Rat breeders beware.

[rattysue]

please please please don't let what's happened to me happen to any of you.
18 months ago I rehomed 3 of my babies to someone who now has an account on here. She didn't keep reptiles herself at the time.
She seemed a very genuine person who was really looking forward to having the babies.
I felt I had picked a loving home for my boys. A friend delivered them and because I felt we had become close no payment was asked for. I feel that a good home is more important than money.
I've recently found out that these boys have now been rehomed via this website.
Apparently the reason for rehoming was her health had gone down hill. Whilst I understnad this is a valid excuse why did they not contact me first?
I would have gladly have had them back or helped in finding a suitable home as I feel that I bred them and they are my responsibility till they die.
Now all the lies are coming out.
Apparently they told someone who enquired about them that they had lost my contact details...Eh? she's on my facebook, on my msn, on my mobile and I'm on her forum.
A few heated pm's have been exchanged with her partner via her forum and now they have said that the person who has these boys is not happy for me to have their details.
Why the hell not? I want to know that they are ok.
Further searching has come up with a pet shop in the Telford area...no wonder they didn't want me to have their details.
These boys are 18 months old now and may have another 12 months left in their short lives yet it looks like they will be spending it in a pet shop. They don't deserve that.
Just be careful who you sell any of your animals to, even if they promise a forever home...some people just get fed up and pass them on for something else.

[freekygeeky]

and this is why i dont breed cresties leos or gargs anymore, happens far far to often.

[pixie_bex]

To be fair once you have sold something unless you state in writing before the sale and its agreed then the buyer has no obligation to keep you updated etc..

In my opinion they have done nothing wrong

[roostarr]

i hear and understand what you are saying rattysue, i am a member of a rat specific forum as well... not that i go there much any more, but i am familiar with what many breeders do in situations like this and unless you explicitly requested and agreed upon the animals being returned to you should anything cause them to not be able to keep them any longer then they had no obligation to contact you about rehoming them.

i truly understand your concern for your little ones, and i am also flabbergasted that they didn't contact you either, but they didn't for whatever reason. perhaps guilt or embarrassment.

the key thing is that if you are able to reaquire the rats then do so, if not then i guess this is just going to be one of those situations where you can do nothing but learn from the experience and stipulate in all future rehomings you do that they are to return the animals to you if they can no longer care for them and that you are happy to do so.


i feel for you i really do, and i hope the little guys can spend the rest of their days being loved by someone.

i know how it feels, i would feel terrible if i thought my rats were still with the owner i rescued them from! the poor things were in a terrible state when i got them and the only surviving one is an old man now with continueing health problems but at least he is happy and loved now.

[xXFooFooLaFluffXx]

Originally Posted by pixie_bex

To be fair once you have sold something unless you state in writing before the sale and its agreed then the buyer has no obligation to keep you updated etc..

In my opinion they have done nothing wrong

i do feel i have to agree with you
rattysue did you tell the person you rehomed them to to contact you should they need to get rid of them for any reason? as it sounds to me like you didnt which is unfortunate.

im not defendin whats been done but sue, if you breed something you are responsible for it while its in your home, and though you do as a breeder try to weed out the unsuitable people to have your animals, you cant be responsible for all of them, especially when you are breedin animals that can have upward of 20 pups per litter!
i breed rabbits, and as much as im responsible for them while theyre in my home, and i try to sell them to homes that already keep rabbits i cannot be responsible for how they are cared for or what happens to them once they leave me. i try to keep in touch etc, but you cant be responsible for all the animals you pass on. i feel for you being worried, but if they are in a pet shop, theyre being fed and watered and still havin some quality of life (maybe not as enriched as with you) and at least you havent found out theyre dead or snake food, thats got to be some blessing hasnt it?

[corny girl]

Originally Posted by pixie_bex

To be fair once you have sold something unless you state in writing before the sale and its agreed then the buyer has no obligation to keep you updated etc..

In my opinion they have done nothing wrong

I was going to say the same thing. I used to breed Rabbits & once they had left my hands there was basically nothing i could do about it if the new owners wanted to sell them or do anything else with them. After all they are the new owners & as such they can then choose what they do with the animals they have bought. Hard i know but once you have parted with them then that's it. I don't even know if you had something in writing whether it would be legal in the eyes of the law.

[xXFooFooLaFluffXx]

if you say you are still responsible for them too, it could be portrayed as when the animal becomes ill the buyer comes back to you for its treatment etc, if that makes sense. some people would try that trick im pretty sure

[midori]

I am so sorry this has happend rattysue. Whilst I agree legally these people did nothing wrong, I think morally they did.

People shouldn't breed if they aren't prepapred to be reponsible for that animal if needed for their whole life. Decent, registered rat breeders will be, so why shouldnt' anyone else who breeds rats or has animals with large litters?! Unless they are just in it for the cash I suppose.

Dog breeder should be responsible for puippies they breed throughout their lives, why not small animal breeders?

[rattysue]

I understand what you are all saying but maybe if you knew what these rats meant to me you would understand a bit more.
For 8 years I tried to breed the best, healthy happy rats that looked good too. Health being foremost but temperament being a close second.
I went through the heart ache of losing a very special mom after she gave birth to 4 babies.....I've lost babies in the nest and I've had moms reabsorb...everytime was a heartache, like a knife in my heart. Each time I sat down and wondered whether to carry on or not, whether it was worth the heartache and then I would get an e mail from someone saying how wonderful the babies they had off my were..and it all made it worth it.
I always tried to find the best homes I could and most people then went on to become friends and came back to me for more babies. Money was never an issue....a good home was more important. If I could have kept every baby from every litter I would have but that just wasn't possible.
Every baby that left here went with a contract....apart from friends....I thought this person had become a friend...I always stipulated though that if ever there was any problems then I would always have them back.
I spoke to this person quite regular..via text, facebook and MSN...why could they not tell me then that they were rehoming? This is what I don't understand. Why then, tell people who have enquired about them, that they don't have my contact details? Why will they not give me the new owners contact details so I can find out where they are and that they are ok?

xXFooFooLaFluffXx...yes....I have actually helped out with vet bills, I have also actually taken people to vets if they have been unable to get there and I have also had them holidaying here and been on the end of the phone should I be needed.

[saxon]

[QUOTE=xXFooFooLaFluffXx;4883147]i do feel i have to agree with you
rattysue did you tell the person you rehomed them to to contact you should they need to get rid of them for any reason? as it sounds to me like you didnt which is unfortunate.

[QUOTE]

I 'ALWAYS' ask that people who buy my kitts will return them to me 'forwhatever' reason they can not keep them.

It doesn't always happen though does it?
I found out that some of mine were included in a 'rescue/rehome', whatever you call 63 rats in two aviaries, a while back and in terrible condition.
I tried to travel the 3 hours to pick up my rats that were in the colony but as things were I couldn't get there.
If they weren't my 'exact' kitts they were offspring from them and I would have still taken them home with me.

Thankfully some of my owners hold to their word and I did in fact have one back last week from a lovely lady who just could not keep him after his friend died.
This oittle guy, who is 16 months old now, will be here forever.

Some people just cant' keep their word though!!!!!

Sue I feel really sorry for you in this but it's not something you can change now unfortunately.

I also help with vet visits and have had many of my babies back for holiday periods.
I currently have one siamese boy and his three friends who I didnt' breed here for a few weeks until their owner can find accomodation where he will be allowed to keep them. I also have two hairless boys here on holiday for 6 months until their owner is bcak from working abroad.