# Please welcome Tiny.



## siberiankiss (Sep 24, 2010)

Today we went out to a 'pet and aquatic' store a few miles away as I am starting to think about where I'm going to get my fish from when my tank is fully cycled.

When we got there we were greeted with lots of those horrible breeding 'tubs', alongside some tupperware boxes. Inside one of them was Tiny. On first glance I thought he was a mouse, but then noticed the sign saying, 'baby rats'. I looked again and I couldn't believe how small he was. He was on his own in a LUNCH BOX with holes drilled in it. He had no house or anywhere to hide/sleep. Just a water bottle and a food bowl.

I asked if I could see him and when the man came and picked him up by his tail my OH saw my face and told me to leave the shop. I stood outside trying not to cry - I was just so angry with what I'd seen in there. A couple of minutes later my OH came out with Tiny in a box saying, "it's not right to leave him there, he's too small".

I feel terribly conflicted because of taking him - but by the same token, I couldn't leave him there. I have never seen anything so small and the pictures really don't do justice to how tiny he really is. I weighed him and he comes in at only 50g. I think he is only 3 - 4 weeks old.

Please don't slate me for this; believe me I'm battling with it myself. I'm sure lots of you are rolling your eyes at another 'rescued' pet shop rat and if this was someone elses post I'd probably be doing the same.

Tiny:


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## Guest (Apr 9, 2011)

omg he is so, so sweet :001_wub:

I wouldn't have been able to leave him there either


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## KalokiMallow (Mar 30, 2011)

I'd have done the same as well, I just couldn't leave him there! He is gorgeous, absolutely adorable


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## Cheryl 0278 (Apr 5, 2011)

...so cute :001_smile:


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## momentofmadness (Jul 19, 2008)

So cute I would have done the same.. 

So what is his hair like.. he looks a bit sparse of it on the last pic?


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## Angie2011 (Feb 2, 2011)

OH MY WORD!! precious!


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## siberiankiss (Sep 24, 2010)

momentofmadness said:


> So cute I would have done the same..
> 
> So what is his hair like.. he looks a bit sparse of it on the last pic?


He is a double rex so it's normal that his hair is patchy. He will probably get patchier as he gets older.

He is massively undernourished though, poor little thing. He is about to tuck into his first meal of scrambled egg. :001_smile:


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## momentofmadness (Jul 19, 2008)

siberiankiss said:


> He is a double rex so it's normal that his hair is patchy. He will probably get patchier as he gets older.
> 
> He is massively undernourished though, poor little thing. He is about to tuck into his first meal of scrambled egg. :001_smile:


You know I dont know all the breeds etc but seeing some on here and he has curly whiskers I was thinking a rex..


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## quequeg1988 (Mar 13, 2011)

OMG! how sweet! I'd have done the same thing, poor little mite!


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## Sarah+Hammies (Jul 20, 2009)

He is adorable, i wouldn't have been able to leave him there either! x


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## momentofmadness (Jul 19, 2008)

Have you got him a friend already. or are you gonna get him one.. Im sayig him and I dont even know.. he has such a cute face I want to snuggle imm.. :drool:


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## katie200 (May 11, 2009)

awwww he cute


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## Argent (Oct 18, 2009)

Poor thing! He's tinier than Mimi and Mochi when I got them and I thought they were small! (lived the first 4 weeks of their lives on mother's milk and dog food : )

He is absolutely adorable, and tbh I'd have done the same thing, or even had a massive go at the guy and demanded I take him for free!


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## thedogsmother (Aug 28, 2008)

He is gorgeous and he is safe now, fair enough where you got him from isnt ideal but looking at him it sounds like he wouldnt have made it much longer if you hadnt got him, I think most people reading your post (me included) would have walked out of the shop with him too. Anyway just blame your oh as he actually bought him :lol:. When I got Itsy and Bitsy from shocking circumstances they were also tiny and really thin and I managed to bulk them up with the help of egg food, if you can get the one with insects in its really good at bulking them up. Have fun with him and more piccies please as soon as you can.


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## siberiankiss (Sep 24, 2010)

Thanks everyone for your lovely comments! 

When he is big enough I'm going to introduce him to my boys - so he will be on his own for a few weeks longer, but is getting lots of human interaction in the meantime. 

He weighs 61g today so has put on 11g since last night  He's been eating eggfood and porridge lactol. He can't seem to manage dry food properly so am going to soak some and see how he gets on with it then. 

He is such a sweetheart and is coming round to cuddles and handling. He lies on the crease of my neck/shoulder and sleeps when I get him out.


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## thedogsmother (Aug 28, 2008)

I wouldnt wait to start intros, I was worried with Itsy and Bitsy being so tiny but I was encouraged by so many people to start intros straight away and the others took to them much better because they were so tiny, they mothered them (even the boys with Bitsy).
This is how tiny they were

















And this is how well the intros went (this was their first meetings)


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## niki87 (Nov 18, 2009)

Tell you something....I will swap my OH for yours plus Tiny?

He is scumptious!! A really attractive ratty baby! Does sound like it was more a rescue than anything anyways! Congrats on the new arrival! xx


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## KalokiMallow (Mar 30, 2011)

So.. any advice on getting my OH to buy me baby ratties?


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## siberiankiss (Sep 24, 2010)

Hi guys, 

The council responded to my e-mail and said that everything is 'adequate'  . 

Obviously it's not, for several reasons; 

- Social animals (rats and mice) being kept alone
- Rats and mice being kept on woodshavings
- No housing, bedding, beds, hammocks etc available to any of the animals (therefore nowhere to get some shade, hide, or sleep)
- Underage animals (under weaning age) being available for sale
- No consideration of buyer (we weren't asked if we had a cage, food, other rats, experience or knowledge; he was handed over to us no questions asked). 
- Rodents (rats, mice, hamsters) being kept in tiny, unventilated tubs and tupperwares. 
- No toys or enrichment in any of the tubs (not that there's any room for any!)

I'm hopeful that some people on this forum will feel strongly enough to send an e-mail to my council. They will have to do something if more people other than myself complain! Please everyone - this shop cannot be allowed to continue trading. 

For breaching some of the points above, they are committing an offence. The council didn't seem to care. Let them know this isn't acceptable. 

If you want to help please PM me and I will give you the council's e-mail address and also the name and website of the pet shop in question.


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## bulldog200 (Mar 14, 2011)

Oh wow sooo cute :001_tt1:
i in love with your little rat


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## Kitty_pig (Apr 9, 2011)

he is gorgeous!!! I couldn't have left him their either, such a sweetie. Glad he has started putting weight on already hehehe xxxx


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## thedogsmother (Aug 28, 2008)

siberiankiss said:


> Hi guys,
> 
> The council responded to my e-mail and said that everything is 'adequate'  .
> 
> ...


Can you send me the details please, Im up for a fight .


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## blade100 (Aug 24, 2009)

what a gorgeous tiny man rat he is lovely.

i think if it was me i would've gone mental and ragged at the staff in there.

maybe u could write a letter to the pet shop telling them that the animals are being kept in terrible conditions.
i did that with a local pet shop of mine i told them that the rats should not be kept on shavings/sawdust and that they should have toys and a bed.
i also made them aware that rats should be kept in pairs or groups so if they could to sell them that way.
well a few weeks later they had put them on bio catlet litter and they had toys etc.
don't know if they sell them in pairs/groups though but its a good start.

your council are nobs


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