About Me/ Contact Info

 WHO I AM.... 

My name is Shawna Laufer. I am a wife, a mother of 2 little girls, owner of 2 dogs (Cayman- long haired dachshund & Zoey- toy poodle), 2 cats (Sterling-gray tabby & Milo- orange tabby), 2 guinea pigs (Ginger & Meep)...and to break up rolling all doubles... 7 rats (Aniston, Scarlett No- Haira, Chelsea, Paisley, Pip, Emerson, and Cicero)

My love for rats has earned me the nickname "The Rat Whisperer" by several co-workers I have had in the past while employed with various pet stores and veterinary clinics. Besides being obsessed with the little buggers, people say I have a way with them- an understanding, which dubbed me the nickname. I was the 'brave' and/or 'crazy' girl that would take a completely unsolicited, terrified feeder rat from its tiny confinement and smother it in kisses and have it riding on my shoulder in no time flat. I was the one others turned to for advice on their own pet rats, despite having any formal education on animal behavior or health, other than the little bit I picked up here and there. The name seemed pretty fitting, and so it stuck around, long after the rats in my life were around.

My obsession for creating the best life for my ratties motivated me to start this blog- to share with other rat enthusiast like myself while giving myself a creative outlet.

CONTACT ME:

The Rat Whisperer
c/o Shawna Laufer
2672 N Osceola Rd
Avon Park, FL 33825

contactme@ratwhisperer.net

THE RAT THAT STARTED IT ALL...

1998

I can't believe I still have this... a scrapbook page I made of my first rat...the big squishy boy that started my love for ratties, Puck. I got him when I was 18 years old. I was working in a pet store (Animal Kingdom, Ft Myers) and he was a "jumbo feeder" rat and was getting picked on in the 10 gallon aquarium tank they kept him and four or five other large male rats. I rescued him, fell in love with him, then later got an all white female rat I named Bacardi. I later had a small litter that I found homes for some and sold the others to a pet store (pets only!), minus the little female I kept that I named Salem. These pictures were taken soon after Bacardi had passed away. I decided to make a scrapbook page when I was grieving her loss. Its sad that rats don't live as long as many other pets and I wanted a way to remember how special they were to me.

In the years following I have had rats and have loved how intelligent, loving, and fun these little pets can be. I taught him how to 'play basketball' in which he would take that little cat ball you see in the photos above, and put it through a little hoop I made.

Puck will always have a special place in my heart.

R.I.P my sweet boy.

Please note that in these pictures you will see that I was using cedar chips in the travel cage in the middle photo and pine shavings in the lower photos. I have learned a lot after getting Puck and learned even more about rats since then including the dangers of cedar and other softwood litters such as pine. I switched to a paper litter when Puck became elderly and I have used safer litter since then. 

 I DO NOT RECOMMEND OR USE THESE TYPES OF SHAVINGS NOW.

My Rainbow Bridge Rats

Puck~ Bacardi~ Salem~ Shy~ Bandi~D'Artagnan~ Phoebe~Topanga

Mateo~ DeNiro~Pacino~Joey~ Chandler~ Phineas