Rats Of Keona

The Adoption Process

We only breed litters that are furthering our lines and that we need pups out of - we do not breed to meet a demand! This may mean waiting for your pups if you're looking for something specific. We also do not breed for dwarf, hairless or tailless, though we occasionally may have a litter that has double rexes (patchwork hairless). This doesn't happen often though. If you are looking for these varieties, we may be able to put you in touch with other breeders who have them available from time to time. While we have dumbo rats, our preference is for standard ears so we don't always have dumbos in available in our litters. We're trying to incorporate them into our lines so people wanting dumbos have them available, but this is an afterthought. You can find more information on our rats and what we're working towards under the Information section.

We love to help newbies! If you've never owned rats before please let us guide you into a great experience. We're always happy to answer questions no matter how small or silly. We can help you make choices with cages, bedding, feeding, etc. Don't hesitate to ask.

Please be sure to take a look at our Information section for information on our rats, what we breed for, and as a guide to proper care and husbandry. There is also an important section about quarantining your new pet.

You can email us any questions at RatsofKeona@aol.com.

A Step by Step Guide

Anyone adopting from us will be required to sign an adoption contract that states you are aware and able to provide adequate care for said rats and that you are agreeing to provide us with updates regarding the temperament and health of your new pets.

This has been updated on 11/17/2010 - the items in blue are changes in the adoption process! Please review carefully!

General Guidlines

Effective Jan. 1, 2011, rittens are $35 for a pair, $45 for a trio. We've decided to increase out adoption fees to try to balance out the cost of breeding a bit. We've lost anywhere from $400-$1000 a year breeding (I keep accounting records of all expenses including vet bills and health screens), so even with this increase we will still have a loss at the end of the year. This is a hobby, so the intention was never to make a profit, but an increase in adoption fees wil help us continue to breed to a higher standard. We will honor the previous adoption rate to anyone on the waiting list prior to this fee increase.
We no longer adopt out single rats! This is regardless of your current rat ownership. This is because when bringing in new rats into a house with current rats the newcomers should be properly quarantined away from the current rats. To make this as stress free as possible we insist on adopting out pairs so they can keep eachother company during the quarantine process.
We always take first picks of the litters we produce - this is usually at least 2 pups and sometimes we won't be completely sure which rittens we'll be keeping until they're 6wks old.
Breeders we are working with always take second pick.
We accept PayPal, cash, or money order payment, with Paypal being the preferred method of payment. No personal checks please.
If you do not put down a deposit, you will not be gaurenteed your pick baby - rittens not reserved with deposits are offered on a first come first serve basis.
Deposits are only refundable if WE cannot provide you with a ritten.

The Waiting List

To be put on the waiting list, please fill out our ADOPTION APPLICATION.
Once we have reviewed your application, you will be asked to put a $10 non-refundable deposit to be put on the waiting list. If you do not wish to put a deposit down, it becomes your responsibility to watch the site and email when you see babies available.
When we have babies ready to be reserved, we will e-mail you in order off the waitlist. You will be given 48hrs to respond before I move on to the next person on the waiting list.
I usually start sending out notices of litters when they are born, then when I'm ready to take reservations which is around 4-6wks old depending on what is in the litter.
If the litter did not produce what you were hoping for, just let me know and you will be kept on the waiting list for future litters.

The Pick Up

We are located in Stafford, VA. We can arrange to meet at a local gas station (generally the Wawa right off i95 for the ease of the adopter) when the rittens are 6-7wks old.
Final payment for the rats is due at/by the pick up date. Paying via Paypal is preferred (for our record keeping purposes - personal checks are not accepted!).
When the babies are 5wks old I will send out an e-mail to all adopters giving times and dates available for pick up and the address you can come to get your rats. Any rats that are not picked up by 7wks old will be put back up for adoption unless other arrangements are made.
Please remember to bring your own cage for transporting your new rittens. I recommend Critter Keepers with some bedding and tissues in it for them to hide in as rats are not fond of broad daylight and this will help reduce stress.
Adopters will be required to sign the adoption contract and will recieve a copy of this contract as well as an information packet and a baggie of the food the rittens had been on.

Our Future Together
Our relationship doesn't end when you bring your rittens home. We are available for the life of your rats if you ever need help or advice. We will also take our rats back at any point in their lives should the need arise. We also require adopters to stay in touch with us. We can gain a better grasp on our lines and what we are producing when certain information is made available on all rats produced by us. Help us breed better animals by keeping us informed on your rats progress.

We require updates on our rats periodically throughout their lives. We will e-mail a form for you to fill out when they are 6mos, 12 mos, 18mos and 24mos. This will help you know what we are looking for and help us identify any issues within the line.
We ask that you notify us when the rat(s) die and let us know to the best of your knowledge what the cause of death was. A vet's statement or necropsy would be invaluable.
Most correspondance is done via e-mail, though we do ask you notify us if there is a change of address, phone numbers and of course e-mail address. We are not interested in intruding into your life, just need periodic updates that we try to make as comfortable as possible.