We have switched over to a waitlist based adoption process. That means that we make a list that includes a limited number of people, in the order we received and approved their application, and keep them on a list. When babies are available, we will contact people, beginning at the top of the list, and move down the list as people choose their babies or pass. Some key notes about our waitlist:
10 Person Waitlist - This means that we will only keep 10 people on the list at any given time. Once someone gets their rats, they will be removed from the waitlist to give others a chance.
12 Hour Decisions - Once babies become available, in order to be efficient, once you have been contacted with available choices, your decision must be made within 12 hours. If there is no response or decision within 12 hours, your choice is forfeited and I will move onto the next person in line. You will move to the end of the list.
6 Hour Deposits - Once you have made your choice, you must submit the nonrefundable deposit within 6 hours. Deposit must be paid via Paypal friends and family. We ask this because it is nonrefundable once paid, and therefore does not qualify for paypal's return policies.
To Get On The Waiting List...
If you're currently looking for rats, please be sure you do the following, it is REQUIRED:
Familiarize yourself with our adoption procedure.
Read our CARE GUIDE, even if you have had rats before. Information is ever changing! We also follow science based care, which may be different than what you find on pet sites and groups.
Read through our TERMS AND CONDITIONS. This covers my expectations of you and what you can expect of me.
Read over the ZOONOTIC information. Although illness from domestic rats is quite rare, you should be familiar with potential transmittable illnesses (ALL animals carry transmittable illnesses, even dogs and cats). You will need to sign a liability waiver as part of our contract.
When you are done with the above, you can head over to our APPLICATION. If the application is CLOSED, that means there are no spots open on our waitlist. If it is open, you can fill it out if you plan to adopt within 3 months. If you are not actually ready, please do not fill out the application as they expire every 3 months, and it takes up space on our limited waitlist.
Once the application is filled out, send us a message on facebook to start communication! We will let you know if you are approved shortly afterwards. While you wait, you can browse litter albums to get an idea of what will be available. Make note of album descriptions as some litters are not available to the public and this will be noted. Litter albums are titled with the parents names, DOB and litter theme. Please, if the DOB was 2+ months ago, assume no babies are available from that litter! Too often I have people asking if babies are available from [EXAMPLE] litter that was born 2 years ago. No. No theres not... So please, refer to the DOB and use common sense here.
Understand we do NOT guarantee availability until babies are 6 weeks old. We always ensure temperament and health is good before offering them as pets, and must also choose our holdbacks at this time. So do not assume that just because there are litters, that there will be enough babies for everyone. Usually there is not. Expect to have a bit of a wait.
If you are impatient, you can visit one of our other suggested LOCAL BREEDERS to see if they have anything available sooner. If you have found a breeder not on our list, refer to our page on "Identifying Responsible Breeders" and also even our "Identifying Healthy Rats" to make sure they are responsible and ethical! As long as you support ethical breeders, we take no offense! The breeders on our local breeders page have similar ethics to us and we recommend them. Please understand that if you decide to go to a pet store, expo, or buy from a random person with an oops litter, I am not going to be a constant resource for your poorly tempered or sick rats. I love rats, I do, but I do not have the time or energy to assist you with issues caused by your own impatience. You are responsible for your decisions. I reserve my time and effort to assist my own adopters should they need me, as is agreed in my contract. You are, however, welcome to use my website as a resource at any time.
As a final note, be aware that between availability, we are not always quick to answer messages. Running the rattery is a lot of work. Between cleaning our many cages, feeding and watering, as well as offering enrichment, attention and playing with our adults and babies, it does not leave much time for customer service. Although I do regularly check messages, I typically will hold off on replying to basic questions, especially if they can be found here on our website. I hope everyone understands, and I appologize for any inconvenience, however, our animals care and attention comes first. When baby availability is coming up, We will be more active online.