Promoting the care and welfare of rats as pets

One week today my husband and I will be setting off from Gothenburg, Sweden, on a mission to fetch 20 young rats from the UK to help improve the fancy rat population in the north of Sweden.

What started off as a small thought to help the breeders who provided us with some of our beautiful girls over the last few years, has turned into a major expedition!

Although a large country in area, Sweden has a small population of 10 million (about the population of Greater London) and ethical rat breeders are few and far between. Up to now inbreeding has not generally been used in Sweden and this (amongst other reasons) has led to a lack of good 'breeding stock'.

We are great believers in rats bred for health and temperament, and not for looks. We share this belief with some young, enthusiastic Swedish breeders in the north of the country. They have done a lot of research and have received excellent help and advice from some wonderful UK breeders. They have saved money and are now ready for some new rats.

So, after about a year of thinking, researching and planning, we have nearly reached the time of departure. There are 20 rats waiting to travel (10 does and 10 bucks) and two crazy Brits prepared to travel on 4 overnight ferries in a row and drive many hours to pick them up and bring them back to Sweden. We have a license for importing and have checked with the countries we will travel through that all will be well at the borders. We have discussed cages, substrate, feeding and watering, car/ferry conditions, onward travel etc etc etc.

I am so excited but slightly nervous at the same time. At times I wonder what on earth I am doing!?! All for the love of rats.......!

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Popcorn, Me-Me and Nelle
Never to be forgotten: Trixie, Paws, Tica, Doris and Bella ❤️

As someone quite heavily involved in the UK end of this adventure, I too am excited!

Really looking forward to meeting you, and although I'll miss the little ones, it's so great to know they will hopefully help found a new direction for the Swedish fancy.

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Mary x

Zephyr Rat Stud

How very exciting !

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Doug, witless provider to :
Ratties 2x yet-to-be-named ex lab boys Jess.
Budgies Freyja and Haiku.
42 storytellers loved and lost, most recently : Washburn

That sounds like an amazing project: so many people, so much preparation, and what sounds like a massive trek to tie it all together. Like the Silk Road, but furrier. Do document your trip if you can; it sounds like it'll be a Real Adventure™!

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Poo-shoveller to: Zephyr Delanynder, Lia, and Lita.
Fondly remembering: Falere the contrary NLA36, Mirala the best and finest NLA36, Zephyr Opold the serene, and Rila the rodentist.
Avatar by Ursula Vernon.

I love the thought of a furry silk road

I could document my trip on here if people are interested, but wouldn't want to bore to all!

Helen

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Popcorn, Me-Me and Nelle
Never to be forgotten: Trixie, Paws, Tica, Doris and Bella ❤️

Oh no, please do if you have time! I've never travelled with rats, nevermind so many, so this sounds fascinating!

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Poo-shoveller to: Zephyr Delanynder, Lia, and Lita.
Fondly remembering: Falere the contrary NLA36, Mirala the best and finest NLA36, Zephyr Opold the serene, and Rila the rodentist.
Avatar by Ursula Vernon.

Yes ! Please do document the big rattie road trip
If you think about it, its an echo of the journey their adventurous little ancestors took onboard ships from Norway Only this time as welcome guests

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Doug, witless provider to :
Ratties 2x yet-to-be-named ex lab boys Jess.
Budgies Freyja and Haiku.
42 storytellers loved and lost, most recently : Washburn

I can't wait for the rats to finally get here! I'm super excited (and super nervous that anything will go wrong...)! I haven't quite managed to wrap my head around the fact that this is actually happening, after so much planning. Both of you have been so incredibly helpful, Helen and Mary! I can't thank you enough. /My, one of the Swedish breeders

The Crazy Rat trip - nearly time to go......

With Mike currently in Berlin at a conference (and our daughter in England on a school trip), I will set off alone tomorrow in the trusty car complete with roof box. We will not, obviously, be carrying the 19 rats in the roof box . It is there to carry the goodies us Brits miss in this foreign land. This is the first time we will be returning to our homeland in the car since we moved to Sweden nearly 4 years ago (it is not exactly the most convenient or cheapest way home). It gives us the opportunity to pick up some favourites.

The list goes something like this:
Cadburys chocolate, Jaffa cakes, Soreen malt loaf, rolled oats, Ready brek, Branston pickle, Cadburys chocolate, Sarsons malt vinegar, currants and sultanas (for the Xmas cake), quality marmalade, Cadburys chocolate, cling film, custard, PG tips, wine and brandy from a supermarket, mini cheddars, Cadburys chocolate...... see a running theme?

(and if only we could have a fridge in the roofbox. That would include the great British Sausage, pork pies, scotch eggs, Red Leicester and Double Gloucester cheese....)

I like to think we are a healthy family but I just re-read that list. Hahaha!

Today I have to pack up some things for our beautiful 4 girls to take with them to the rat-sitters. Cage + furnishings, water bottles, food, substrate etc etc. Then I need to take them and say goodbye for 5 days .

Tomorrow, before leaving, I have to pack the car for the baby rats we will be importing: Import license, appropriate printed emails confirming all is above board, cages (x2) + furnishings, spare carrier, water bottles, baby wipes, kitchen roll, hand sanitiser etc etc etc.

Oh,and I mustn't forget my toothbrush!

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Popcorn, Me-Me and Nelle
Never to be forgotten: Trixie, Paws, Tica, Doris and Bella ❤️

So I was nodding along to the list, until I got to the clingfilm! Is there something special about our clingfilm? Do I need to take a case with me if I ever move abroad?

Cadbury have been doing some really random flavours in their bar chocolate in recent years, so you'll have some fun things to look forward to when you get here. Aside from the baby rats of course! And I'm sure your own girls will forgive you if they get a share of all those goodies. (Except maybe the wine and brandy. )

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Poo-shoveller to: Zephyr Delanynder, Lia, and Lita.
Fondly remembering: Falere the contrary NLA36, Mirala the best and finest NLA36, Zephyr Opold the serene, and Rila the rodentist.
Avatar by Ursula Vernon.

I think the question is more what is wrong with Swedish cling film? It's thin, flimsy, rips far too easily and doesn't stick to itself very well. I have tried several brands and they're all the same. Visitors think I'm quite crazy when I ask them to bring a box

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Popcorn, Me-Me and Nelle
Never to be forgotten: Trixie, Paws, Tica, Doris and Bella ❤️

I completely understand the emphasis on Cadbury chocolate - it's got to be the right sort though, as I believe the American company who took them over has changed some of the recipes!

Some think even the actual Cadbury's Dairy Milk has changed too... see here

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Mary x

Zephyr Rat Stud

Haha, Helen, I totally agree about the cling film here being bad... I can never get it to work the way it should!

So, there are 2 hours left until I leave and I'm all ready to go. There must be something wrong, what have I forgotten? I've even cleaned the inside of the car windscreen. I mean, I NEVER do that!

Thankfully we only live 15 minutes drive from the ferry port in Gothenburg so at least this leg of the journey is easy. I have to admit though, I am looking forward to meeting up with Mike tomorrow morning in Kiel (Germany). It feels very daunting setting off on this crazy mission alone.......

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Popcorn, Me-Me and Nelle
Never to be forgotten: Trixie, Paws, Tica, Doris and Bella ❤️

Eeeeee
Good luck
Bet all the border guard people end up cooing over them

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Doug, witless provider to :
Ratties 2x yet-to-be-named ex lab boys Jess.
Budgies Freyja and Haiku.
42 storytellers loved and lost, most recently : Washburn