[spysquid]

I was considering maaaaaybe "rescuing" this rat I saw on CL but I'm really not sure. It's a single young (3mo) female who is currently living in a car with the current owners & they are having to sell her for gas money + they obviously can't take care of a pet right now But I don't really have a good quarantine area & I do have an upstairs but I know that isn't very good quarantine because of shared airflow.

I was wondering if she is already not in contact with other rats and seems healthy, is airflow quarantine really necessary? Like, I know you're suppose to keep them away from your other rats for 3 weeks and keep an eye out for sickness then if no sickness occurs they can go ahead and be in the same airspace, so if the rat is already basically in quarantine in its living conditions now, is it really vital still?
I'm only considering this because she is in such a bad position... I just don't want to make an irresponsible assumption & rescue her only to get my current rats sick!
Any advice would be appreciated!

 

[kksrats]

I typically just keep new rats in a separate area of the house. Yes, she could still have something transmissible to your current rat even if she's not currently housed with other rats. Just keep them separate for a couple of weeks and watch for signs of illness. If you want to be extra sure, you can take her to a vet for a wellness check up that way if she does happen to have something you can let them know that you've got another rat at home and they'll probably give you enough meds to treat more than one.

 

[nanashi7]

Technically, yes. She could be a passive carrier of viruses.

I really hated replying that cause I really want you to get her >.< Where are you located?

 

[spysquid]

I know! I'm not really in the market for another rat but I keep thinking about her! I first saw the post 2 weeks ago.

I'm in Portland Oregon and she is in the Salem Oregon area.

 

[nanashi7]

Wayyyy too far for me, and I'm not familiar with any rescues nearby. I will say, Oregon isn't on the list of affected states with Sendai and such.

 

[spysquid]

Unfortunately the closest rescue is 3hrs away from me in Everett Wa thanks for the tip about the virus, I remember seeing something about that a couple weeks ago & being relieved!

 

[Rat Daddy]

Very few rat owners actually do a quarantine of any kind. And most get away with it. But there are certain viruses making the rounds again that make things more risky.

It would be foolish to advise anyone against doing a quarantine.... but that doesn't mean I usually do them either..

Best luck.

 

[heckhund]

I don't normally quarantine, but with Sendai going around I'd do it anyway.