Incantation Rattery

15/07/2025

Freshly cleaned!
Just having a brake sitting on the bed with the baby girls climbing all over me, I think all the babies are super excited and more than ready to go to their new homes over the coming week!

13/07/2025

6 girls & 4 boys arrived on the 11th, was hoping for extra girls and here they are!
All babies are pink & ruby eyed.

Angelina is a little sensitive emotionally at the moment so I’m giving her extra space and won’t interfere too much.
She came out for a quick cuddle whilst I took this photo and gave me a few squeaks letting me know she’s uncomfortable, I had a quick look over her and nothing looks a miss so I think she’s just a bit delicate being a new mum.

Poor little mite 🥺

10/07/2025

The “remaining boys” didn’t stay remaining for long but here’s some photos anyway just because they’re cute!
All boys are now on hold to be placed with wonderful people.
A cheeky photo of Larry who was rescued last year with his new little mates too 🥰

And curtesy to Alice, a fellow rat lover and friend who had some of the boys until they became of age to leave 🤗

09/07/2025

There is a communal hoarding place here, its been very much loved and the chosen spot for many rats both girls and boys to place their beloved snacks and it continues to grow day by day 😅

It’s a bit of a smelly nest but they’ve worked incredibly hard to make sure there’s plenty of goodies to be shared around, every free roam a select few have been appointed to make sure to take snacks from their designated cage and skilfully run up this post to add to their treasure trove for others to enjoy.

It tends to fill up quite fast and I’m sure they’re never impressed when they find it’s either been placed back in their cage or thrown out at the end of the week!

We have one of our older rescue girls Booka to thank for starting the trend many moons ago!

08/07/2025

A well written post and reminder why 8 weeks or older is the general standard for rat babies to leave 👏🏼

Why do I wait until 8 weeks or older to adopt out my babies?

Not all breeders will. Some will, some will home them younger.
Here is why I prefer to wait:

Baby rats typically begin to wean around three weeks old, when their eyes and ears open up, and they discover food and the world around them. As they begin to eat more solid food, they nurse from their mother less, however they're not typically fully weaned until about four to five weeks old.

It is important to their emotional and physical development to allow them to nurse until weaning takes place. This allows them to develop a stronger immune system, contributing to their overall health and well-being. Being with their mother longer also helps them develop crucial social skills and behaviours that they will need to effectively become part of their future mischief and get along with other rats. Early separation from their mother and litter mates can cause stress and even health issues, and should, in my opinion, be avoided. Rats should be encouraged to thrive, not just exist, and allowing them to wean properly contributes to this.

Early separation can lead to shyness or even aggression, as it limits their ability to learn social skills at a crucial time in their development. They need this time to learn to interact with other rats and know their place in the social hierarchy that all rat mischiefs employ. Allowing them to stay with their litter mates until 8 weeks also tends to reduce stress when rehoming, therefore it is of utmost importance when adopting young rats that they be homed in pairs or trios, as they MUST have same-aged company for their emotional well-being and social and behavioural development.

I believe it is of great importance to give young rats the best start in life that I can.
Therefore, I do not rehome any rats prior to 8 weeks of age, and sometimes older.

**Pic of WTCH Persy being smothered in kisses for tax**

05/07/2025

I really like the word “incarcerate” here because that’s essentially what it is when there’s no enrichment, a cage (I don’t even like to use the word) is a rats home and should be comfy like a home is.
This is where they spend the majority of their time and it NEEDS to be fulfilling and enriching enough.

Baseline should be:
Hammocks and hiding places
Nesting material
Adequate floor space
Toys
Things to climb on
Things to chew on
Safe bedding and substrate

If you need ideas, I have many examples in my photo album and I’m always here for advice too but this is my baseline expectation if you’re wanting to adopt because just like this post mentions, my rats are also my children and I hope you will love them just the same.

03/07/2025

Paired! Kendra x Panu

After these babies are ready I won’t be doing any further pairings for many months, the soonest the next lot will be available will be in roughly 8 months time.

I’ll be posting the remaining boys shortly.
Thanks everyone 🤗

02/07/2025

All the baby boys during cage cleans and dinner time tonight 🥰 there are 5 boys still available who will be ready in 2.5 weeks time. They will need to go as a pair and group of 3, if you’re interested shoot me a message and we can go from there. Please note adoption forms, fees and set up videos apply

24/06/2025

There’s been many shares of Mikayla’s tragic story the past couple of days, I followed her and her beloved Atlas and was always in awe of how much love she had to give.
To hear of her passing has been incredibly sad because for many rescuers alike the toll that it takes can be incredibly rough.
I could only manage 3 years of rescue before I was left broken, my own mental health spiralled so su***de hits home for me and I know it does for many others.

I wasn’t sure if I should post as I try to keep things positive but awareness needs to be spread because no one should suffer in silence and each and every one of us struggle with something.

If you’re feeling like there’s no end and things will never get better, I promise you they can, I’m always here for a shoulder to lean on whether you know me personally or not.
It’s a horrible thing to be broken and feel alone, sharing the burden and feeling understood or even just listened to can make the world of difference because what are we if we can’t help and support eachother?

My heart goes out to Mikayla and her family and to all the beautiful animals she have a second chance to 💔

It has been a heartbreaking couple of days since we learned of the death of Mikayla Raines, founder of Saveafox Corporation. It was a death by su***de. There were probably many contributing factors: too much empathy, mental health issues, online bullying from trolls and "friends" alike, not to mention the pressure of creating an endless stream of compelling content, which is not for reasons of vanity but for receiving donations to give the best lives to the animals in her care.

This is all to say there are many animals in need and few rescuers. Animal rescue is difficult, back-breaking, thankless and sometimes traumatic work but you do it to make a difference in their lives and to model compassionate living. Also, because you cannot imagine a life without it. Animal rescue was not for the faint of heart ever, but add to it the endless bullying and character assassinations and the need to constantly create content to keep your expensive endeavor operating, you have the perfect storm for despair. All it takes is one more sad story, one more hostile stranger or peer, one more time you cannot accept an animal because you're past your space limitations, and that can be it.

Please, please, take care of your tender hearts and your needs. We need you and you deserve kindness, too. 🦊🦊🦊

24/06/2025

Please enjoy this 2 min video of elaborate tunneling curtesy of Booka & Note. They have mentioned that the new wheel is irrelevant and digging secret food stash spots is far more important..also that creating such a mess in the process is the human’s problem for the morning 😆

23/06/2025

Don’t mind the cringy baby voice…buuut babies!! Hehe

19/06/2025

Angelina & Leo were paired last night, watched a few matings take place so fingers crossed 🤞🏼

I like to track their heat cycles so I only leave them together over night.
I prefer doing it this way so both parties can go back to their groups sooner without being in unfamiliar territory for long periods of time and it causes less stress for me too if I’ve watched it happen!

Does stay with their group up until 7-5 days before the due date where they’re then placed into a maternity cage so they can start preparing and have some downtime for themselves before the little eeps arrive!

Both these rats are lovely, Angelina is very excitable, confident and social and Leo is just a little gem, super playful, sweet and the type who will happily chill out on the bed with us.