And what would you put the ethics at of buying rats from a pet shop?
I've been checking out rat rescues and would prefer to go that way. But the place I think I will be in makes it highly likley that I won't find a decent breeder or a rescue for atleast 300km.
Would 300km be an unfair distance to travel a rat in very hot weather?
I guess I can't comment too much on pet store buying; my rats were from the feeder bin at Petco. It's not something I would
recommend, just because you're usually taking a gamble with their health, but I'm not bothered if people do. There just aren't many rat breeders out there, and shelters aren't exactly full of them either, at least from what I can tell. So sometimes it is the only option unless you're willing to drive a significant distance. If rat breeders and shelters were as readily available as they are for dogs, then I'd feel the same about buying rats at pet stores as I do about dogs. But, they're not as available, so I view it differently.
I'm thinking that distance would be a bit much, if it's really that hot out and there's no air conditioning. There are ways to keep them cool, I'd just be really worried about it... but I've never traveled with rats, so maybe I'm underestimating their ability to handle it. I got paranoid when my dad "had" to stop at Starbucks when we were on our way home from the pet store after buying my rats.
