# DO NOT READ IF EASILY UPSET!! Collected rats today



## xkimxo (Jan 4, 2010)

Yesterday i started a thread saying how annoyed i was at people giving away rats so easily and after a chat with the OH decided to start taking in ratties from the mostly awful free sites. Straight away i responded to an add for 2 does with three 1 week old babies. The guy was quite shady as too why he had them and even said i could get them last night at around 10pm but instead i got them today.

Right heres the sad part.. I got there and saw the rats in a miniture cage on sawdust with a couple of cardboard tubes and thats it, the babies wre also about 4 weeks old (its been afew years since ive dealt with babies so im guessing). Then i looked up and saw his whole place packed with snakes, lizards etc and yep you guessed it! he said he bred rats for his snakes but someone had threatened to call the RSPCA on him so he had to get rid of them, he then proceeded to show me all of his prized snakes and such and said that the rats were bi*@hes as they bite and he dosnt know what sex the babies are and the 2 girls are possibly pregnant. Beleive me i wanted to smack him round the head!! But i just wanted out of there so said i had to go and left. Sadly i did not see any male rats and was too afraid to ask about any :crying:

I have now got them all back at mine and babies are female thankfully!! They are also friendly tho obviously a little nervous having not been handled, both adults took food from my hand fine and i was able to give them little strokes with no problems, i also picked them up in a tshirt to put into their new cage and neither struggled or squeeled to thats a good sign. Ive got them in a savic 2 for now but am going to check ebay for a 3 or a jenny. I have another spare savic 2 and i have 3 marys incase im looking at more babies. Mum to the babies looks ok but the other girl has a bit of a rounded tum, as i havnt properly handled her i cant have a proper tummy feel. As i said its also been a while since ive dealt with pregnant ratties but will keep a close eye on them both. For now im just happy they have room to move and are off sawdust and will not be food!! I will post some pics up soon and will need some help naming them.


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## Argent (Oct 18, 2009)

Poor things, well done for going in and saving them! Rep for you!

Hoping the second girlie isn't preggers and just a bit round from having been previously bred...

Can't wait for pics - I'm full of names!


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## Petitepuppet (May 30, 2009)

Good on you!! :thumbup: Sounds like you have saved these poor souls xx


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## portiaa (Dec 10, 2010)

:crying: How awful! 

Im glad you got them when you did! It's awful someone could do that, disgusting! 

Well done for saving them, Rep coming your way!


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## Crittery (May 2, 2011)

That must have been horrific, so good for those girls you got them though!


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## xkimxo (Jan 4, 2010)

Thank you for the nice comments and i know everyone would have done the same 

All ratties are doing very well although its obvious the does have never seen a bed before as they sleapt on the shelf huddled in the corner and babies went in the house. Also on closer inspection yeserday ive realised one of the babies is a boy  So does anyone have anyone babies he can go and live with? Hes going to have to be separted soon and i dont want him to be alone. Im in rainham, essex and can take him to you if its not too far. Ill also post this in the adoption section. Here are some piccies, i need some help with names, Mummy is now called Amber but suggestions for the rest please 

This is the awful cage they arived in :cursing:










This is mummy Amber










This is her friend, the OH suggested sewer as a name :/ so i told him where to go










Babies  I know the bottle is a little high so im going to buy some cable ties today so can put bottle inside the cage.










Baby boy who needs a home please










The apparently viscious mummy










Hello again i need a name










Yum Yum










3rd baby was being shy so no pic yet. Also im aware their cage is a little sparse but i found what i could. Im going out today to get lots of nice things and stock up on some tasty treats. Also what age would you put babies at?, im guessing 4 weeks - ish, the pics of baby boy in my hand makes him look quite big but hes not


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## NicoleW (Aug 28, 2010)

I see no pictures


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## xkimxo (Jan 4, 2010)

Sorry had to edit did the codes wrong first time  should be working now


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## NicoleW (Aug 28, 2010)

They are beautiful

I used to have two rats, that I inherited from my sister. Unfortunately I was quite scared of them as one of them used to bite, so nervous to handling them. I'd love to get another pair of ratties, I think they are brill!


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## thedogsmother (Aug 28, 2008)

Youve done a wonderful thing for these ratties, I hope wherever the boys are that they are safe and in a decent cage away from that moron. I wish I was closer but Im sure your single boy will find a perfect home xx


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## xkimxo (Jan 4, 2010)

Thank you im so glad they are safe now too and hope the boys are too x

and NicoleW rats are the most amazing pets! even ones that bite can learn to trust you with some work


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## simplysardonic (Sep 1, 2009)

xkimxo said:


> Thank you im so glad they are safe now too and hope the boys are too x
> 
> and NicoleW rats are the most amazing pets! even ones that bite can learn to trust you with some work


Very true, my girls from last year's rescue have gone from terrified nippy little mites to lovely little sweeties


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## xkimxo (Jan 4, 2010)

Awww bless  , its such a good feeling too when they step on your hand for the first time


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## momentofmadness (Jul 19, 2008)

You have done a great deed.. Well done to you.. and they all look lovely.. the unamed girlie looks a sweetie.. She looks like a little muffin..


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## Petitepuppet (May 30, 2009)

Lucky rats:thumbsup:, mum is beautiful xxx


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## LostGirl (Jan 16, 2009)

I'd say they were 7-8 weeks they look the same as my 8 weekers if you could get him to Plymouth I'll take him he'd fit nicely in with my babies boys


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## xkimxo (Jan 4, 2010)

Boy has now been reserved for B3rnie :smile5: but thank you for the offer.

I dont think they are that old though as they are still trying to nurse. The does are quite small themselves so babies do look quite big next to them in the pics but they are still small. But i could be wrong, its hard to tell .

Also thanks to momentofmadness im going to call the other girl Muffin, i like it and the more i look at her it suits her


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## Guest (Jul 27, 2011)

Mine, mine, mine, mine Singing:


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## owieprone (Nov 6, 2008)

call the RSPCA now.. even if you didn't 'see' it you had it from the horses mouth that that's what they were bred for and you have your suspicions about the safety of anything else he might keep.

if they visit and see nothing amiss then fine.. if he has a problem with them visiting then you know he's a complete dodger and you did the right thing.

he's already been threatened with the rspca.. he will probably thinkthey just went through with it.


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## jenniferx (Jan 23, 2009)

They are beautiful  Hopefully a charmed life awaits them all! 

Is it illegal to breed feeder rodents? 

People who feed rodents to their reptiles/ferrets always delight in telling me about it for some reason, they know full well I have pet mice that I love very much. I think snakes are fascinating, creatures but I could never feed them- this is why my only reptile is a herbivore!


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## babytarragon (Dec 28, 2010)

I'm so happy this had a good ending! 

They all look really sweet, congrats


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## Guest (Jul 29, 2011)

jenniferx said:


> They are beautiful  Hopefully a charmed life awaits them all!
> 
> Is it illegal to breed feeder rodents?
> 
> People who feed rodents to their reptiles/ferrets always delight in telling me about it for some reason, they know full well I have pet mice that I love very much. I think snakes are fascinating, creatures but I could never feed them- this is why my only reptile is a herbivore!


No it isn't illegal in this country, so long as the animals have food and water, unless you can prove it is done for "entertainment"


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## manic rose (Mar 12, 2011)

:thumbsup: glad this story has a happy ending but dread to think how many more rats are living in terrible conditions being bred as snake food


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## catz4m8z (Aug 27, 2008)

That guy does seem like a moron! Hopefully he doesnt have anymore rodents tucked away. Not all people who breed rodents for food treat them badly though. Alot of people do it so they can be sure the rodents they feed arent treated badly before being euthanized.
I dont understand the fascination of talking about/watching snakes eat. I dont mind feeding rodents (I have alot of meat eating pets!) but I just leave mine with their dinner and come back to check its gone later.


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