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Adoption Process
& Policies

P r o c e s s

A foreword - it should be noted that we consider our animals health, happiness and security of the utmost importance. We breed for health and temperament, and the price of our animals reflects that. It's crucial that you have the patience to fill out our form, the willingness to pay what our rats cost, and the desire to follow current Best Practice husbandry. Our rats are TYPICALLY $120 - $160 per pair however with our current projects, we are charging $80 - $100 per pair. I only sell rats in pairs, no singles. We appreciate your understanding!

 

1. The first step in our application process is to read fully our Rattery Policies and Adoption Guarantees to make sure you have a firm understanding of how we operate our breeding program, our expectations of our animals and of our adopters.

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2. Once you're confident that you are a good candidate to adopt from WCR, please fill the adoption form out completely. Click the link  H E R E  to go directly to the adoption form. All submissions are sent directly to my email and I am notified automatically. Applications receive responses within 48 hours (when I am accepting applications).

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3. After the application has been successfully sent, email me a photo of your cage with a piece of paper held up that reads, "Hello WCR" and the current date (mm/dd/yyyy pref) to prove that your setup is adequate for one, and that it is your photo for two. No need to include faces, only the cage and the piece of paper. Please include bag of food somewhere in picture as a bonus if you're able. If you do not have the cage yet, you will have indicated this in your application. You may  be conditionally approved pending photo of your cage. You may not reserve/adopt until you have sent in this picture even if your application is perfect otherwise.

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4. Once approved, send a non-refundable $10 deposit to arcanumexotics@gmail.com. This does not come off of your adoption fee, it is to hold a place on my list for my rats. Once this has been done, then you may reserve from any available litters. Litters are posted on the FB page as I am able to take photos and no guarantees that you will get what you are looking for when you are looking for it. I breed first and foremost for myself, aiming to improve each line with each pairing. Anything not held back is adopted out - therefore it is (in the most modest way possible) a "privilege" to catch some of my babies available most times. First come, first served based on who messages me off the approved list once photos are posted.

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5. To reserve an available rat, contact me directly via FB page messenger. Be mindful I adopt out in pairs only. If only one catches your eye at first, you will have 30 minutes to select your second reservation. To confirm both as reserved, I require 50% deposit e-transferred to arcanumexotics@gmail.com within 24 hours. If I do not receive the deposit within 24 hours the rats will become available to other approved adopters again. Once confirmed, you may not back out or change your mind on which rats you'd like.

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6. After the deposit is received, we will set up a time and method for retrieval. The remaining 50% of the balance owing is due 48 hours prior  to receiving the rats. Any and all shipping, delivery, gas, convenience etc fees are also due within 48 hours prior to receiving the rats. Non-negotiable.

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NOTE the 50% deposit is non-refundable and we do not offer refunds for any circumstances.

R a t t e r y   P o l i c i e s

 

GENERAL POLICIES

  • We are a  C L O S E D   R A T T E R Y . To maintain 'biosecurity' we do not allow visitors into the Rattery. We do not allow you to hand-select your babies. Our rats health and producing healthy future generations is our top priority. We are diligent in maintaining safe, enriched and stable environment for our animals, going as far as to have lab-grade virucide as part of our regimen.

  • If you cannot keep your rat(s) anymore, we require you notify us prior to rehoming so that we can receive the new owners contact information and vice versa. If you are unable to continue caring for your rats for any reason and need to surrender them, ARCX rats are always welcome here! We're here to support you and them first and foremost.

  • I will reschedule our retrieval date only one time without penalty. Holding an animal for more than 2 weeks past retrieval date will incur a $5/week care-fee per rat. All fees including additional care fees incurred must be paid 48  hours prior to receiving the rats.

  • Prices are non-negotiable for new and returning adopters. Prices are subject to change at our discretion. Our lines are currently anywhere from $80 - $100 per pair (two rats.) Changes in adoption fees will be noted ahead of time in many places so there's no surprises.

  • The 50% deposit is non-refundable.

  • You may not switch reservation choices once you've e-transferred your deposit. This creates too much confusion for me and those still looking to reserve if the available rats keeps changing. My availability is already very limited.

  • Reservations typically open at 6 weeks, and rats may go home by 8 weeks of age. Some lines may be held until 10 - 12 weeks for data retention. This means some lines may not be available for reservation until 8 - 10 weeks of age. Please read FB post image descriptions for specific information on each rat, keyword avocado.

  • We are not selling breeding animals at this time. You may not breed any ARCX rat at any time. Any babies born from ARCX rats without our permission are legally forfeit to us. We do not release detailed pedigree or health information to deter people from attempting to breed without our permission. You cannot responsibly breed an animal you have no history for, and irresponsible breeding is Backyard Breeding or Mill Breeding - those two labels have their own implications and I think if you chose to be that kind of person, well, that reflects heavily on your character and personality. If you want to breed my rats, ask me. Even though I'm not selling breeding animals at this time, I WILL work with savvy people who want to learn the ethical way to breed and improve on rats as pets and show animals - I am not a gatekeeper in any way. I just want to know that it is being done properly, safely, ethically, with intention to improve the species. (We know our rats conformation, possible genetic outcomes if bred, and watch websites and FB for ads. Just know if anyone tries to be sneaky about breeding a ARCX animal, we will find out and there would be repercussions including immediate blacklisting by all reputable breeders in BC.)

  • All adopters must participate in a minimum 14 day quarantine on new rats entering their home if they have rats from previous adoptions/purchases. Quarantine means separate airspace - not separate room. Think garage, neighbour or friends house, detached shop, etc. No cross contamination which means washing hands and changing clothes or even showering before handling the other group of rats. Failure to follow proper quarantine procedure completely nullifies our health guarantees. We accept no responsibility for animals who fall ill due to improper quarantine measures. Quarantine is minimum 14 days but 3 - 6 weeks is even better. We breeders do minimum 6 weeks.

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BREEDING & HUSBANDRY POLICIES

  • Rats are housed in 105QT latch tops at a 5F:bin and 4M:bin ratio or in a rack with a similar ratio.

  • All rats are housed on a softwood blend from Sharkare, from birth through death. We do not advocate for fabric use other than hammocks but plastic Sputniks are much, much better regardless. All fabrics must be washed daily, every two days at most.

  • Rats are fed Top Shelf hog grower and in-shell B.O.S.S. in a 4:1 ratio free choice. A dry mix is also offered sprinkled throughout their bedding for enrichment.

  • Rats are given one hide and one Sputnik per enclosure. Toilet paper and paper towel rolls are offered and replaced every 3 - 4 days or as needed. Food puzzles are offered weekly as we are able. Finally, each bin has an Arcanum Arbutus Chew as well as miscellaneous other Arbutus enrichment, all available for our purchase through our Store page.

  • Does are not bred until they are at least 4 months old. Does are maxed at 3 litters though I typically retire them after one or two litters. Bucks are not bred until at least 6 months though I prefer to wait until a year+. Bucks may sire any number of litters as needed. Retired bucks and does are never culled as a means of 'making space.' They either retire here until their natural death or they are adopted out, typically to a couple of our friends who love our retirees and have a Mischief-full already.

  • Pregnant and nursing does are housed separately in a medium-small bin that encourages more nursing time. When the babies reach 2 weeks and are mobile, they are moved into a medium bin either alone or with 1 other nursing doe and litter.

  • Litters are weaned at 5 weeks. Does remain with mom and 'aunties' while bucks move in with calm, gentle well-mannered 'uncles' that continue to teach them manners until they go to their new home.

  • Growing juveniles and nursing does are all fed extra fatty, protein-rich foods at least once a week. Examples include but are not limited to: avocado, egg, chicken, oil-drizzled pasta/rice.

A d o p t i o n  G u a r a n t e e s

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​HEALTH EXPECTATIONS

  • We do not breed rats who have any hint of respiratory illness prior to breeding age. This includes any infections or illnesses involving the sinuses and ear canals, or any ailments that require any form of medicating beyond pain medication for inflammation due to physical injury etc.

  • Rats who are prone to excess porphyrin production, barbering, bar or bin chewing, or any other physical manifestations of stress or poor immune systems, are rarely bred.

  • Instances where this may not be true are in lines where we may need to make less than desireable pairing choices to maintain the lineage, or where it is a known issue we are breeding away from. These pairings are typically not sold to the public, or are offered with ample warnings at a discounted fee.

  • Tumour development immediately removes the rat from the gene pool for good, no exceptions.

  • If a malignant cancer, respiratory/sinus issue or other definitively hereditary issue arises in a line unexpectedly, I always contact adopters with rats whose health may be affected by the new development in a timely manner so that they are aware/are able to watch for symptoms or complications.

  • We expect adopters to have knowledge and understanding of what Mycoplasma pulmonis and porphyrin are. Please check our FAQ page if you're unaware, keyword amazonite.

  • At time of pick-up, please inspect your rats physically. If you aren't confident in with handling at time of pick-up, please ask me to do it for you so that we are both positive that you are taking home physically fit animals with clear eyes, ears, nose, lungs, and genitals. You should (or have me) blow back their coat and check their ears to be sure they are parasite-free.

  • We treat all of our rats with Revolution monthly. Juveniles are treated at time of reservation and 2 weeks later, prior to retrieval date.

  • General life expectancy of rats is 2 years. Our average longevity is 2y6m. Our oldest living rat was 3y3m.

  • No matter how diligent we are in selecting for healthy, long-lived animals, recessive genetics (and genetics in general) are a real and unpredictable thing. I can't promise you will never have a respiratory issue, or tumour. Keep in close contact with me, though, and I will support you through everything and anything. Even though perfect decisions aren't possible, data from adopters helps me continue to make the best decisions possible.

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TEMPERAMENT EXPECTATIONS

  • We have a very low tolerance for ill behaviour in our rats. We sell to families with children and consider it our responsibility to provide well mannered pets that will never pose a risk to their family members.

  • We do not handle our babies until around 4 weeks of age, and then minimally until 6 weeks of age. This gives us a very, very solid idea of their natural genetic temperament especially through a major fear stage around 5 weeks of age and allows us to gauge what environment they will thrive on moving forward. They are socialized well in their final weeks here, and are exposed to various things, noises, smells and sounds to improve their emotional stability.

  • Once we begin socializing the babies, we conduct informal temperament assessments during wellness checks disguised as rough play. I  hand-wrestle and rough them up a little, scruff them safely while supporting their full body weight, gently hand manipulate their limbs, tail and ears, open their mouth and pick up from beneath the armpits a few times to demonstrate handleability and how easygoing they are. All 'demonstrations' are done carefully, gently and with the rats physical comfort and emotional well-being in mind.

  • Any sign of ill temperament in rats you've taken home must be reported to me immediately. Depending on severity we will work together to find a solution or arrange for replacement. This data is important for making selections in future pairings. Signs of poor temperament include:

    • General avoidance

    • Jumping/running around the cage to avoid being picked up

    • Tensing/becoming rigid when physically picked up or restrained

    • Audible noise when physically picked up, restrained, or when your hand(s) go near them - no, rats don't talk to us in a tone we can hear - if your rat is squeaking when interacting with you or other rats, it is in displeasure, annoyance, or fear/warning, keyword arbutus.

    • Puffing of the hair coat

    • Crab-walking or side-stepping

    • Bruxing can be a sign of ill temperament when accompanied with other aggressive/defensive body language indicators

    • Tail wagging can be a sign of ill temperament when accompanied with other aggressive/defensive body language indicators

    • Nipping or biting - juveniles 'teethe' and play nip like puppies would while learning inhibition but this behaviour should not persist into adulthood, especially if it occurs after being roused from sleep, when you have food on your hands etc. Rats of all ages should absolutely never ever draw blood. They've been domesticated and bred by responsible, ethical breeders for long enough and it isn't that hard to fix extreme aggression in most lines, so we have a strong belief that unless in pain or in defense (for a legitimate reason vs being woken from a nap), our domesticated, pet-bred rats should never display extreme aggressive behaviours

  • Poor temperament may be bred here occasionally for lineage retention or in special cases where I received a line in said state and am actively improving the negative qualities. If any rats are available from these project lines, they will be posted with extensive warnings and discounted fee. This does not include biting. A rat that bites is no fun and we do what we do primarily for the enjoyment of the process, genetics and betterment of the species as a pet/show animal.

P i c k u p  &  D e l i v e r y

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​PICK-UP DIRECT FROM US

Located in Port Alberni, Vancouver Island, BC

Pickup location: Walmart Supercenter, 3355 Johnston Road (farthest parking lot)

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I do not work at Walmart, nor am I affiliated with the business whatsoever.

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​PICK-UP MAINLAND BC -- CURRENTLY UNAVAILABLE

Located in Vancouver/surrounding area

Pickup location: Eversong Woods Rattery OR Harbour Air CXH/YVR

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Special request only, with fees on top of adoption fees. Additional fee includes Harbour Air flight (flat $60 flight includes crate, snacks for their journey, paperwork etc) and convenience fee (flat $20) for HA pickup and scheduling availability for pick-up. Stephanie at Eversong Woods makes special trips to HA to pick-up for us and be available for my adopters. Patience and understanding with this method of rat retrieval is appreciated. Thank you.

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​DELIVERY

Contact for information.

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Typically flat fee of $20/hr of driving + 59¢ per km, calculated from 3355 Johnston Road to exact meeting location.

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​WEST JET SHIPMENT  -- CURRENTLY UNAVAILABLE

Not currently available.

 

Typically cost is adoption fee plus:

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  • $20 - convenience fee for booking shipment, paperwork, time for delivery

  • $60 - delivery fee from my door to Westjet in Victoria, BC

  • $80 - crate fee REFUNDABLE once I have received proof of it being posted back to me

  • AND Westjet shipping fee

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Westjet shipping fee calculated by weight of crate, animals etc and paid directly to Westjet via credit card by the adopter and has nothing to do with me. I am not affiliated with Westjet and do not benefit financially from shipping through them. My cut comes from the convenience fee only as the gas fee covers what my vehicle uses and very little if anything beyond that.

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