# Just wanted to introduce these 2. Rat pics.



## LittlePaws AnimalRescue (Sep 11, 2012)

I recently got a call from the rspca asking if I could take in some rats.
After a lot of confusion (I was told there were 3 rats, then it was a boy and a girl, then it was a whole litter, then it was a mother and daughter and then finally that they were sisters.
I have 2 girls, that is all I know!

Picking them up was awful  I'd been in phone contact with the person giving them up for a few days and she always went on about how much she hated them, that they smelled bad and that she had let her dog get one  so there was only 2 left.
They were being kept in a spare room with a fan on and the windows open because of the smell the person said, they must have been freezing.
The cage was a horrible metal thing with fixed wooden houses and bridges, the wood was rotted from wee so that is where the smell was coming from.
They had a little pile of shredded paper on the floor as bedding but it was wet with urine, the poor little girls were still burrowed in there though as they had nowhere else to go.
No toys and no food when I picked them up, just empty bowls.

Anyway my OH took the cage apart and we put it in the bin and the ratties are now in a nice clean cage with a new one on the way (a taller one)

They are terrified of everything, you can see it in their eyes just how scared they are.
At the same time they want attention but aren't sure about people yet so we'll work on that.

These 2 will be up for rehoming in a few weeks as I feel they should have settled and be ready by then.
We are in Cambridgeshire if anyone is interested as they can be reserved.

Does anyone know from the pics roughly how old these 2 are? 
The white rat is very shy so not very good pics of her.

Anyway I'll stop rambling and get on to the pictures.
They also need names if anyone has any suggestions.

How could anyone not love this little face








White rat. She has red eyes


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## LostGirl (Jan 16, 2009)

what a sad story  glad they are no free of an evil "owner" how could anyone treat them like that? 

im not sure on age, but they look pretty skinny, but im sure that will change n time  they are gorgeous well done for getting them


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## blade100 (Aug 24, 2009)

Words fail me. 
Some people 

Anyway as lostgirl says yep they look skinny.
Plenty of fresh and cooked foods as well as a good rat mix will soon sort them out.
They must feel like there in heaven now.


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## manic rose (Mar 12, 2011)

Aw they are cuties. Glad they are safe now. Are the RSPCA taking any action against the previous owners?


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## LittlePaws AnimalRescue (Sep 11, 2012)

Yeah they are skinny, I did ask what they were being fed on but the person ignored me and practically shoved me out of her house!
There were some brown blocks the size of board game dice in the cage, maybe they were some sort of block food, I don't know.

They are on a mix from rat rations.
And will get fresh food daily as well so they should put some weight on quickly.


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## LittlePaws AnimalRescue (Sep 11, 2012)

manic rose said:


> Aw they are cuties. Glad they are safe now. Are the RSPCA taking any action against the previous owners?


Nope. Typical rspca. As far as they are concerned it was just a person surrendering their rats, they don't care about the state the rats are in or how they've been kept.


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## dancemagicdance (Sep 27, 2012)

Ugh why did this person have them in the first place  And letting her dog get to one of them  I'm speechless, that poor rat!

They are gorgeous though, and look like they have such character just waiting to come through :001_wub:


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## niki87 (Nov 18, 2009)

Wow.....how you keep you're cool with someone like that!!! It's awful....it really is!!!

Am so glad these two have finally made it safely to you!! They are gorgeous!!


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## LittlePaws AnimalRescue (Sep 11, 2012)

I was so so close to yelling at the woman before I left but I knew it wouldn't get me anywhere (maybe in trouble though!) 
I ranted to the OH all the way home though.

People who treat animals like this make me so mad. I guess I just have to look at the positive side....I'm getting to bring them to mine to be looked after and spoilt and then find them a lovely home.
Getting them away from awful homes is a huge reward 

The girlies are tucking in to scrambled egg on toast right now, they love it. I dont think them putting weight on will be a problem!


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## CRL (Jan 3, 2012)

well you know where she lives now so go and post some dog sh*t through her letter box and smear it all over her door handles and windows.


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## rattiez (Dec 7, 2012)

CRL said:


> well you know where she lives now so go and post some dog sh*t through her letter box and smear it all over her door handles and windows.


Even better... rat poop!


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## Guest (Feb 15, 2013)

I do not have space, I do not have space, I do not have space :incazzato:

Very cute girls, I'm sure they will be lovely once they put on weight and realise all humans aren't scum.


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## CRL (Jan 3, 2012)

rattiez said:


> Even better... rat poop!


They would kno it was her thoigh. plus dog shite can be nice and runny. perfect for spreading on winfows


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## blade100 (Aug 24, 2009)

B3rnie said:


> I do not have space, I do not have space, I do not have space :incazzato:
> 
> Very cute girls, I'm sure they will be lovely once they put on weight and realise all humans aren't scum.


What's two more??


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## Guest (Feb 15, 2013)

blade100 said:


> What's two more??


Oi, stop it you rrr:
I think 12 in the explorer would be pushing it, and I think the OH would have a melt down if any more turned up at the moment :lol:

Although saying that I will have a spare cage in a few days


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## blade100 (Aug 24, 2009)

B3rnie said:


> Oi, stop it you rrr:
> I think 12 in the explorer would be pushing it, and I think the OH would have a melt down if any more turned up at the moment :lol:
> 
> Although saying that I will have a spare cage in a few days


Oh no why is that? ^


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## Guest (Feb 15, 2013)

blade100 said:


> Oh no why is that? ^


Phoenix looks like he has HLD, he has little to no use in his back legs. Just drags them around and it is really starting to impact on his quality of life. And Bentley can't carry on as he is, I can see the struggling in his eyes every time he breaths and the scarring is so bad no combo of drugs helps him.

As they are both very close I have decided to give them a couple of days being spoilt rotten and then take them both to the vets


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## blade100 (Aug 24, 2009)

B3rnie said:


> Phoenix looks like he has HLD, he has little to no use in his back legs. Just drags them around and it is really starting to impact on his quality of life. And Bentley can't carry on as he is, I can see the struggling in his eyes every time he breaths and the scarring is so bad no combo of drugs helps him.
> 
> As they are both very close I have decided to give them a couple of days being spoilt rotten and then take them both to the vets


Oh dear hun, what a horrible time your going through. I know what you though I have one of mine that's been on combo meds for 10-12 months and he's not at all improved. These past two weeks he's gotten quite bad. He has his good and bad days. His bad days being that he side sucks a little and then his breathing sounds awful but after an hour he's fine again. He's still eating,playing and acting like a ratty. He has lost weight though which I hate to see as he was such a big solid rat. He's also alpha.

I think that's the best thing to let both your boys go together.
Does that mean you won't have any boys left after then?


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## Guest (Feb 15, 2013)

blade100 said:


> Oh dear hun, what a horrible time your going through. I know what you though I have one of mine that's been on combo meds for 10-12 months and he's not at all improved. These past two weeks he's gotten quite bad. He has his good and bad days. His bad days being that he side sucks a little and then his breathing sounds awful but after an hour he's fine again. He's still eating,playing and acting like a ratty. He has lost weight though which I hate to see as he was such a big solid rat. He's also alpha.
> 
> I think that's the best thing to let both your boys go together.
> Does that mean you won't have any boys left after then?


Yeah Bentley has lost a ton of weight, it's just heartbreaking watching them fade so it's time 

I will have 3 boys left, Enzo and the two nakeds (Ethan and Bastien) so they will be bonded together in the next few days or so. I'll give Enzo time to grieve and then crack on with more bonding...


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## blade100 (Aug 24, 2009)

Well lets hope you have a smooth bonding session like you have with your girls.


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## LittlePaws AnimalRescue (Sep 11, 2012)

I'm really sorry to hear you'll be losing 2 rats soon Bernie  Losing a pet is always heartbreaking.


The girls (now called Lily and Maggie) seem to have come out of their shells already. When they first got here a few days ago you could tell they wanted attention but were scared, possibly having been handled rough in the past or not handled at all.
Anyway they keep running up to the front of the cage so you can stroke their heads, they will leap onto your arm if you leave it in the cage long enough!
So they know already that not all humans are bad.
They've come out for playtime a few times as well, they're not too sure what to do when you give them too much space right now, they kinda just hang around near the cage but they're exploring slowly.
I think they've come a long way in just a few days.


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## manic rose (Mar 12, 2011)

LittlePaws AnimalRescue said:


> Nope. Typical rspca. As far as they are concerned it was just a person surrendering their rats, they don't care about the state the rats are in or how they've been kept.


If it had been a cat or dog kept in such bad circumstances I'm sure they would have taken action. I get the awful impression that the RSPCA doesn't really care as much when it comes to small animals.


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## blade100 (Aug 24, 2009)

manic rose said:


> If it had been a cat or dog kept in such bad circumstances I'm sure they would have taken action. I get the awful impression that the RSPCA doesn't really care as much when it comes to small animals.


No they don't even bother about dogs or cats.
A year or so ago on the German shepherd rescue site there was news of 10 German shepherd dogs at the same property being shot by a bolt gun without proper assessment of any of these dogs. They were killed at the property because there owner had died and next of Kin didn't want them. 
The person in charge of gsd rescue got in contact with the head of the RSPCA operation and they interviewed this person on radio 2. 
The RSPCA made gsd rescue site take down any info of this case down off the site, I suppose they didn't want anyone seeing it but it did remain up for a few months. 
It was also in the sun about beagles being shot by a bolt gun.
I know they put down any undesirable dogs and cats such as Staffies and the common black n white cats because they say they can't rehome them easily.

And the council are just as bad. If they have an old dog or lots of Staffies in at local kennels they'd rather pts than pay the kennel fees. I know as my family member works at a boarding kennels and they take in the strays for our area. At one point they had 11 strays in that no one claimed. They have 7 days and then there ment to be moved on to rescue centres. 3-4 months down the line there still there in the kennels and the poor dogs are going insane. You see it's only ment to be a holding kennel for 7 days not 3 months.
It makes me so mad.

Eventually they get a place at a rescue centre but by that time some are mentally scarred from being cooped up all that while. And if there old or need treatments then they just pts. 
Well they do in this area not sure what other counties are like.


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## blade100 (Aug 24, 2009)

10 GERMAN SHEPHERD SHOT BY THE RSPCA


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## LittlePaws AnimalRescue (Sep 11, 2012)

Oh Blade, that is awful  Those poor dogs.

The rspca around here doesn't take small furries so relies on fosterers or other rescues to take them.
I don't know what would happen if no-one was available to take the rats/hamsters etc that need taking in.


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## LittlePaws AnimalRescue (Sep 11, 2012)

These girls have been offered a home already, I knew it wouldn't take long.
They will be going to live with another pair of rats and will be very spoilt by their new family


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## blade100 (Aug 24, 2009)

That is wonderful news! Well done


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## halfeatenapple (Jan 2, 2013)

Yay!! We like a happy ending!!


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## zany_toon (Jan 30, 2009)

WEll done on taking those poor rats in little paws  I hope that they feel a bit more confident by the time they go to live with their new humans and ratty family  Has their new family picked names out for them yet?

And bernie, I'm really sorry about your ratty boys  I was in a similar situation with three of my mousie brothers in November, I had to have them al pts the same day and it broke my heart  I'm really sorry hun (((hug))) I hope that they enjoy their few more days of being spoiled by you, and that their friend gets on well with the other boys when you try bonding them.


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## LittlePaws AnimalRescue (Sep 11, 2012)

The new family don't have names picked out yet but they found it funny that these 2 girls (Lily and Maggie) have the same initials as their 2 ratties.....it was meant to be I reckon!

The girls are doing alright, they're very bitey today for some reason.
Not in a horrible, attack kinda way. It's more of a they think everything is food kinda way.
I was holding a plate of food out to Lily and she sniffed all round the food and went for my thumb holding the plate.
I'm hoping its just an off-day for them and they're not like this all the time.


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## Kiansmummy (Jan 13, 2013)

Awwww some people are so cruel! 
Glad they are safe now they are lovely x


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## sully (May 3, 2008)

LittlePaws AnimalRescue said:


> The new family don't have names picked out yet but they found it funny that these 2 girls (Lily and Maggie) have the same initials as their 2 ratties.....it was meant to be I reckon!


I worked it out, my mates having them and i was right!


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## LittlePaws AnimalRescue (Sep 11, 2012)

Oh no, I hope I haven't given it away when I wasn't supposed to!!


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## sully (May 3, 2008)

Quoted from L and M lady> I don't mind who knows - I told ***** today. Just didn't want to jinx it before I was 'approved'!


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## LittlePaws AnimalRescue (Sep 11, 2012)

Thank you for that.


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