07/06/2026
Sharing for awareness. Not every single adopter of Chicago Exotics rattery has had this same experience, but enough people have shared similar horror stories and the owner/s have shown such an unwillingness to take accountability or try to improve, you should be very wary of adopting from them.
If they see my post or others… pay attention to how they respond. Is there accountability and commitment to improve? Or do they deny, deflect, double down?
I hope they do decide to improve, genuinely. I hope the rats in their care benefit from people speaking out and trying to educate them. Because the rats should come before one’s ego. And we can all make the choice to learn better and do better. For the love of rats. 🖤
I have been quiet about this since last October out of a desire to avoid unnecessary drama, and because of the reputation this breeder has for using their platform to bully and silence people. But after seeing some other posts on the rattery I feel a little ok about saying something. This is my honest experience working with Chicago Rattery last October, and why I absolutely do not recommend them.
Last October, I received a group of five rats from this breeder. I had been waiting four years to get a specific tabby male to work with. It had been a dream verity for me for years. What I actually received was a massive blow to my ethical standards as a breeder. The tabby male I waited years for was entirely unhandleable. He wasn't violent to humans, but he physically panicked to the point where he could not be held or touched. That’s the experimental line I’ve been dedicated to fixing, hoping to improve the overall genetics and a solid temperament. This was completely hidden from me, despite me explicitly asking about temperament beforehand and showing my overall enthusiasm for the verity. On top of that, every single rat arrived covered in lice. A few week and months go by, two rats from this shipment simply dropped dead for no discernible reason, and another beautiful Harley from the group developed such severe, dangerous aggression that we ultimately had to make the choice to cull.
When confronted about the tabbies/marbles, the breeder's response was entirely dismissive. To her, a complete failure of health and genetic temperament was something that could just be brushed under the rug with a casual apology and an offer to just replace the animals. When you are breeding for health, longevity, and soundness of mind, you don’t just swap out living creatures like defective merchandise without taking full accountability for the state of your lines. That’s why I’m very vocal about my tabby/marble lines. At that point, my disappointment was far greater than my willingness to keep talking to a brick wall.
I am not a the only one. I know for a fact that two other ratteries shared this exact same experience with this specific rattery. While they have chosen to remain anonymous to protect themselves from the inevitable backlash, a choice I completely respect and support, I want it known that this is a documented pattern of neglect, not a one-time fluke. I’m closing my rattery for maybe a year or two to improve my lines and focus on my career here soon so I’m not worried about the backlash.
I am still working on the tabby line, which is why it remains strictly an experimental line and can only go to specific homes with very responsive parents. While you can work to improve friendliness, overall genetic aggression is incredibly difficult to completely breed out. If this line ultimately fails, I know I did everything I could to salvage it. I was warned by others in the community that if I spoke out, this breeder would use her following to gang up on me and break me down. But why should any of us live in fear of a bully just for speaking the truth about the animals we love and invest our lives into? I am sharing this so other breeders and pet owners can make an informed choice. Please be cautious.
I made this in haste, so I feel like I’m forgetting a few details and I know I definitely am. So I’ll be adding to the post later on as well.
