Freighting Rats
In Australia our ratteries are pretty scattered out. Particularly for those rat lovers who live in rural areas it can be difficult to find rat breeders nearby. Fortunately freighting rats is a good option for people fitting this description - but sometimes the freighting process is a little unclear.
Please note that this article is only a brief outline of how the freighting process works. To get exact pricing details or to find out if your nearest airport will accept live animals, give Australian Air Express a call. AAE is the airline most people use to freight rats.
Rat Freight Prices
The minimum charge for freighting rats within Australia (to the best of my knowledge) is $60-$65AUD. This price will increase if the container is larger than their minimum size, if the weight is over 1kg, if the trip is an unusually long flight or if it requires connecting flights. I've heard that the minimum container size is 30cm x 15cm x 15cm. For the best details on how much your particular rat flight will cost, contact AAE.
Sending Rats for Freight
When sending your rats for freight it's always a good idea to call up AAE and book first. This will ensure that your particular airport will take live animals, and that the particular flight has enough room for your rats. Obviously you will need to make sure that the receiver will be available to pick up their rats when they arrive.
Preparing Rats for Freight
There are a couple of guidelines I always use when sending my rats for freight.
- Rats are always freighted in pairs of 2 or more. This ensures that the rats have eachother for companionship and reduces their stress levels.
- The rats aren't sneezing, rattling or are showing any symptoms of sickness. Not only is this common courtesy for the receiver, but battling an illness on top of freight is unneeded stress for the rats.
- The rats are not pregnant or nursing. Again, this is unneeded stress for the rats.
Click on the thumbnail to enlarge.
The majority of rat breeders, including myself, use a plastic fish container to send rats in. This particular container is commonly found in pet shops or stores like Big W, K-Mart, etc. You can see a picture of it on the right.
Fill your container up with a lot of shredded newspaper to keep the rats feeling safe and contained. If you have a small box, also include it as a hidey hole. Add a bit of food for them to nibble on but never include liquid water. This will get tipped over within the first 10 minutes and they'll have a very wet trip. A good alternative to using water for keeping your rats hydrated is to get a bit of juicy fruit (like apples) and make a small bowl out of foil. The juice will drip to bottom of the foil allowing your rats to have a drink throughout the trip.
It's a good idea to wrap your container religiously with masking tape. This will secure the lid to the container and also keep your rats calm by covering the sides. Perhaps leave one side of the container unblocked so that they can look out. I usually tape signs to either side of the container with "Live baby animals" written on it. On the top of the container tape a piece of paper with the receivers name and phone number on it, as well as your own.
Generally rats take the trip very well with little stress involved if these procedures are all kept in mind.
Receiving Rats From the Airport
Picking up your rats is generally simple - you just have to turn up at the right time and take the container home! If you aren't sure where to go, you can ask the airport staff or give them a call beforehand. Usually the rats will be grateful to get out of their container so let them out for a play as soon as possible and give them some water.
List of Australian Ratteries Who Freight
Are you interested in getting some rats freighted to you? Not all rat breeders will freight
because they may live far away from an airport or aren't up for the struggle. I've compiled
a list of Australian ratteries who will freight. We also have a list of rat
breeders on our links page to view.
Are you a rattery who is willing to freight? Please send in your link!
|
Questions/Comments