Rats at a rescue centre..what do you think?

[JulesDoug]

This is a really tricky one. Recently went to a local vounteer run shelter.The people that ran it were very kind and well meaning..BUT..the rats they were keeping were over crowded kept on the wrong bedding and being fed a strange mix of 'donated' food whether it be rabit food or hamster food.I have to say the shelter has a policy that will not destroy any healthy animals nor will they turn an animal in need away..the result is animals of all shapes and sizes being kept in very poor conditions.
The rats all seem scared and aggresive I don't think any are being handled enough, it is so hard when very well meaning people come to the end of their resources the resulting situation can be neglect.  I don't know what to do..I was thinking about volunteering but I don't know if that would bring back diseases to my girls..I'm also kind of stretched at the moment too.
If I could help to socialise their rats they have there then maybe they would make more appealing pets...but as you know I am new to this too. I did feel these animals were unhappy and unhealthy.

[em]

Hi Jules,

Firstly sorry for the lack of messaging last week - work was nasty! Say no more. Sad to hear about the state of the shelter - is it one near where you live? I'd try gently trying to educate them about bedding and food and so forth - if they really do care for the animals as much as you say they should be prepared to listen to informed advice. And if they've really got more than they can handle, perhaps they need to consider passing some on to another shelter or the RSPCA. There are a few breeders in Norfolk aren't there, can they help?

Hope you're able to help the poor little ratties there. I agree - I'd be leery of volunteering there myself for fear of putting my own pets in danger of infection. Let us know what happens Jules.

Em

[Piper]

Yeah you might want to say you've taken an interest in the rats at the shelter and that you've been reading a lot about care. And then mention the things like good bedding and food. And you could say that you just want to help the rats become better and healthier pets so they have a better chance on being adopted. Maybe you could even make a small info thing for next to their cage to educate visitors to the shelter on what great pets rats make.

If you don't feel comfortable talking to them about it maybe you can leave a info pamphlet printed out from online about how cedar/pine is toxic and how hamster and bunny food isn't good for rats and that the shelter should have them on lab blocks (of course there are healhier diets than just lab blocks alone but for the shelter's purposes just lab blocks would be fine).

[Ali]

Hi Jules.

Poor little mites, it doesn't sound as if they're kept in the best conditions. It's so hard when you know that people are only trying to do their best. To be honest, the rescue where I got my boys was similar - it was just someone's house, the whole place (even the bathroom) crammed with all sorts of animals, some on pine. She does handle her rats all the time though - I held some of them and they were mostly very sweet. I guess people just get in over their heads some times.

If you're anything like me you'll find it very very hard to say anything (I'm such a wuss). I think Em and Piper's suggestions were good ones. You could always just print all the info off that you find on the net, and take it along saying something along the lines that this information has made a world of difference to your rats, maybe it would be of interest to them? (you can always go down the route of 'don't mean to teach my grandmother to suck eggs', like you're the one who doesn't know much!) It might make the pill easier to swallow.

To be honest, I think it's unlikely that you would bring illnesses back to your girls, particularly if you're scrupulous about only wearing a particular set of clothes, washing your hands etc. I've learned that here in the UK conditions are such that very few people quarantine anyway. If you were up to volunteering just for a couple of weeks it might help.... another alternative (and I know it's a drag, but I did it for the local RSPCA and it's not too bad) is to offer to help them set up some sort of fundraising ideas so that they can get more money to buy what they need. If you offered to be in charge then it'd be easier to buy what YOU think they need. Mind you, my guess is that you've got enough on your plate at the moment.

What a dilemma!
Hope Babs is still doing ok. I worried about that naughty rat all weekend!  

[EaglesEye Rattery]

I run a rattery AND volunteer at a local shelter...

I wash thoroghly before leaving my house and have a fresh change of clothes and do not touch my kids for risk they may have something any rat at the shelter may be immune to.  I do my work there with the ratties and when I come home I'm strait to the bathroom, my chothes go in the washer and I'm in the shower scrubbing off before I go anywhere near my rats.

I also request people with rodents at home do this before and after visting my house just in case and I do it whenever visting any other place with rodents.  

I'm not saying any of my rats are sick but I believe in taking all precautions.

Hopefully that helps.  I think taking even just an hour a day to socolise the rats would not only be great for you but a life savewr for the rats.  maybe help them find a new food which doesn't colst much.  Instead of complaining about a problem try helping it at first then if that doesn't help your then allowed to complaine!  LOL  (My revised version of my rule growing up!  *L*)

Good luck!

                                           Em~

PS  the downfall to working in a rescue if you will fall in love with MAY animals you'll want to take home for any reason...  Believe me- my fiance has to tell me "NO!!!!"  all the time!  LOL

[Rat-love]

I volunteer at our local small animal rescue.  We don't have too many rats there, and it's a pretty clean place, but I do make an effort to play with them, so there is direct contact.  I haven't been at it for too long, but here's what I do:  

Wash my hands and forearms before I leave.
Take off my clothes and take a shower immediately when I get home.

I'm not doing too well for money at the moment either, so I understand; although rats are important to us, it's more important for us to make a subsistence-level living first!  If you don't have time to volunteer, I'm sure that the shelter folks will be much happier actually knowing what conditions are best for their denizens!  Maybe you could even volunteer to come in solely to handle the rats to get them socialized.

Well, good luck!  Keep asking questions!

[JulesDoug]

If they let me I am going to volunteer whatever time I can..Can't moan if I am not going to try..also figure it is best to help once you are on the inside and not a threat.
Will offer I hope they will let me, they seemed a little defensive, maybe I gave off the wrong vibes..will try again.

[emmamay]

well i hope all goes well , good luck!:)

[Yresim]

If you do help, just make sure you are careful to wash off before handling your babies.  

I always change and take a shower after touching any other rats.  Now, I guess I have to do so before touching other rats, as well.  It's not as big a deal for me, though, since I very rarely have the chance to play with ratties that aren't mine.

[Meghan]

Animal shelters are in a real bind.  Everyone likes the idea of a no-kill shelter, but those kind of shelters then have to make the choice of turning animals away or keeping them in terrible conditions.  Ultimaly, with all the overbreeding that goes on, there are not enough homes, and the 'overflow' has to be dealt with.  THat's why it is so important to get animals fixed.  Even if all your babies get homes, there are then less homes for others.  It's not just a matter for "backyard" breeders either, even 'serious' breeders need to think about whether their these problems.

There's my rant on animal shelters  But for practical advice, why not donate some healthy bedding and food, and give them a copy of some info on rat care?  They would probably appreciate a little donation a lot, and it would set them on the right track.

[mustang_grl143]

They probably dont know anything about rats I bet if you informed them they would be really happy to have you help get donations for the right kind of stuff...
Ps were are you t I would love to gat a few new rats!