Bluenose Rattery & Rescue

Contact: Christina
Email: theratlady@hotmail.com
Website: http://www.bluenoserattery.curvedspaces.com
Location: Kentville, Nova Scotia

I place rats privately as pets

Describe the types of rats that you breed or intend to breed.

dumbos, rexes, blues, siamese, blazes, hoods, berks

Do you keep records?  That is, do you have knowledge of the 
health, temperament, and colour of past rats in your breeding lines?

i do keep records but most of it is in my head. i am not a big breeder

What type of bedding do you use?

wood pellets and paper shreddings

Do you also rescue rats?

yes

Describe the steps you take to quarantine new rats.

i live in ns so most of the time its not a big prob. if i get new rats from outside the province 
then i quarantine in the same house but downstairs for several weeks, and handling them last.

How many rats do you currently own?

37

Describe your cages.

i have 16 cages. the most rats together is 6 in one. i have one 20 gal for a girl. and the rest live 
in rabbit cages.

How many litters do you have or expect to have per year?

2-5

Do you wait until you have waiting lists to breed your rats?

not always

Do you insist that people adopting rats from you must sign an adoption contract?

No

Describe your goals with respect to breeding rats.

i'm not sure i have definite goals. i try to breed to healthiest rats possible so i can enjoy them. 
i am not close to other reputable breeders so cost prevents me from getting rats outside my 
province. its a hobby for me and they give me hours of pleasure and i enjoy telling people about 
my rats. i put a lot of my heart and soul into my rats and i plan to have rats as long as i am capable 
of looking after them.

Is it your intention to make a net profit from breeding rats?

No

How long have you cared for rats?

7 years

How long have you been breeding rats?

6 years

Do you ship your rats? If so, how?

prefer not to

At what age to you adopt out babies to people?

3 1/2 weeks to 5 weeks

Describe your breeding techniques (inbreeding, linebreeding, outcrossing, etc.).

i have used all these methods but most common is outcrossing

Are you a member of a rat club such as the RMCA RMFE or rat fan club?

No

Do you keep in touch with people who have adopted your rats in order to 
keep track of trends in health and temperament?

Yes

Are there any additional comments that you would like people to know when
considering adopting from your rattery?

if you are interested in getting rats from me i can supply ref.

Date form was completed: November 2001
Partially updated: January 2002