find newsletters about our Rattery, informational blogs about rat care, and more.

This website’s purpose is so we can highlight our rats and breeding operation. But we strongly encourage everyone to partake in both websites, as they work hand in hand with one another. You can find the application for rats, their profiles, and family tree information, on this website.

You can find the packages and form for the packages at rattery.org

I’M STILL CONFUSED!

If you are interested in adopting a rat from us, simply fill out our application, here.

We will contact you within 48 hours with a decision and further information.

During this time, if not before applying, pick from our 7 complete package options for rat owners, here.

Here is the second form you will fill out, or “The Rattery Complete Care Packages Form”

We will contact you again, with an invoice, and to answer any questions you may have.

You will have filled out an adoptarat application and a form from the rattery website.

Simply, sit back, relax, and enjoy the pictures of baby rats until pickup time.

When we separate males from females, pairs and trios at 5 weeks we expect you to pick them up sooner than later. We will only hold rats for up to 10 weeks. We do not adopt out single rats under 8 weeks old.