Incantation Rattery

09/07/2025

There is a communal hoarding place here, its been very much loved and the chosen spot for many rats both girls and boys to place their beloved snacks and it continues to grow day by day 😅

It’s a bit of a smelly nest but they’ve worked incredibly hard to make sure there’s plenty of goodies to be shared around, every free roam a select few have been appointed to make sure to take snacks from their designated cage and skilfully run up this post to add to their treasure trove for others to enjoy.

It tends to fill up quite fast and I’m sure they’re never impressed when they find it’s either been placed back in their cage or thrown out at the end of the week!

We have one of our older rescue girls Booka to thank for starting the trend many moons ago!

08/07/2025

A well written post and reminder why 8 weeks or older is the general standard for rat babies to leave 👏🏼

Why do I wait until 8 weeks or older to adopt out my babies?

Not all breeders will. Some will, some will home them younger.
Here is why I prefer to wait:

Baby rats typically begin to wean around three weeks old, when their eyes and ears open up, and they discover food and the world around them. As they begin to eat more solid food, they nurse from their mother less, however they're not typically fully weaned until about four to five weeks old.

It is important to their emotional and physical development to allow them to nurse until weaning takes place. This allows them to develop a stronger immune system, contributing to their overall health and well-being. Being with their mother longer also helps them develop crucial social skills and behaviours that they will need to effectively become part of their future mischief and get along with other rats. Early separation from their mother and litter mates can cause stress and even health issues, and should, in my opinion, be avoided. Rats should be encouraged to thrive, not just exist, and allowing them to wean properly contributes to this.

Early separation can lead to shyness or even aggression, as it limits their ability to learn social skills at a crucial time in their development. They need this time to learn to interact with other rats and know their place in the social hierarchy that all rat mischiefs employ. Allowing them to stay with their litter mates until 8 weeks also tends to reduce stress when rehoming, therefore it is of utmost importance when adopting young rats that they be homed in pairs or trios, as they MUST have same-aged company for their emotional well-being and social and behavioural development.

I believe it is of great importance to give young rats the best start in life that I can.
Therefore, I do not rehome any rats prior to 8 weeks of age, and sometimes older.

**Pic of WTCH Persy being smothered in kisses for tax**

05/07/2025

I really like the word “incarcerate” here because that’s essentially what it is when there’s no enrichment, a cage (I don’t even like to use the word) is a rats home and should be comfy like a home is.
This is where they spend the majority of their time and it NEEDS to be fulfilling and enriching enough.

Baseline should be:
Hammocks and hiding places
Nesting material
Adequate floor space
Toys
Things to climb on
Things to chew on
Safe bedding and substrate

If you need ideas, I have many examples in my photo album and I’m always here for advice too but this is my baseline expectation if you’re wanting to adopt because just like this post mentions, my rats are also my children and I hope you will love them just the same.

03/07/2025

Paired! Kendra x Panu

After these babies are ready I won’t be doing any further pairings for many months, the soonest the next lot will be available will be in roughly 8 months time.

I’ll be posting the remaining boys shortly.
Thanks everyone 🤗

02/07/2025

All the baby boys during cage cleans and dinner time tonight 🥰 there are 5 boys still available who will be ready in 2.5 weeks time. They will need to go as a pair and group of 3, if you’re interested shoot me a message and we can go from there. Please note adoption forms, fees and set up videos apply

24/06/2025

There’s been many shares of Mikayla’s tragic story the past couple of days, I followed her and her beloved Atlas and was always in awe of how much love she had to give.
To hear of her passing has been incredibly sad because for many rescuers alike the toll that it takes can be incredibly rough.
I could only manage 3 years of rescue before I was left broken, my own mental health spiralled so su***de hits home for me and I know it does for many others.

I wasn’t sure if I should post as I try to keep things positive but awareness needs to be spread because no one should suffer in silence and each and every one of us struggle with something.

If you’re feeling like there’s no end and things will never get better, I promise you they can, I’m always here for a shoulder to lean on whether you know me personally or not.
It’s a horrible thing to be broken and feel alone, sharing the burden and feeling understood or even just listened to can make the world of difference because what are we if we can’t help and support eachother?

My heart goes out to Mikayla and her family and to all the beautiful animals she have a second chance to 💔

It has been a heartbreaking couple of days since we learned of the death of Mikayla Raines, founder of Saveafox Corporation. It was a death by su***de. There were probably many contributing factors: too much empathy, mental health issues, online bullying from trolls and "friends" alike, not to mention the pressure of creating an endless stream of compelling content, which is not for reasons of vanity but for receiving donations to give the best lives to the animals in her care.

This is all to say there are many animals in need and few rescuers. Animal rescue is difficult, back-breaking, thankless and sometimes traumatic work but you do it to make a difference in their lives and to model compassionate living. Also, because you cannot imagine a life without it. Animal rescue was not for the faint of heart ever, but add to it the endless bullying and character assassinations and the need to constantly create content to keep your expensive endeavor operating, you have the perfect storm for despair. All it takes is one more sad story, one more hostile stranger or peer, one more time you cannot accept an animal because you're past your space limitations, and that can be it.

Please, please, take care of your tender hearts and your needs. We need you and you deserve kindness, too. 🦊🦊🦊

24/06/2025

Please enjoy this 2 min video of elaborate tunneling curtesy of Booka & Note. They have mentioned that the new wheel is irrelevant and digging secret food stash spots is far more important..also that creating such a mess in the process is the human’s problem for the morning 😆

23/06/2025

Don’t mind the cringy baby voice…buuut babies!! Hehe

19/06/2025

Angelina & Leo were paired last night, watched a few matings take place so fingers crossed 🤞🏼

I like to track their heat cycles so I only leave them together over night.
I prefer doing it this way so both parties can go back to their groups sooner without being in unfamiliar territory for long periods of time and it causes less stress for me too if I’ve watched it happen!

Does stay with their group up until 7-5 days before the due date where they’re then placed into a maternity cage so they can start preparing and have some downtime for themselves before the little eeps arrive!

Both these rats are lovely, Angelina is very excitable, confident and social and Leo is just a little gem, super playful, sweet and the type who will happily chill out on the bed with us.

18/06/2025

Oh my word I’m in love 🥹
Rats will make you fall in love over and over

16/06/2025

Popped Puffin’s boys in with some older lads today and whilst a few were tucked away in their hammock oblivious to the new exploring babies, Ferb (black hooded) one of our oldest remaining rescues & Panu (dove blazed) was there with welcoming sniffs 🥰

13/06/2025

Gone through my notes, these were my next planned pairings which I’ve decided to bring forward due to my impending surgery and will be the last for the year unless a couple of others develop in tune with my expectations which will, if all the boxes are ticked should be past Christmas.

Ultimately I wanted to wait but considering my health issues and upcoming surgery bringing them forward seems to make the most sense.

Angelia & Kendra from Buffy and Beau.
Both Champagne with Chinchilla genes, the DWS is causing the champagne to express closer to Silver Fawn.

Absolutely lovely personalities on both and confidence I’d like to carry forward.
They are happy wigglers and utter crazies in the best way possible.

Boys are limited due to some adopters not staying in touch due to borrow back agreements and considering Noah & Bam Bam have been desexed I’ve decided going by my notes that the sons from Cody x Bindi pairing last year plus Buffy x Beau pairing will be the most viable option.

Rex and velour seems to be a mix in some of my rats so I’m also curious how these pairings will develop coat wise so I can properly start to distinguish the two and what results will be yielded.

Beau (dove Berkshire from Bindi x Cody) both Angelina & Kendra’s father and Panu (son of Beau x Buffy and sibling to kendra & Angelina) also (Leo from Beau x Buffy, Panu’s brother) then Henry (mink berkshire from Bindi x Cody).
Cody is still going at near 3 years coming up in September so I’m hoping adding his genetics further into to this will yeild stelthy results and will strengthen the line.
Potentially MC will occur but I’m hoping due to the calculations and previous parings it will be limited if none at all.

Ultimately my goal aesthetic wise will get to the point MC is near non existent in time but this takes experimentation along with sufficient data collection.

2 years breeding now and it’s been just as much progress and disappointment.
I started from absolute scratch due to the location I’m in and I am determined to create something strong and stable with the rats I had to start from, I’m determined to create for my state Western Australia something that has rarely been seen before, at least not for some years.
We need and deserve stable healthy rats with unlimited support from breeders here but correcting and experimenting with genetics, especially recessives which tend to show more in the first generations is part of why I’m so passionate to be transparent and realistic as the last thing I ever claim for now is that my rats are perfect.
We are still in early stage’s and it takes a significant amount of documentation and observation to get the needed longterm result.

Breeders aren’t god, we don’t pretend to play to be.
We simply care to make things better for the sake of the animals and the owners who invite them as family and our promise is to be there no matter what, for both you and the rats you’ve chosen to love