Rat Train From Newfoundland To Montreal is All Set :)

[Sharlees rattakisses]

:joy:
I am SO happy for you!!!
Chester is one lucky man rat. :nod:
I hope you will post your adventures online when your boy finally is home.
I know this has been a stressful time for you and for that I am sorry.
You must be so excited. :cuddle:
:heart:

I sure will give updates on him - eventhough I always am (was!) quiet on the Shack, it feels like he does belong to all of us! Will try to update with pictures on a regular basis... and yes, I am VERY happy. Excitment - weirdly enough, since last night, I am very calm. I knew he was meant to be with me, so I guess this is just normal turns of events... Might be completely different when the train leaves the station and he ends up into my arms! :wink2:

The adventure so far hasn't been that rough - that tough evening on Tuesday night was as bad as it got, and that was just a couple of hours, really... I was exhausted already, and couldn't help getting emotional when I saw your post - it was so nicely put and it really got to me - still does. Thank you! :hugs:

Your welcome. :hugs:
I wrote from my heart.
I also know that life is way too short, that certain special moments are worth the fight.
Money is important, but not as important as the people you love and the memories you make.
I felt bad making you cry though, as that wasn't my intention.
I just wanted you to know how I felt.
Chester is a lucky boy that's for sure. :cuddle:

 

[Unepuce]

I felt bad making you cry though, as that wasn't my intention.
I just wanted you to know how I felt.
Chester is a lucky boy that's for sure. :cuddle:

Don't feel bad! I guess when I read your post, the stress of that evening just hit me. I was fine before, just frustrated by the tone all of this was taking, and trying hard to bring peace back. But all the support you showed was too much for my tired self - tears just started rolling down my cheeks and I just couldn't help them!

EDITED - sent too fast, forgot to say that...

I certainly hope Chester will be happy with us. My rats are my kids - all I want is their happinesss!!!

 

[Kels]

I will say this makes me very sad. There are 100s of rats in worse situations needing homes and rescues struggling to make ends meet. And it breaks my heart to see all these threads about rats needing homes and then to read this one... I am at a loss for words. I understand it is peoples choices to donate but I have to state my opinion.

 

[Unepuce]

And you are most welcome to do so!

I am at my number right now, Chester is an unplanned addition. I just couldn't resist the call - he stole my heart. At first, I thought it was because he reminded me of the first rat I rescued, an old and sick dumbo himi that I was able to keep only 3 months - then as I kept looking at the pictures, I realized I also saw a lot of Picolo, my late heart rate :sad3: , into him. Something in his eyes, in his way of looking into the camera... To me, getting Chester is like getting my 2 first ever rats back, the two that really convinced me to share my life, time, and income, with these adorable, wonderful, little fragile animals.

It did turn me upside down to see the thread from the Montreal babies needing a home - I really felt guilty, I admit it, rarely are there rats to save in Montreal announced right here on the Shack. But by then the process to get Chester was really engaged, and my heart was and remains set on him.

He will most probably be my last rat train - the experience was very enlighting and fulfilling, but there are too many rats to save locally. I agree. And this is one of the many lessons learned here. Gotta start somewhere, don't I?

 

[Dahlas]

and you know what....they all need homes.....no one is more or less deserving.....People had a choice to donate or not donate...they did what they wanted to do.
Glad Chester is getting a great home.....

 

[Kels]

I think you misunderstood me. This thread really upsets me. Asking people for money because you want a rat half way across the country. That money could help a rescue for months.

 

[Asheka]

I am so happy Chester is finally going to be going to his furever home! Every animal deserves this whether it takes a train to get them there or not. No one was forced to donate money, it is their choice to help in this situation.
Can't wait to see pics of Chester once he gets to you Unepuce! :joy: :joy:

 

[Kels]

I fully understand the fact that is peoples choice whether or not to donate as I have stated. I am saying that it disgusts me to even ask for money in the first place when it is 1 personal rat.

 

[smilez_n_hugs]

I think you misunderstood me. This thread really upsets me. Asking people for money because you want a rat half way across the country. That money could help a rescue for months.

I think she is trying to make the same point I attempted to make earlier that the issue isn't that Nancy wants a rat so far away it is that a thread was made for the sole point of asking for money. People are welcome to do what they want with the money but I think the issue is that a thread like this was made in the first place. Tacky might not be exactly the right word but it's the first that came to mind for me when I read this thread.

Edit: Kels beat me to it.

 

[Sharlees rattakisses]

I think you misunderstood me. This thread really upsets me. Asking people for money because you want a rat half way across the country. That money could help a rescue for months.

This has already been said.
I am sorry that this thread upsets you.
But....
In no way was anybody forced to donate.
They either did or didn't.
There is a lot in this world that upsets me as well, things I cannot change.
I have to learn to live with it.
Thanks to many generous people this ratty will have a wonderful life.
That's the most important issue here.

smilez_n_hugs:
"Tacky might not be exactly the right word but it's the first that came to mind for me when I read this thread."


In no way was asking for help tacky.
Tacky is saying something when you know it's going to hurt someones feelings.
Especially when you don't have to.

 

[Moon]

I think you misunderstood me. This thread really upsets me. Asking people for money because you want a rat half way across the country. That money could help a rescue for months.

To be fair, it was not the person adopting the rat who solicited donations, it was the foster mom. She technically did not do it for a personal rat. Unepuce has repeated time and time again that she does not need donations for the transportation costs, but people are being nice and donating, so maybe you need to take a breath and let it go.

I could start a thread asking people to donate money so I could take care of the woeful state of my wardrobe, and I'm sure I'd get laughed at lots and maybe a few angry replies also. But technically there's nothing wrong with asking.

 

[Dahlas]

I had some of the same problems and concerns but then I thought about it....and the people who gave money towards this would not necessarily supported a rescue in their area. So it is not like there was so much money and someone had to decide what was the BEST way to use it.... Sometimes somethings grabs you and it is what you want to support with your money.....Rescue work rarely involves the head...it always involves the heart....

 

[Kels]

Congratulations you have saved ONE rat!!! And guilt tripping people into donating. kinda like forcing people to donate.
Maybe this bugs me so much because I know first hand about struggles that rescues go through.

 

[Moon]

Congratulations you have saved ONE rat!!! And guilt tripping people into donating. kinda like forcing people to donate.
Maybe this bugs me so much because I know first hand about struggles that rescues go through.

I'm not going to lie and say I think that Ratty Momma acted appropriately in asking for donations. But you need to stop this since the adopter did nothing wrong and she should not be made to feel terrible because she adopted a rat at a distance. You're being exceedingly rude.

 

[Kels]

One thing I am taught at school is to advocate for those that cannot do so for themselves. And I get that this was not the adopters doing, but I am going to state my opinion and back it up. And I find your wardrobe comparison rude.

 

[eagle]

One thing I am taught at school is to advocate for those that cannot do so for themselves. And I get that this was not the adopters doing, but I am going to state my opinion and back it up. And I find your wardrobe comparison rude.

Well then maybe since this thread upsets you so much you should just avoid it from now on. Problem solved.

 

[Moon]

And I find your wardrobe comparison rude.

:roll: Okie doke. Now I am going to back up Eagle's statement that if you have a problem with what is no longer the subject of this thread, then perhaps you should stay out of it.

 

[Sharlees rattakisses]

Congratulations you have saved ONE rat!!! And guilt tripping people into donating. kinda like forcing people to donate.
Maybe this bugs me so much because I know first hand about struggles that rescues go through.

Is not "ONE RAT" worth it?
There was no guilt involved just people of like minds wanting to help.
You chose to help with rescues did you not?
No one forced you.
That was your choice.
Just as it was there choice to help Chester.
If this thread bugs you so much why not give it a pass?
Don't forget that it's the kindness of people just like this that help support the rescues.

 

[Dahlas]

Congratulations you have saved ONE rat!!! And guilt tripping people into donating. kinda like forcing people to donate.
Maybe this bugs me so much because I know first hand about struggles that rescues go through.

I have spent/donated my whole life to rescue...and ONE rat is just as important as any other rat.....
No one was FORCED into donating......people are free to not come into this thread, or to not donate if they don't want to.....
I am not sure why this buggs you so very much....but you have made your point. Now you should let it go......
My rescue and I just spent thousands of dollars on ONE dog.....that money could have gone to help many dogs....and normally we do try to think with our head.....but our hearts one over this time.....it is just the way it is....and yes...I asked ALL my friends for anything they could send....the ones that could did....the ones that couldn't didn't.....

 

[smilez_n_hugs]

smilez_n_hugs:
"Tacky might not be exactly the right word but it's the first that came to mind for me when I read this thread."

In no way was asking for help tacky.
Tacky is saying something when you know it's going to hurt someones feelings.
Especially when you don't have to.

Actually I didn't say asking for help is tacky...it's all in the way you go about it.