. . . . R e d w a l l . R a t t e r y . . . .

Allow me to introduce myself, my name is Sarah and together with my otherhalf Darren we run Redwall Rattery in Exeter, Devon.
I have been keeping rats since about 1998 and in that time have learned a great deal about this most fasinating and beautiful domestic species. Redwall Rattery was founded in 2006 and began breeding the variety Wheaten Burmese under the guidance of several other ratteries, most notably Jenna of Hakuna Matata Stud. A turn of events lead to this plan having to be somewhat put to one side, but the few Redwall burmeses are now continuing to aid other burmese breeders.

Redwall is the name of the childrens book series by Brian Jacques. His writing inspired me and fueled my imagination as i was growing up. It features peaceful woodland creatures taking up warrior arms when needed to over come evil forces to protect their woodland abbey. Admittedly, rats were the bad guys, but still, it was beautiful and ignorant escapism for me.

Due to my previous breeding project you will notice that burmese and the related variety siamese are the predominant inhabitants of Redwall, currently. As our new challenge and commitment to the Redwall marked line develops more and more beautiful marked rats shall arrive at Redwall, and hopefully one day take us to Stud level at National Fancy Rat Society shows.

You can often have the chance to meet us at rat shows, and we welcome potential owners to our home to chat about rats, introduce you to the Redwallers and advise where needed.

The rattery itself is based within our home, in a spare room we transformed into a rat-proofed room for their cages and storage of their maintenance things. Our rats are caged in a range of ferret cages, chinchilla cages and indoor plastic hutches, all with plenty of room, hammocks and toys for play in their same sex groups. We care for our rats in the same way that we expect those adopting from us to continue caring. They are all basic things to keep in mind, basic but important nonetheless. These guidelines are outlined within the application information page, and we suggest you have a good read through before applying and also to learn how remarkable these animals can be for you with the correct care.

Our Ethical Beliefs

The ethics of rat breeding and keeping is very important to me, they are my beliefs and the very basis of my involvement within the ratty community. It is with these beliefs that we are set apart from 'backyard breeders' who are usually only in it impulsively for the money and the 'cute factor', and also pet shops, who rarely share adequate care advice or follow it themselves in my experience.
Firstly, as a breeder but also as an animal lover, my greatest ambition to is help towards the ongoing challenge of improving the health of these fantastic creatures. Rats unfortunately are prone to many health complications, often shortening their lives further and causing pain and suffering. Alongside many other ratteries in the UK we work to monitor this rigidly and use this information to plan our litters for the greatest improvement towards better health.

Part of the agreement we come to when adopting our rats is that you respond to our 6 monthly emails or letters regarding the wellbeing and health of the rats, this helps us to monitor all the rats bred by us to ensure we make accurate plans regarding the health and temperament of the line in the future.

We show our rats at shows held across the country and also work towards temperament, type and colour with our breeding. As a hobby this is a great way to really show off your hard work and also feel a secondary sense of achievement when you win classes. It also gives the rat a chance to really show what they've got - animal with this amount of intelligence and attitude has got to be given plenty of time to shine!

We do not cull our kittens or our adults, not only does this narrow the bracket for us the follow health situations of, i believe every life born at Redwall should be treasured and given potential to live a happy fulfilling life.

Rats need great understanding of their intelligence and their health situation. This means constant entertainment for their mental stimulation and also regard for any potential health problems, such as avoiding particular beddings, foods and environments. Every rat that is adopted from Redwall should receive everything within this bracket - it is not hard to adhere to and I offer advice and help through the whole adoption process right to the end of the rats lives.

Every rat receives veterinary care at the first sign of ill health. We always explore every direction of treatment available before considering euthanasia.

Our cages house the groups in sensible numbers and in groups that get on well, making sure we never overcrowd them. We fit all cages with comfy beds and hammocks, shelves, toys, tubes and other elements to entertain them and make their a home a proper home. We use recycled cardboard bedding obtained from local farm shops which is usually used as stable bedding. This eliminates any health problems that may arise from using wood shavings which are very strongly linked to respiratory illnesses.

All rats are fed a variation of the Shuamite Diet which is a feed mix using a base of rabbit food/horse feed straights, fish based dog dibble, pasta, parrot mix [mostly mixed seeds and fried fruits and nuts], mixed low fat/sugar/salt breakfast cereals, garlic powder and seaweed powder with added vitamin supplements. They also receive fresh vegetables, occasional meaty treats, fruit cooked couscous, rice, pasta, boiled eggs and other wonderful yummy foods through the week.

Nursing mums and kittens are fed limitless mix and extras as above but also with eggfood, extra protein meats like chicken and lactol to encourage healthy growth.

Our rat room is 'rat proofed' so they can have full run of the room to play in their free roaming times. It is important to give them a lots of exercise time to keep them motivated. They are all regularly handled and have one to one time as well as group time with us. It is with this attention that they become such adoring rats with sparkling personalities, and something I'm very much dedicated to.

I am particularly proud of the notable personality Redwall rats each have, something which has been picked up by others repeatedly. I fully intend keeping this an important element of the Redwall line, spreading the love to every new owner with their love for their owners and ever lasting bond to their human.

We also help in ratty rescue missions when we can, and any rats needing rehoming will be featured on the front page.