[amybunny]

*Cross posting from another forum*



I saw a posting on my local Craigslist that says this:

"3 adult females and 2 adult males for free. also had 5 females drop litter at the same time. have 4 week old babies in 1 week.please call for pick up. the adults are strong but don't bite and are tame. you will need a strong box to take them in. feed them or breed them i don't care, i just have too many know."



My fiance and I are going either tomorrow or Tuesday to see the conditions. Regardless, I am going to bring home one or two, that is the max that I can take in right now. I have a quarantine home all ready and vet care will be given, because I am sure they will probably need it. I didn't want to take in any more rats until my two boys are bonded, but I can't let one or two rats die if I can give them a home. I wish I could take in all of them, but I just can't.


This is in Prescott Valley, AZ (two hours from PHX). Can any other AZ people help these poor babies?

EDIT TO ADD: I am coming to PHX on Dec. 2nd. If anyone wants me to save babies, I can meet up with you in PHX on that day.

 

[twitch]

please post this with the proper format in the rats needing homes section as well. you are likely to get some activity there that you wouldn't get in this section.

 

[naeby]

I would definately take two or three babies, no problem. Maybe more, I've got extra cages just sitting in the garage waiting to be used. I'm in Tucson, so meeting wont be a huge problem.

 

[amybunny]

Are you able to meet on Dec. 2nd or sooner....like this Saturday?

Do you want males or females? I am not sure of what colors, ear types, if they are all hairless, ect. I can get that information to you tomorrow, after I hopefully go there and look at them.

[email protected]


Email me to talk more, if you would like. I am currently waiting on the current owner to email me back with questions and to see if I can go there tomorrow to check it out.

 

[amybunny]

Just updating....


I am leaving in roughly 2 hours to go pick up a mom and 4 babies. I wish I could take in more!

 

[jellybeanqueen]

good job on adopting them!
can't wait to see pics. =)

 

[amybunny]

We are home! Well, we got home a while ago .



The guy's house was pretty nice. He had the mom and four babies already in a box for me. He had them on pine bedding and had a chunk of alfalfa cube in with them. He said the rats like alfalfa...which is dumb....rats can't digest it!

The guy and his wife were super nice, but he made comments that weren't so nice. Like....he said he had one rat that used to bite, so he took it and shot it because no one would want it. He also said that he put one of his rats in the freezer to kill it (because he heard it was humane), and then said he went back 5 hours later and the rat was still alive :grumpy:.


He had two mommies and five babies in a nice big power coated cage. He said it was a homemade one from our local pet store. It was roughly the same exact type of cage as a Martin's R-695. I might go over to the pet store this weekend to see if they have another! He said it was only $100....compaired to a Martin's $160.

The three males were inside of a tank, on pine bedding. No toys, a wheel, and a big rock. He kept refering to the hairless as a "Sphinx"....like a hairless cat.


He said the breeding weren't intentional. He bought the mom rat (that he later shot) and she was pregnant, but he didn't know. Mom gave birth, and he didn't know any better...so he separated the babies at 6 weeks.

Well, the 5 baby girls got pregnant by their brothers, and this is where the story ends. I am not sure if his story is true, but whatever. I saved 5 beautiful rats.


He let one mom and a few babies go to some lady earlier today, so he now has 3 adult males, 2 adult females, and 5 babies. I talked him into seeing about getting the male rat neutered that he wants to keep. He wants to keep 1 baby, a mom, and the male rat. I will be talking with this guy further about how to properly care for them. He loves them, I can tell....but not like real animal lovers love their animals. Basically....any animal to him is a dime a dozen.

He said that he needs to find homes for 2 adult males, 1 adult female, and 3-4 babies. He asked me to ask around because he wants them to go to homes soon.


All babies are agouti. One appears to be a rex berk, and not a hairless. We have two agouti berks and two agouti hooded. The one hooded baby looks so close to the hooded color standard. Mommy has darn skin, so I think she may be an agouti hairless self?

I am pretty sure we have two males, the one hooded and the rex baby. I will try to sex them all tomorrow.

Ryan has fallen in love for mommy. I keep calling her "Shmish", lol. I have fallen for baby rex.



Pictures and sexing are to come tomorrow. Hopefully I can tell the sexes! I am excited to know what we have!

 

[CaptainFlow]

Oh, I can't wait for photos!

Congratulations on helping these poor rats out! I know they'll be so happy with you! And I'm really glad that you're going to help this guy, although the fact that he shoots and freezes "pet" rats is awfully suspicious to me. But even if he does have the disposable mentality like so many people unfortunately do, at least you can help improve the life of the rats he has as much as you can.

 

[amybunny]

Actually, Nikki (naeby on the forum) will be taking two or three of the babies, I beleive. I will just have to sex them and see what we have, then let her decide which sex she wants.

I am sure mommy is staying right here. She is shy, but so sweet.



Pictures ASAP tomorrow!

 

[amybunny]

Updates! Pictures to come soon, too!


I posted an add on freecycle, and a lady in my town responded and owns 4 ratties. I told her the story and had her read my thread on another forum that explained the guy and everything.

I just emailed her to see if she could get a tank and take the mom and the remaining babies to foster. Then, at 4 weeks, we can separate them. Like, I take all the males and she takes all the females, or something. Then, work together on finding them all homes.



Please wish us luck! This means 1 mommy and 5 babies will be needing excellent homes!

 

[jellybeanqueen]

good luck!
i'm sure you'll find them all loving forever homes...and i'm looking forward to pics too! :wink:

 

[amybunny]

The two adult males were rescued by the other rat lady in my town, Ann. They may possibly have a home with a member on the goosemoose forums.

One person on goosemoose is interested in 1 baby boy in the guy's other litter. Another person is interested in one of mine if I have any girls.

I have become super attached to all of my babies. I am calling the ugly duckling baby "Ralphie"....it's almost time for The Christmas Story to be on television 24/7....so "Ralphie" popped into my head. I have also fallen for the rex boy. It is going to be so hard to let any of them go.



Mommy, a total sweetie:

Baby #1: Boy? Appears to have a rex coat. Berkshire. Agouti or black?

Baby #2. Boy? I call him "Ralphie". Agouti hairless Berkshire.

Baby #3. Girl? Agouti hooded hairless.

Baby #4. Girl? Agouti hooded hairless. Runt of the litter.

All babies are a tad skinny and a bit dehydrated, but I noticed they are all munching on mommy's food.

I went out and got pedialyte, organic plain soymilk, high quality kitten kibble, and baby foods. I made them a soymilk, kitten kibble, beef baby food, oats, and pedialyte mixture. They love it.


Send good thoughts our way for the runt. She seems so tiny and skinny. I may have to get to PETsMART tomorrow and get stuff to hand feed her a bit for another week.

 

[CaptainFlow]

So cute! Poor babies, they look so small, but smart and curious, which is always good!

Mommy looks like a total sweetheart, too. Good job doing this for them!

 

[jellybeanqueen]

aw, they're all so beautiful.
i can't imagine any of them being shot or put in a freezer!
the runt is an absolute doll..i'm sending magic get well vibes her way! <3