Between high demand from pet homes and varieties at risk within the UK, we are in need of good, ethical breeders. But it's not something to take lightly, and plenty of research should go into deciding to breed. It is very rewarding, but also very time-consuming and can be emotionally exhausting.

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Before contemplating breeding, it is a very good idea to have a fair amount of experience with rats as pets. This gives you background knowledge of care and health issues, which is very useful when you have a larger number of rats and to vet and assist pet homes.

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A great place to look for information is the National Fancy Rat Society (NFRS) forum. Once you're ready, introduce yourself - there's a whole section dedicated to introductions! It can also be helpful to attend shows to meet people face-to-face. It shows people that you're serious and invested, and it's often easier to have face-to-face conversations than talking online. It also means that you can see and potentially meet different rats! You can also join regional clubs (eg. London & Southern Counties Mouse & Rat Club, Midlands Rat Club, North of England Rat Society, Peninsula Rat Club, etc). Networking is so important as a rat breeder as it provides support in the following ways:

• Pooled knowledge and experience;

• Foster does and same-age company if needed;

• Borrowing bucks/sending does for mating, expanding your gene pool and breeding options;

• Emotional support when things are hard;

• Rat trains to transport rats further afield;

• And more!

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You will want to try to have a basic understanding of genetics, type, selection, inbreeding, line breeding and outcrossing. While a lack of understanding is not the end of the world, the more limited your understanding, the more valuable friends who have that knowledge are! This is another area where membership of a rat club comes in handy. The NFRS has some articles on breeding that are useful to read too. It can take time to develop an eye for type. I found it useful to make notes on my pet rats as if I were a judge at a show - commenting on their type and how well they fit their variety standard - and then taking my rats to an experienced breeder for their thoughts to see if I was on the right lines and to receive some pointers.

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The forum, other breeders, and Jemma's YouTube series on breeding (search Isamu Rats breeding) are good sources for the practical side of raising litters. A good portion of it will be trial and error when you have litters, learning what works best for you and your rats, but it's good to have a starting point, sources for ideas to try, and feedback on your kittens' condition. Bear in mind that you will need set-ups to facilitate your planned litters, plus extras in case of additional need.

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Once you've done some general research, reading and networking, it'll be time to start thinking about what variety you'd like to work with. While health and temperament will always be the priority, breeding a standardised variety is useful as it means you can enter shows for critiques. Even if you don't want to breed a specific variety, you need to be aware of what genes your rats have to avoid incompatible pairings (ie. ones that lead to health issues). My advice would be to work with a line that you are passionate about, whether that be because of their variety, their temperament, or a vision that you have for them. Don't pick a line based on what's popular or unpopular, pick something that you think you will stick with. No matter what you choose, though, start with rats from an established line, not rescues, pet shop rats or rats from breeders who aren't affiliated with any rat clubs. You want to start off on the right foot!

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Bear in mind that a breeder's rats are their pride and joy, so they will want to know more about you before providing foundations. This is where networking or having been a pet home previously can be useful. You may be asked a series of questions/be asked to meet in person, but it's for good reason! Ideally, you will want to have a good working relationship with the breeder you source foundations from. Once they've said that they're happy to provide you with foundations, don't be surprised if it takes time before they have suitable rats. Not all rats bred are of breeding quality, and the usual waiting times apply as well.

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Once you have your foundations, start thinking about how you want to go about homing. If you register a rattery, you can ask to be included on the NFRS Breeders List, and some other clubs also have breeders lists. Having a social media presence can offer pet homes insight into how you keep your rats and more regular updates where they can see the kittens grow up, but it is an additional item on your plate. Some people run waiting lists, some people run mailing lists, some people just advertise when they have kittens available and take interest at that point. It's okay to try different methods out and see what works for you. What may work at one point may not work at another either!

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When you've had your first litter, bring them to an experienced breeder at 6 weeks old. Have in your mind who you would like to keep, and see if they pick the same rats. If they don't, discuss why. Feedback when selecting keepers is so valuable so that you can develop your eye for type. "Shed blindness", which refers to a biased eye leading to type faults going under the radar, can also be negated through feedback from showing.

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It's worth noting that people will treat you differently once you start breeding, and giving advice to a pet home is more intense than to a random person. You will have to deal with tricky situations in a sensitive manner, but also maintain boundaries if required. Compassion fatigue can definitely set in, especially if you have a lot on your own plate. You will get messages/emails with people asking for rats "next week" and/or "for Christmas" (including asking for your own adult rats), and you will have say "no" to people at times. The rats come first.

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You will also end up treating your rats somewhat differently as you will need to view them with a critical lens at times in order to make the best breeding decisions. If your heart rat has a health issue, you shouldn't breed from them. Your two favourite rats may not be the best match. When you lose a rat, you have to think critically about how/if their passing impacts your breeding plans on top of your grief.

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It is also very expensive and you will not make a profit without severely compromising your ethics. Kittens will eat for the nation, and as you will need to keep a good number of rats your running costs will likely also increase (depending on how many rats you had beforehand). The setups are also an expensive start-up cost, and if you breed for long enough then they'll eventually need replacing/fixing!

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Having said this, it is a very rewarding hobby. Watching traits pass down through the generations, having rats you've known and loved since birth, watching kittens reach milestones, and having pet homes tell you how much they love their rats brings so much joy. It's always nice seeing improved feedback in Varieties and lovely comments in Pet showing, and having other breeders take an interest in your rats. The hard work is worth it, otherwise people wouldn't keep doing it!