Terms and Conditions of BB Rat Sales
Firstly, I apologise this is so lengthy! But this is written to protect both me the breeder and you the new rattie parent, but most importantly, this ensure my rats have the best possibility of finding wonderful homes. I really do appreciate you reading this.
Please do not try to reserve a ratty before you have read these conditions.
In addition to this information, please read Care Plan for New BB Rat Owners for specific information on how to care for your brand new BB rat pups. This page includes details of their diet and bedding needs.
BB Rattery is located in Market Bosworth, Warwickshire, CV13. We are a 5 minute drive from Twycross Zoo. Please check the location in relation to yours before contacting me to reserve a ratty, many thanks.
When visiting or collecting ratties, please take my wonderful neighbours into consideration and do not block their driveway in order to park directly outside my house. There is plenty of parking but you may have to walk a little. Thanks so much for understanding.
I am a member of the National Fancy Rat Society and the Midlands Rat Cub. I am a genetics student at university and thoroughly enjoy the whole process of breeding rats and it gives me first-hand experience of genetics. I am aiming to be the kind of breeder I wished to find when I was looking for my own rats. I am not a breeder feeder (breeding rats to feed reptiles and selling the best of a bunch) and I will not sell to those intending to set this kind of situation up. It is most likely that my rats are too expensive for this kind of person anyway. You can spot this kind of breeder when they have many different rat varieties for sale at one time, but not an awful lot of them! They are picking out the most pleasant rats from a many number of litters. Also if the rats are very cheap, its likely a breeder feeder (or could actually be someone just selling an accidental litter but ask lots of questions before you visit if in doubt). I do not cull any of my rats (to the horror of a huge amount of breeders no doubt), so you may see me refer to some rats as “runts” as I refuse to kill a happy healthy rat. Mother nature and mummy rat know best and I follow their rules and instincts. I have never had any negative personality traits and keep in contact with new owners, so this practise works best with me, my rats and my conscience.
Babies are various prices and may be priced individually. This is because some varieties are rare, incredibly hard to source, complicated to breed and therefore take much more input to produce. The price of my rats is based on their individual merit, my skills, knowledge and time as a breeder and not your budget. Therefore the price is not negotiable.
If you are a breeder, I would appreciate you advising me of your intention to breed, as I may have different terms and conditions for you. Not to tell me your intentions will instantly break any agreement we have made and your deposit will be instantly returned. All I ask for is honesty from the start please.
I do not sell any rats singularly at all under any circumstances. I believe rats should live with at least one of their siblings. You can only buy rats from me in groups of at least 2. The most ideal is 3 or 4 but this very much depends on your circumstances. It is common for people to buy two then add two more to the group at a later date.
All my baby rats come with a 48hour guarantee and a lifetime of support. This means if the rat is poorly you can return it to me within this time and have a full refund, no quibbles. Please note, this has never happened as I never let a rattie leave me that I am not 100% sure is healthy and has reached the desired weight. After 48 hours you are not able to return rats to me. This is standard practise for all pet shops/small animal sales. A breeder must limit their liability as we cannot know for sure how a rat is kept once they leave our home. Please be assured I do care and I am always here to help. I will not be held liable for vets bills under any circumstances. If you suspect your rat is poorly within this time you must contact me so I can take the rat back (both rats if they are in a pair) and provide care for them either myself or by my vet. It is common for people to travel a long way to collect rats from me. If you are coming a long way, consider how I will be able to help you or take the rats back if there is a problem. If you are not concerned about this then that is fine but I must make it clear that if you are far away I will be limited to how I can help you (again, this has never been an issue but just in case).
I reserve the right to cancel the sale of rats at any time, regardless of a deposit paid. The only reason I can think that I would ever have to do this is if I dont think a rat is ready to be rehomed due to health concerns. Most likely, the "runt" rats are not thriving as expected for instance and there could be a delay. Be assured I dont take this lightly but at the same time I will never ever let a rat I suspect isn't 100% leave my home.
You must be 100% happy when you leave my home with your ratties. If you are not, or you think you might have the wrong rats which was previously agreed then you MUST inform me before you leave. If you leave and do not have the right rat then I could end up giving your rat to someone else and it will all be too late. I do my upmost to prevent this and would be devastated if this happed so it is much easier to correct a mistake while you and the rats are here. Again, this has never happened but I have heard about it happening with other breeders so I am making sure you feel confident enough to ensure you have the correct rat. Once you leave there can be no swapping.
If you are introducing current rats to my new rat pups, there MUST be a quarantine period of 30 days (remember aseptic procedures should be adopted to reduce the chance of cross contamination between the two groups). If my babies are mixed with other rats before this quarantine period, the guarantee is void. Not only is the guarantee void but I will not be able to have those rats back into my rattery under any circumstances. I work very very hard to breed healthy rats and will not take risks bringing new rats in. I no longer foster or adopt rats any more due to this issue. My rattery is too precious.
I use Aubiose bedding for my rats, young and old. I completely recommend this if you can get hold of it. Aubiose is made from natural hemp and looks like wood chips. It is affordable, soaks up wee while remaining dry, does not irritate the rats at all, comes in large bales for £12 and most importantly the rats love it!! If you use bedding such as sawdust, woodshavings (any spruce, pine or cedar based wood beddings, even "dust extracted" substrates), sand or soil in your cage (despite me making it clear these substrates WILL induce respiratory disease from irritation) then this will void your guarantee and I will not sell you anymore rats in the future. I make this danger very clear so there really is no excuse and I have good reason to. Rats suffer terribly with respiratory problems. They are brought about by stresses, which most often include incorrect bedding which irritates the rats respiratory system leading to a bacterial overgrowth and then disease. Please note that air fresheners of any kind can also irritate your rats systems, no matter how subtle you think the smell is, this could make your rats poorly. Keep your rats clean and tidy. If their cages are allowed to get dirty, over a period of time, the ammonia from the rats own waste WILL make your rats poorly by irritating their respiratory system and it WILL result in disease. A disease you will really struggle to cure once it has weakened your rattie. Please note, you must research what is safe for your pet rat as pet shop workers and even other rat breeders will misinform you as to what is safe. From experience I know "dust extracted" cedar irritates rats so I dont risk it with any of my rats now regardless of what little research there is out there. I have had rats long enough to know for myself.
Rat babies can be viewed and reserved from 6 weeks of age. You can visit the rattery at my home and see mum and dad if you wish (you need to advice me of your wish to see mum and dad before you come so I can plan time accordingly). For those on my waiting list, I am willing to take reservations from 4 weeks of age based on sex only. Rats are then picked upon collection (unless the particular rat you like has a clear distinguishing characteristic and is listed individually which is most common). Also, it may not be possible to reserve specific rats until I have chosen my keepers.
Please note, no deposit paid means no reservation under any circumstances at all (no rats are ever put “on hold” without deposits). This is to ensure all rats find their forever loving homes without any delays. I will never pressurise anyone into buying a live animal (I have no need to do this) but this means I will not tell you if someone else is also enquiring about the same rat as you. Unfortunately, this can mean the rat you were asking after is suddenly unavailable. There is no way to avoid this, if it happens, I am sorry.
Under 18’s must be accompanied by the adult who pays the bills when collecting to ensure they have permission to keep pets under the adults roof. Please make me aware when calling or texting that you are below 18 years of age. It can be hard for me to tell. Upon collection of ratties, if you look below the age of 18 and can not prove your age by suitable ID (driving licence or passport), then I will refuse the sale and your deposit may be forfeited. For me to sell a live animal to anyone under the age of 18 would be irresponsible, I hope you can understand.
If you are over 18, but you do not pay your own rent/bills, please gain permission of the person who does pay these bills. It is common decency and could prevent the rats ending up needing a new home.
Life can be unpredictable and sometimes the worse happens. If in the future, you find you can no longer provide a home for your BB rats, please contact me. I will understand (and need no explanation or details at all so you have no reason to feel ashamed or embarrassed). I will do my upmost to take the rats back from you and integrate them back into my own mischief or eventually find them homes after their quarantine period. I would be heartbroken to know my rats ended up in a rescue centre.
I put my heart and sole into producing and raising fantastic friendly and healthy rats. My rats are homed at a very young age and have only ever had this one home. Rats bought from stores can be very different regardless of how their initial breeder bred them. With a lack of human attention they can quickly regress becoming scared of human interaction. I often see rats that are fully grown still waiting for their forever homes. Please note, my rats are sold from between 6-8 weeks, which is considerably smaller than the rats you see in a pet shop. Even us rat lovers forget how tiny baby rats are! This gives you a great advantage of bonding with your ratties from a very young age.
However, please remember the following;
· The rat babies have known me and my voice from birth. They will still take time to get to know you personally but have the advantage of being used to humans. The best number of rats is 3 or 4. Rats in groups will settle quicker. But that’s not to say two rats won’t be happy!
· Like any pet, you get out what you put in. A bond is not formed over night and paying your ratties regular daily attention will ensure you have a great relationship with them. The more you do with them, the closer you will be.
· If human contact is not continued once they leave here, naturally the rats will quickly regress, becoming shy and timid. It is the new owner’s responsibility to prevent this happening.
Please note: my baby rats are kept in hamster cages once they are separated into sex groups and leave mum (depending on their numbers/size/age the cage size will range from 40cm, 70cm to 85cm in length, I will post the exact cages below for your reference). Sometimes, owners put their two tiny BB pups into a HUGE cage meant for a group of fully grown rats and the baby rats are overwhelmed and become shy (when they were far from shy here). If this happens, I would consider buying a cheap hamster cage to put inside your huge cage, so they are home from home and feel more secure for a couple of weeks while they get used to you. Or if this is not an option, once a day, trap the rats inside something (assuming you can’t catch them) and transfer them into your pet carrier. Put your hand in and keep it there. The only way they get to come out is when they climb out on you! I do this all the time and it works a treat. Your babies are used to this from me. You will find the most confident rat will do it first and the others quickly follow! I love the fact owners buy huge cages though, don’t worry your rats will be in their huge cage in no time!
Moving home is extremely stressful for pets. If you think ratties have gone so shy they aren’t coming out to eat or drink, then it may be necessary to cover their cage with an old blanket for a couple of days and giving them quiet space until they get their bearings. A couple of days without handling won’t hurt them. It’s very important they eat and drink regularly while they are so young so this must be a priority. Normally it is best to place the rats cage in the busiest room of the house. It is unlikely you will need to do any of this as my ratties have wonderful temperaments and are used to being handled but this is information just in case.
Rats sneeze when they are nervous (stress irritates their fragile respiratory system). When they move house, the stress can cause the rats to sneeze now and then. They can also do this when the cage is cleaned out. Do not worry if this happens. Sneezing isn't an issue when it is a lone "symptom" and not excessive. As long as rattie is eating, drinking and energetic, your rattie isn't suffering from a disease, it is likely stress (especially in the first few weeks of a house move). If you think there is excessive sneezing, check the surroundings for irritants, contact me if you are worried about anything at all!
It is important to note… rats do a thing where they nibble your fingers. It is a gentle nibble where they are testing to see what your fingers are made of. It’s usually your finger tips. It doesn’t hurt but could surprise you if you’re not expecting it. All rats do this and will grow out of it once they are used to you and understand your fingertips are definitely not edible lol. You can even put yoghurt or soft cheese on your fingers for rats to lick off, get them used to your hands. If you are not comfortable with the idea of a rat nibbling you, then rats are probably not the pet for you. This nibbling is not “biting”. A rat has enormous teeth and if a rat wants to hurt you because it is frightened or defending itself it will bite hard and draw blood (I have seen it happen in pets at home!). This is not normal.
Cages: Rat cages can be bought from a lot of places nowadays, my favourites include petplanet, zooplus and petsathome. They will tell you how many rats can be housed in the cage comfortably. They do not list a cage as “rat” cage if it is too small. If you are purchasing cages from anywhere else, please check the dimensions (regardless of pictures) as they can often look huge but in fact be too small. Compare them to the cages from the above stores I mentioned. I am reluctant to say the minimum size of a rat cage. This is because we each raise our pets differently and it often depends on our budget but mainly the space we have available. As long as you’re buying a cage designed for rats from a reputable store (such as pets at home, zooplus) then it will be at least large enough for two rats.
Toys; Rats need enrichment. They are highly intelligent and capable of being trained to do tricks! They can even free roam in your garden when they are closely bonded to you and come to their name (do not try this if you are not confident your rat will come back! You do so at your own risk of course I'm just trying to get across that a rat is a lot like a mini dog! Haha). I have often had rats escape from their cages in the rat room and have even left the human door open to the rat room too but never have any rats actually left us and run away! I always find them just sitting on top of their cage!!! hahaha. Rats really have no urge to leave their home lol. You can provide your rats with many toys, tunnels, hideys, ropes, large wheels, and so much more. None of which has to cost the earth, we make lots of DIY toys and the children love it. We also go for long walks in the woods (we have two crazy dogs) and “hunt” for rat toys. Pinterest is fantastic for ideas too! I will say though, from my experience, it is worth buying a large sized sputnik (£5 from zooplus) as this really is a fave when its lined with a bit of fleece for their bed. Also, my rats love love love the bunk bed hammocks I make for them. It is an extremely simple design and I will once day post about them as they're very cheap to make all you need is a sewing machine really. Please check out my DIY cage for more inspo on how cheap and fun it can be to make rat toys.
Above all, if there is anything you are worried about or need some advice regarding, I am always here. Either call, text or email and I will do my best to help. I normally respond quickly but I am a busy mum of three and a full time university student, so may be busy but I will respond asap. I know mums are super-duper (I am no exception haha) but I may sometimes get something wrong. I try my very best not to but will do all I can to put it right.
Thank you so much for considering BB pups and for visiting the site. Any feedback welcomed. :)
Good Luck in your search for your Ratto's,
Lots of Love from the BB Mischief and Me, Carly xxxx