Visit our Ratty Care page to find out how we care for our ratties!

Visit our Breeding Program page to learn more about the varieties we breed and our breeding goals

About the Breeder

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   My name is Kimberly, and my husband, Dustin and I run Ratty Rat Rattery. I have always loved animals, and have dedicated my life to learning about and caring for all animals, great and small.  I have had many pets, from fish to horses, but until college, never rats. When I began attending UC Davis, majoring in Wildlife Biology (the natural choice for an animal nut like me), I had  no animals to keep me company.  I needed something small, but with big personality. A RAT!!!

   My first rat was a beautiful blue rat named Hidey (because she liked to hide in my clothes!), her picture is on the home page. I had no idea that rats were so sociable, so playful, so cuddly, just like a mini-dog! Hidey roamed around on my bed and my room as I passed away the hours studying. She always checked in with me every few minutes, to give kisses and nibble on my textbooks. She was riddled with health problems though and as I got her through it all, I learned so much. She was with me through my last 2 years of college.  When Hidey passed away, I was devastated.  I swore I would never own another rat again. Of course I couldn't stay away from such a lovable creature, 6 months later, I had more rats. And a few more since then.


I am currently a mammal keeper for the Zoological Society of San Diego. My degree is in Wildlife Biology, specializing in behavioral ecology (animal behavior).  I worked very hard and dedicated many years to accomplish this goal, working with animals is not something you can do overnight.  I even moved to the south for a year to train elephants, away from my family, friends, and boyfriend (now husband).

I work with a wide array of animals on a daily basis, from the nursery to gorillas, and everything in between.  You'd think I'd get enough of animals at work. No Way! I have a little menagerie at home too. I love all my pets, especially my ratties. Realizing the health problems that pet store rats can have, I wanted to create a better rat! I decided to start Ratty Rat Rattery!

About Ratty Rat Rattery

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Our rattery began on June 9th 2009. We are members of NARR (the North American Rat Registry) and are active members of AFRMA (American Fancy Rat and Mouse Association). The goal of Ratty Rat Rattery is to create a healthier, longer living rat with a lovable, friendly disposition, improving with each generation. I breed secondly for conformation, or type (the overall build of the animal) and third for color.

The rats are housed in their own room, the Rattery. Please check out the gallery  and Ratty Care pages for pictures of our setup. The ratties enjoy large multilevel Double Critter Nation Cages, along with a Martin's Skyscraper and a couple Cubbyhole cages, with lots of toys and hammocks. The ratties also enjoy lots of out of cage time everyday, either to free roam the room or play in the kiddie pool.   We give our ratties the best care possible. We feed Harlan Teklad lab blocks, a a wide variety of produce, our own ratty mix, and a few supplements. We use Eco-bedding, a recycled shredded paper bedding, and give all our ratties litter boxes with Yesterday's News as litter. We also give our ratties plenty of fleece to cozy up to.

I only breed one to three litters at a time, so all babies will receive proper socialization. We have, on average 12 litters a year, but don't always have litters going at all times. We have recently decided to not have any litters during the months of June, July, and most of August, as we found it promotes "summer pets syndrom", where kids enjoy their new pets for the summer, and lose interest as soon as school starts up again.

 I handle every baby, everyday, from the day it is born.  All babies will either be adopted out  to loving homes or stay with me. I NEVER cull or sell my ratties as feeders or for the breeding of feeders. I will only adopt babies out in same sex pairs, unless you already have or will soon have a rattie of the same sex at home.

All ratties joining Ratty Rat Rattery will be quarantined for at least 3 weeks, and I ask that you do the same if you are adopting from me and have other ratties at home. I quarantine my ratties at my parents home, about 15 minutes away, since I cannot properly quarantine in my home (your quarantined rats should be kept in a separate building or at least an area with separate ventilation). 

We currently breed just a few varieties including standard and dumbo ears, standard, rex and hairless coats.  We specialize in black-eyed siamese, himalayan, and burmese in seal, blue, and Russian blue points. We also breed blue, Russian blue, black, and ocassionally other colors.  Visit our new breeding program page for more info, pictures, and our goals

 I welcome all to adopt my ratties, especially first time rat owners. Please submit an adoption questionare in the Adoption Info page. If you are going to be a first time rat owner, good for you! Please allow me to show you how to properly care for your ratties, and I must pre-approve the cage you will be keeping your new ratties in as well as bedding and food. I also require that ratties are adopted in same sex pairs, unless the adopter has another rat of the same sex or an altered (spayed or  neutered) rat already.

 I also adopt to other fellow rat breeders, including new breeders, though I may have some questions about your breeding plans, and you must have a good understanding of your breeding goals and the genetics of the varieties you are interested in, as well as good ethics. We've all been new at some point (I am fairly new myself)!

We are AFRMA members, so you may see us at upcoming shows and events! We also register all our ratties and litters with NARR and keep extensive pedigrees and records using Breeders Assistant software.

Please note that RRR is a "closed rattery", meaning I cannot allow anyone into my rattery, as it may introduce disease. There are a few viruses out there that I don't want in my rattery.  Feel free to ask questions or request pictures.


My "Bunny Hugging" Philosophy
  I view humans and animals on a level playing field, and I treat all humans and animals alike with the same amount of respect. All of the  animals in our home truly are members of the family, including each and every one of my ratties. Most animals do not have the gift of language, they are much more subtle in their behavior and communication. There is no "magic" in learning to communicate with animals.  When you take the time to learn the subtle nature of animals, you begin to realize they aren't so different from us, and when you can accept that, you can truly bond and communicate with them.

 

My "Tree Hugging" Philosophy
I care about the environment. Using as much bedding as I do, I could potentially be using a lot of trees, not to mention filling landfills. Both Eco-bedding and Yesterday's news are beddings made from recycled paper and are biodegradable. The trash bags I use to clean rat cages are made from corn, a renewable resource and is also biodegradable. I also feed my ratties mostly organic fruits and veggies, which supports farmers who do not pollute ecosystems by using pesticides.