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Dazzle Me Rattery
got our start
back in August of 2001 when we adopted a pair of females from a family
member. Back then we had no interest in breeding and were only
interested in giving this pair of rats a loving home. With all of the
forums, e-mail lists and websites on the internet at that time we
quickly succumbed to the thought of having rats as companions on a
permanent and greater level. In April of 2002 we adopted Patch, a
beautiful Beige Blazed Hooded Dumbo Odd-eye girl. A few weeks later she
gave birth to four pleasant surprises. The two black berkshires and two
black hoodeds never gained the attention of anyone who wished to adopt
them, so they remained with us their entire lives.
Firstly,
the miracle of watching them being born and the honor of
helping Patch raise them was one of the most rewarding experiences of
my life. I'm not a heavily religious person, but by raising those pups
I felt closer to the natural perfection of things. It is just an
amazing experience. I knew then that I wanted to do this, but due to
our situation
at the time it would have to wait quite awhile before I embarked on
such an adventure.
Those
four pups and their mother dealt with numerous
genetic health issues throughout their entire lives. Some of the issues
were
multiple tumor removals in their young and old age, strokes and severe
hind-end paralysis in the boys' old age.
Having
experienced all of these genetically-inherited health
issues with this family of rats as well as other rescues I had cared
for in those few short years, I vowed to begin a breeding program
dedicated to eliminating health and temperament issues. Rats are great
companion animals and it is unfair for them and their guardians to have
to deal with the
heartbreak of bad genes.
Between
2002 and 2004 we researched genetics and began our quest
for quality breeding rats to begin our long journey. It wasn't until
Thanksgiving Day in 2004 that we celebrated the birth of our first
long-awaited litter. Ever since then it has been a very slow but
meaningful
process towards breeding to the best of our ability with amazing lines
we have obtained from all over the country. This journey has had many
bumps in the road but we are still fully dedicated to our original
endeavor of breeding quality rats in all areas of temperament, health
and type.
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What is an introduction without
get ting to meet the person behind the scenes?
My
name is Melina and I am 25yrs old. I work in a large distribution
center/bakery that services a large number of stores throughout the
state. I specialize in decorated smiley-face sugar cookies amongst many
other tasks.
I
am also a college student obtaining my associates degree in Veterinary
Technology. I have a particular obsession with the sciences and "making
things better". Along with that I suppose you could say I have an
affinity for genetics. For the past six years I have mostly studied and
worked with the genetics of rats and rodents (including mice for a
short while), and now I am also learning the genetics of reptiles --
Crested Geckos, in particular. You will get to see my work in that area
beginning in 2009.
I've
been drawn to animals all of my life. In my late teens I was drawn more
toward those of the exotic persuasion and have extensive knowledge
and/or experience with several species. In the end, rats just call to
me and are extremely affectionate and interactive. They don't run to
you for food and call it a day.
I
have worked in rescue of cats and small animals. While I can no longer
actively participate in the rescue of rodents, I do try to help out
wherever possible. One of my life goals is to be able to open a
sanctuary with sections devoted to cats and unwanted exotic mammals
(big and small) that are often misunderstood.
In my spare time when I am not trying to fit in a few chapters of
Biology here and there I like to read books, listen to music and catch
up on select TV shows
(one of which is House MD,
of course).
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