Forest City Rats • Second Chance Program

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One thing I saw repeatedly through rescue this summer was the fallout from rats being sold through feeder bins, and I th...
10/07/2026

One thing I saw repeatedly through rescue this summer was the fallout from rats being sold through feeder bins, and I think this deserves its own conversation.

First, I'm not saying feeder-bin rats are bad pets. They aren't. A rat doesn't know what it was bred for, and many feeder rats become wonderful companions. My concern is the market you're supporting when you purchase one.

Feeder rats are often cheaper and easier to find than purpose-bred companion rats, so I understand why someone might see one and think, “I can give this animal a better life.” But if you don't support live feeding, I don't think buying that rat is consistent with that position.

When you buy a feeder rat, the supplier still gets paid. They don't necessarily know or care whether that rat is going to be fed to a snake or become someone's pet. The sale still supports their business and the market they're supplying.

I've also seen the consequences firsthand. Rats are often mis-sexed, pregnant females are purchased, and people who thought they were buying one or two cheap rats suddenly have an accidental litter. Those babies then need homes, and many eventually end up in rescue.

Buying one feeder rat as a pet doesn't take business away from live feeding. You're still participating in the same market and giving money to the same supplier.

If you support live feeding, that's your choice. But if you don't, think about where your money is going. There are rescues with rats needing homes and breeders intentionally producing rats for companion homes.

I have no issue with loving a feeder-bin rat or giving one a fantastic life. What I disagree with is pretending that purchasing that rat doesn't support the industry that produced it.

👉🏻 If you don't support live feeding, don't buy from a feeder bin. 👈

🔗 www.forestcityrats.ca

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I've been thinking a lot about the relationship between ethical breeding and rescue work, especially after what I've cal...
10/07/2026

I've been thinking a lot about the relationship between ethical breeding and rescue work, especially after what I've called my “summer in rescue.”

This summer, FCR wasn't breeding. Instead, I was putting my time and energy into the Second Chance Program, where we ended up taking in two high-volume intakes from other cities. This changed the way I approach my own breeding program.

When you're breeding animals, it's easy to focus on what happens while they're in your care: choosing your parents, raising the babies, socializing them, and finding them good homes. Rescue gave me a much closer look at what can happen after that point when people aren't prepared, animals are acquired impulsively, accidental litters happen, or circumstances change where an owner can no longer keep their pets.

It made me think much more seriously about what responsibility means after an animal leaves my house.

That's a big part of why FCR is changing some of its practices. We're now being more intentional about the homes we approve. We're also microchipping every rat we place. I don't want one of our rats to become completely disconnected from its history just because it changed hands. If one is ever brought to a vet, surrendered to a rescue, found loose, or otherwise ends up somewhere unexpected, there will be a permanent identifier connecting that animal back to FCR.

My summer in rescue didn't make me want to stop breeding. It made me want to be a better breeder.

I think responsible breeders should care about rescue, because rescue can show us the consequences of the decisions we make. And I don't think responsible breeders and rescues need to be enemies. We can learn from each other and work toward the same goal: better outcomes for the animals we care about.

For me, the Second Chance Program has made Forest City Rats a more responsible breeding program, and I'm genuinely grateful for that. 🖤

🔗 www.forestcityrats.ca

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Goodbye, “No Applications, No Barriers, Just Rats Ready for Loving Homes.” After two years of using our crafty little sl...
10/03/2026

Goodbye, “No Applications, No Barriers, Just Rats Ready for Loving Homes.”

After two years of using our crafty little slogan, it’s officially time to retire it. When we started Forest City Rats, we wanted to make finding a pet rat as simple and welcoming as possible. And honestly? It worked. 99.99% of our previous placements have been successful, and we're incredibly proud of the loving homes our rats have gone on to become part of.

But as Forest City Rats grows, so does our responsibility to the animals we place. Going forward, we're formalizing a few things to help ensure every rat leaving our care has the best possible start and is placed with a family prepared for the commitment.

🐀 Health-Tested Parents:
All rat pups being placed will be bred from health-tested parents.
🔬 Permanent Identification:
All pups will go home microchipped with microchips meeting the ISO 11784/11785 FDX-B standard.
📋 Purchasing Applications:
All prospective buyers will now be required to complete a purchasing application. This allows us to better understand each potential home, ensure expectations are aligned, and help make thoughtful placement decisions.
📝 Purchasing Contracts:
Every placement will also include a formal purchasing contract outlining the responsibilities, expectations, and commitments involved in bringing home a Forest City Rat.

🔗 Learn more about our updated purchasing process:
https://www.forestcityrats.ca/how-to-purchase

💛 View our Purchasing Application:
https://www.forestcityrats.ca/fcr-purchasing-application

📄 View our purchasing contract:
https://www.forestcityrats.ca/purchasing-contract

This isn't about creating unnecessary barriers or making it harder to welcome a rat into your family. It's about continuing to grow, learning from our experiences, and taking additional steps to support the health, safety, and well-being of every rat we breed.

Our doors remain open to responsible, loving homes, and we're still here to help prospective owners.

🔗 www.forestcityrats.ca

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It's getting increasingly difficult to take urgent pleas for help from rescues seriously when, after repeatedly offering...
09/28/2026

It's getting increasingly difficult to take urgent pleas for help from rescues seriously when, after repeatedly offering my time, resources, experience and willingness to help, I've now had three different rescues treat my offers to help in essentially the same way.

I understand that rescue work is overwhelming. I understand that people are stretched thin, that coordinating placements takes time, and that there are often a lot of moving parts behind the scenes. I'm involved in both rescue and veterinary medicine myself, so I'm not unfamiliar with the realities of it.

But when you're putting out urgent pleas for fosters, volunteers, transport or placement, you're asking people to step away from their own responsibilities, rearrange their lives, commit their time and resources, and sometimes turn down other opportunities to help animals in need.

And when someone actually steps forward, offers to help, provides information about their experience and availability, and is met with prolonged silence or a complete lack of communication, it becomes incredibly discouraging.

You cannot continually ask people to step up in emergencies while making the people who actually offer to do so feel like an afterthought.

There are other animals out there who need help. There are other rescues looking for fosters and volunteers. There are people willing to open their homes, spend their own money, provide transportation and take on considerable responsibility to make a difference. But our time, resources and capacity aren't unlimited, either.

Every time I commit to a potential rescue situation, I'm potentially making myself unavailable to help somewhere else. That's a real consideration, especially for those of us who are already heavily involved in animal welfare.

I don't expect instant responses, special treatment or guarantees that every offer of help will work out. I do, however, think basic communication and acknowledgement are reasonable expectations, particularly when the situation has been presented as "URGENT".

It's disheartening to reach a point where you genuinely have to reconsider how seriously you take these urgent pleas, not because you care any less about the animals, but because the repeated experience of trying to help has become so discouraging.

People willing to help are a resource, too. And it's worth remembering that they need to be treated with the same consideration and respect as the animals everyone is working so hard to protect.

09/26/2026

FREE RABIES VACCINES IN EVAH-LONDON & EVAH-HAMILTON during week of Sept 28, 2026 WHILE FUNDS LAST.
In honour of World Rabies Day Awareness 2026 our London & Hamilton EVAHs have been able to open up some MEDICAL appointments for your sterilized pet's exam ($62+hst)/vaccine updates (Rabies vaccine = FREE!) during the week of September 28th,2026. (Kitchener EVAH is currently at capacity). Please call the location closest to you, or e-mail our EVAH Admin team, to secure your spot! [email protected] [email protected]
This campaign to keep pets & people as safe as possible from a horrible disease has been made possible by the incredible volunteer group Animalert and as well the exceptional volunteer group Animal Rescue Foundation - ARF Ontario .

Bringing home new rats is exciting, but there's a little more to those first few days than simply opening the carrier an...
09/21/2026

Bringing home new rats is exciting, but there's a little more to those first few days than simply opening the carrier and letting them loose. 🌻 💕

Forest City Rats has put together a quick guide covering some of the most important things to think about when bringing new rats home (including biosecurity, their environment, other household pets and introductions).

A few simple precautions can make a big difference when it comes to helping your new rats adjust safely and comfortably.

At the end we've also included a checklist to help make sure you have the essentials ready before pickup day. Save this post for the next time you're preparing to bring home a new rat!

🔗 www.forestcityrats.ca

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Rat Terminology 101 with Forest City Rats! Class is in session today, ratties. 🧠📝Have you ever seen a photo or listing f...
09/20/2026

Rat Terminology 101 with Forest City Rats! Class is in session today, ratties. 🧠📝

Have you ever seen a photo or listing for a rat, and wondered what any of the terminology actually means? We've put together a brief guide to help rat owners understand the language commonly used to describe rats, and just as importantly, understand what those terms don't mean.

The biggest things we want people to take away from this is:
➡️ A rat's appearance is not their personality.
➡️ Don't be afraid to ask a seller to explain the words they're using.
➡️ Breeds don't exist in rats.

Understanding the basics can help you ask better questions, recognize misleading descriptions, and look beyond the "label" when finding a new pet.

🔗 www.forestcityrats.ca

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🌻 Meet Clifford, Henry & Arthur! 🌻This handsome trio came to the Second Chance Program together and are a father and his...
09/18/2026

🌻 Meet Clifford, Henry & Arthur! 🌻

This handsome trio came to the Second Chance Program together and are a father and his two sons. We estimate Clifford is around 1 year old, with Henry and Arthur around 8 months old.

All three are very gentle, calm, social boys who have adjusted beautifully to our busy household. They are also VERY large boys!

➱ Clifford – Their big black-and-white rex dad. Clifford is extremely gentle and affectionate, loves attention, happily takes treats from your hand, and enjoys being picked up, petted, and scratched. He's a confident, social boy who is always ready to come say hello.
➱ Henry – The white boy with red eyes. Henry is a little more reserved but very sweet and trusting. He isn't quite confident taking treats from your hand yet and isn't a fan of being picked up, but he remains calm and enjoys gentle pets and scratches. He'll likely flourish with a patient family who lets him build confidence at his own pace.
➱ Arthur – A handsome blue-grey hooded boy with darker markings and spots. Arthur is friendly, easily handled, and very treat-motivated. He's another easygoing boy who enjoys interacting with people.

The boys are very bonded and must be adopted together. Adoption application and fees apply. We also have a Single Critter Nation Cage available for $100 with adoption.

🔗 Www.secondchanceprogram.ca

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09/18/2026

Next week, we will be giving away over 2,000 trees for free to Londoners! Help us celebrate National Tree Day by picking up your free tree. 🌳

📅 September 23
📍 Westminster Drive near Colonel Talbot Road (avoid the road closure on Wonderland Rd S!)
⏰ 8 a.m. to 7 p.m

See you there: london.ca/NationalTreeDay

Address

60 Dakin Street
London, ON

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