anti-rodent farm petition

[rockkeeper]

"I breed my own feeder rodents so I know what they've eaten, how they grow, how they're raised and how they are killed as well"

but still dont give them toys thou, i dont form a bond either,thou some are cute,

once you think about rodents as pets, then its a whole different ball game,

[Ssthisto]

Mine do have some toys - things to chew, things to throw around the cages.

They particularly like toilet-roll tubes.

[rockkeeper]

"toilet-roll tubes"
iam guilty off putting them into for them to shred /build nests etc

[Ssthisto]

See, you give yours toys too... just because they're not store-bought and have a ratty picture on the label doesn't make them "not toys".

I've also given mine wooden parrot toys that we had lying around in the past.

[LisaLQ]

Originally Posted by Zoo-Man

Because a breeder sells their young to a pet shop, that instantly makes them a bad breeder? Why?

If a breeder is happy that their local pet shop is good, knows their stuff & sells responsibly, then whats wrong with them selling the offspring to that shop?

I have breeders who drive 30+ miles to bring me animals. They would not sell to their local shops as they weren't keen on their welfare standards & selling ethics.

IMO yes, that makes them a bad breeder. But my ethics dont have to match yours or anyone elses, ethics are personal. I would avoid anyone who sold rats through pet shops personally because you cant keep tracks of the health and temperament of your lines if you send them out in batches and never find out where they go.

And vice versa, any breeder who's not willing to hand out their details to prospective owners I would avoid too.

It's a personal opinion, one shared by many thankfully. If only there were more of us responsible breeders who care and want to know where our rats go, how they fare, and what happens to them throughout their lives. If only more breeders homed directly, took details of owners, gave theirs TO owners, and took back rats they'd bred if they needed rehoming.

But no - these "good local" breeders you speak of just wait til they're weaned, give them to the pet shop, and there ends their responsibility. They are not breeders, IMO, they are multipliers.

[LisaLQ]

Originally Posted by rockkeeper

"I breed my own feeder rodents so I know what they've eaten, how they grow, how they're raised and how they are killed as well"

but still dont give them toys thou, i dont form a bond either,thou some are cute,

once you think about rodents as pets, then its a whole different ball game,

Why? Why is it important not to give them toys? Cant they have a happy life before they're dispatched? Or are they meant to stay in dark plastic tubs for their (short) lives with no happiness whatsoever?

Dont take it personally - I feel very strongly about animal welfare, especially rats as I breed them, and to me they are more pets than my snakes are as they are more intelligent and enjoy human company and deserve as much care.

I dont know how someone could keep them and not care enough about them to give them even basic environmental enrichment. Makes them no different to any rodent or battery farm.

[rockkeeper]

"Why? Why is it important not to give them toys? Cant they have a happy life before they're dispatched? Or are they meant to stay in dark plastic tubs for their (short) lives with no happiness whatsoever?

Dont take it personally - I feel very strongly about animal welfare, especially rats as I breed them, and to me they are more pets than my snakes are as they are more intelligent and enjoy human company and deserve as much care.

I dont know how someone could keep them and not care enough about them to give them even basic environmental enrichment. Makes them no different to any rodent or battery farm.


oi
i didnt say i dont care for them, but i dont look at them the same way as you,
and didnt say it was important not to give toys,
wtf is this comming from ??

i dont give them toys as such ropes parrott toys etc ,but they get "toilet rolls" ,

but i bloody do care about there health food warmth etc,

[KathyM]

I think there's an important distinction between mass breeding with no welfare, such as the many rodent farms in and out of this country (one famous rodent establishment springs to mind, they are over here and not abroad as far as I'm aware, and are disgusting), and breeding on a larger scale for food but to a good welfare standard. Just as most sensible people shun battery farmed chickens, we should avoid establishments that cram their rats into small plastic boxes and do not provide stimulation or proper care. It's no different.

I have snakes and care about them too, and frankly I'd rather feed them gravel than the rubbish these farms churn out. It's not just about the rodent welfare (although this is most important to me personally), it's about the welfare of people's snakes. Of course to feed more ethically we have to source ethical food for our snakes or breed our own. Some people aren't up to that, but I'd rather give up snakes than feed them the rats/mice from a rodent farm. It's not a compromise I'm willing to make. So it's not just "fluffy" pet rat owners (of which I am also proud to be a member lol) that would or should sign this petition.

ETA: In the spirit of fairness, if anyone has photos from inside Simon's Rodents that differ from what I've heard and witnessed, please show them here.

[LisaLQ]

Originally Posted by rockkeeper

oi
i didnt say i dont care for them, but i dont look at them the same way as you,
and didnt say it was important not to give toys,
wtf is this comming from ??

i dont give them toys as such ropes parrott toys etc ,but they get "toilet rolls" ,

but i bloody do care about there health food warmth etc,

I did say dont take it personally - it wasn't a personal attack - it was to anyone who thinks like this, it was genuine questions - eg at what point do people switch off and see them as a food item and not an animal in their own right which deserves a happy life being able to express normal behaviour (climbing, digging, playing, etc).

[sarahc]

Originally Posted by LisaLQ

If your dogs, cats, etc were raised in such shit conditions, you'd be in an uproar, but because it's a rodent you're not fussed? I think that's very sad.

puppy farming is a huge problem in the uk and the dogs have the most horrendous lives and people still by the pups.How big a problem is rodent farming?The local pet shop put the chap who supplies him with frozen chicks in touch with me because he couldn't get much of a supply of mice in this country and was having to import them from France.How many rodent farms are there,if it's just one or two and conditions are poor can they not just have a visit from the rspca?It doesn't sound like a huge industry over here.