Adoption

So you’re looking to adopt some pocket puppies? How exciting! At Rachie’s Ratirement Home, we offer traditional adoption through our rescue, as well as direct owner-to-owner adoption through our Supported Self-Rehoming program. You can read about and see the available rats for both options below.

Apply to adopt from us

Traditional rescue adoption allows you to adopt rats in our care. Our goal is to best match the personalities and circumstances of our adopters with the rats in our care. This means your application is to start the conversation, gauge your level of information, and figure out what rat (or rats!) will best suit you.

We’re just looking to see that you’ve done your research, are open to learn, love and respect rats, and that you'll do your best to do right by your new ratties.

The process is simple. Just submit your application and one of our volunteers will be in touch via email. They’ll help to fill in any gaps and answer any questions before pairing you with potential new rats.

All rats adopted from the rescue go through a screening period for health and temperament assessment and receive any medical care they may need prior to adoption. Adoption fees are Pay What You Can/Want. If you have any questions, check out the FAQ below or send us at email adoptions@rachiesratirementhome.com.

Here are some of the rats currently ready for adoption. Applying does not guarantee the availability or adoption of a specific rat, but allows you set appointments with foster carers to see what rat(s) suit you best. 

Scroll down to see more rats that are available through our Supported Self Rehoming program!

‍ You can also find rats looking for homes through our Supported Self-Rehoming (SSR) program. With SSR, rats are adopted from their previous owner directly into their new home. This removes the extra stress of a rat coming into foster with us before being rehomed. It is also an amazing opportunity to learn more about the animals you are adopting from those who love them most. You can find out more about how we do Supported Self-Rehoming here.

All rats currently available through our Supported Self-Rehoming program can be viewed below. If you’re interested in adopting a rat looking for a home, please complete an  adoption application here.

  • After much research, we have moved from fixed adoption fees to Pay What You Want/Can. Essentially, our adoption fees are waived, but if you would like to donate to the rescue to help us and the residents still on site out, then please feel free to. If this is not feasible that is a-okay!

    We understand this might cause some questions on our standard of welfare and duty of care to our animals, which is totally fair and we appreciate your concern for the ratties that come into our care! We have a blog post here regarding the change in fees and that goes into depth as to why we chose this transition in how we operate! If you have any further questions after reading, please feel free to shoot through any questions you might have to hello@rachiesratirementhome.com. We operate on transparency and honesty with our community and welcome all questions.

  • RRH adopters must be over 18 years of age, or have a parent or guardian adopt the rats on their behalf and ensure that the care needs of the animal (environment, food, veterinary care) are all met.

  • At RRH, we encourage our adopters to choose based on personality and suitability to their current colony, their owner experience and their set up rather than a preferred appearance. We are absolutely happy to work with adopters to make sure we have someone to suit their needs, but please be aware that we cannot promise certain aesthetic traits.

  • We don’t use freight or delivery services to transport our rats to adoptive homes. Part of our process for ensuring the wellbeing and safety of our animals is meeting you as part of the adoption process. Additionally, we want to ensure our ability to support our adopters along the way.

  • Rachie's Ratirement Home does not endorse lone rats (single rats kept alone) except in the most exceptional of circumstances. We do not adopt out one rat unless they will be joining an existing colony. Rats are obligate colony animals. We do accept rats to be kept in pairs, however we strongly encourage owners to consider three or more for their health, well-being and enrichment. We are absolutely happy to help lone rat owners with companion foster rats (should a further adoption be unsuitable) where we have a companion rat available or by assisting rehoming through our supported self-rehoming program.

Adoption FAQs

Here is some helpful information to support your adoption journey - if there are things you’re not sure about feel free to ask, we’re happy to help! Whether you adopt from us or through the Supported Self-Rehoming program, you are always welcome to reach out to us if things change or you need support in any way.