SQs rats rescued 2018 - 2019

[SQ]

Alex and Neil
- rescued in November 2018 because they were being given away free and were in danger of being abandoned outdoors

Both Alex and Neil were rescued in November 2018 from the same home in a rural community where they were being given away free
...… and Alex was a risk for being dumped outdoors
(imo as had been done to 2 pet rabbits who had not been seen for months and had likely been eaten by predators ).

Both boys were quarantined in a separate airspace for over a month prior to moving into the same room as the other ratties

Both Alex and Neil bit me more then once, with each bite making me unable to use my hand for weeks - on one occasion I had to go to the hospital emergency room because it would not stop bleeding and the swelling was becoming serious.

Both Alex and Neil became sweet boys after being neutered in December 2019.
Pictures taken April 4, 2019

Alex (now 15 months old)

Neil 2 years old

Conrad
- Conrad was rescued on February 18 2019 from a snake owner

Conrad ("Connie") was advertised as a "Jumbo" rat for free snake food (February 18 2019)

Conrad was an approx. 4 months old boy who was put in with a snake repeated over several days to be eaten alive.
Conrad was very fortunate and the snake did not eat him.

After I rescued him, Conrad was quarantined for several weeks at the home of one of my friends, where I visited him daily to care for him and clean his cage.

Conrad is now approx. 5.5 months old.
Conrad needs a neuter because he wanted to hump everyone - the spayed girls as well as Alex (neutered but very reactive) and Osiris (neutered and learning social skills necessary for getting along with other rats).
They are not impressed.

 

[Lise Patterson]

Well done SQ - they do look sweet & totally deserving of rescue. My they keep you company for a good while to come.

 

[Gailrin]

Aww, Do you run a animal rescue or opting to rescue?

 

[SQ]

I have been involved in rat rescue since 2005,
but it is difficult to find good homes so most of the ratties seem to end up being stuck staying with me
…… although since 2005 I have been involved in rehoming 100s of ratties

Trying to stop because I am thousands of dollars in debt from medical bills for the rescued ratties, and need to take a break

Mostly I try to help people rehome their ratties without taking them in …… so I usually only take in those ratties that are in immediate danger and good homes can not be found in time

 

[Gailrin]

Have you tried a go fund me and a Facebook campaign to maybe raise some funds to take care of some of the medical costs and debt from the rattos? There is a rescue near me that's had a good amount of success with doing it, granted I haven't had luck being able to actually successfully adopt from them.

 

[SQ]

Conrad had surgery and had an unforeseen complication that my vet and the emergency vets had never seen before.
It has now been several weeks since his surgery.

Conrad is all healed and he is now feeling much better.
Conrad's hormone levels are dropping and he is eager to move in with the other rats.
Much to Conrad's delight, gradual intros with the others have been resumed

Conrad in the carrier with treats, on his way to the vet

 

[SQ]

Daisy
- rescued April 22 2019 from a snake owner

I rescued Daisy on April 22, 2019 after she was repeatedly fed to a snake that fortunately, did not eat her. Daisy was being given away as free snake food or as a free pet
Daisy was terrified and pretty traumatized when rescued from the snake owner.

I adopted Daisy to a local couple and she is slowly learning to trust people.
Daisy is being gradually introed to their two rattie girls.
Intros are going well, and Daisy likes her new friends.
One condition of adoption was that they will get Daisy spayed as soon as possible.

Below is a picture of Daisy in the snake tank .... this picture was posted on Kijiji by the snake owner

Hopefully her new family will send me some pictures of this adorable little girl

 

[Lise Patterson]

Sounds like good news on both fronts, SQ. And what a photogenic pair they are! I hope the intros go well for both, and may Daisy feel secure and happy with her new family.

 

[Dena]

Omg the thing with daisy breaks my heart! The poor girl looks absolutely terrified! She looks like she's begging for help! So glad she's in a good home now!

 

[Dena]

Do you get updates often on the rats you adopt out?

 

[SQ]

Do you get updates often on the rats you adopt out?

Getting occasional updates is part of the contract and most people respect it.
It is also helpful for people to be made aware of any possibly genetic issues that their ratties family members may be encountering ….. for example, I rehomed a few members of a litter I rescued and several of their siblings have congestive heart failure, so that is important info I can pass on
But I rarely adopt out rats anymore because of the occasional bad experiences and the difficulty finding good homes that will spay girls and provide good care

 

[SQ]

Marbella and her 11 babies born December 15 2018
- rescued Saturday January 05 2019; the babies were advertised as free snake food

Marbella was purposely bred with a hairless boy by a teenager in Mirimichi NB.
Marbella and her babies were housed in a hamster cage and hidden in the teen's closet so that her parents would not discover them.
The teenager took very good care of them and she named the little girl Marbella.

newborn babies December 2018

December 19 2018 4 days old

Initially the teen posted them for sale on Kijiji when they were newborn babies for sale as pets. I sent her info on screening ….. unfortunately the ad soon changed to selling them for pets or snake food.
I started trying to get the babies when the ad changed to giving the babies away as free snake food.
Eventually the teenager agreed to give me the babies as well as their mama.

A generous couple agreed to transport Marbella and her babies to me. They safely arrived on January 05 2019 and I quarantined then at a friend's place.
I visited Marbella and her babies twice a day to feed them, clean their cage and socialize them.

January 05 2019 :

Marbella and her babies

Babies eating organic soy infant formula thickened with baby cereal

sweet baby

This is my temporary cage that they lived in ……. no hammocks and divided so that they only had access to one level with a low balcony, so that babies would not be injured if they fell …. they did have a 12 inch diameter wheel, a tube , and boxes to sleep in and chew.

Marbella relaxing in the litter box

Marbella and her babies

An experienced rat owner I know in Ontario offered to provide Marbella and all of her babies a good home, where they would have good care, vet care and the girls would all be spayed when old enough.

January 07 2019

Marbella and her babies

January 09 2019

Little wheel runner and curious sibling

 

[Lise Patterson]

Bless you for doing all you can SQ. There is so much rattie heartbreak out there, and it takes a lot of strength and sacrifice to stick with the rescue mission.
I've kept almost all of my rescues as I have struggled with rehoming. I try to take in as many rescues as finances, time and health will permit (I have worsening allergies). It is never enough, of course.
We are blessed to have Ottawa Pet Rat Rescue in my area, but this fine group has limited capacity and the need is great. Plus so many of the worst problem cases involve people who would never even think of turning to a "rat rescue". The Ottawa Humane Society (OHS) used to play an important "warehousing" role, serving as an immediate and well-known alternative for those who were poised to kill unwanted rats, feed them to snakes or release them into the wild. A crusty apartment manager once told me that he routinely bludgeoned pet rats to death when departing tenants left them behind. I told him about Ottawa Pet Rat Rescue adoptions, and he barked that he didn't have time for that "nonsense". But when I told him that the OHS would take in rats immediately and without condition, he took note. He said he hadn't thought of rats as "real pets" before, but if the OHS would take them they might be worth saving. Yet sadly, the OHS has refused to accept rats for more than a year now, citing concerns over the Seoul virus (that requires a separate rant...).
Of course the biggest problem is one of enduring societal ignorance and entrenched prejudice. It might really help if high-profile institutions and individuals - animal shelters, animal rights organizations, veterinary clinics etc. - would work harder to spread the truth about the worthy nature of pet rats, and the level of care they need and deserve. Instead, too many still try to distance them from pet rat care, as they fear this might harm their "brand". I continue to lobby the OHS to reinstate rat adoptions and advocate actively for the welfare of pet rats. Heaven knows, the OHS staff and volunteer vets adore pet rats - but OHS management is a much tougher sell.

 

[SQ]

Marbella and her 11 babies born December 15 2018 .............. continued

January 12 2019

Marbella and her babies on top of the hamster cage - the cage they lived in while hidden in the closet and which they travelled to me in.

I was eventually able to find a wonderful woman who cared about a animals so much that she was willing to transport them to Ontario during one of her transport truck runs, even tho they were rats, not rescued cats as she had originally thought.

​

Pictures taken January 13 2019 of Marbella and her babies playing on my toy garage

In the very early morning of Monday January 21, 2019 I drove Marbella and her 11 five week old babies several hours to meet up with the woman who was traveling from NB to Ontario.
It was a very long trip in the cab of the transport truck but they eventually arrived safely in Ontario and went to their new home.
​

I occasionally receive updates as to how they are doing. Last week I was finally able to send a used martins playpen and some toys to Ontario for them, with a vet who was driving to Ontario …. I was so happy that this finally happened because the items will enhance their lives

I am so glad this little family went to a good home ….. but I miss them very much

 

[SQ]

Osiris
- rescued June 1 2018 as he was being given away as free snake food because his owner wanted him to die

Osiris was advertised on Kijiji in Sackville, NS as a biter who attacked and bit his owner and his rattie friend.
He was purchased from a pet store in February, and recently became aggressive. The woman who owned him was feeding both boys cat food as she did not have much money

The Kijiji ad:

"No there are no rescues that will take him. Stop messaging me just to try to guilt me into anything other than what this ad is for. This rat clearly has brain deficiencies, hates everyone and is biting people. Giving him up as snake food is the best way to make his death have meaning. SO screw off

I got this rat for my rat Skaara but after a few months he turned aggressive and started attacking Skaara and now he's attacking me. He's gunna have to be put down anyways so he might as well go as a feeder for a snake. He did have some respiratory issues but I've been told it won't affect snakes, but adding this info just in case. My guess is he is about 4-6 months old. I've had him since Feb. He's not quite full size but he's big. I'm not sure how the snake feed sizes go."

Osiris' owner agreed to let me have him. A wonderful woman on in a vegan group volunteered her boyfriend to pick up Osiris when he went to Nova Scotia, care for him, and bring him to me the following week when he returned to NB.

Here are some pictures of Osiris in NS after being rescued in May 2018

He looks so happy and the young man took wonderful care of him.

Once he arrived in NB, he was fostered for about a month in order to quarantine him.

Osiris and his new friends in my martins powder coated playpen

Then Osiris came home with me. Osiris was named by his owner and he kept his name.
Osiris was neutered and healed with no issues.

Osiris was never the aggressive biter I was promised, LOL
I have found that so-called biters, usually aren't …… unless they are mamas protecting their babies
However, Osiris does need to learn better social skills when interacting with other rats

Here is the thread I posted about Osiris https://www.ratshackforum.com/threads/osiris-rescued-june-1-2018.35483/#post-494699

 

[Lise Patterson]

So happy for Marbella and her babies. And the tale of Osaris just goes to show...there are no bad rats, just bad situations. Though every now and then I meet a rat who seems to prefer humans to other rats.

 

[Racholo]

Awww what a heart warming thread!
Fortunately here in NZ rats are only sold in pet stores as pets as we have no snakes.
You have to sign a contract before buying as well - which is fantastic.
I cannot believe some of these ads! especially from the one of the lady who already owns a rat .. she should know!
Conrad has the most gorgeous markings! - I'm jealous coz here we only have hooded rats, or pure: white, cream, black and agouti, and berkshire.
Cute pics and thanks for sharing your stories!