Tiny

[KateT]

My tank is nearing the end of its cycle, and so I went out for a scout of some pet shops in the hope of finding a good stockist (I refuse to shop at Pets at Home).

I found a little backstreet 'pet and aquatic centre' not far from me, so I paid it a visit.

As soon as I entered the shop, I saw a guinea pig in a hamster cage, on his own, in direct sunlight with no house or form of shade. He looked as though he was suffering terribly with the heat.

Further along, I got to the 'stock' of rodents. They had a few mice, hamsters and one lone rat. All the rodents were being kept in tubs, tanks or even tupperware boxes. They were all being kept on wood shavings (which is inappropriate for mice and rats, though okay for hamsters) and none of them had any form of hiding place or bedding.

I'm a rat lover; I have been keeping fancy rats for years and years and I was shocked by the lone rat I saw in there. He was on his own in a tupperware box and was quite obviously not old enough for sale.

So I took him.

His name is Tiny. He is about 3 - 4 weeks old (rats are not old enough to be rehomed until they are 6 - 8 weeks old). He can't quite manage solid food and should still be feeding from his mother. I have been offering him a chicken and vegetable mash I made, and have been supplemting his mother's milk with puppy milk formula. He weighed only 50 grams when I weighed him on Saturday.

Here he is:

I phoned the RSPCA and the council and they are investigating the shop. I didn't even get as far as the fish!

 

[lilfishie]

poor little chap, good on you for taking him, least he has the best chance with you

 

[fluttermoth]

Aww, poor little chap!
I've kept rats for years (although I don't have any atm; I get depressed by the shortness of their lives ) and they are lovely creatures; hope you can pull him through; he's adorable

 

[coldcazzie]

Awwwe he's just gorgeous! Nominate him for Pet of the Month! He's so cute! I'm sure he's in great hands now

 

[lilfishie]

Seconded

 

[3l3ctric]

I used to have rats - what great pets! I'm happy you rescued Tiny, he is extremely adorable. Rodents seem to get the short end of the stick where I live- even at some pet stores who keep other animals in decent condition. It's hard to find a place that doesn't overcrowd mice and rats, and even harder to find a place that actually provides some stimulation for them. At one store I recently saw a huge momma rat in what couldn't have been larger than a 5.5 gallon tank, on pine shavings. Half of the tank was her nest with her little ones it (who were getting less little by the day), the other half was her dirty water bowl and tipped over food bowl. It's heartbreaking.

Quebec is also filled to the brim with puppy mills, so most pet stores also carry sickly dogs in awful cages - and there's very little in law to protect them here.