Litters Past, Present and Future
The first requirement of a rat I would like to breed from is good health. If I know a rat has had or is suffering from any health issues or know of any serious or genetic health issues with in a line (history) of rats I will not breed from that animal. The second requirement is a excellent temperment. Rats must be friendly, sociable and out going. I would never concider adding a rat to my breeding plans should I be in dout of their temprement.
Once the first two requirments have been met then I start looking at colour and type. Rats must compliment each other well, for example if a rat has a poor eye then I would choose to breed that animal with a rat with a good eye and so on a so forth.
I aim to not only improve the colour, coat and over all conformation of the rats, but my main aim is to breed healthy , friendly and sociable rats which are a joy to own, whether you intend to show your rats in varities, pets or just keep them as loved family pets.
Anyone wishing to own Amicus rats must first register themsleves with me. It is not very offten that I will have kittens, ready and waiting. Many people are placed on a waiting list for my next litter. All prospective owners are required to complete an application to help me learn more about them. It is of great improtance to me that my babies only go to loving, caring perminante homes. I am more than happy to offer advice to new or novice owners to ensure both owners and rats have a wonderful life time together. Once you have been placed on my waiting list I will keep you updated with matings and litters. Once the litter is two weeks old I am usally in a position to let propective owners know what kittend will be avalible to new homes. I have had a spate of people reserving kittens from me and changing their minds at the last minute. While in some cases I understand this is unavoidable, I do ask people to be sure before acctually reserving kittens as in many cases I pass other people on to other breeders with kittens availbe once rats have been reserved. Kittens are ready to go to their new homes at six weeks old, and in most cases I prefer people to collect them from my home. Where this is not possilbe they can be collected from NFRS shows which I will be attending. I do, however, require that I meet all new owners in person before handing my persious little furry people over. Kittens come with a care sheet covering their diet and general advice. New owners also recieve a family tree and birth certifcate, along with some food. All kittens are sold under contract which must be signed at the time of purchase. I will always be on hand to give advice to owners of Amicus rats and I also require all rats to be returned to me should owners no longer beable to care for them.