Serendipity Rodentry News

It's Been A While....Lots of Updates!

2009-07-03T23:17:00.001-07:00

Due to some recent health problems, it's been quite a while since I have been able to update the website and get through emails. Now that I feel more like myself again, I will be working on catching up this weekend.

Some good news first - Serenade delivered her litter on June 19, 2009. She has a total of 15 little ones, most of which are boys. We have 11 boys and just 4 little girls. I have been handling and them regularly and they are all thriving. There are no runts, and Serenade is doing a wonderful job as a first time mother. I will be taking pictures of the little ones tomorrow, and they will be posted on the website hopefully by tomorrow night. :)

I still have two little girls available from Calypso's litter - a Seal Point Siamese Berkshire Downunder and a Black Berkshire Downunder Velveteen. I will be posting updated pictures of them on the website tomorrow as well.

There have been some changes that I would like to address here. I have made a few changes to my breeding plans, and have cancelled one upcoming breeding - Cama Vertigo x SERR Venus. At this time, no other changes to my immediate breeding plans have been made.

Also, I have had quite a few applications for Dwarf rats, which I will not have available for adopters for at least 6-8 months from now. Since I am still building my Dwarf line, many of my upcoming breedings will be Standard rats that are Dwarf carriers - and not many Dwarves. Dwarf rats have very small litters with an average of around 2-6 little ones per litter, so even when I do start DwarfxDwarf litters there will be very few available to adopters. So, at this time I am not accepting any new applications for Dwarf rats. I am still accepting applications for Standard rats, and there should be plenty available - especially males, as it seems my girls tend to have predominantly male litters. ;)

Okay, I think that covers everything for now! :)

General Updates - Litters and Changes

2009-05-08T09:43:00.000-07:00

Reserves for the current litters are still ongoing. We have managed to reserve all of the females, but we still have quite a few males available. I am still going through the Wait List, but it looks like we will still have boys available as most of the list is requesting females.

The current litters can be viewed here: http://www.serendipityrats.com/CurrentLitters.html

If you are not currently on my Wait List and are interested in the currently available male babies, please contact me via email: SerendipityRodentry@comcast.net

There are a few changes that are slowly happening, so I wanted to update everyone. My main focus for at least the next year is on Dwarf rats. I am currently working to establish the Dwarf line, so many of my upcoming breedings are for Dwarf or Dwarf carrier rats. By this time next year, I hope to have Burmese, Black Eyed Siamese and Russian Blue Dwarf rats. Eventually, I hope to be working exclusively with Dwarves.

This means that during the transition, I will be doing a few more breedings than normal to establish specific colors, coat types and markings in Dwarf carrier rats. I will also be doing a few more breedings of Standard females 4-5 months of age with Dwarf males. This is only done because the size difference is so great that most 6 month old females are too large for a breeding with a Dwarf male to be successful.

Once the traits I am looking for are established in the Dwarf lines, the number of available litters will dwindle. I plan to only have a litter available every 2-4 months, and since they would all be Dwarves, the litters would be much smaller and therefore there will be less rats available to be adopted.

I am updating the News with this information now because I want to let anyone who may only be interested in adopting Standard rats from me know that I will only be working with them for a limited time, though there will still be Standard rats available at least until the end of this year.

Fiona's Litter, Adoption Process Change and Website Updates

2009-04-13T20:15:00.000-07:00

Fiona delivered her litter in the early morning hours of April 6th. Her litter of 5 are doing very well, and Fiona is doing a wonderful job as a new mother. Looks like there are 3 Black Hooded females, 1 UK Mink Hooded female and 1 Agouti Mismarked Hooded male. More information and pictures of this litter can be found here: http://www.serendipityrats.com/LoganxFiona.html

I recently made changes to the Adoption Process. Due to a number of non-responsive potential adopters on my Wait List, I decided to charge a $5 non-refundable deposit to be added to the list. The deposit will be deducted from the total fees for the rats that are adopted. This change is effective for all new applications received after April 8, 2009. Please see the Adoption Process page for further details: http://www.serendipityrats.com/AdoptionProcess.html

I have also switched to a different form builder program and have changed my Adoption Application slightly. This is not a big change, and does not affect anyone who has already submitted an application.

Also, I've created some new pages over the past few weeks. These pages include information on general rat care, rat product reviews, sexing rats, comparisons of male and female rats and a breeding policies page. The following links will take you to the new pages:

Breeding and Rodentry Policies http://www.serendipityrats.com/FAQBreeder.html

Sexing Rats http://www.serendipityrats.com/SexingRats.html

Males or Females? The Gender Debate http://www.serendipityrats.com/GenderDebate.html

General Rat Care and Product Reviews http://www.serendipityrats.com/FAQRatCare.html
(still under construction)

Please check out those pages and fee free to send me any feedback via email!
serendipityrodentry@comcast.net

Orchid's Litter Has Arrived!

2009-03-31T22:37:00.001-07:00

Orchid delivered her litter of 13 little ones in the early morning hours of March 31, 2009. The delivery went very smoothly, and Orchid is doing a wonderful job of being a first-time mother. There are 7 boys and 6 girls, all with Black eyes. This litter will most likely all be Black with the slight possibility for a few Burmese. To visit the litter page, please follow this link:
http://www.serendipityrats.com/BonsaixOrchid.html

What I find especially interesting is that Orchid's mother, Lotus, also delivered a litter of 13 with the same gender count - 7 boys and 6 girls. If you would like to see Lotus' litter, please follow this link: http://www.serendipityrats.com/BjornxLotus.html

In other news, Rogues babies are now 3 weeks old and doing great! These guys and girls are so much fun, and there is a really nice variety in this litter. Reserves for this litter have started - those on the Wait List are currently being contacted in order to reserve their little ones. ;)

Rogue's Litter

2009-03-17T09:19:00.001-07:00

Rogue delivered her litter of 14 on March 11th, 2009. Rogue's litter got off to a rough start, but seems to have stabilized. The delivery was difficult, and quite a few of the babies had moderate bruising. The four that had the most significant bruising did not make it, leaving us with ten little ones in the litter - 5 girls and 5 boys. The remaining babies are doing very well, and Rogue has been keeping them warm and well fed. I am fairly sure at this point that all 10 will make it. :)

There are some surprises in this litter, marking-wise. Looks like we have quite a few babies that are Barebacks, one Capped and quite a few with headspots. I finally got up the Baby Development page for this litter, and posted pictures of the boys and girls. If you would like to see these pictures, please follow this link: http://www.serendipityrats.com/RiverxRogue.html

Luna's litter has now gone home to their new families, with three little ones staying at SERR. I will be working on their updated individual pictures and pages over the next few days.

New Addition and a Visitor

2009-03-04T11:29:00.000-08:00

We have a new additon to the family - PH Moxie SERR! She is a tiny Wheaten Burmese Dwarf who definitely lives up to her name. She is very spunky and playful. Thank you to Meghan of Paper Heart Rats for this wonderful girl!

We currently have a visitor from Paper Heart Rats - PH Fiona. She is visiting for a co-breeding with Cama Touch Too Much SERR. The pair were placed together on March 2nd, and if this attempt was successful, we should expect a litter on or around March 23rd. More information on this pairing can be found on the Planned Breedings page: http://www.serendipityrats.com/PlannedBreedings.html

Reservations Starting Soon for Luna's Litter

2009-02-23T07:54:00.000-08:00

I am actually running a bit behind on this litter, so I apologize in advance. Today I plan to get individual pictures of Luna's litter and start contacting those on the Wait List to get this litter reserved. Of course, before reservations officially start, a Wait List Updates email will be sent out to those on the Wait List. :)

These babies are doing really well. Their eyes began to open on Saturday, and all 9 are very active and exploring their nursery cage.

Luna's Litter Has Arrived!

2009-02-13T16:42:00.000-08:00

Luna delivered a litter of 9 on February 6, 2009. There are 6 boys and just 3 girls. All 9 babies are doing very well, and Luna is a wonderful mother. For more information and pictures of this litter, please check out their litter page: http://www.serendipityrats.com/ZenxLuna.html

Pick Ups are starting this week for the current litter - Cama Vertigo SERR x Cama Calypso SERR. If you have babies reserved and have not yet finalized your pick up date and time, please email me asap.

I have updated the Planned Breedings page, as well as added a new page - Male or Female? Determining Gender. This last page is still a work in progress, so look for updates coming soon. :)

Reserves Have Started and Website Updated

2009-01-27T18:16:00.000-08:00

Reserves for my current litter have begun! Which means individual pictures of the babies are now available on the litter page.

I finally managed to get the website updated with a page for my keeper girl (SERR Orchid) from Lotus' litter and some new planned breedings.

In other news, it would appear that Jitterbug is unable to conceive. After multiple unsuccessful attempts to breed her, I have decided to retire her. She will be available for adoption to a pet-only home soon.

Calypso's babies......and Jitterbug.....

2009-01-14T20:43:00.000-08:00

Calypso's babies are doing great! The gender count is 4 girls and 9 boys! Looks like we have mostly Blacks, a handful of Red-Eyed Siamese and two Black-Eyed Siamese in this litter. Pictured above is one of the Manx babies - looks like he will be a Black Berkshire Velveteen. :)

In other news, Jitterbug went back into heat today, so instead of placing her back with Zen, she was placed with Vertigo to try once again. They were together most of today, and if this breeding took (crosses fingers), she will be due February 4th.

Babies Have Arrived! :)

2009-01-11T15:25:00.000-08:00

Calypso was indeed pregnant after all - she just waited for the last minute to show. She delivered her litter of 13 early this morning, and all babies are doing well. Calypso is a very attentive mother, and all of the little ones are warm and have full milk bellies. :)

More information on this litter can be found here:

http://www.serendipityrats.com/VertigoxCalypso.html

Change of Plans...

2009-01-06T08:36:00.000-08:00

So, there has been a bit of a change in plans. As you all know, Calypso and Jitterbug were both placed with Vertigo on Dec. 20th. Last night, Jitterbug went back into heat - so the breeding did not take. Since this was the second try with Vertigo, I decided to place Jitterbug with Zen instead. They were together overnight, and if this breeding takes, we will have babies on or around the 27th.

Calypso so far is about the same. At this point I am unsure of if she is pregnant or not. Being this close to her due date, she should have a nice, rounded belly - but so far she does not. I have not noticed her go back into heat, so I will be watching her closely over the next few days. If she does go back into heat, she will be placed back in with Vertigo. ;)

Please keep your fingers crossed!! :)

Two Adult Girls Available for Adoption!

2008-12-30T21:13:00.000-08:00

I currently have two wonderful adult girls available for adoption.

*Update* These girls have found their new home. :)

In other news, Jitterbug seems to be getting a bit of a baby belly. Calypso still looks as svelte as ever, but with 1.5 weeks away from their due date, it is still a bit hard to tell for sure if both girls are indeed pregnant. I will be updating the blog and the website a little closer to their due date. :)

New pictures of the babies available now!

2008-12-10T18:26:00.000-08:00

I finally got updated pictures of the little ones, and I must say I am very pleased with them. I went with a Christmas theme, and had a few different props for them to play with. They seemed to really enjoy the photo shoot!

Please check them out on the litter page: http://www.serendipityrats.com/BjornxLotus.html

Also, just as a reminder, the pick up for this litter is this Sunday at 3pm. I will be sending out a reminder email Friday with all the information for this pick up. Look for another update then! :)

Baby Update

2008-11-22T22:54:00.000-08:00

The 13 little ones are doing very well! They are just starting to open their eyes and wander about the maternity cage. Since they are now up and active, Lotus and babies will be moved into one of my new baby cages - a Martin's R-660. This will help prepare the little ones for their new homes, and get them used to a variety of cage accessories.

I hope to get individual pictures of all the babies today (Monday at the latest), and I will be going through the Wait List to reserve these babies over the next two weeks.

To keep up with their progress, please see the Baby Development page:
http://www.serendipityrats.com/BjornxLotus.html

More updates coming soon! :)

Baby Update

2008-11-15T09:57:00.000-08:00

Lotus' little ones are doing wonderfully! It looks like all the expected colors are coming out in this litter, and we have a good amount of Rex and Dumbo babies. The full breakdown of this litter will be updated tomorrow. :)

For new pictures of the babies, check out Bjorn and Lotus' litter page:
http://www.serendipityrats.com/BjornxLotus.html

I have also been taking group pictures of these babies every day to show their development. Those pictures can be found here:
http://www.serendipityrats.com/BabyDevelopment.html

More updates coming soon! :)

Babies Are Here!

2008-11-09T14:28:00.000-08:00

My lovely girl, Lotus, delivered 13 babies yesterday evening. :)

All of the little ones are doing extremely well, and I have updated the website with pictures and information on the babies. You can learn more on the Current Litters page:
http://www.serendipityrats.com/CurrentLitters.html

2008-11-02T09:44:00.000-08:00

Just a few quick updates for everyone! ;)

I will be working a bit on the website today - nothing big though, just general updates. I hope to get more information in on the Dwarf rat page and possibly update some pictures.

Other than that, I have been watching both Lotus and Luna over the past 2 weeks for signs of pregnancy. I have not noticed either girl go back into heat after the breedings were completed, and there are a few other signs of pregnancy as well. We have one more week until the big day, so I will be sure to keep everyone updated on their progress. :)

We're Expecting!

2008-10-22T08:31:00.000-07:00

Good news for all - breedings for two sets (BjornxLotus and BonsaixLuna) were completed on Saturday, October 18th. If everything goes well, we should have babies born on or around the 8th of November.

I really cannot wait for these litters to arrive. :)

The NEW Home of Serendipity Rodentry News!

2008-10-16T20:20:00.000-07:00

I decided that I just needed an easier way to do the Rodentry news - and this is it! I have condensed the previous news listings into the very first post, and will be updating everything here from now on. ;)

So, current news - all of the little ones from Paper Heart Rattery have passed quarantine and are settled in with their groups. Everyone is doing very well, and I am so very pleased with all of my current rats - I really could not be happier. :)

There are two breedings coming up very soon - DNSR Bjorn SERR x Cama Lotus SERR and Cama Bonsai x Cama Luna SERR. These two pairs will be placed together within the next two weeks, and a new SERR Wait List Update email will be sent out very soon.

Other than that, it's business as usual around here. Please check back in for more updates soon! :)

Older News - Condensed ;)

2008-10-16T17:04:00.000-07:00

August 25, 2008
My new little ones from Paper Heart Rattery have arrived! All four babies are now in quarantine, and doing very well. A big Thank You to Meghan for these gorgeous little ones. :)Also, I am happy to announce our first litter is now on its way! DNSR Velvet is due to deliver her litter on or around September 9th. Please check out their Litter Page for any updates. The Dwarf Rat page is now up and accessible. Just note that it is still under construction, so more info will be added soon.

August 3, 2008
I am pleased to announce more incoming additions to my rat family! In a few weeks, we will be welcoming four little ones from Paper Heart Rattery! More information will be coming soon on these new additions. In other news, the Virtual Tour page has been updated to give you a full view of The Rodentry. I've also put together an online Adoption Application that can be submitted right from the website. ;)
I'll also be working on a new page all about Dwarf Rats. Right now, it is still in progress, but hopefully I'll have it up and running very soon.

July 23 2008
The DNSR rats have now made it out of quarantine and are settled in at home. Both Bjorn and Velvet integrated into their respective cages with no issues what so ever, and everyone seems to accept and enjoy their new cagemates.

June 30, 2008
My NARR numbers have arrived, and all of my rats' pages have been updated with their individual NARR numbers. All of the Cama rats have now made it through their 3 week quarantine and are settled in at home. :)
I've got new additions! Two wonderful rats (DNSR Bjorn and DNSR Velvet from Dunasky Rattery in DE) are currently in quarantine. These two are actually related to my previous lines, and I am hoping they will make wonderful additions to the SERR family. =)
Last, but not least, I've added two new pages - a Feeding Time page all about the food my rats receive, and a Virtual Tour that shows examples of my cages. Please take a few minutes to check those out!

June 22, 2008
All of the new rats now have some decent pictures, info and their pedigrees posted on each of their pages. Please do take a few minutes to check them all out! :)
Also, I have already got all of their NARR paperwork completed, and will be sending that off this week. So hopefully everyone will be registered within the next few weeks. I will be posting more possible breedings as well, so please do check out the Planned Breedings page. I will be setting up the waiting list for litters soon, and should open reserves in August. =)

June 9, 2008
** They Are Finally Here! **
I am extremely excited to announce the arrival of my new rats! Nine rats total made the long journey from Cama Rattery in Colorado yesterday. They are all currently in quarantine, and doing very well! I do not currently have pictures of these guys, but I will be trying a short photoshoot a bit later today. I want to send out a huge Thank You! to Amy of Cama Rattery for being so incredibly wonderful and helping me out with these gorgeous babies. :)

June 8, 2008
The entire rescue litter has now gone home with their new families! Also, just wanted to state that there will be some big updates and new pages added to the website over the next week - so please check back in soon!

May 30, 2008
I am happy to announce that the entire rescue litter has been reserved, and everyone will be going to their new homes this weekend! :)They are just in time, too...since my new pedigreed babies will be arriving soon! I don't want to give too much information about them just yet, as I'm afraid I may jinx myself (yes, I'm a bit superstitious)...but I'm terribly excited and wanted to keep everyone semi-updated. ;)

April 12, 2008
Currently we have a rescue litter of 10 that is being raised here. These little guys are doing great, and should be available for new homes by early June. If you are interested in more information or pictures, please visit the Available Rats page or email me. There is NO adoption fee for these babies, but an approved Adoption Application is needed to reserve a rat or two from this litter.

April 1, 2008
The only news to report so far is that I will be restarting my Rodentry, but it will take awhile. I am currently working with other breeders to obtain some fantastic rats to restart my breeding program. I am hoping to include basically the same colors as I previously had available, and some new varieties - American Blue, Blue Agouti, Black, Burmese, Siamese and Black Eyed Siamese in Standard, Rex and possibly Velveteen coats, Standard and Dumbo ears. I'll also be working with Dwarves and Downunders. ;)For now, I'm rebuilding the website one page at a time. Some things are unavailable, but don't worry - they'll be up and running soon. I'll be updating every few weeks, so please check back! :)