Rat Mills

[Casey]

It is so sad to think of all those animals living their entire lives in total confinement,
especially the sweet little momma rats that just have babies after babies...but still love and take care of those babies.
It is really her that is suffering the most, just like in puppy mills. The babies are sent away, but the Mom continues to be breed over and over.
No free time to look forward to, no special new goodie, no cuddles from a well know human friend. :sad3:

 

[lilspaz68]

Don't forget inadequate food, no vet care...just used up and thrown away when they stop producing big litters

 

[SQ]

Don't forget inadequate food, no vet care...just used up and thrown away when they stop producing big litters

My sweet Gracie was a breeder at a mill who was shipped off to a pet store to be snake food after having a few litters. She was purchased, pregnant, by a snake owner who allowed 3 of her babies to survive. Gracie and one of her sons, Elijah, live with me.

 

[Alice]

those photos were shown on another forum im a member of

its terrbile, like i know its clean but i would imagine it would have being cleaned before the ppl came

 

[lilratsy43]

Its sad when I used to go to a school that housed rodents the exact same way.

They were used to get blood from, or do surgery on...whatever the case maybe....And at the end of the year, all were PTS....this is why many of the ppl in that major would take some of them home...

 

[lilspaz68]

IF anyone would like to see what a rat mill normally looks like, I have a link. Just PM me for it as its too sad to put up.

 

[Fidget]

I was doing a big net hunt yesterday for rat-savvy vets in Victoria, and found AllExperts.com which led me to Sandra Todd & her website (http://www.freewebs.com/crittercity/index.htm) and listings for vets (http://www.freewebs.com/crittercity/the ... ourrat.htm) which led me to an actual rat vet in our city (but a the hospital, but that led me to to more places to search for rat vets here which led me to a google list and this:

http://www.anapsid.org/resources/preysources.html A prey animal supplier - yeah, rats -OMG - Creatures Great & Small on David St (real close to me), so I clicked on it and it took me to the webpage for a petstore (http://www.creatureville.com/) Different address- right across the street from me!, it's been there 2 or 3 yrs. No mention on this site of breeding for prey, just cute puppies, but a lot of sections 'yet to come'....

I've been in that Pet store (had to check it out when it opened) and it looked really nice & caring (they do have rats).
But one day (8 mo's to a year ago) I saw 3 women picketing it with signs, so I went to ask what was up. They said it's one of the last 3 pet stores in Victoria that buy from puppy mills. Well I never bought a thing there and surely wouldn't after that but....

OMan - I'm just shocked to have been so close to a creep & his business's all this time that breeds prey and supports critter mills. (I wish I could remember who those people were here who were picketing)... I'm a hermit not a militant but I'm wondering what I'd hear if I went over and asked where he got his critters from, and if he had some supper for my snake :cry3:

Is there anything I can or should - do? The store itself looks great, every critter has a decent healthy 'space' - tho the dogs are all separate and don't have a very big space (tho it's painted all nice as you see in the puppy playroom & display pics). It looks good on the outside but obviously the guy is more into profit than caring about the kids.. A pretty looking but evil underneath pet store I think...

 

[jorats]

One thing that can be done is boycott that store and tell everyone you know to not buy from that store. I really don't know what much else can be done.

 

[Rucina]

that is horrible but i bet that most of them are in worse shape.

my rats are from a pet store along with my friends newest rat but we didn't give them any money for them so that way we didn't support the rat mills but we also saved them from being snake food! but it is a good thing that we got them cause my friends rat was from a small pet store in the mall and the rats they have their are are kept on the bottom shelf hidden away and i don't think they take care of them to much. but the people who work their are preppy teens that think its fun to work their cause they think that they get to play with puppy's all day.

but me and my friend have been going around and investigating different pet stores and when we can we save some! we have one pet store and the rats and mice have such a small cages and are extremely over crowed. it was so bad that a some of the mice were dead it was hard to tell with they way the rats were to see if they were dead but i wouldn't be surprised if they were.

it is all extremely sad how people treat animals and rats get it even worse cause they are always getting over looked!! >__<

 

[smilez_n_hugs]

awww poor ratties :heart: I wish I could take them all away from these horrible places

 

[Button&amp;Truffle]

terrible. i didn't even know they existed. :gaah:
I know its strange, but i feel more strongly about these rat mills than puppymills! :shock:

 

[Button&amp;Truffle]

it just isn't fair

 

[ryelle]

I bought all three of my Rat's from Pet Stores (sorry to dissapoint). The first one i owned was the most gorgeous rat in the world, but now that i've read this, i think he probably did come from a mill. They constantly have pet rats in stock, and they only stock dark and beige hooded rats and albino's. They however are kept very well in the actual store. They are handled more than once during the day even though there is about 7 to a very large tank.

The two i own now though, were bought from a different shop to the one mentioned above. It's a small shop and isn't part of a massive chain. I know for a fact that this store doesn't stock it's rat's (or any other animal's) from pet mills. The animal's they sell, they either have because the animal's original owner had trouble re-homing them, or they are bred by the shop staff. They don't have a massive stock of animal's in all the time. The most Rat's they keep at any one time is 1 litter (obv split into two for males and females). They aren't over bred, they sometimes go for month's without having any Rat's in, and i think she has 3 pairs that she breed's from. The breeder works at the store, and breed's the rats because she love's them, not for the profit. She also answer's any questions and gives advice without any hesitation.

So, not all pet stores are horrific enough to buy from pet mill's. I know it's rare, but there are some out there.

 

[offwhite angel]

well yah kinda have to buy from stores if there are no breeders around, Winnipeg has no breeders of any kind.
that i know of

 

[henry's_mum]

try looking in Shelters, or finding rescues, of looking through wanted ads...
there's a TON of needy rats out there, who NEED a loving caring home. That's safe, and warm....

 

[lilspaz68]

well yah kinda have to buy from stores if there are no breeders around, Winnipeg has no breeders of any kind.
that i know of

If you are ever looking in Winnipeg, PM Lise, she usually knows where the rats needing help are. Not long ago the local shelter/HS was flooded

 

[offwhite angel]

i will pm her is her name Liza?
as i am just taking some in,
i was online yesterday on all shelters found no rat, i know a few people.
i haven't asked,
a while back every second add on kijiji was rats for free but now nothing,
only one hairless rat for 50$
no offense but not interested!

 

[offwhite angel]

cant find her name anywhere to pm her

 

[lilspaz68]

Lise

 

[offwhite angel]

K i pm her