About Us
Ravyn's Cottontail Mischief is a rattery that is based out of Littlestown PA. We will be registered with NARR (North American Rat Registry) under the prefix of RCM or RCMR if RCM is taken before I get around to registering.
This rattery is run by myself. My name are Alex =) I am a 21.5 year old female. My house is in Littlestown. I have 5 cats and 2 dogs aside from our mischief of rodents.
I have been around rats since I was 11 years old, before I met one of my absolute best friends ever when I moved to Pennsylvania from Maryland, I was very much a city girl raised being afraid of rats. My best friend completely changed my opinion with a rescued one eyed rat named Poppy. Poppy was then later followed by a pregnant rescue named Rosemary and a number of others over the years. My senior year of high school my best friend was dabbling in her own small scale breeding adventure I got my very first rat that was all my own, a black and white hooded female who in a joke was named after my nick name of Lexy, and a week or two after I picked out her half sister, a black Irish marked female who I named Irish, as well. Eventually when my friend kicked out her house mate I took in his lilac hooded female rat named Mezoura.
In January 2011, I made the call to have Irish put to sleep the week she turned 2 due to a large mammary tumor that until then was not bothering or obstructing her life any. The same week Mezoura started coughing up blood and just generally showing her feeder rat age, and we decided to make the call to have her and Irish put down together. Lexy started to show her age as well, and when it came time that I was going to be visiting my dad in Mississippi, I took Lexy, Meeka and Dahli along so they would not be alone at home upset at my being gone again and destroy yet another one of my cages and so that Lexy, knowing that her time was coming, would not die with out me. I was there for her coming into the world, it was only appropriate I be by her side when she left it. She quite enjoyed the car ride down, Meeka and Dahli took wonderful care of their elder as they seemed to sense she needed comfort, they even brought her morsels of food to nibble at when she was hungry and when she was not riding upon my shoulder or in my bra like she loved, they would let me know she was thirsty. 3 days after arriving, I knew it was her time to go and had to assist her leaving so that it would not be drug out and more painful than necessary. I cried for hours after that, and cuddled her for a while, then packed her up so she could be buried with her sister and cage mate.
It was at this point I looked at Meeka, and her being my second pride and joy at the time, I decided I didn't want to go on with out having some remembrance of her, to carry down her wonderful personality, trainability, loyalty and bizarre color. It was at this moment I decided I wanted to begin breeding, so not only to preserve the memory or my precious babies, but to share the wonderful beings that were rats to other people as well.
So here we are today.
This rattery is run by myself. My name are Alex =) I am a 21.5 year old female. My house is in Littlestown. I have 5 cats and 2 dogs aside from our mischief of rodents.
I have been around rats since I was 11 years old, before I met one of my absolute best friends ever when I moved to Pennsylvania from Maryland, I was very much a city girl raised being afraid of rats. My best friend completely changed my opinion with a rescued one eyed rat named Poppy. Poppy was then later followed by a pregnant rescue named Rosemary and a number of others over the years. My senior year of high school my best friend was dabbling in her own small scale breeding adventure I got my very first rat that was all my own, a black and white hooded female who in a joke was named after my nick name of Lexy, and a week or two after I picked out her half sister, a black Irish marked female who I named Irish, as well. Eventually when my friend kicked out her house mate I took in his lilac hooded female rat named Mezoura.
In January 2011, I made the call to have Irish put to sleep the week she turned 2 due to a large mammary tumor that until then was not bothering or obstructing her life any. The same week Mezoura started coughing up blood and just generally showing her feeder rat age, and we decided to make the call to have her and Irish put down together. Lexy started to show her age as well, and when it came time that I was going to be visiting my dad in Mississippi, I took Lexy, Meeka and Dahli along so they would not be alone at home upset at my being gone again and destroy yet another one of my cages and so that Lexy, knowing that her time was coming, would not die with out me. I was there for her coming into the world, it was only appropriate I be by her side when she left it. She quite enjoyed the car ride down, Meeka and Dahli took wonderful care of their elder as they seemed to sense she needed comfort, they even brought her morsels of food to nibble at when she was hungry and when she was not riding upon my shoulder or in my bra like she loved, they would let me know she was thirsty. 3 days after arriving, I knew it was her time to go and had to assist her leaving so that it would not be drug out and more painful than necessary. I cried for hours after that, and cuddled her for a while, then packed her up so she could be buried with her sister and cage mate.
It was at this point I looked at Meeka, and her being my second pride and joy at the time, I decided I didn't want to go on with out having some remembrance of her, to carry down her wonderful personality, trainability, loyalty and bizarre color. It was at this moment I decided I wanted to begin breeding, so not only to preserve the memory or my precious babies, but to share the wonderful beings that were rats to other people as well.
So here we are today.
Why our name?
Ravyn's Cottontail was derived from my first horses name and her obsession with the cottontail rabbits running wild around my house. Ravyn, a 4 year old quarter horse mare, was the first horse I worked and paid for all by myself in 2007, as well as my first riding horse that was not a pasture pet. We went and met her after finding her ad on Equine.com, and it was love at first site, we made the agreement right away and arranged to pick her up the afternoon I got out of school for summer vacation. Upon finally getting her loaded into our trailer after 1.5 hours of fighting, we were finally ready to head home, we signed the final papers and before we left were told it is possible that she might be pregnant as she had been with a stallion at pasture since October the previous year. I was ecstatic! I had no problems with my horse have a foal, it was something I had only dreamed about as a kid. A few weeks later we got the test results from our vet from a pregnancy test. It had been positive. 8 months later, on Good Friday 2008, she went into labor. We discovered a bit too late that she unknown to us had a genetic heart condition that ended with not only the loss of her, but the twins we were not aware of her carrying.
So, in memory of my horse-soul mate and her wild pet rabbits that she loved and guarded with a motherly passion, any future business, including our Concession business and the farm I'm hoping to own one day, in her memory.
So, in memory of my horse-soul mate and her wild pet rabbits that she loved and guarded with a motherly passion, any future business, including our Concession business and the farm I'm hoping to own one day, in her memory.
About Our Rats
Our rats are pet store variety. Most picked due to bizarre coloring and upon holding and petting the rat, their wonderful personalities. Hoping later after I get more established with my rattery and familiar on a more personal level with local ratteries around me that I might add some better well bred and well known rats to our lines, but I will gladly take one step at a time there.
Our goal is to breed better health and temperament amongst our rats. We hope to breed blue dilutes, mink/lilac dilutes and beige colored rats. Would like to establish a line of dumbo eared rats, along with rex coats, but the rex coats can come later.
I generally plan to have 2 litters every few months (May/June, Oct/Nov, Feb/Mar). Why 2 litters? I wish to have a backup plan should one mother abandon her pups, or complications happen that affect the survival of the pups (too many, not producing milk or mothers death etc) I can have a surrogate female to take them if necessary. Questions are always welcome =) if I don't know the answer, I'm sure I'll be able to help you find some one who does or find an answer for you ^.^
Our goal is to breed better health and temperament amongst our rats. We hope to breed blue dilutes, mink/lilac dilutes and beige colored rats. Would like to establish a line of dumbo eared rats, along with rex coats, but the rex coats can come later.
I generally plan to have 2 litters every few months (May/June, Oct/Nov, Feb/Mar). Why 2 litters? I wish to have a backup plan should one mother abandon her pups, or complications happen that affect the survival of the pups (too many, not producing milk or mothers death etc) I can have a surrogate female to take them if necessary. Questions are always welcome =) if I don't know the answer, I'm sure I'll be able to help you find some one who does or find an answer for you ^.^
Housing
We have a number of cages big and small, from huge modified ferret cages to a series of joined hamster cages for traveling long distances or temporary housing. Our girls are mostly kept in cages with blue shelves, our boys in purple or red shelves.
Some of our cages are under "construction," we're adding chicken wire to make sure boys stay in and girls stay out so no boys smelling a girl in heat try to squeeze out. No accidental litters here.
I have a few other cages that aren't used often that I may post later on. I'm currently working on how bare the cages are, most of my rats ignore toys and anything else unless it involves nesting or the item is in their way. The all love wheels tho so I'm working on re-outfitting the cages missing wheels with them hopefully soon as well as getting another cage or 2 for my adult females so there will only be 3 per cage.
Some of our cages are under "construction," we're adding chicken wire to make sure boys stay in and girls stay out so no boys smelling a girl in heat try to squeeze out. No accidental litters here.
I have a few other cages that aren't used often that I may post later on. I'm currently working on how bare the cages are, most of my rats ignore toys and anything else unless it involves nesting or the item is in their way. The all love wheels tho so I'm working on re-outfitting the cages missing wheels with them hopefully soon as well as getting another cage or 2 for my adult females so there will only be 3 per cage.
Monster's cage. He's quite spoiled.
One of 3 nursery tanks or quarantine tanks depending on the need.
Nursery cage or Solitary confinement cage for anti-social rats. Modified bird cage.
|
Nursery cage or 3 adult males.
These 2 cages can be connected. House youngsters.
An old set up of the rat room. The only cage that we no longer have is the wooden under the tank and hamster cage.
Beside Chrissy is our adult male's travel bag. Yes, they're hamster cages =) but these are for solitary confinement, travel and quarantine. All 3 are connected and the girls love it.
|
Free time/Socializing
Generally speaking, unless they're being put in run about balls or being sat with on the floor, we don't just let them out to play, with my 3 cats at one location, and a wide open non-safe basement as the other location, its not in our or our precious rats interest to be let out of the cages to play. However what ever possible chance we have we have rats out hanging around on our shoulders or going out and about to the store with us constantly. Soap, Monster, Tempest and Ameara especially enjoy going out like this and visiting people and getting loved on by any one who is brave enough to approach. Their favorite destinations are malls, a school to educate children or to Petsmart.
The rats used to play with the rabbit you see there when let out in their balls. The rabbits name was Chrissy, she recently passed away at the ripe old age of 9 years old.
The rats used to play with the rabbit you see there when let out in their balls. The rabbits name was Chrissy, she recently passed away at the ripe old age of 9 years old.