Adoption

Before you apply, please read this page for information on my adoption process and general policies!

Thank you so much for your interest in adopting from Coiled Whisker Crittery! My goal is to breed confident, outgoing, and personable rats that both better the fancy, and provide great companionship. I'm more than happy to provide lifelong support to all of my adopters with any questions or concerns. That's exactly why I'm here - to share my passion for dwarf rats!

Policies

All interested adopters are required to fill out and complete our adoption application for approval. As part of the process, adopters will be asked to submit photos of their completed cage setup.

Adopters must be 18 years of age or older, or have a parent or guardian completing the adoption process.

Rats must be adopted in same-sex pairs or trios only, and I will not adopt out to homes with mixed-sex rats. No exceptions will be made.

Rats are made available on a first-come first-serve basis to approved adopters. I am a small-scale hobby breeder and generally have just a few litters per year.

Due to the nature of smaller average little sizes with dwarfs, and the need for holdbacks, availability can be limited.

Standard pups become available at 8 weeks old at the earliest. Dwarf pups do not become available until at least 12 weeks old.

Reservations require a 50% non-refundable deposit.

Payment is required in full prior to pick-up, or final payment can be made in cash at time of pick-up.

I accept Venmo, Cashapp, PayPal Friends & Family, and Zelle for payment.

Health Policy / Guarantee

I guarantee that all rats leaving my care are free of illness and maladies.
I guarantee that all rats purchased from me are properly sexed.
Once your rats leave my care and reach your home, I am no longer responsible for their health. I complete annual rattery-wide health testing for zoonotic pathogens, however I have no control over what my rats encounter once they have left my rattery.
Coiled Whisker Crittery will not be held responsible for any subsequent health issues with either people or pets that interact with your rats.
It is up to the adopter to provide proper quarantine upon bringing home their new arrivals. This consists of keeping the new rats separate from any other household animals for at least 2 weeks in a separate airspace from other rodents.

Process

Complete an adoption application here. Please be sure to include a handwritten date and timestamped note/sheet of paper in your photo of your cage setup.
I do my best to respond to applications within 48 hours. Feel free to also message me on FB or email me at coiledwhiskercrittery@gmail.com when you have completed your application.

I will review your application with you and let you know if you are approved.
Once approved, contact me to reserve available babies/rats. Your 50% non-refundable deposit is required within 24 hours of making your reservations.

Pickup / Transport

I'm happy to place short-term holds - I understand life gets in the way! - however I do ask that rats are picked up within 14 days of the reservation deposit.
The time and date of pickup will be determined together ahead of time.
Adopters are required to bring their own chew-proof travel carriers.
At this time I do not transport and offer local pickup only. However, I do hope to offer transport in the future!

CWC operates as a closed rattery. For the health and safety of my animals, I do not accommodate visitors inside of my residence. Thank you for your understanding.

Returns

If you need to return your babies/rats within 7 days of adoption, I will take them back and provide a partial refund. The 50% deposit is non-refundable.
If you are no longer able to care for, or wish to return, your adopted rats at any time, the adopter agrees to contact me and I will always be happy to take them back. Or, if there is a trusted person(s) you would like to rehome them to, place them in contact with me as they will need to be approved. There will be no refund.

Breeders

I am not currently working with other breeders at this time, as my lines are still relatively early in development and it may be 1-2 generations before I am comfortable adopting out for breeding projects. However I would love to collaborate with others in the near future, and when open to doing so will link a breeder-specific application here.

Feel free to still reach out to me in the meantime to discuss rats and the drawing board!

Pricing

Standard: $40 per pair
Dwarf: $60 per pair

I price my rats to reflect the time, care, and effort that I invest into my lines - including rattery-wide pathogen health testing.

Ready to apply?

You can find my adoption application and contract here.