Privacy Policy

Welcome to The Rat World, the ultimate online destination for rat lovers. We are a team of passionate rat enthusiasts who want to share our knowledge and experience with other rat owners and admirers. Whether you are looking for tips on how to care for your rats, reviews of the best rat products, or stories of amazing rat adventures, you will find it all here on The Rat World.

We respect your privacy and are committed to protecting your personal information. This privacy policy explains how we collect, use, share and protect your personal information when you visit our website or use our services. Please read this policy carefully and contact us if you have any questions or concerns. By using our website or services, you agree to the terms of this policy and consent to our processing of your personal information as described in this policy. If you do not agree with this policy, please do not use our website or services.

What information do you collect?

We collect various types of personal information from our visitors and customers, depending on how they interact with our website and services. Personal information is any information that can identify you or be linked to you, such as your name, email address, IP address, etc. We collect personal information in the following ways:

• When you register for an account on our website, we collect your name, email address, password and any other information you choose to provide in your profile.
• When you subscribe to our newsletter or other marketing communications, we collect your email address and your preferences for receiving such communications.
• When you purchase products or services from us or our partners, we collect your name, email address, billing address, shipping address, payment information and order details.
• When you contact us with questions or feedback, we collect your name, email address and the content of your message.
• When you participate in our surveys, contests or promotions, we collect your name, email address and any other information you provide in response to the survey, contest or promotion.
• When you visit our website or use our services, we automatically collect certain information about your device and usage through cookies and other tracking technologies. This may include your IP address, browser type and version, operating system, device type, screen resolution, referring URL, pages visited, time spent, clicks made, search queries entered and other similar data.

We use cookies and other tracking technologies to enhance your user experience, remember your preferences, provide personalized content and recommendations, analyze traffic and performance and deliver targeted advertising. You can learn more about how we use cookies and how to opt out of them in the section below titled “How do users opt out of cookies?”.

How do you use the information?

We use the personal information we collect for various purposes, such as to:

• Provide our website and services to you and fulfill your requests and orders.
• Communicate with you about our website and services, such as to send you confirmations, notifications, updates, newsletters and marketing communications.
• Respond to your inquiries and feedback and provide customer support.
• Administer our surveys, contests and promotions and notify you of the results.
• Improve our website and services, such as to analyze user behavior, measure performance, test new features and functionalities and optimize user experience.
• Personalize our website and services, such as to remember your preferences, provide relevant content and recommendations and tailor advertising to your interests.
• Protect our website and services, such as to detect, prevent and address fraud, security breaches or other illegal or unauthorized activities.
• Comply with our legal obligations, such as to respond to subpoenas, court orders or other lawful requests from authorities.

We will only use your personal information for the purposes for which we collected it, unless we reasonably consider that we need to use it for another reason that is compatible with the original purpose. If we need to use your personal information for an unrelated purpose, we will notify you and explain the legal basis that allows us to do so.

How do you share the information?

We do not sell or rent your personal information to third parties for their own purposes. However, we may share your personal information with third parties in the following circumstances:

• Service providers: We may share your personal information with third-party service providers who help us operate our website and services, such as hosting, payment processing, analytics, email delivery, etc. We only share the information that is necessary for them to perform their services and we require them to protect your personal information and use it only in accordance with our instructions and this policy.
• Partners: We may share your personal information with our partners who offer products or services that may be of interest to you or that complement our website and services. For example, we may share your name and email address with a partner who sells rat cages or toys. We will obtain your consent before sharing your personal information with our partners for marketing purposes and you can opt out of receiving such communications at any time.
• Advertisers: We may share your personal information with third-party advertisers who display ads on our website or services. We may also use third-party advertising networks or platforms that collect and use your personal information to deliver targeted ads to you on our website or services or on other websites or apps that you visit. These advertisers may use cookies and other tracking technologies to collect and use your personal information such as your IP address, browser type, device type, pages visited, time spent, clicks made, search queries entered and other similar data. They may also combine this data with other data they have about you from other sources. You can learn more about how these advertisers use your personal information and how to opt out of their tracking and advertising in the section below titled “How do users opt out of cookies?”.
• Affiliates: We may share your personal information with our affiliates, which are companies that are owned by us or under common control with us. We will treat any personal information shared with our affiliates in accordance with this policy.
• Legal reasons: We may share your personal information with law enforcement agencies, courts, regulators or other authorities if we believe that it is necessary to comply with a legal obligation, to protect our rights or property, to prevent fraud or other illegal activities or to protect the safety of any person.

We take appropriate measures to ensure that any third party that we share your personal information with respects and protects your privacy rights in accordance with this policy and applicable laws and regulations. However, we are not responsible for the privacy practices of these third parties and we encourage you to review their privacy policies before providing them with any personal information.

How do you store and protect the information?

We store the personal information we collect on secure servers located in the United States. We retain your personal information for as long as necessary to fulfill the purposes for which we collected it, unless a longer retention period is required or permitted by law. For example, we may keep your personal information for as long as you have an account with us, to comply with our legal obligations, to resolve disputes or to enforce our agreements.

We use various technical and organizational measures to protect your personal information from unauthorized access, use, disclosure, alteration or destruction. For example, we use encryption, firewalls, passwords, access controls and other security tools and practices to safeguard your personal information. However, no method of transmission over the Internet or method of electronic storage is 100% secure and we cannot guarantee the absolute security of your personal information. You are responsible for keeping your password and account details confidential and for notifying us immediately if you suspect any unauthorized activity on your account.

What are your users’ rights?

Depending on where you live and under what laws and regulations your personal information is processed, you may have certain rights regarding your personal information. These rights may include:

• The right to access: You can request a copy of your personal information that we hold and verify how we use it.
• The right to rectification: You can request that your personal information be corrected or updated if it is inaccurate or incomplete.
• The right to erasure: You can request that your personal information be deleted or removed from our systems if you no longer want it processed by us, unless we have a legal obligation or a legitimate interest to keep it.
• The right to object: You can object to certain types of processing of your personal information if you have legitimate grounds to do so, such as for direct marketing purposes.
• The right to restrict processing: You can request that your personal information be temporarily suspended from processing if you have valid reasons to do so, such as if you contest the accuracy or the lawfulness of the processing.
• The right to data portability: You can request that your personal information be transferred to another service provider in a structured and commonly used format if it is technically feasible and if the processing is based on your consent or a contract with us.
• The right to withdraw consent: You can withdraw your consent at any time for any processing that is based on your consent. This will not affect the lawfulness of the processing before you withdrew your consent.

If you wish to exercise any of these rights, please contact us using the contact details provided below. We will respond to your request within a reasonable time frame and in accordance with applicable laws and regulations. We may ask you to provide proof of identity or other information before we can process your request. We may also charge a reasonable fee or refuse to comply with your request if it is manifestly unfounded or excessive.

How do users exercise their rights?

If you have any questions or requests regarding your personal information or this policy, you can contact us by: Emailing us at [email protected]

We will do our best to address your concerns and resolve any issues you may have. However, if you are not satisfied with our response or believe that we are not processing your personal information in accordance with the law, you have the right to lodge a complaint with the relevant data protection authority in your jurisdiction.

How do users opt out of cookies?

Cookies are small pieces of data that are stored on your device when you visit a website. They help us to improve your experience on our website by remembering your preferences, personalizing content and ads, and providing analytics and insights. Some cookies are essential for our website to function properly, while others are optional and can be disabled by you.

You can opt out of cookies or change your cookie settings at any time by using the cookie banner that appears when you first visit our website or by adjusting your browser settings. You can also delete any cookies that have already been stored on your device. However, please note that disabling or deleting cookies may affect the functionality and performance of our website.

For more information about how we use cookies and how you can manage them, please read our Cookie Policy.

How do users opt out of marketing communications?

We may send you marketing emails or other communications from time to time to inform you about our products, services, offers, events, news and updates that may be of interest to you. You can opt out of receiving these communications at any time by clicking on the unsubscribe link at the bottom of each email or by contacting us at [email protected].

We may also share your personal information with our partners or affiliates who may send you marketing communications that may be relevant to you. You can opt out of receiving these communications at any time by following the instructions provided by them or by contacting us at [email protected].

For more information about how we use your personal information and how you can exercise your rights, please read our Privacy Policy.

How do users contact us with questions or complaints?

If you have any questions or complaints regarding our privacy policy or practices, please feel free to contact us at [email protected]. We will respond to your inquiry as soon as possible.

You also have the right to lodge a complaint with a supervisory authority in your country if you believe that we have violated your privacy rights.

For more information about how we handle complaints and disputes, please read our Privacy Policy.

How do we update our privacy policy?

We may update our privacy policy from time to time to reflect changes in our business operations, legal requirements, industry standards or best practices. We will notify you of any material changes by posting a notice on our website or by sending you an email. The date at the top of this page indicates when this policy was last updated.

We encourage you to review this policy periodically to stay informed about how we collect, use and share your personal information. Your continued use of our website after we make any changes constitutes your acceptance of those changes.