Our Childhood Pastimes litter is full of itty bitty sweet babies. Yes, they are dwarf! Please note dwarf is a genetic trait. They are not simply selected to be smaller. Dwarfs are about 1/3 the size of standard rats and
Read MoreWelcome to NL Rattery!
NL Rattery is a small family-owned pet rat breeder located in South Bend, Indiana.
We have been breeding pet rats since 2022. Our focus is on producing friendly, well-socialized rats. Each of our babies is handled regularly by adults and children to prepare them for their new homes.
We post regularly to Facebook and TikTok. Follow us for updates on new litters and to catch all the adventure as our babies grow!
General Policies:
Our policies and procedures are to protect the well-being of our rats and ensure they are going to good homes. We put a great deal of time and effort into every one of our rats. Each one is special and deserves the best quality of care, both while in our care and after.
- Rats are very social creatures. For that reason, they will only be sold in same-sex groups of two or more. Companionship is important for their well-being and long-term mental health.
- We create listings for our litters when they are approximately 4 weeks old. They become available to those on our waitlist first, and then to the public.
- Babies are ready to go to their new homes when they are 6 weeks old.
- All buyers must be 18+ years old. Rats make wonderful pets for children, but an adult must agree to be responsible for the animal’s care and well-being.
- Purchasers must bring a chew-proof carrier to transport their new pets home.
- We do not sell animals with known health issues. If you discover a significant health issue within 72 hours of purchase, we will replace or refund your purchase. Evidence must be provided.
- Purchaser must quarantine new rats upon purchase. If quarantine is not followed, our health guarantee is void.
- If a buyer does not show up to their scheduled pick-up time, we reserve the right to move on to the next buyer.
- If rescheduling a pick-up, it must be within 72 hours of the original pick-up date. Reschedules beyond the 72-hour mark will be decided on an individual basis.
- Due to the complexity of rat genetics, we do not guarantee genetics. We do our very best to give accurate descriptions based on our experience.
- We reserve the right to deny a sale. If we feel this is necessary after a deposit has been paid, that deposit will be refunded.
- We do not pay or reimburse vet or medical bills for any reason.
For more information on our husbandry and care practices: How We Care For Our Rats
NL Rattery Procedures:
Step 1: Join Our Waitlist (Optional)
Rats that are currently available do not require a waitlist. If you are interested in an upcoming litter that has not been listed yet, we have a waitlist to prioritize selections and keep us organized.
- A $10 non-refundable deposit is required to be added to our waitlist. This does go towards your final balance. Please note, we do maintain a separate waitlist for our dwarf lines as wait times may be longer. Please let us know which waitlist you are joining.
- People are added to the wait list in the order we receive their waitlist deposit. Once the deposit is received, we will invite you to our private Facebook group for those on the waitlist.
- Your waitlist deposit may be applied to any future or available litters and goes towards the final purchase price. It does not expire, though we reserve the right to remove someone from the waitlist for inactivity if we have not received a response for two consecutive litters. Genuine attempts to contact you will be made before removing you from the waitlist.
- New listings will first be posted in our private Facebook group for those on the waitlist. When a new listing is posted, we will notify everyone on the list. Everyone will have 24 hours to make their selections or pass. If more than one person on the list selects the same rat, priority goes to the person who joined the waitlist first. Once availability is confirmed, your selection is finalized by completing the 50% deposit.
- Once we have heard from everyone on our waitlist or 24 hours have passed, we will open the listing to the public.
Step 2: Place a 50% Deposit To Reserve Your New Pets
Unless scheduling a same-day pick-up, we require a non-refundable 50% deposit to reserve rats.
- We will only hold rats for which we have received a 50% deposit.
- This deposit is specific to individual rats and is not refundable or transferable. This helps ensure we are able to find good homes for all of our rats ***
- A pick-up day and time must be scheduled when reserving specific rats. Our schedule fills up fast, so we like to plan ahead.
- If a buyer does not show up to their scheduled pick-up time, we reserve the right to move on to the next buyer. If rescheduling your pick-up date/time, it must be within 72 hours of the original pick-up date. Rescheduling or postponing a scheduled pick-up beyond the 72 hour mark is decided on an individual basis.
***The only exception to this is if we can not provide the rats initially chosen. This would be rare as we do our best to produce healthy, well-tempered rats.
Step 3: Pick Up Your New Pets!
We work hard to produce friendly, well-socialized pets and we hope their new families love them as much as we do. Updates are encouraged as we always love to see how our babies grow. If any health issues develop it is also important for us to know so we can make the best possible choices for the health of our breeding lines.
Traveling Far?
We are no longer offering transport for our rats. They can be picked up directly from our rattery. We are located in South Bend, Indiana just north of Notre Dame’s campus.
We are located in the Eastern Time Zone. If you are coming from the Central Time Zone, we are one hour ahead of you. If you are unsure of the impact of crossing time zones, please let us know and we will be happy to help.
**Previously existing travel arrangements will be honored.
(Updated: 2/2/24)
Is this your first pet rat? Check out our page on Rat Care for helpful tips to get started!
