Well I buy my live feeders from a small feed store down the road, I go the same day they arrive so that they're not sitting in the small cages for long. My friend knows the breeder that supplies them, but she doesnt sell to small time breeders. Well I've been thinking about getting a female rat or two again to do some breedings now and then. I used to breed fancy rats as pets and do love rats, but I found myself allergic.
When I went into the feeder room, I told the employee what I wanted and went to look around. There, in a cage by itself was a rat with a unique head pattern. I took a closer look and she was jumping at the lid in the corner I was near. I asked if I could take it out, the guy helping me said it was fine. I opened the lid, she litterally jumped in my head. Confirming it was female, I said I'd take her. I come to the counter to find that her and her cage mate were pets dropped off, and her cage mate was already taken as food. As a snake owner I know that this is the food chain, but I wonder if people dropping off they're pets come to realize what they might be used for? No one I know of goes there for pet rats