Every animal born here is carefully thought out with the overall goal of improving it's species and following our goals. We focus on improving the species according to their affiliated club standard.
How We are Different... Each animal is well loved and individually handled & assessed before going to his/hers new home. We do not hand-tame or train our animals to accept human interaction, rather, we select for genetic temperament, apply early-neurological stimulation and choose animals that are naturally drawn to human companionship.
About Moonshadow
Moonshadow is a rattery hobbyist located in Franklin, Pennsylvania.
What do you mean, Hobbyist? I'm not looking to earn a profit from breeding my animals. My animals are raised in my home, with often 1-2 litters at a time every 3-6 months to ensure maximum individual assessment and care. I have a limited amount of rats because my rats are pets first, breeders second. Being a hobbyist also means that Moonshadow is closed to the public since I am not a pet store.
My passion is to be a responsible & ethical fancier who primarily produces Rats for education, exhibition, and pets. I strive to raise loveable, quality family members with sound temperaments & health.
What I love best about breeding is of course being able to handle the babies and watch them grow, but the genetics & epigenetics behind everything are what drive my passion the most. I also want to provide people with quality pets, which is what inspired me to breed my own.
My ultimate goal here at Moonshadow Rattery is to have strong, steady bloodlines focused on improving overall health to be more resistant to common species specific health issues, etc; increasing life span; and of course, producing fantastic temperaments. In order to achieve this goal, we carefully choose only the friendliest and healthiest animals in our pairings to help work towards improving the species as a whole. Receiving updates from rehomed animals that no longer fit our program aid in helping improve and choose pairings accordingly. We pride ourselves on top quality animals. We want to make sure buyers & fellow exhibitors have the best possible experience with their animals that come from Moonshadow! At Moonshadow, all animals released from our care will be, to the best of our ability, well socialized, loving, naturally friendly, healthy and of the highest quality we are able to produce. I do not breed our animals just to have pets constantly available to the public. I plan litters with only improvement in my lines as a goal. I do not breed because of demand, color or markings, the latest fad or profit. I allow holdbacks to reach maturity before making any definite breeding plans. By having a limited breeding window and carefully selecting who is to pass on their genes to the next generation, I can more carefully predict the quality of the litter they will produce. Not every animal produced here is of pet quality. I will never knowingly place an animal in a home that is below my standards of pet quality temperament, if that happens, I would expect to be contacted so I can offer a replacement or refund. Again, I do not breed for profit; my prices, for rats especially, cost more than your average pet store rat because of the amount of time and effort I put into them. Not to mention, the relationship you as the client get to enjoy with me before, during and after you select your new pets.
We Raise Our Animals by removing them from the nest and being individually handled for 3 minutes a day for the first 10 days with the exception of cage cleanings, health checks and photos to provide early neurological stimulation. During the babies stay here, they are similarly exposed to the Biosensor method many dog breeders perform with their puppies. We use a positive form of epigenetics via "Nanny Rats' ' with each litter who are experienced successful moms – who are well-tempered – that also help the current mom raise her babies. Pregnant moms are also given foods enriched with Omega-3s and DHA. My children also socialize the rats after they are 4-6 weeks old to ensure that they are adaptable when they reach their new homes. It's important not to get caught up in the "most flashy rat" mindset when the "plain" looking rat could be your best buddy. That's why during some of my meet-ups with potential adopters, I bring other rats along that may be a good fit for them just in case there isn't a good match.