Answer: It is called Camelot Rattery and is located in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. The exact mailing address and phone number will not be posted on this page, due to privacy concerns since the rattery is operated out of a residence, but will be provided by e-mail or snail mail to those who inquire. I will say that the rattery is located in the basement of a small, old-style house in a quiet neighbourhood.

Answer: I have been operating since September 2002, but I have owned rats for the past five years and have been breeding rats for the past three years. It was only in September that I decided to start a larger-scale rattery, but I will always been fairly small scale. As of October 2002, the rattery has ceased operating as a rattery, per se, but still continues to do occasional breeding.

Answer: At present, I only have two rats, but, at any given time, I could have as few as five and as much as seven(not counting litters). As I said, I run a very small-scale operation and do not have the room to house, feed, and care for more than seven rats, plus their litters. Perhaps in the future.

Answer: Camelot gets most of their rats from outside sources, such as other ratteries and pet stores, but I will sometimes keep rats that we breed for ourselves, especially if they exhibit an exceptional personality or coat trait. However, I try not to keep too many of our own rats, because of self/roommate imposed-restrictions. All rats that I breed are made sure to be free of disease or in-born defect that can be passed on. Any rats that I have, or get, that show signs of disease will be treated as best as possible and will not be bred unless/until all ailments have been cured entirely.

Answer: As I am a very small operation, and not technically a rattery per se, we will usually have no litters. However, either by request of someone or at the whim of myself, I may decide to breed a particular pair. As a result, we'll make every effort to post any litters we have at any given time so that those who are interested can contact me to purchase a baby.

Answer: At Camelot Rattery, I make every effort to see that each of our babies go to a good, loving home. When a litter is born, I post the arrival on several club boards and on this website, and also do hardcopy postings in pet stores around the area. In most cases, the rats that are born will either be sold as pets to people or will be sold as breeders to certain other ratteries that Camelot is in touch with. NONE of my rats will ever be sold as food or released into the outdoors. I do have contact with a pet store, and the rats that I don't sell, they will take, and promise not to sell them for food.

Answer: My rats eat the brown blocks that are specially formulated for rats and mice, as their primary food source. Hagen(tm) calls them "Nutra-blocks" but they go by other names and contain basically the same things. On top of that, the rats get pieces of bread, Cheerios, rice, cooked peas, grapes, dates, carrots(once in a while), strawberries, tomatoes, apple pieces, orange pieces(only to the females), pear slices, and occasionally pieces of meat. They will typically get pieces of whatever we eat for our meals, though never anything with too much sugar or salt and never anything that could cause them harm. They also get fresh water changed daily

Answer: We currently use shredded paper for bedding, but will, when money allows, use Aspen wood chips, or some other dust-free/non-toxic bedding material.

Answer: Besides the rats, the residence also contains three cats and several birds of various sizes. The rats are exposed to these animals from an early age whether it's meant or not, so they generally develop a tolerance for them. The birds live in close quarters to the rats and squawk a lot, so the rats are used to the noise and tend to feel very little stress at loud noises and large animals next to them. The rats are also exposed to cats quite early on, so the rats should be okay in a house with cats, as long as the cats do not attack them...obviously.

Answer: As I don't breed my rats, except by request or whim, I am more concerned with seeing rats go to good homes than making money. I normally have a job and can support the costs quite well. However, Camelot does charge a fee for each rat sold, as it tends to deter people who have less than warm motives for the rats. Basically, if you're willing to pay a bit for a good rat, then you obviously want them and you are less likely to feed them to something. As for what the costs are, they generally range from $15 to $25, depending on the colour, personality and age of the rat. I also accept trades sometimes, but these are generally only done with other ratteries or breeders that Camelot is familiar with and trusts, and due to the current situation with myself, will happen only very rarely. Above all, keep in mind that this is a hobby for me, so I can afford to give rats away for little money, just as long as I'm sure that they're going to a good home. Also, when selling to someone who doesn't own any rats currently, I make every effort to see that they buy at least two of my rats, because rats are, as you know, social creatures.

Answer: The ratteries that we have the most dealings with are listed on our links page. I speak regularly to Amber of  Ocean's Breeze Rattery located in Victoria, BC, and get most of my outside rats from her. I also deal and speak often to Robin of Evergreen Rattery located in Nanaimo, BC, and several of our rats have gone to her.

Answer: Well, first a perspective buyer will e-mail or call me about an interest in one or more of my rats. Then, we will discuss price. Once one is reached that is acceptable to both of us, they will either come to us, or we will meet at a location that both of us are comfortable with. At the meeting location, I will conduct a short, but informative, interview with them in order for me to better get a feel for who is getting my rat(s), and if I'm not comfortable with them or their motives, then they can keep their money and I'll keep my rats. If everything seems okay, then we will make the exchange and part ways. I try to keep in touch with everybody who has one of my rats, so I will expect at least occasional updates about the status of the rat(s) they bought from me. This procedure is done everytime, to assure that the right people are getting the right pets.