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Anonymous
My rats came from Petsmart, and both are happy, healthy, and incredibly friendly. However, I attribute this to a rat person being put in charge of the small animals there. They were kept 2 to an enclosure, and I got two who had been kept together and were already on good terms. I also asked to hold them first - they were nervous but really no more so than they are now when an unfamiliar person holds them.
Basically, it comes down to how well they're kept.
If I could do it again, I probably would have adopted from a shelter. Rat breeders are rare in certain areas (closest one to me is in Austin, I'm in San Antonio, 100 miles away, and their rats' lifespans are generally no longer than the average 1.5-2 years, with some exceptions.) Rats socialize pretty damn well and generally have good personalities regardless of where they come from (as evidenced by the many people who've gotten feeders and turned them into loving pets), so health is the top concern for me, and frankly if a breeder's rat isn't going to be healthier than a shelter rescue, that's the way I'll go. Research the breeder you go with, and look at their obituary page to see the lifespans of their rats to see if they'll actually be longer-lived than the average.
The reason I wouldn't buy more from Petsmart is simply because I regret supporting the rat mills - same reason I'd adopt a shelter dog over buying one from a pet store.
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