Reptile & Amphibian Forums

OK. This pathetic little hick town I'm living in doesn't have a single pet shop that caters to reptile keepers at all. Not a big surprise I can't find live rat pups in any of them. So since that is not an option, I can't figure out a solution on what to do now. Should I just wait them out until they get so hungry, they strike at anything that moves? That doesn't seem like a good idea at all. It's past time for their first meal and I wanna get them feeding. Force feeding isn't necessary at this point yet though either. Anyone else ever had this problem? What other options do I have?

Hi, Ryan.

If you have an urgent need for live rat pups, you should begin looking to Exotic Pet Stores in the nearest large city that does cater to reptile owners. This will take care of your immediate need. Beyond that, you should consider breeding your own rats.

I've started breed rats because of the expense of buying them from pet stores. Rats can drop a litter every 30 days -- Mine drop between 8 and 15 pinkies about every 60 days or so because I don't breed my females while they are nursing.

Rats are actually pretty neat creatures and are not anywhere near as smelly as mice. I currently have 10 female rats and 1 male to eventually support my 20 Balls. I separate my females into their own 10 gallon terrriums with screen tops when they begin to show.

I got in a couple baby Balls recently and having a steady supply of rat pinkies caused them to go from 65 grams to 130 grams in about 24 days! They look awesome! I received a 2 captive hatched females last week that were hatched about the same time and they are half the size of the girls I got 24 days ago! A steady supply of quality food makes a HUGE difference.

So, my recommendation -- do whatever you have to to get the immediate problem solved and start breeding your own.

Respectfully,
Joe

PS. Regarding smell -- I keep my rats in my home office and clean their cages every 5 to 7 days -- Soon as I begin noticing an unpleasant smell. Mice on the other hand STINK right from the get go. Hope this post helps.