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I am so torn right now. My heart really wants me to do something, but experience is telling me no. Yesterday when I went to get a new litter pan and some food for the girls at Petsmart, I saw there were two little fancies asleep in the corner of a display tank. They were the first and only rats I've seen in that store for about two months. I was actually kind of happy that I didn't see any during that time period, hoping that *maybe* there was no more demand and therefore no need for my local store to order more rats from mass breeders. Well, I should have expected to be disappointed. Even more so, I'm really worried for the lives of the two rats I saw in the display yesterday. Why?
They looked like they were younger than a month old. I am no expert on rat life stages, but my girls were MUCH bigger than these two when I got them, and the vet even told me then that they were tiny babies. Millie and Daisy were probably about 6 weeks old when I got them. These were not even close...they honestly looked smaller than mice. A month old at most. I'm pretty sure they are not ready to be away from their mother and I just have this feeling that if they are brand new shipments, they won't last more than a couple more days because they need momma's milk.
What would you do in this situation? I feel really heartbroken over it, because I know that without help they probably won't survive. But, if I purchase them I re-open the door to my girls getting sick like they were when I first brought them home. I also patronize the live-animal portion of the store, which I know will eventually just lead to them ordering more sickly rats.
After this, I think I'm just going to start ordering all of my pet supplies online unless I'm in a bind. I get so upset every time I go because of my bleeding heart for animals. Plus, Drs. Foster and Smith is somewhat cheaper. Just involves more of a wait, I guess.
If you have any good online retailers for things like food, litter, pans, etc. besides Foster and Smith please let me know.
They looked like they were younger than a month old. I am no expert on rat life stages, but my girls were MUCH bigger than these two when I got them, and the vet even told me then that they were tiny babies. Millie and Daisy were probably about 6 weeks old when I got them. These were not even close...they honestly looked smaller than mice. A month old at most. I'm pretty sure they are not ready to be away from their mother and I just have this feeling that if they are brand new shipments, they won't last more than a couple more days because they need momma's milk.
What would you do in this situation? I feel really heartbroken over it, because I know that without help they probably won't survive. But, if I purchase them I re-open the door to my girls getting sick like they were when I first brought them home. I also patronize the live-animal portion of the store, which I know will eventually just lead to them ordering more sickly rats.
After this, I think I'm just going to start ordering all of my pet supplies online unless I'm in a bind. I get so upset every time I go because of my bleeding heart for animals. Plus, Drs. Foster and Smith is somewhat cheaper. Just involves more of a wait, I guess.
If you have any good online retailers for things like food, litter, pans, etc. besides Foster and Smith please let me know.