We are a small hobby rattery located in Nanaimo, BC, Canada, breeding for temperament, type, and health. Our main goal is to promote rats as pets, promote responsible pet ownership, and to improve the species by selective breeding.
Rat Care
We believe in keeping the smallest number of rats possible to maintain our breeding lines so that each rat is guaranteed individual interaction. We mostly use Martin's R-690's, with smaller wire cages for maternity / breeding cages. Each habitat is as large as possible and filled with toys so the rats never become bored. We feed a staple diet of quality lab blocks supplemented with fruits, vegetables and table scraps. Fresh water is always available.
Our rats receive the best health care possible; no expense is spared when it comes to keeping our rats healthy.
Adoption Policy
If you are interested in adopting a rat from us, please fill out our adoption application or send us an email telling us about yourself and how you intend to care for your rats. If you are interested in a specific rat that is available, please let us know. You can also reserve rats before they are born. We generally know what to expect out of a litter, so if you are interested in a certain color, coat, or ear type, we can put you on the waiting list, and when the babies are born, we will let you know if there is a baby matching what you wanted. Babies are reserved first come first serve, so if you are interested in a litter, check back often to see if there is a rat you would like, and we can reserve it for you. We require all adoptive owners to sign a contract (opens with Adobe Acrobat Reader). If you have any questions about the items on the contract, please contact us.
When purchasing a rat from us, you will receive a packet containing the adoption contract, your rat's pedigree, baby photos, and information sheet. We require your name, current email address, and telephone number. It's important that you contact us if your information changes, as we do like to be able to know how our rats are doing, or pass on valuable health information if need be. We also would like to receive health information about our adopted rats as they get older, so we can see if any of them develop genetic disorders, or also to see how long they live so we know which traits to bring out in our current lines.
Prices
We only sell rats in same-sex pairs only, unless you have another rat of the same or altered gender at home that your new rat can safely live with. We accept cash, money orders in Canadian dollars, or PayPal.
1 rat - $25 ($20 US)
2 rats - $40 ($35 US)
We do adopt rats to breeders, however we will only allow certain rats to go for breeding, and only to certain pre-approved breeders. If you wish to purchase a rat for the purpose of breeding, please include a detailed description of your breeding policy, ethics, goals, a description of your rattery, and a link to your website if you have one. Also, please read our Breeding Contract, which must be signed when purchasing a rat for breeding. We are very strict about selling to new breeders, but if you can prove you are knowledgeable and responsible and can provide a few references, we will take it into consideration. We will also mentor new breeders under certain circumstances.
Returns
If for some reason you are not satisfied with your rat, we will always take it back, no questions asked. If you would like to return your rat within 30 days of purchase, we can offer a refund, and after 30 days we will gladly take the rat back but we will not offer a refund.
Shipping
At this time we are not offering shipping services. A meet-up can be arranged at a maximum of 2-3 hours drive away from Nanaimo, BC (farther if expenses are reimbursed), but other than that you will have to make arrangements to pick up your rats yourself. Delivery to Vancouver (Horseshoe Bay ferry terminal) is almost always available. Other arrangements may be made under certain circumstances (rat shows, other events, holidays, etc).
Rescues
At this time we are not accepting rescue rats due to the health risks involved. If you are looking for help rehoming a rat we may be able to help you, however, feel free to ask. We do offer a satellite rescue option on our website, where we will post photos of your rats that need rehoming to get them some more exposure and find them a great home. This is only available to those in the lower part of BC, however, as it is easier to find rats homes locally.
About Me
My name is Robin, and I am the daughter of two veterinarians. I have grown up with animals all my life, from regular pets such as cats and dogs, farm animals such as horses and goats, exotics such as iguanas, tarantulas, and an agouti, and wildlife such as eagles, crows, and deer. I have worked at our family's veterinary practice ever since I was little and have learned much about the care of animals through this experience. As a pre-teen I got my first breeding experience through guinea pigs, starting by adopting two pregnant guinea pigs from the animal shelter. I have also previously bred mice for a short time, but once I found rats I realized what I had been missing.
I got my first rat in 1998 after wanting one for several years and was completely blown away by what a wonderful pet they could be. Her name was Grace, a gorgeous little odd-eyed cap-stripe, and she is the reason I am into rats today. She went everywhere with me, and learned several tricks as well as running an obstacle course in record time. I strive to breed rats just like her, so that others may experience the joy of a truly wonderful pet rat.
I started Evergreen Rattery in early 2003 with two rats from a local breeder, Dante and Ivy. Their litter was the first I ever bred, and though they were all black they had some of the nicest personalities I've ever seen. After that I obtained some other rats from ratteries such as Whispering Wise Rattery, Curly Whiskers Rattery, and Spiralrat Rattery and began to breed for color and type as well as temperament. I fell in love with the Russian blues after I received a little Russian blue male named Adrian from Spiralrat Rattery, and I intend to breed this gorgeous color and its variations almost solely.
At the moment I am living in Nanaimo, BC, with my lovely rats, a miniature poodle, and two cats.
My Rat Expertise
Most of my knowledge of rats comes from my experience raising them, as well as countless hours researching them over the internet, reading books and magazines, and speaking to other breeders and rat enthusiasts. I am dedicated to knowing all there is to know about rats and educating others in the proper care of rats.
Working in a veterinary hospital has given me access to lots of information about the health care and problems of rats, as well as treatment options for many common ailments.
I have been the subject of a newspaper article about pet rats in the Nanaimo Daily News, and a photo of one of my rats was featured in the Seattle Post-Intelligencer's article about a Seattle rat show.
I am a frequent participant in Yahoo! Answers Rodents category, and am ranked #3 for most number of Best Answers.
