12/04/2022
Hello everyone. This is a very long overdue post and I have alot to say. So bare with me please.
Firstly, I'd like to thank all of you who have stuck by me this long. And I'd like to thank all of my wonderful adopters who've supported me and helped make this hobby so great for me.
That said, I have not had rats for a long time. And I dont think I have the heart to bring them back in my life anytime soon.
About a year ago I brought in two rats from a breeder who I thought could be trusted. I was ready to end my hiatus and just needed those extra rats. My lines at that time were hanging on by a thread and my only options were new rats, or to merge lines that would be a pain to deal with if I had merged them.
The breeder assured me that their rats were tested and had a clean bill of health. Come to find out the breeder did not follow proper protocols for health testing. To my dismay, their test results were inaccurate.
At first I thought maybe my preferred brand of wood shavings was having quality control issues and my rats sneezing was a reflection of that. But as the symptoms rapidly got worse and my rats started dying, I realized that was not the case. Every single rat I had was dead before I could even process the situation.
The two rats I brought in were more than likely carrying SDAV. They were asymptomatic and passed my quarantine check. But my rats have never been exposed to SDAV, and they took the hit hard.
This is the second time I lost everything during my years in this hobby. Years of literal blood, sweat, and tears gone just like that. I feel as if a piece of myself died along with my rats. I lost my spirit in this hobby. And I don't think I have the heart to restart my rattery.
Maybe one day the piece of me that broke will heal itself. Maybe eventually I'll find my spirit again and return to rats with the same passion I held. But I don't see that being anytime soon.
Rats have been apart of my life since I was 11 years old. I met so many friends through this hobby, met many wonderful adopters, and I learned so much. I do not regret being in this hobby. This has been a long chapter of my life, but it's time for the next chapter to begin. This page will remain up. I am still here to support my past adopters, answer questions, and help those who need it.
Finally, for those interested in me as a person or those who want to follow what other projects I am working on, I just created a new page, Homebound Homestead where I'll be posting about my farm animals.
For the rest of you, this is farewell for now.
Pictured is Refrigerator and Battery, my two pets.
