Some good news!! Test results came back today and were negative! However, that does unfortunately mean that the ratties that were/are having congestion issues are naturally more respiratory sensitive  I've marked down which ones are showing issues, and whether they are more concerning or mildly irritating (for the rats). The more concerning cases will not be available to the public, but the mild cases I will likely make available to experienced owners with any and all information I have on the symptoms I noticed while here. The majority of the ratties have been, and remain, healthy though!
Since all of the litters are now old enough to go to new homes, I will be working on getting their updated pictures posted asap. Tomorrow is my last day of work (well, my main job), meaning I'll have the summer off, so I should be able to finalize the pictures, get them posted, and update everyone on when reservations can happen by the weekend. Please bear with me, as I am still working on some of the personal things going on. I will finally have a bit more time on my hands for the media side of the critters soon though!
Thank you all for your kindness and patience lately!

     **All adoptions are currently halted. I suspect SDAv may have somehow spread to my rats. I am waiting on test results before further action can be taken.**
     I apologize for the delayed announcement. I thought I had published a post about this, but it didn't seem to go through. A few weeks ago, I noticed some of my rats getting sneezy. Sniffles during seasonal changes are to be expected, but I saw one of the babies with a swollen neck/lymph nodes. This is one of the main symptoms of SDAv, a viral infection that attacks their immune systems. Thankfully, this cannot be passed to humans, or any of my other critters. However, the other animals can carry it for a time and spread it back to the rats, so all breeding and adoptions have been halted until I get my results back. 
     If the test comes back positive, I will remain closed until the end of June while the virus burns out. There isn't a cure, so unfortunately, it has to burn out naturally. If the test comes back negative, I'll take note of the rats that were sneezy, especially some of the younger ones that are showing early signs of sensitivities, and will decide whether or not they are still fit for adoption. Adoptions will resume as scheduled, toward the end of this month if results are negative. 
     I also have a lot of personal matters I am currently dealing with, so I will be taking a step back from my website and social media. I know I haven't been very active as of late anyway, which I do apologize for. I do have to remind myself that I am one me running this all and balancing other aspects of my life, so taking a break is sometimes needed. 
     Thank you for your patience and understanding!

     My contact lists for the spring litters are now full. I may take additional applications if I have people drop off the lists. Otherwise, apps will open back up in May!

Enjoy a little mlem from Candy Corn! 

**Not an Availability Post**

GOT Orsa x GOT Bean Offspring!

     These little guys were born 3/3. These pictures were taken 3/4, so they have developed a bit more pigment since. Orsa had six males and two females. There are only two black eyed babies out of the litter though, one male and one female. So it seems like most will be marten. Unfortunately, that isn't my goal for the line, so I likely will only keep the black eyed female. I may keep the other female too for a separate marten line though. I will not be keeping any males from this litter. 

     Orsa is a bit of a shy mom so far, but I'm hoping that fades as the babies age.

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GOT Phoenix x GOT Kane Offspring! (2nd Litter)

     These little ones were born 3/4. I have no clue if Phoenix had other babies and they just didn't make it, but she was HUGE! For her to only have had three babies was a shock to me. Small litters are not characteristic for this line, so I'm wondering if there may have been several babies that just didn't make it. I'm glad the three boys she did have are all well though! I will be keeping one of these boys to further the line. All three are Rex as well 

    **Applications for my upcoming rat litters are now open. Spots are limited and first come, first served**
     I currently have three litters of rats born, two more for sure due in the next few days, and possibly a few more in a couple of weeks. I cannot guarantee how many will be available at this time.

​Since I'll be busy tomorrow, I wanted to post the announcement for my current litters today. 

If you are fully approved and on the waiting/contact list, I will be messaging everyone Sunday with a link around 5:15 ish. At 5:30, open/refresh the page to see the available rats. Those on the list will get the link at the same time and reservations will be first come first served. Please message me via whatever option we have been previously communicating. That way, it's easier for me to keep all your information in one area. 

Please keep in mind, there is only one me and many of you. I will respond to messages in the order they are received. All forms of contact are on equal grounds. If I have not yet replied to you, it is because I am replying to someone who messaged first, so please be patient and also understand your selections you're hoping for may not be the ones you are able to get. 

If you are not yet approved or are unaware of your status, please send me a message to finalize your application or get the process started. 

Since pairings did not take as planned, and one of the litters did not end up being healthy enough to make available, there will not be as many rats as I was originally expecting. If you'd like to wait for the next litters, it seems several did take and will be due in the next week. They will be ready around January/February.

If you have any questions, please let me know!

Important Annoucement for New Adopters!

     This is a 24 hour heads up for the next available ratties. I'll be posting them tomorrow around 5:30PM EST (it may not be right on the dot, but I try to be).
I will only have two females this time around. However, I will be waiting an additional two weeks to observe some of my other females. Some are only 10 weeks old right now, so their current shy natures may level out with a little more time. So, stay tuned for those females. I am not promising there will be more this time around though. I also have a few adult females if anyone is interested in them. There are 11 males to choose from. The number isn't as high due to the down-under litter not being available, and one of my litters only having one male. However, there are still several cuties to choose from.

To reserve:

• You must have already filled out an application AND been told you are fully approved (if you're unsure of your status, message me before reservation time!)

• Reservations are on a first come first served basis. You may reach out via text, email, or Messenger. Please use whichever method we have been communicating through so I don't have multiple communication forms to look through for one person. Reservations will be taken in order messages were received AFTER the available post has been made, not before.
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• Please be aware you may not get the rats you have had your eye on, so it is good to keep an open mind to all those available I will NOT accept bribes or additional payments to reserve different rats if they are not the ones you wanted.
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     Also, please remember to be patient. I've had a lot of people reach out to me in the last few months wanting to adopt from these litters. If I do not reply right away, please just wait. I will get to your message. There's just one of me a lots of you

     I had three new litters recently born. Check out the Nursery tab for pictures of the parents, offspring, and further details.
     If you're interested in becoming an approved adopter, send me a message for an application! 
     I may have two more litters due in the next 2-3 weeks as well. If those two females didn't take, then I may look at choosing two others and wait to pair them another time.

      For those of you that are new to adopting from me, I plan to post the remaining available babies during the week of April 19th. When it gets closer to that time, I'll make an announcement with a more accurate time and date!

     I apologize for the delay in updates on my website. I've been super busy with work, my animals, and sewing orders. I've been posting a lot on my Facebook group, Garden of Tails. If you'd like more frequent posts, that's the place to go!

      As of now, I have a whopping 8 litters - 73 babies! So, I'll be very busy caring for all of them, as well as taking pictures and cleaning cages. I will try my best to keep up to date pictures on here, so those of you not on Facebook can follow along!

      If you missed it, I did update my adoption policies. To summarize the changes, I will only be having a waiting list for approved breeders and past adopters since I'll have a developed relationship with them, and know they are not likely to back out of an adoption. For new adopters, you will be able to apply anytime. However, this does not mean I'll have babies available when you fill out your application.

     Reservations will be done in this order: myself (any keepers for future breeders), approved breeders, past adopters, and then new adopters. Once I've gotten through my past adopters, I'll post the remaining babies. Before posting them, I'll make an announcement so all the new adopters have a fair chance to see them. Reservations for the babies posted will be on a first come, first served basis. This is to give new adopters a fair chance, and also help me to not have to contact a bunch of new people, only to have them not respond or back out of adoptions.