Sceville Rattery

Sceville Rattery Ethical rat breeder in Somerset, nr Taunton. Breeding for black, mink & agouti in silken & smooth, dumbo and top ear, and variegated.

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21/06/2026

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21/06/2026

🗣️ Just because I've shared photos of a litter does not mean I have rats available, and being asked multiple times a day is becoming incredibly frustrating.

I currently have 95 people on my waiting list and waiting group, not including current Sceville owners, plus numerous messages from people who clearly haven't read my homing process before asking for rats.

Let's say each of those 95+ people want 2 rats - that's 190 rats. Even more if people want trios. I am NEVER going to have enough rats for everyone, even across several years. I think the maximum amount of babies I've had in one year is 46 across 7 litters - and that was when I had two lines. I now have one core line which I'm merging with a new variegated line.

I will never have enough babies available to satisfy that level of demand all at once, and nor do I want to.

I currently have 16 babies across 2 litters. If we're talking pairs, that's 8 homes including me. Less if I keep more than 2.

When a litter is born, my priority is making sure the mums - my pets - are happy, healthy, and receiving the care they need. The last thing on my mind, especially when babies are only a few hours old, is finding homes for them.

At that stage, I have no idea whether every baby will survive, whether they will all be suitable for pet homes, or whether any health concerns may develop as they grow. I also have no idea what variety they will be, and who will be staying here with me as my pets to further my line - which is the most important thing to me.

My focus is on raising healthy, well socialised rats and enjoying my litters. This is my hobby, and don't breed to meet other people's expectations or demands.

I open applications when I know all babies are healthy and I have the time to go through applications to arrange homing. They do not open the second babies pop out.

If you're interested in future rats, please read my homing process and join the mailing list. It's clearly stated in the pinned post on my page.

I will no longer be responding to messages asking if I have rats available.

4 weeks old today 🥰It looks like Astra may have reabsorbed. She'd be day 24 today and her tummy looks smaller. I may be ...
21/06/2026

4 weeks old today 🥰

It looks like Astra may have reabsorbed. She'd be day 24 today and her tummy looks smaller. I may be surprised, but I'm doubtful. The main thing is that she's okay!

Lyras 12 babies are still thriving and doing fantastically ❤️

20/06/2026

Meet little Una ❤️

This gorgeous girl is the only doe in Novas litter so of course she'd stay with me regardless.

She's a super cute and confident agouti doe who has absolutely stolen my heart.

Lyra gave birth to 12 healthy little ones today. She's doing so well and it looks like we have an even split of 6 bucks ...
19/06/2026

Lyra gave birth to 12 healthy little ones today. She's doing so well and it looks like we have an even split of 6 bucks and 6 does ❤️

Lyra & Astra🤞🏻❤️
17/06/2026

Lyra & Astra🤞🏻❤️

Ava had her mass removal and spay yesterday, and I'm pleased to say she did really well ❤️ She recovered beautifully fro...
11/06/2026

Ava had her mass removal and spay yesterday, and I'm pleased to say she did really well ❤️ She recovered beautifully from her anaesthetic and is already back to being her bright cheeky self!

As Ava turned one in April, I decided to have her spayed at the same time. Whilst there's no guarantee it will prevent future issues, spaying can help reduce the risk of certain hormone-related tumours and may help reduce the likelihood of future mammary masses developing.

Ava is the one who chewed through her birthing cage and escaped...so I'm having to keep an EXTRA close eye on her with her incisions. She's currently on metacam and gabapentin which is working very well to prevent her interfering with her wounds. Shes also got a vetwrap jacket on until this evening.

This post is also another reminder about the importance of having a vet fund.

Over the last few months, I've been signed off work and then returned on reduced hours. As a result, my income has been significantly lower than usual and I've had to be very careful with my finances.

When I was first signed off, I had around £1,000 saved in my vet/car emergency fund. Since then, between cat vet bills, Ava's surgery, and an unexpected new tyre for the car, that fund has dropped to around £250.

If I hadn't made a habit of putting money aside each month when I could afford to, I would have been in a very difficult position when these expenses came up. Veterinary care isn't something that can always wait until payday.

One of the most important parts of responsible pet ownership is being financially prepared for veterinary costs. Even small amounts saved regularly soon add up and can make all the difference when your animals need treatment. I never dip into the money I put aside - it's there for the pets when things like this are required.

Cue the 'what if you can't afford to set money aside each month' comments...I think realistically if you can't do that, reconsidering pet ownership is an option. It's not fair for animals we bring into our lives because *we* want them to suffer because we can't afford what they need.

Ava got the care she needed because the money was there when I needed it. Despite not having the money in my current account due to my reduced wages, she still got what she needed. That's exactly what a vet fund and responsible pet ownership is about.

Thankfully, I'm back on full hours now and working incredibly hard on my small businesses alongside work to recoup lost money, and build my vet fund back up to a healthier amount.

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09/06/2026

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Cage upgrade for Nova and her little ones today as they're much more mobile and were waddling all over the birthing cage...
08/06/2026

Cage upgrade for Nova and her little ones today as they're much more mobile and were waddling all over the birthing cage this morning ❤️

I have one agouti top ear doe, one agouti top ear buck, one agouti silken dumbo buck, and one black (pending silken, my black can take 8 weeks to show silken) top ear buck.

I'll be looking for a trusted borrow back home for the trio of bucks when the time for homing comes - if you think you'd be happy to take on a trio for me to borrow back for a week or so for breeding next year, please drop me a message. A local-ish home to me would be ideal.

2 weeks old today. A couple little eyes have opened ❤️
07/06/2026

2 weeks old today. A couple little eyes have opened ❤️

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Ilminster

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