If you answered no to any of the questions then breeding isn't for you.

Why do you want to breed?
If you want to breed to make some money you better think again. I don't make a profit from breeding. While I sell all my kittens that doesn't even come close to what the rats cost me. By the time I buy their food, bedding and replace toys and cages I am normally in the red. You also need to think about what happens if something goes wrong with the doe and she requires emergency surgery - could you afford the vet fees?
If you wanted to experience a litter then rather than breeding your rats, ask a breeder or a rescue centre about fostering a litter. Most won't hand the rats over straight away to you but some breeders will foster litters out to other rat owners once they get to know you. Don't be afraid to ask.

If you aren't breeding because you love the animal, then you should not be breeding at all. Breeding should be about improving the species so the health and temperament of the rats should be the most important.

Do you have room for a number of cages & more rats?
If you decide that you want to breed you need to bear in mind that you will need more cages. You will need a cage similar to a Ferplast Mary for mum to give birth in and then another cage so you can spilt the males and females when they are old enough. Your numbers will go up quite quickly so can you house the addition 12+ adults (and any babies that you can't find homes for).

Could you keep the whole litter if you couldn't find homes?
Would you be prepared to keep all the kittens if you couldn't find homes for them? If you aren't willing to then breeding certainly isn't for you. Some breeders do cull any "unwanted" kittens for all sorts of reason (and older retired rats) - this is down to your ethics.

Do you know the history of the rats you have for breeding?
If you have rats from a pet store or who are rescues then you really shouldn't be breeding them as you won't know anything about the history. You should contact a club, such as the NFRS who can provide you with a breeders list. Many breeders have website so you can check them out and find out a little more about them and their ethics.
Certain varieties work well together and this is something that you need to find out more about when you decide on a variety to work on.

Do you have enough money to cover vet fees if things should go wrong?
Vet fee aren't cheap. If something happened could you afford to cover the cost? A neuter for one of my rats cost £85 (Jan '10) and to have a lump removed from a doe was £156 (Dec '09). These are quite common charges and if you can't afford this then you should reconsider.

Can you provide a large amount of time to the kittens and rats?
How much time could you spend with a litter and any rats you own? Litters do require quite a large amount of time as they need to be well socialised and at the same time you need to spend time with your rats as well. Could you spend a few hours a day doing this? I spend around 4-5 hours everyday with my rats, giving them free-range time in the house and kittens getting to play with me.

New breeders will often find themselves overwhelmed, having too many rats, and become unable to care for them properly, which is why you need to make sure you are doing the right thing before jumping in. I spent 3 years questioning myself about breeding rats and decided that it was something I wanted to do and that I could do all the things required but it isn't easy which is why I hope, if this is something you are thinking about doing that you are doing it for the right reasons.

I am not going to go in to all the finer points about breeding here such as choosing parents and how to raise the litter. This is more a page to make you think about why you want to breed and things you need to consider before you do.

If you are still interested in breeding then I would suggest that you get yourself to a rat show to meet and talk to other breeders about their experiences as most will be more than happy to share them with you. Have a think about the variety that you would like to work with and approach breeders breeding them to find out more. Do expect to get lots of questions asked as breeders will want to make sure that you fully understand what you are taking on before giving you rats to breed from.

For more detailed information on breeding, I would highly recommend Estelle's website RATZ

I am more than happy to discuss breeding with people, however this doesn't mean I will be willing to give kittens out straight away!