Why adopt from Black Wolf Rattery?

*Knowledgeable and experienced. My first litter was born in January 2001, giving me nearly 10 years of experience breeding pet rats. Prior to breeding, I kept pet rats for 10 years. In that time I have learned much, and am continuously learning. I have a degree in biological sciences, and took several pre-med classes "for fun", which has offered me a better knowledge base for the structure, function, and care of living beings. *Excellent care. I provide my rats with the best care possible. They are kept in large clean cages and allowed daily play time out of the cage. They are fed a high quality diet that meets all of their nutritional needs. Pine and cedar beddings are never even brought into my home. I have several experienced vets, including an emergency after-hours clinic, available should any rat need medical care. *Limited litters. I breed a limited number of litters every year. This cuts back on the number of animals needing homes, but also allows me to devote more time to each individual rat. As a result my babies are better socialized and will make friendlier, happier, healthier pets. *Public pedigrees. My pedigrees are posted publicly throughout my website. This allows you, the potential adopter, to see what rats have been bred, who your possible-future-babies are related to, and where my rats descend from. This helps provide you with better records. I have nothing to hide, and there is no reason for me to keep my pedigrees secret. *Good record keeping made public. I keep track of my rats, from birth until death. Detailed records of health and temperament are kept for my babies. All of these records are considered when choosing future pairs, to ensure all litters have the best chance at good health. These records are available on my website, and can be accessed through the "Information" page. This makes it possible for all adopters to more thoroughly and seriously consider where their rats are coming from and whether my rats are the right animals for them. Even though these records are available online, I still encourage my potential adopters to contact me regarding any questions or concerns they may have, I am always happy to answer. *Adopt only to private parties. I never sell any rats to pet stores, at pet expos, or as animal food. My rats are placed as pets with private, approved adopters. My adoption policy allows me to get to know adopters, and make sure my rats have good homes. *Neutered/Spayed pets. Every pet-placed rat is spayed or neutered prior to adoption. My vet is very experienced and does a wonderful job with these surgeries. By adopting a neutered/spayed baby, adopters can keep males and females together without worrying about unwanted litters, and also can rest assured they are not unintentionally contributing to the number of animals needing homes. Spaying and neutering is also beneficial to the health of the animals involved. *Closed rattery. A closed rattery is one in which visitors are not allowed to enter, all adoptions and exchanges occur outside of the rattery. This is not done to keep the rattery a "secret" or because there is anything to hide, but is done purely to keep the rats inside the rattery safe. Many diseases can affect our rats. Some are spread through the air, others on surfaces, and some can even be carried in the moisture of our nasal passages. By keeping visitors outside of my rattery, I can make sure my rats are not exposed to any bacteria or virus that may be carried in on clothing. Any time I am exposed to animals outside of my rattery, I also put myself through a quarantine procedure. This invovles staying away from my rattery for three to four hours, changing clothes, and showering prior to entering. By doing so I am also making sure I don't bring home pathogens to my rats. By keeping a closed rattery and putting myself through quarantine, I am keeping my rats, and your future pets, safe and healthy. *Quarantine homes. I have several quarantine homes set up. All new rats are quarantined for three weeks prior to entering the rattery. This helps prevent the possible spread of disease and ensures the rats in my rattery are kept as healthy as possible. *Good repute. I have been a member of several rat clubs and organizations, and held in high esteem. I keep in contact with other breeders and stay up to date with the latest on rat care and proper breeding. *Litters raised at home. My husband and I raise all of BWR's litter in our own home. This allows me to monitor the babies from birth to adoption. I can guarantee they are healthy and know exactly what their life experiences have been. I can also control their living situation and socialization, ensuring they have been well socialized from birth. By raising my babies in a normal home, they are used to normal household noises and situations. When they go to their new homes, they won't be frightened by sounds of televisions and radios, vacuum cleaners, dogs, cats, and other normal noises. My babies are raised in the front room where they get extra special attention from any visitors, getting them used to strange people. *Keep babies until at least 9 weeks of age. All babies are kept until they are spayed or neutered, 8 weeks for males and 12 weeks for females. Babies are then kept at least one additional week after being spayed/neutered to make sure they are recovering well from their surgery and strong enough to go to new homes. By keeping my babies longer, I can be assured that they have adjusted well not only to weaning, but are also recovering from their spay/neuter. This extra time allows for additional socializing, allowing the adopter to bring home a well adjusted, stable pet. *Keep several babies from every litter. I keep several babies from every litter I produce. This not only gives me more rats to choose pairs from, but also improves the records of my rats. Although I do keep in touch with all adopters, there is nothing better than first-hand observation. Keeping several babies instead of just one or pet-placing all babies allows me to observe more of my rats in my own homes, giving me more detailed information about the health issues that may or may not be present in my lines. As a result, this allows me to make better choices when choosing pairs to work toward improved health, longevity, and temperament. *Keep retired breeders. Every rat I keep from a litter stays with me for life. Even if I don't breed that rat, I keep it. Even after the rat is retired from breeding, I keep it. My rats are my pets first and foremost, and are cared for and loved as such. If they are my pets first and foremost, there is NO reason for me to get rid of them once they are "used up" or if they are determined "not breedable". I love my rats, once a rat is mine, it stays with me until its last breath. *All resident rats listed on website. All of my residents are listed on my website. This allows you to see how many rats I have, as well as provides you with more information about my lines. These lists are kept updated, and show not only my current breeding rats, but also my retired breeding rats, and my pet-only rats that were never bred.