RatPalace.com - Pet Rat Care and Discussion

Sun Jan 29, 2006 11:26 am

It's already been 10 days since Agnes had her litter. Emmie Lou's was born only 4 days later. In no time, the little porkchops will be weaned and need forever homes.
I have a good friend committed to 2 (possibly 4) girls. And I will still care for any not taken. But I still want to do my best to find them GOOD homes.

I am asking your advice on the best way to advertise the babies so that the right people contact me. I will only give them as pets. Hopefully, the new homes will be small pet knowledgeable. If not, I want to feel comfortable that they are caring and responsible.

I will be posting flyers all around my local area. Here is an example of what they will say:
POCKET PETS
PLAYFUL, TRAINABLE, AFFECTIONATE FUZZBUTTS
Available to good homes for small donation of your choice
(all donations will be given to the Upper Valley Humane Society).
Tel 802 - 555 - 5555 for more information.

Once someone calls, I have some questions ready to ask to try and draw out information about the caller. It's just my way of screening any potential home.

I've made a list of places to post these. Some places (my rat vet's clinic) are obvious; other places (my local town deli) are not so obvious. What types of locales would you suggest?

Are there places online that you'd recommend?

Is it adviseable to post on this forum's adoption section? I'd be happy to drive a bit, but can only go a reasonable distance.

I welcome any advice and suggestions!
I'm going to get more gray hairs worrying about these little guys and girls and where they will go!

Thank you, all, in advance.

--Melanie

Sun Jan 29, 2006 12:55 pm

I think posting on any on line sites where animal lovers gather is a good bet... any mouse/rat clubs. Pet suply stores could be an option too. Here of course. Petfinder.com etc..
Good luck finding great forever homes.

_________________
Loving Mum to my rattie boys, Zipper and Ty
Bestest Bud to Milly, the greatest horse ever

Sun Jan 29, 2006 7:25 pm

I have found that posting your babies on ratrescue.com probably would be a great idea. They have a section of people looking for rats and someone might already be in your area. Its also free, and has helped me out immensly. Shaz

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Sun Jan 29, 2006 9:04 pm

Before you start posting flyers near your home, I agree with the others that online forums and groups are the absolute best way to place your babies.

Try posting here in the adoption section,RatRescue, Goosemoose,
RMCA, and PetRodents. Also try Yahoo groups - like (North East Rat Lovers), and (Rat Lovers United). There are many others you can try as well - just do a search on Yahoo Groups and see what you find.

Also, Petfinder can be very useful in finding people looking for pets.

To be sure these guys are going to good homes, asking questions is a great idea, but it may also help to have a small questionaire/contract for potential adopters to sign. Contracts tend to weed out the ones looking for rats for purposes other than pets - usually if they are hesitant to sign it, they are not looking for pets. You can also make sure they are somewhat knowledgeable in rat care by asking what kind of caging, bedding, and food they will provide and if they are aware that rats do usually require medical attention at one point or another in their lives. You can also add in that these rats are not to be used for breeding purposes. You would not believe the amount of people who adopt rats and on a whim decide to breed them. Evil or Very Mad

Anyway, I hope that was helpful. Good luck in your placements! wink

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Shanna
~ Serendipity Rodentry ~

Mon Jan 30, 2006 7:17 am

I know you don't want to see like you're selling your ratties, but I highly recommend making a solid adoption fee part of the deal. It should be higher than the price of any feeder animals in your area. I recommend at least $8 per baby. Naturally, you can waive it for close friends, but stand firm for anyone you don't know very well. If someone tries to negotiate about the price at all, immediately end the adoption proceedings. If you can't afford $16 up front for a pair of babies, then you can't afford rats

.

I'd also recommend (highly) asking for a current vet's phone number. If they're a first-time pet owner then you know how much information you'll need to give them up front, and calling a veterinarian to make sure that they're actually a client and that they're a client in good standing (and don't have snakes, unless they've explained that they do and that their rats are kept separately) is always a good idea in my opinion. As someone who has adopted three rats (so far) I can tell you that I have never felt like any rescue was "bothering" me with too many questions in order to adopt.

Keep in mind other veterinary offices to hang notices also (if that's a route you go). Other vets will usually hang fliers, and a lot of the time you'll find workers at those offices that are interested in adopting themselves (especially if you post at exotics clinics).

Did I say good luck? Good luck!

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Mon Jan 30, 2006 10:02 am

Thank you for all the help!
I plan to check out all the links you've all provided me with. I did contact Kim's Ark Rescue last night after posting here. They can only do a courtesy listing at this time since all foster homes are full. But every little bit helps!

Once contacted by a potential adoptee, I do plan to ask questions on basic care of rats (caging, bedding, etc). And I most certainly plan to ask about their vet. These conversations will also give me a chance to educate them on best practices for rat care.

I have several Vet clinics on my list for flyer distribution. I have no problem driving off my normal routes to get flyers to these places above all else.

And Jill, I'm re-considering my fee. Thanks for the advice.

I had an evil thought. During my short time on this forum, I've noticed that so many others have been in my situation. Do you think pet shops intentionally leave males with females (and then plead innocence or remove them before a purchase) in the hopes that the babies will be given back to them so they can sell more? Geez, I would hope not. But what if....?

Well, I must get posting about my available babies.
Thanks agaiun, everyone. I appreciate all your help.

Mon Jan 30, 2006 10:05 am

I second Jill's suggestion about the adoption fee, but I would make it even higher. $10-15 a rat, no "group discounts." If they can't afford $20-30 for a pair, they either can't afford rats, or are trying to talk you down to buy feeders. Since you're making it obvious that you'll be donating the money, they can't accuse you of profiteering.

I would also visit their home before completing any sale. Look around for snakes, etc., and just at the general condition of the home. If they've got trash piled three feet high in the living room, they probably already have rats and just don't know it. Also ask what kind of cage they'll be keeping the rats in, and make plans to view the cage. I'd also make absolutely sure that they know that if the rats have any health problems, they are to inform you. They are not to breed the rats, and if they cannot keep the rats, they are to surrender them back to you. I'd put all this in contract form.

Finally, I'd put an item in the contract that reads as follows:

"Seller reserves the right to make visits, announced or unannounced, to check on and confirm the welfare of the animals."

Inform them that you plan to make an announced visit 5-7 days after they take possession of the rats, and do so. Make sure they're happy in their new home, that they have food, clean bedding, water, etc., and that if the household had rats before, proper quarantine procedures are being followed. Tell them that you'll be making another visit in a "few weeks," and do so to verify that the rats are still being taken adequate care of.

Then, the unannounced visit. I'd wait four to six months to show up at their home and knock on the door, then go in and check on the welfare of the rats. If they won't let you in, they're hiding something, and you should take the rats back (write something into the contract that reads "Seller reserves the right to retake possession of the animals if mistreatment or abuse is suspected at any time.").

That's a very rough sketch of how I'd do it if I were finding homes for a litter. I'm not a breeder, nor do I plan or even want to be anytime soon, but it's the general template I'd follow. If owners aren't willing to let you visit to make sure the rats are being properly cared for, are healthy, and are not being bred, then they shouldn't be getting rats as pets.

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-Ben
My rats: Squishy, Squee, and Nibbler
My dogs (at my mother's house): Lucy and Ricky
My cats (at my dad's house--in Florida!): Cleo (RIP) and Zima

Mon Jan 30, 2006 9:07 pm

Hi,

I just wanted to add a sidepoint to bcorby's piece of advice here:

	Quote:
	Finally, I'd put an item in the contract that reads as follows: "Seller reserves the right to make visits, announced or unannounced, to check on and confirm the welfare of the animals."

Some buyers will probably be okay with this, but I think a LOT of them, especially families and some perfectly suitable adult petowners, may not be. In these times, it's not paranoid to wonder whether strangers are looking for an angle in order to case your home and see if you have valuables to steal. It's harsh, but a true fact of life that inviting strangers into your home can be dangerous. Maybe because I'm a mom, that's my way of thinking. I think a thorough questionaire/interview process is usually sufficient--something more stringent than that will steer off quite a few otherwise fine rat homes.

just my thoughts. Good luck!

Carolyn

Mon Jan 30, 2006 9:29 pm

I agree with 2ratgirl on that. With my litters and adopters, I do not even suggest that I may make home visits of any kind, because I do feel that is a little too invasive. I can guarantee that it will do more harm than good. You could ask to have them take pictures of the cage they plan to keep them in, and of the room in which they would be housed - but that is at your discretion.

You should be able to tell if a potential adopter is serious about keeping rats as pets from the information they provide you - which is why I highly recommend using a questionaire and/or contract when adopting out any rats.

But, you can add that if you find that their information is incorrect in any way, or that these rats are used for purposes other than pets (like breeding them) that you reserve the right to take those rats back and possibly seek legal action. That should be enough to ward off anyone with other plans for the rats they adopt.

Also, be careful with your pricing. Too low, and you will get too many people looking to buy them as feeders. Too high, and they will go to breeders to adopt their rats instead of adopting yours. I personally charge $10 per rat here, for pedigreed rats. So, something between $5 and $10 should be sufficient. It does depend on what pet shops and breeders in your area charge per rat, so check out a few of them and see where you should set your adoption fees.

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Shanna
~ Serendipity Rodentry ~

Tue Jan 31, 2006 1:37 am

As for home visits, while I would allow one, I would be uneasy about it. However, I was more than happy to supply pictures of my cages for Rattamuffin rat reskue, where we just adopted two boys from.

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Tue Jan 31, 2006 4:10 am

i would allow visits, however would want notice, maybe as you talk to each person, ask if you can see them in the future and ask if you can keep their number. Also ask them if they have problems to return them to you rather than finding new homes. I would mention that you do not think they should be bread and talk about the risks, and insist on 2 rats of the same sex if they have none to start with. I think asking $10. is reasonable and if you are donating it, then its even for a better cause. I know whenever I see a rat I immediately ask to hold him/her and give them kisses and lovins, it should be easy to pick out the ones who are really interested! I would even post on petfinder. I see ratties on there a bit! Good luck!

Tue Jan 31, 2006 7:43 am

Wow...
this is more information than I could've hoped for!
Once again, I thank you all for being so gracious with your suggestions and advice. I now have quite a bit of organizing to do so I have all my questions and forms in order in short time. I have taken all the advice to heart, and will do a little bit of this and a little bit of that.
I certainly want my babies to go to good homes, but I don't want to scare off potential good homes, either. So thanks to these posts, I think I have a good idea on what to do.
By this weekend, everything should be on place. That will leave at least 2 1/2 weeks until the babies are weaned and ready to move on to forever homes.
Thank you all so much.