Rattery Information

Goals

Phoenix Ashes Rattery has specific goals which will be upheld to the fullest extent possible.  I breed to better the fancy rat community, not to better myself.  I understand that some "show quality" rats might come from my breeding, but it will NEVER be my driving goal.  I became interested in breeding because rats have touched my heart and I have a passion for bettering the species and giving other owners as much happiness with their rats as I have had with mine.

Temperament

  Phoenix Ashes Rattery will only breed rats that are friendly, that is, interested in playing and/or interacting with humans and other rats.  In order to qualify, a rat must also never bite through the skin for any reason and must not be overly aggressive to other rats (I do understand that some aggression is acceptable during original introductions, but never as a full time personality trait).  Depending on what I am looking for, both more laid back rats and more explorative rats may be bred.

Health

  Phoenix Ashes Rattery believes that health is the second most important thing to consider when choosing a rat to breed.  Breeding for health requires great records and updates from new owners so that lines can be discontinued if something (such as megacolon) suddenly creeps into the breeding line.  All my rats, both breeding and companions have health records attached to their personal page to show both their health and they type of care they recieve at PAR.   Rats that are not affected by stressful situations, diet, and other situations are better candidates for breeding.

Tumor Free Rats

  Selectively breeding out tumors is difficult to do, but I will do my best to keep my lines as free from tumors as possible.  Because tumors often grow in older rats that may have several generations in their lines, I do not want to associate this goal with health, which is easier to document throughout life. 

Color

  Phoenix Ashes Rattery would like to produce beautiful colored rats (although I do not believe that it should be the considering factor for choosing a breeding candidate).  Any rat can be beautiful regardless of color.  Because of personal preference, I will try to specialize in blue varieties and beige.

Last Updated: 08/20/05

Melissa J. Cowman © 2005