skinnerian5842
Member
I go to school at a university in Pennsylvania and I am part of the Psychology department. A professor in this department each Fall semester runs a "rat learning lab" in which students teach their rat a trick using positive reinforcement (treats). This professor advocates to her students what amazing and wonderful animals rats are and what great pets they make.
At the end of the lab, students can adopt their rat and their rat's cage mate (they are NEVER housed alone or let go to a student alone). We normally have no problem adopting these rats out. We typically have the entire school year to rehome. However, the university had her teach another lab this Spring semester, leaving us with many unspoken for rats than we'd normally have.
I typically take any that were not adopted and keep them over the summer, but there are far too many for me to handle financially or space-wise. Unfortunately, the university will not pay for a caretaker or give funds for keeping them at the university over the summer. Any not adopted will be humanely euthanized and given to biology. While I don't agree with this practice AT ALL, I am only a student and cannot do much to change this besides get the word out there that they need homes. :help:
I am located about one hour from Harrisburg, PA and 30 minutes from Hagerstown, MD. I will also be making several trips to Kalamazoo, MI this summer, following the turnpike through PA, OH, and MI. I am willing to bring rats to adopters anywhere along this route. I don't have set dates for these trips yet (I'm moving there for school and need to learn my way around, find an apartment, etc.), but there will be at least 3 over trips between May and August.
I am willing to travel a small distance from my home to meet any adopters with rats as well. I still need to take pictures of the ratties that are available, but I can at least at this point give information about the rats and their ages.
Pairs that are definitely for adoption:
Darryl & Stuart--Two black and white hooded with stripe down back, aged 7 months old. Both are very friendly, kiss-givers. Guaranteed to be someone's big squishes.
Felix & Alfred--Two black and white hooded with spots on bodies, aged 7 months old. Both are slightly skittish when meeting new people, but warm up very quickly. Also a pair of big squishes.
Blizzard & Thor--One Siamese point and one black and white hooded with stripe down back, aged 9 months old. Big kissers and very, very cuddly. Also a pair of big squishes.
Mae & Sprinkles--Two black and white hooded with stripe down back, aged 9 months old. Very rambunctious, slightly skittish girls, but enjoy yogis and ear scritches.
Snowflake & Tootsy--One red eyed white and one black and white hooded with stripe down back, aged 9 months old. Tootsy is a total sweetheart, but Snowflake will take a loving hand. Despite having her and handling her for 7 months, we've not been able to gain her trust. She bites, hard, and when she does she makes it a point to take a chunk of flesh with her. We would appreciate someone experienced in this area taking this pair of sisters.
Pairs that may be for adoption (the lab is not yet over so there are still students deciding on adoptions):
Alice & Louise--Two black and white hooded with stripe down back, aged 10 months old. Both are kissers and love ear scritches, but don't particularly enjoy sitting still for cuddles.
Emmy, Hermione, & Star--Blue dumbo, agouti dumbo, and cream hoodie, aged 6 months and 7 months. This is a very special set of girls. Emmy has a head tilt due to vestibular disease (after trips to the vet ear infection/pituitary tumor ruled out), Hermione has skin/sight problems, & Star has sight/hearing problems. All very sweet, loving girls. Need to go to a home with people used to caring for special needs ratties, although these girls don't require too many extra precautions.
Little ones that may be up for adoption (pending student interest):
We have 10 unnamed babies, all 2 months old.
3 cream hooded girls (some with interesting blazes)
2 black hooded girls
1 orange hooded girl
1 chocolate girl (? best way to describe her)
*All girls are currently being housed in sets of 4 due to their small size and age, but they don't necessarily have to go in a mischief of four).*
1 light blue hooded boy and 1 black with white belly boy.
We haven't had these little ones for more than a month, so individual personalities haven't yet come out for me to say much. All I have to say is they are bright eyed popcorners who already enjoy being held and handled.
PLEASE, if anyone is interested, let me know as soon as possible. Feel free to spread this around on any other rat forums or pages to get the word out. We normally don't have this problem, but with an unexpected double lab and lack of adoptions last semester, we're in a heap of trouble trying to find potential homes.
I will post pictures of these babies as soon as I take the pictures (hopefully by the end of this week).
Thank you!
At the end of the lab, students can adopt their rat and their rat's cage mate (they are NEVER housed alone or let go to a student alone). We normally have no problem adopting these rats out. We typically have the entire school year to rehome. However, the university had her teach another lab this Spring semester, leaving us with many unspoken for rats than we'd normally have.
I typically take any that were not adopted and keep them over the summer, but there are far too many for me to handle financially or space-wise. Unfortunately, the university will not pay for a caretaker or give funds for keeping them at the university over the summer. Any not adopted will be humanely euthanized and given to biology. While I don't agree with this practice AT ALL, I am only a student and cannot do much to change this besides get the word out there that they need homes. :help:
I am located about one hour from Harrisburg, PA and 30 minutes from Hagerstown, MD. I will also be making several trips to Kalamazoo, MI this summer, following the turnpike through PA, OH, and MI. I am willing to bring rats to adopters anywhere along this route. I don't have set dates for these trips yet (I'm moving there for school and need to learn my way around, find an apartment, etc.), but there will be at least 3 over trips between May and August.
I am willing to travel a small distance from my home to meet any adopters with rats as well. I still need to take pictures of the ratties that are available, but I can at least at this point give information about the rats and their ages.
Pairs that are definitely for adoption:
Darryl & Stuart--Two black and white hooded with stripe down back, aged 7 months old. Both are very friendly, kiss-givers. Guaranteed to be someone's big squishes.
Felix & Alfred--Two black and white hooded with spots on bodies, aged 7 months old. Both are slightly skittish when meeting new people, but warm up very quickly. Also a pair of big squishes.
Blizzard & Thor--One Siamese point and one black and white hooded with stripe down back, aged 9 months old. Big kissers and very, very cuddly. Also a pair of big squishes.
Mae & Sprinkles--Two black and white hooded with stripe down back, aged 9 months old. Very rambunctious, slightly skittish girls, but enjoy yogis and ear scritches.
Snowflake & Tootsy--One red eyed white and one black and white hooded with stripe down back, aged 9 months old. Tootsy is a total sweetheart, but Snowflake will take a loving hand. Despite having her and handling her for 7 months, we've not been able to gain her trust. She bites, hard, and when she does she makes it a point to take a chunk of flesh with her. We would appreciate someone experienced in this area taking this pair of sisters.
Pairs that may be for adoption (the lab is not yet over so there are still students deciding on adoptions):
Alice & Louise--Two black and white hooded with stripe down back, aged 10 months old. Both are kissers and love ear scritches, but don't particularly enjoy sitting still for cuddles.
Emmy, Hermione, & Star--Blue dumbo, agouti dumbo, and cream hoodie, aged 6 months and 7 months. This is a very special set of girls. Emmy has a head tilt due to vestibular disease (after trips to the vet ear infection/pituitary tumor ruled out), Hermione has skin/sight problems, & Star has sight/hearing problems. All very sweet, loving girls. Need to go to a home with people used to caring for special needs ratties, although these girls don't require too many extra precautions.
Little ones that may be up for adoption (pending student interest):
We have 10 unnamed babies, all 2 months old.
3 cream hooded girls (some with interesting blazes)
2 black hooded girls
1 orange hooded girl
1 chocolate girl (? best way to describe her)
*All girls are currently being housed in sets of 4 due to their small size and age, but they don't necessarily have to go in a mischief of four).*
1 light blue hooded boy and 1 black with white belly boy.
We haven't had these little ones for more than a month, so individual personalities haven't yet come out for me to say much. All I have to say is they are bright eyed popcorners who already enjoy being held and handled.
PLEASE, if anyone is interested, let me know as soon as possible. Feel free to spread this around on any other rat forums or pages to get the word out. We normally don't have this problem, but with an unexpected double lab and lack of adoptions last semester, we're in a heap of trouble trying to find potential homes.
I will post pictures of these babies as soon as I take the pictures (hopefully by the end of this week).
Thank you!
5 of them by someone who owned rats in the past.
