Furball Critters 145 Thin Edge Road VISIT BY APPOINTMENT!, Santa Cruz, CA 95065

"PLEASE READ IF YOU ARE CONSIDERING PURCHASING A RAT/DWARF RAT FROM HERE. About 2 years ago I adopted 2 dwarf rat brothers from a local pet store called Animal connection (In San Francisco). (Their names were Lallo and Lucio) They were 4 months old when I had got them, and about 4 months later Lallo developed a tumor on his face. As many rat owners are aware, tumors are common in rats, but because this tumor was connected to his skull, there was nothing we could do. Lallo died pretty fast, and even with the pain killers he was prescribed to help him stay comfortable he was still in a lot of pain. After Lallo had passed, we reached out to the pet store where we had purchased them from to see where they had gotten them. The Animal connection told us that they had purchased the dwarf rats from Furball Critters in Santa Cruz. We took the long drive down to Santa Cruz from San Francisco to find a new friend for Lucio. We entered through the garage door, which led to a large room which was filled with almost 10 or more cages. In each cage there were over 10 rats, fighting, squeaking, and very obviously uncomfortable. (The cages lacked toys and space) Not to mention that the owner doesn’t separately sell feeder rats from pet rats. The place was dirty, and the rats were very clearly unhandled. They were terrified to say the least. We adopted our rat, who we named Miso, and drove home pretty much in shock. Miso was extremely aggressive, however with time we were able to show him a gentle hand and the right kind of love. 2 months after introducing Miso and Lucio, Lucio formed a tumor in the same place that his brother had. We took Lucio to UC Davis, where they determined that it was cancer, and was connected to his skull. This was a very long and expensive process, and I struggled a lot emotionally having to go through this again. Lucio died pretty quickly, and even with the pain killers he was on, he suffered. We had ultimately agreed that we would NOT return to Furball critters, and through this traumatic experience, we just hoped that Miso would not developed the same tumor. But like clock work, almost 2 months later… he did. The same tumor in the exact same place the other rats had developed theirs. Just below the ear. We returned to UC Davis, where they informed us that it was in fact the same cancer. They had then advised us not to buy rats from the place we had been because the rats were obviously inbred. (Which we assumed, but hearing this from a professional confirmed this for us.) I felt a lot of guilt for awhile, but at the end of the day I know there was nothing else I could have done. TW: Through out this entire year long process of having each of rats pass away back to back, I think the hardest part was watching this tumor grow rapidly and change their behavior and how they looked. The tumor grew so fast, and grow so huge that it would actually tear their skin. The tumor smelled awful, and it forced their heads to tilt because of how heavy and massive it was. Their teeth ended up becoming crooked, and they would scratch it constantly, causing it to bleed. But though my babies were in a lot of pain, all of them stayed affectionate and loving, so I was able to hold them and care for them in their last months, and even in their last moments. I truly wish nobody has to go through something like this, it was not easy, and draining. (I do have photos, which I will not post publicly because they are hard to see, but if anyone needs that confirmation feel free to email me.) My experience with this place was traumatic to say the least, and very depressing. If you would like to reach out to me personally for more information or details I truly encourage you to do so. I do not want to be ruthless and bash this business but I truthfully could say a lot more. At the end of the day I just hope things change for the wellbeing of these animals. (I can also recommend other places to buy/adopt, which I can confidently say are safe and humane. (I now have 2 dwarf rats who are both over a year old and extremely healthy.)"

"Couldn’t be any happier with my first hamster. Gentle, sweet. Just wish he was more outgoing like my pet mice but I understand that I shouldn’t compare different species. Overall, Kenai is being such a good pet! He loves to go out and explore outside his cage but always let me know when he wants to go back in. I’m also very touchy and he seems to like that but he also let me know when enough is enough without biting or being cranky."

"I bought two rats from Furball Critters. They're an extremely knowledgeable and passionate breeder. They let me really take my time to meet the rats and figure out which ones I wanted, and gave them a medical exam before I took them home. I would definitely recommend"

"We’ve had this little guy for about 8 months now. He came from a pet store in San Francisco that sells Furball Critters’ hamsters. He is as sweet as can be and has never bitten us (unlike hamsters I’ve gotten from chain pet stores). I truly believe this is thanks to a wonderful breeder. Highly HIGHLY recommend! P.S.- Don’t worry, he lives in a much larger enclosure than the one pictured in this review."