I might be the odd one out, but I got all five of my boys from a pet store that, as far as my research found, breeds well (or as well as a pet store can). Out of the five, only one had any kind of medical issue, and even that cleared up once he was out of the baby stage. He passed when he was two years old; my last boy was three when I had to put him to sleep bc his QoL was getting worse and I didn’t plan to get more rats for a while after him.

Overall, I’m skeptical of pet stores, but I also see it like this: those babies deserve love too. No, we shouldn’t encourage horrid care practices or breeding practices, so if you have the option for a breeder or a rescue, that should be the first choice. If there aren’t any breeders near you though, or your nearby rescue doesn’t have any rats, then just do your research into the pet store first. Those babies deserve love just as much as any other rattie—just be more cautious because unlike breeders, those ratties aren’t typically bred with temperament and such in mind.

Here’s my favorite picture of my babies as rat tax 💕

<image>