Rats

Breeding Schedule:

• TLDR Rodentry generally breeds 2-3 litters every 2 months, or so.

• We do not breed to meet market demand, but rather based on our breeding goals, projects, and our capacity to provide proper care.

• We are not a rat mill and do not constantly have pups available. Raising babies and interacting with adopters takes substantial time and energy, both of which are finite resources, so waiting for pups is almost always necessary. We would also rather adopt to folks who are not just adopting rats on a whim as we want committed, educated, forever homes for all of our ratties. 

Typical wait times (for waitlist folks):

• • Males: Approximately 8-12 weeks

  • Females: Approximately 6-12 weeks

  • Dwarf rats: Approximately 12-24 weeks, very limited availability, sometimes wait times can be 6+ months depending on waitlist length 

• For no specific reason, female rats are usually more popular than males (males make excellent pets). This is a general trend, but not a rule, sometimes we have a huge spike in male interest. 

• Although you are welcome to submit an application without joining the waitlist, non-waitlist applications are generally meant for times when we have rats available immediately, or for folks who want to have an approved application on hand but aren't ready to adopt (applications are valid for 6 months). If you choose not to join our waitlist, it is hard to predict availability. We generally do not have pups available after our waitlist is fulfilled, but that is dependent on how many pups we get in each litter and how many litters we have. 

Variety, Color, etc Availability:

• Although we do have certain varieties that we work with, our first priority is temperament and health, and looks come last.

• We generally have more dumbo rats than top-eared rats, but we do have top ear.

• We will do our best to fulfill specific requests, but cannot guarantee them, as the temperament and health of our rats will always be our primary consideration.

Mice

Note: Due to only breeding the bare minimum to keep our lines going (due to time constraints), we likely will not have mice available to the public until 2026. 

A Note on Adoption Fees:

• Top Left Dream Rodentry is a hobby breeder; this is not a business, and we do not generate profit.

• We strive to keep adoption fees reasonable while maintaining ethical breeding practices. Any raise in fees is due to increased expense in caring for the animals. 

• Adoption fees cover essential care items, including high-quality food, bedding, enrichment, medical care, pathogen testing, and supplies (water bottles, dishes, cages, hammocks, etc).

• Fees are also meant to account for indirect expenses (water, electricity, website maintenance, cleaning supplies, gas to meet adopters and pickup supplies), but certainly do not cover the significant time investment in animal care and adopter interaction. 

Rats:

*Currently, all rats are sold on a NO BREEDING contract* 

Due to rising costs across the board, including vet fees, supplies and utilities, our rat adoption fees will increase to $50 (standard), $70 (dwarf) per rat. However, if you are already on our waitlist as of May 19, 2025, your adoption fee will remain at the rate in effect when you submitted your application. 

• • Pups (non-dwarf): $50 each (minimum 2)

  • Pups (dwarf): $70 each (minimum 2)

  • Young adults (holdbacks): $40 (standard), $60 (dwarf) (minimum 2)

  • Retired adults: $30 (standard), $50 (dwarf) (minimum 2)

  • $10 discount on trios of rats

  • $5 discount if you adopt a retired doe + daughter(s) (can be added to above $10 discount)

Mice:

*Pet homes sign a NO BREEDING contract.* 

• • Pups: $20 each (minimum 2)

  • Adults: $10 each (minimum 2)

Application (Step 1):

• An approved adoption application and $10 application fee is required for all adopters

• Within 3-7 days of submission, you will receive an email from TLDR regarding approval. If there are delays, usually due to an influx of applications, we will usually post on social media

• Pup availability is not known for certain until pups are 5-7 weeks old and is based on your position on the waitlist, so we cannot tell you if x pup from photos on our website, or social media are available

• For mice, if you are interested in breeding, please reach out to me for the breeder application

Reservations (Step 2) - Waitlist:

• Reservations are held when rats are 5-7 weeks old

• Approved applicants who have paid their application fee, will be contacted with a link to photos of available animals

• Within 24 hours of notification, adopters must:

  • Fill out and submit our Adoption Contract & Reservation form

  • Submit your cage photo via the above form, or email it to tldrodentry@gmail.com

  • Pay the reservation deposit (50% of the adoption fee)

Reservations (Step 2) - Available Rats Posted on Website:

• Approved applicants who have paid their application fee, can reserve pups by filling out our Adoption Contract & Reservation form when individual, available rats are posted on our website

• Rats are first come, first served once posted on our website/social media

• Please have backup rats selected, if available, in case your first choices have already been reserved

Pickup (Step 3):

• Once your reservation has been confirmed, we will send you a calendar link with available pickup dates

• The remainder of your balance (Adoption fee + Supplies Purchased - Deposit) is due upon pickup

• Please review out Pickup, Transport & Cancellation Policies below for more information

Waitlist

• Your $10 non-refundable application fee (payable via Venmo or CashApp) adds you to our waitlist. This fee is separate from the adoption fee and must be paid at the same time as the application submission. If you do not pay at the same time as the application submission and someone else submits an application after you, but pays the fee immediately, they will get on the waitlist ahead of you regardless of order of submission. 

  • Currently, we do not charge a fee for our mouse waitlist as it is generally smaller and more manageable

• To join the waitlist, you must submit an Adoption Application and pay the application fee

• Applicants are notified via email when reservations are available and are able to reserve their rats in the order that their application and application fee was submitted

• The application fee covers the time and effort involved in reading and responding to applications and maintaining the waitlist

• Joining the waitlist does not guarantee adoption approval. You must still meet our adoption criteria (appropriate housing, vet care, food, etc.).

Reservations

Rats:

• Reservations last for one week after the scheduled go-home date

• If pickup is delayed beyond one week, a non-refundable board fee of $10 per rat per week applies for up to 2 weeks. After this time, the reserved rats will be available for other adopters. 

• Photos of available rats will be sent to the reservation list, in the order the reservation was made

• We will announce photo releases on social media (Facebook, Instagram, TikTok) to give adopters time to prepare

• Specific requests for variety, eye color, etc., must be made on the Adoption Application, prior to photos being sent out

• Each photo will have the pup's Name_coat-type_color_markings_ear-type as the title for easy identification

• The reservation deposit is put towards the adoption fee, but it is non-refundable, except if the animal becomes unavailable due to illness, unforeseen circumstances, or TLDR's error.

• We reserve the right to deny adoption if the cage setup is unsuitable, but we are happy to work with willing parties to fix issues with caging all the way up until the adoption date

Mice:

• Reservations are only accepted for animals listed as "AVAILABLE" on our website, as availability is less certain before 6-12 weeks old.

• Reservations last for one week after the scheduled go-home date.

• If pickup is delayed beyond one week, a non-refundable board fee of $5 per mouse per week applies.

If you are interested in a specific mouse or rat variety that we breed, but do not currently have, please submit an Adoption Application and request to be placed on the waitlist.

Location:
We’re located in Portland, OR about 15 minutes from the airport.

Pickup

We meet all adopters in front of the Petco at 6655 NE Glisan St. Portland, OR 97213.
We ask that adopters meet us at our car as trying to carry animals + supplies all over the parking lot to different folks takes a substantial amount of time. Generally, we'll be right in front of the Petco unless there is no parking available, in which case we try to park in the parking spaces to the right of the Petco facing Glisan, we will communicate where we are regardless of location. Look for a White 2021 Subaru Crosstrek with a  TLDR and dog + hiker sticker on the back.

Shipping:
We don’t offer shipping of live animals. We are happy to ship any of our products from our Food and Supplies page, but shipping must be covered by the purchaser.

Transport Services:
We do not currently work with transport services as we do not have the time to coordinate pickups, or the flexibility to meet at whatever time the transporter arrives.

Rescheduling:

You can reschedule pickup with at least 24 hours notice once per adoption without penalty. Any subsequent reschedules require a $10 reschedule fee up to two additional times. Either way, a new pickup appointment must be made within a week. If no new appointment is scheduled, the reservation will be canceled, and the animals will be made available for others with no refund of deposit. 

Late Pickup Policy 

Please be on time for your scheduled pickup! If you anticipate being late, let us know as soon as possible. Without at least 24 hours’ notice, a $10 reschedule fee will apply (as mentioned above). We schedule pickups in 15-minute windows, so being more than 10 minutes late will likely require rescheduling. If we can still accommodate your pickup, a $10 fee will apply for any adopters more than 10 minutes late. Our late policy is strict because our time is valuable. Being late affects other adopters and disrupts our schedule, and as we balance managing our rodentry with full-time jobs, we can’t afford to wait around for late arrivals. 

Cancellation Policy:

Waitlist fees and deposits are non-refundable. However, if you provide sufficient notice of cancellation, we will allow your deposit to be applied to the next available group of animals—this can be done once. We do not hold deposits indefinitely for "future" adoptions. If you're on the waitlist, you’re allowed one cancellation without penalty, but you’ll be moved to the bottom of the list. If there are multiple cancellations or no further interest, we may remove you from the waitlist to make space for serious adopters. 

What Do I Need for Pickup?

• FOR WINTER PICKUPS - A blanket, or towel to cover up the carrier for going between cars and into your house. Mice and rats can easily get sick from cold weather. If you do not cover their carrier we cannot uphold our health guarantee. 

• A SECURE carrier, no cardboard boxes, no cloth carriers, no carriers with holes larger than 1/2 inch as they will chew, or squeeze through these 

  • If you do not provide an appropriate carrier we will provide one for you ($20 for rats, $10 for mice)

  • For mice, wire, or mesh must have 1/4 inch, or less spacing

  • For rats, wire, or mesh must have 1/2 inch, or less spacing

  • It's best if the carrier is snug, but large enough for the animals to turn around 

  • To reduce stress, provide a hide in the enclosure (especially for mice), clutter up the enclosure with packing paper, cardboard, toilet paper rolls, toilet paper, etc

  • Either use bedding, or paper towels, something soft in the bottom of the carrier 

  • Depending on how far of a drive you have, a water bottle may be a good idea

• Method of payment accepted - Cash, Venmo, CashApp

Carrier Prices

Small carrier - 2-5 mouse does, or 1 mouse buck - $15

Large carrier - 5+ mouse does, 3 rats - $25

XL carrier - 4+ rats - $35

4 oz Travel Water Bottle - $5

Seattle Delivery:

We make infrequent trips to Seattle, often only once per year and not necessarily scheduled far ahead of time. It may be 6+ months in-between trips, so unless there is no other option, this generally isn't the best option for most adopters. If this is your only option, we've outline how the trip works below. 

• You must have an approved adoption application and be on our waitlist to qualify for our Seattle Delivery

• Before each trip, we send an email to interested adopters with our current availability

• Adopters must follow the normal reservation process to reserve their animals

• Payment in full for the animal + carrier(s) + any other supplies+ delivery fee must be made within 48 hours of the trip

• Meetups are held at the QFC at 2707 Rainier Ave S, and there is a $20 delivery fee per adopter at this location (if we get enough adopters, we will decrease the fee). 

• If you are along our route to Seattle, we may be able to arrange a drop off at a public location for an additional $1.50 per mile off route. 

• Adopters must purchase the appropriate size and number of carriers for the animals that you wish to have transported to Seattle

Carrier Prices

Small carrier - 2-5 mouse does, or 1 mouse buck - $10

Large carrier - 5+ mouse does, 3 rats - $25

XL carrier - 4+ rats - $35

4 oz Travel Water Bottle - $5

Do you do pathogen testing?
We conduct annual pathogen testing on our mice and rats for a variety of pathogens, including Rat Bite Fever, Hantavirus, and Sendai virus, among others, through a certified laboratory. Our animals have tested negative for all zoonotic diseases. However, we want to emphasize that it is not possible to guarantee that our animals are completely free of pathogens, particularly in the case of Rat Bite Fever (generally Streptobacillus moniliformis in North America), negative tests only confirm that the rats are not actively shedding the bacteria. Even with negative test results, there is always a potential for undetected zoonotic, or other, diseases. Adopters should take appropriate precautions and practice proper hygiene when handling and interacting with animals and are encouraged to do their own testing if they have any concerns. Folks with young children, or who are immunocompromised, should take extra precautions with their pets. 

What if I don't pay the application fee?
If you choose not to pay the application fee you will not receive a response from us. You are welcome to wait to submit an application until you see available rats posted, but due to the influx of applications and folks who are not serious about adopting, we will not read applications that don't have their fees paid. 

What if I've already adopted from TLDR?
If you’ve adopted from us within the last year, you do not need to submit a new application, simply send us an email (you're welcome to fill out an adoption application if you'd like though). If it's been more than a year, you’ll need to submit a new application. The new application, or email, determines your current priority. Past adopters can apply their application fee to their adoption fee(s), but it is still not refundable, or transferable if you choose to back out of adopting.  

What if I'm not ready to adopt yet?
You can still join the waitlist and hold your place until you’re ready. Just let us know when you’re ready to adopt.

How far in advance can I apply?
Please don’t submit applications more than 6 months in advance unless you are interested in a Seattle trip, or dwarf rats as wait times can be upwards of 6 months. 

What are your current wait times?

Wait times for waitlist folks are now posted at the top of our Available Rats and Available Mice pages. These times are approximate but are updated regularly to ensure they remain as accurate as possible. While we occasionally have rats available for adoption immediately, there is usually a wait due to the inherit limits on how many litters we can ethically raise at one time. We don't breed to meet market demand, as this isn't a business, but rather to meet our own breeding goals while still enjoying our animals - this is a passion-driven hobby, after all!  

What forms of payment do you accept? 

For the waitlist fee and deposit we accept CashApp and Venmo. Upon pickup, we accept CashApp, Venmo, or cash. We do not currently accept PayPal as their policies do not allow the sales of live animals and they will terminate any account that violates their policies.

Do you ever come to Seattle?
On rare occasion we make trips to Seattle, often only once per year and not necessarily scheduled ahead of time. It may be 6+ months in-between trips, so unless there is no other option, this generally isn't the best option for most adopters. If that is your only option, we've outline how the trip works in our Seattle Trip section below.  

Can I adopt a single rat or mouse?

• Rats: Rats must be adopted in pairs or more, regardless of sex, even if you already have other rats. This ensures the best outcomes for everyone. On rare occasions, we may have a single adult or pup available, but we prioritize adopting out in pairs.

• Mice: Female mice must be adopted in pairs or more. Male mice, however, must be housed alone and can be adopted individually.

Can I visit Top Left Dream Rodentry?

Due to the biosecurity risk and for our own safety, we operate a closed rodentry and don’t allow in-person visits. We’re happy to provide photos of our facility, or information about how we keep our animals, within reason. Our Facilities page is under construction, but you can visit out About Us page for more information about how we keep our animals along with our Rat Care page for photos of some of our cage setups. 

Can I pick out animals at pickup, or do a "Meet and Greet"? 

We only transport animals that are being adopted that day. We don’t bring extra animals for meet and greets due to the significant biosecurity risk. Any animal that leaves our rodentry must be quarantined for 4 weeks and can't be adopted out during that period of time.

Why are dwarf rats more expensive?

Dwarf rats are priced higher due to the unique challenges in breeding them. Dwarfism is a recessive trait, requiring specific pairings to produce the healthiest dwarf pups i.e. we generally don't do dwarf to dwarf pairings, so we never have 100% dwarf litters. We also typically have fewer dwarf litters annually than standard-sized ones. Additionally, dwarf rats need a bit more specialized care and knowledge, especially when housed with standard-sized rats. While they tend to live longer and are less prone to tumors, they can be predisposed to other health issues such as adrenal tumors and obesity, which have to be selected against over time. These factors, combined with the careful breeding of our healthy and well-tempered dwarf line, contribute to their higher cost.  

Do you adopt rats out to Barn Hunt homes?

On a case-by-case basis. Please inquire about our "Dog Sport" application. Please keep in mind that all of our animals must be adopted as pets first and foremost. 

Can I get more photos of your available rats, or rats I've reserved? 

Given the large number of adopters that we engage with on a regular basis, we cannot provide additional photos to each adopter or interested party. We do our best to post candid videos and photos of current litters on social media along with providing at least 4, well-lit, photos of each pup, photos of parents and group photos. Reserved pups can be viewed on our Past Litters page, available pups can be viewed on our Available Rats or Available Mice pages. Example of our rats and mice can be found on Our Lines page along with throughout our website (all photos on this site are of past, or current animals that we've bred). Please note that, particularly with rexoid types and hairless pups, coat textures, length and color can change dramatically from week to week and even day to day as they molt. 

What do you feed your rats?
Our Rat Care Page goes over food, bedding, etc, but our rats eat a base diet of Mazuri 6F along with our nutritionally balanced, homemade grain and seed diet. They are provided with unlimited Mazuri 6F via a food hopper and are given the homemade diet throughout the week scattered throughout their enclosures. 

What do you feed your mice?

Our mice primarily eat Mazuri 6F, which they have access to at all times. They also receive a different version of our homemade diet, nutritionally balanced for mice, a few times per week scattered throughout their enclosures. 

Do you have any rats available for adoption?

Please review our Adoption Process and Waitlist & Reservation sections for details. Most rat pups are reserved before they are listed on our website. To stay informed about availability, we recommend submitting an Adoption Application and joining our waitlist.

Once reservations are fulfilled, any remaining rats will be listed on our Available Rats page. Due to the time-intensive nature of managing reservations, we may not respond to individual inquiries about availability.

Why are all of your rats on a "No Breeding" contract? 

1. Line Stability: My current lines are less than 3 years old and are still under development. I do not yet consider them stable enough to confidently adopt out to other breeders.

2. Mentorship: Breeding rats requires significant knowledge and support. I am unable to mentor new breeders at this time, and I believe it would be unethical to adopt out to unestablished breeders without ensuring they have proper guidance.

3. Responsibility: Breeding is complex, costly, and time-intensive—it’s far more than “just putting two rats together.” I will never adopt out rats solely for the purpose of producing litters, nor will I knowingly allow my rats to be bred just for the sake of "letting them have babies". 

4. Dedication: I have poured immense effort, care, and passion into developing my lines and hold their future to the highest standards. In the past, I have only adopted out to breeders with whom I already have a trusted relationship. This ensures that my animals are not placed in unethical breeding situations and that their breeding practices align with my own values.

Are your rats litter box trained? 

Generally, rats are never litter trained the way that other animals, such as cats, can be. We offer our rats a litter box but make no guarantees about how litter trained they may, or may not be. You can find more on litter training on our Rat Care page.