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Bao Varakhii Rattery - a breeder in the Grand Rapids area of Michigan and my mentor, who I have many wonderful rats from and am excited to be working with. She has some exceptional rats! She does a ton of research and has put quite a bit of work into furthering her knowledge so that she can help to improve her lines. Most of my foundation stock for my lines is from her, and they are absolutely wonderful rats! Definitely someone I'd recommend to anyone looking to get some wonderful rats! |
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Dazzle Me Rats - a breeder in northern Indiana who I know and have adopted from, and who I will be working with. Wonderful rats - I have 2 super sweet pet rats from her, and will be working with her on projects such as my russian silver line, as well as Satin-Rex coats. She has some terrific animals and is working towards making them even better. A breeder I would definitely recommend to anyone looking for some great rats! |
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So Licky Rattery - a breeder in the Kansas City area, they have some great, beautiful rats and are working on improving their lines through careful, ethical breeding practices. They have some really lovely russian blues, some of the nicest I've seen, as well as gorgeous siamese. We are hoping to work with them on getting their russian silver line back in action eventually as well. They are a great place to take a look at for adopting some ratties! |
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Central Texas Rat Rescue - formerly Huron Valley Rat Rescue (HVRR) when they were in Michigan, she has moved to Texas but continues her work there! She works to help rats that owners give up find good homes. Working with local shelters, but also taking owner surrenders as space and funds permit, she is very knowledgeable, skilled and experienced and does her best to provide them with the care they need and find them loving new homes. As with most rescues they are always in need of donations to help pay their costs, and they are also a good place to look if you are interested in finding a rat who is in need of rescuing. They are a GREAT rescue, one of the best rat rescues I've encountered, and do an amazing job for their animals! |
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Champaign County Humane Society - the local animal shelter, they occasionally have rats available for adoption, and are a great place to check if you are looking to rescue rats in need of a good home! We also strongly encourage people to check their local shelters if they are outside of the area, as many take in more than just dogs and cats, and may have some rats just waiting to find a new loving home! |
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North American Rat Registry - an excellent online resources for pedigrees and history on registered rats. All of my rats are registered with NARR, and I am a member of NARR, with my rattery name and letters registered through them, and all the babies born here are registered with NARR. I make a strong effort to keep my records in NARR up to date with any health or temperament problems noted, as well s lifespans, causes of death, and other issues, making the information available to any other NARR members. |
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The Dapper Rat - an Australian site, this webpage still has some fun information on making rat toys, how to build a huge rat cage out of a bookshelf, and various other things. This website has alot of good and fun information in it, and is certainly worth a read! |
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The Rat Guide - this website has many pages detailing various health problems that can affect our beloved ratties. It also has some care information, as well as other useful knowledge. A good resource to help keep your pets healthy, and identify problems early on. |
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Fancy Rats Wiki - a great site with information on the various colors, coats, markings, body types, etc. of the fancy rats. |
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How to make a coroplast tray - this is a cavy site with information for homemade cages for guinea pigs, but the tutorial on making a tray from coroplast is GREAT for making trays for critter nations to hold bedding if you want to use sanichips or something similar in those cages instead of liners. |
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Martin's Cages - a manufacturer of some excellent cages for pet rats. My absolute favorite cage is the powder-coated R-680. These are the main cages we use here at Moonlit Waters! The cage calculator should be used to help determine an appropriate size (anything smaller than a R-670 is too small for 2 rats, and that one is the minimum size), and the coated cages are recommended over the plain ones, as they tend to last longer. These cages are durable, relatively lightweight, and many fit in the tub for cleaning. We have a few R-695s, R-680s and an R-685 here that we love, and many rat keepers swear by these as some of the best cages available! We also have a F-475 split into 3 levels for our older rats who need single level housing, a R-660 for temporary housing for young or individual rats (for quarantine, etc) a large playpen, and a large playpen with tray that we special ordered with doors which serves as our nursery cage. We love our martin's cages! |
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Critter Nation - a cage by Midwest Homes for Pets, the critter nation makes an excellent, heavy duty cage that can house multiple rats. The 1/2 inch bar spacing is safe for both males and female, as well as young rats. The trays are flat and do not allow for bedding, so towels, mats, shelf covers, or other fabrics often need to be used, or deep pans need to be added to the cage. (Bass pans are commercially available metal trays, or disposable ones can be made with corrugated plastic, available from sign shops in a variety of colors!). We have one of these and it is a fabulous cage - the double opening doors make it easy to access any area of the cage. The only drawback is that it is a very heavy cage, and this can lead to shipping damage, so it is important to order from a good source, in case replacement parts are needed. The weight can also make the cage hard to move around to clean properly, and in climates where hoses freeze in the winter it can be extremely difficult to thoroughly clean it during the winters, which can be problematic, especially with larger numbers of rats. However, it is a good option for pet owners with a few rats, and we certainly liked this cage when we used it with just a few rats! |
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Future Pets - a website offering supplies as well as cages. This is where I got my Critter Nation cage, and the customer service from this company was excellent - they responded quickly when I contacted them about the damage and had a replacement sent out ASAP. Very friendly people, and a great deal on the cage too! Definitely a place worth checking out. |
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The Crafty Rat - a great website offering Harlan lab blocks, bedding, hammocks, cage accessories and more! A place to check out for the many things a rat owner may need! |
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Chelsey's Cozies - a great place to get some awesome hammocks and sets! She makes great products and has many options to keep your rats comfortable and happy in style! |
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Wrap City - an Etsy site where you can find an AWESOME creation - the Ratoob!! Its a tube that goes around your neck for your little ratties to hang out in. They are great, come in a variety of colors and patterns, all the rats I've seen around them have loved them! An excellent way to carry your rats with you around the house, or for socializing little ratties. Apparently they also work well for guinea pigs, ferrets, and even small dogs and cats! I love my ratoobs and think everyone needs one! Go check them out! |
