 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
The Rat Fanciers of the Lakes - RFL's mission is to promote ethical and responsible ownership, care, breeding and showing of fancy rats, encouraging our members to excel to the highest possible standards. They encourage fanciers to take an active role in encouraging ethical ownership, educating the public about the merits of rats as pets, and having an open and honest dialogue with other rat fanciers in order to improve the rat fancy as a whole. They are part of the United Rat Standards Affiliation - URSA, under which safe and ethical shows are held to allow breeders to exhibit their rats and gain feedback from others to help further their lines. RFL is a great group - go check them out! |
 |
Dazzle Me Rats - a breeder in northern Indiana who I know and have adopted from, and who I will be working with. Wonderful rats - I have 2 pet russian fawns from her and am looking forward to working on establishing my own fawn line with her help, working on my agouti line from rats of hers too, as well as working with her on satin-rex coats. She has some terrific animals and is working towards making them even better. A breeder I would definitely recommend to anyone looking for some great rats! |
 |
Bao Varakhii Rattery - a breeder in the Grand Rapids area of Michigan, who I have some wonderful rats from and am excited to be working with. She has some exceptional rats! She does a ton of research and has put quite a bit of work into furthering her knowledge so that she can help to improve her lines. I will hopefully be getting some good foundation for my agouti line from her, as well as helping with a test litter. Definitely someone I'd recommend to anyone looking to get some wonderful rats! |
 |
Far Star Rattery - a breeder in the Grand Rapids area of Michigan, who breeds some lovely rats in some really interesting colorations, such as pearl merle. She has some beautiful rats and she is defnitely worth checking out! |
 |
So Licky Rattery - a breeder in the Kansas City area, they have some nice rats and are working on improving their lines through careful, ethical breeding practices. They have some really lovely russian blues and silvers, some of the nicest russian blues I've seen, and would be a great place to take a look at! |
 |
T and M Curious Critters - breeders in Layfayette, IN who are working hard to breed happy, healthy, and well adjusted rats and promote rats as intelligent, interactive animals that make great family pets. They have some gorgeous burmese rats, black eyed siamese, and are also working on their own mink line as well. Awesome people and worth a look! |
 |
Huron Valley Rat Rescue - a rat rescue in Michigan working to help rats that owners give up find good homes. They work mainly with local shelters, but also take owner surrenders as space and funds permit. As with most rescues they are always in need of donations to help pay their costs, and they are also a good place to look if you are interested in finding a rat who is in need of rescuing. They are a GREAT rescue, one of the best rat rescues I've encountered, and do an amazing job for their animals! |
 |
Champaign County Humane Society - the local animal shelter, they occasionally have rats available for adoption, and are a great place to check if you are looking to rescue rats in need of a good home! We also strongly encourage people to check their local shelters if they are outside of the area, as many take in more than just dogs and cats, and may have some rats just waiting to find a new loving home! |
 |
The Ratster - a website listing many breeders and rescues around the world. A place to start the search for rats in your area. |
 |
North American Rat Registry - an excellent online resources for pedigrees and history on registered rats. All of my rats that came from breeders are registered with NARR, and I am a member of NARR, with my rattery name and letters registered through them. In the future, all litters will also be registered. I make an effort to keep the records of all my rats up to date on there with any health information, vital statistics, etc. |
 |
The Dapper Rat - an Australian site, this webpage still has some fun information on making rat toys, how to build a huge rat cage out of a bookshelf, and various other things. This website has alot of good and fun information in it, and is certainly worth a read! |
 |
The Rat Guide - this website has many pages detailing various health problems that can affect our beloved ratties. It also has some care information, as well as other useful knowledge. A good resource to help keep your pets healthy, and identify problems early on. |
 |
Fancy Rats Wiki - a great site with information on the various colors, coats, markings, body types, etc. of the fancy rats. |
 |
How to make a coroplast tray - this is a cavy site with information for homemade cages for guinea pigs, but the tutorial on making a tray from coroplast is GREAT for making trays for critter nations to hold bedding if you want to use sanichips or something similar in those cages instead of liners. |
 |
Martin's Cages - a manufacturer of some excellent cages for pet rats. The cage calculator should be used to help determine an appropriate size, and the coated cages are recommended over the plain ones, as they tend to last longer. These cages are durable, relatively lightweight, and many fit in the tub for cleaning. We have an R-685 and R-695 here that we love, and many rat keepers swear by these as some of the best cages available! |
 |
Critter Nation - a cage by Midwest Homes for Pets, the critter nation makes an excellent, heavy duty cage that can house multiple rats. The 1/2 inch bar spacing is safe for both males and female, as well as young rats. The trays are flat and do not allow for bedding, towels, mats, shelf covers, or other fabrics often need to be used, or deep pans need to be added to the cage. (Bass pans are commercially available metal trays, or disposable ones can be made with corrugated plastic, available from sign shops in a variety of colors!). We have one of these and it is a fabulous cage - the double opening doors make it easy to access any area of the cage. The only drawback is that it is a very heavy cage. This can lead to shipping damage, so it is important to order from a good source, in case replacement parts are needed. |
 |
Future Pets - a website offering supplies as well as cages. This is where I got my Critter Nation cage, and the customer service from this company was excellent - they responded quickly when I contacted them about the damage and had a replacement sent out ASAP. Very friendly people, and a great deal on the cage too! Definitely a place worth checking out. |
 |
The Crafty Rat - a great website offering Harlan lab blocks, bedding, hammocks, cage accessories and more! A place to check out for the many things a rat owner may need! |
 |
Chelsey's Cozies - a great place to get some awesome hammocks and sets! She makes great products and has many options to keep your rats comfortable and happy in style! |
 |
The Bao Varakhii Rattery's Hammock Shoppe - another great place to find some hammocks - she often has premade sets and amazing prices, and all ratty approved! :) |
 |
Wrap City - an Etsy site where you can find an AWESOME creation - the Ratoob!! Its a tube that goes around your neck for your little ratties to hang out in. They are great, come in a variety of colors and patterns, all the rats I've seen around them have loved them! An excellent way to carry your rats with you around the house, or for socializing little ratties. Apparently they also work well for guinea pigs, ferrets, and even small dogs and cats! I love my ratoobs and think everyone needs one! Go check them out! |
 |
Peace Heart Glass - an Etsy shop with some really beautiful pieces - including necklaces with rats on them! The glass changes color depending on the angle of view - they are great pieces. I bought several at the RFL show, and am very happy with them. Check out the shop! |
