A tear in my eye.

[jujipup]

My roomate and I were at the pet store, and we just took a look around at the pets they had.  We of course looked at the ratties and such.  I felt so horrible for a Jumbo rat... he had what looked like a tumor on his back leg.  Made me feel so bad for him.  I wanted to take him and rush him to the vet...  I don't think pointing it out to the workers would do any good b/c they could obviously see if it they'd just look.

**UPDATE**

So we went back today, and I asked to see that specific rat.  I found out that it was a SHE in a tank of males, and she has a tumor on her stomach by her back leg.  I also found out that she's leaking fluid as well.  I told the person helping us that she needed to be seperated from the males and that she's probably not going to make it.  I feel so horrible!  I just wanted to cry when I saw that.  If she got pregnant with those males... which I highly doubt she didn't, she is going to die with those little ones inside her... *tear*

**UPDATE**

I went back, and the cage was empty.  I asked a worker and she said they were sold.  I mentioned the rat with the tumor, and she didn't know, but she said that normally the jumbo rats are sold as feeder.  So, I mean, that horrible, and they shouldn't of been able to sell her in that condition, but I feel better knowing that SOMETHING happened to her.  Instead of her just sitting there, dying slowly, and able to harm the others in the cage, let alone any babies she's carrying.

[mandycoot]

It's awful, you're very right. Sadly the babies she could be carrying are most likely the least of her worries. And that is exactly why I refuse to support pet stores and line their pockets while the animals in their "care" suffer. If I wanted to get a rat out of a pet store bad enough so they could receive medical care, you can bet that I'd force them to hand him or her over for free through some tactic or another.

[jujipup]

Yeah, I am going back tomorrow to see her condition.  I'll probably ask what they plan on doing with her.  If they say they're just going to hold her and not sell her b/c she's ill or anything, I think I'm going to ask if they'd hand her over.  I don't know what I can do either.  But, I don't want her to die with no one that loved her...  Thats what saddens me... she's going to die with no one caring...  I was talking to my roommate from work to find out how late they were open tonight, and I was getting tears in my eyes.  Of course they closed early, so we're going there tomorrow morning to check up on her.

[baileyjane]

Poor little girl; be sure and let us know what happens tomorrow!  You are such a kind and caring person to want to help her so badly...(I would too if I were you!)

[jujipup]

Of course I will surely let you know what happens.

I talked to my boyfriends mom and she said that normally when they have a sick animal they can have it put down.  However, I want to make sure she's getting what needs to be given in her condition.  Like I said, she was dying.  And thats what bothers me.  I was at work thinking nothing but of her, and was getting tears in my eyes.

[anita1216]

That makes me angry and then terribly sad. I hate to see animals of any kind be treated so poorly and with no care at all. Thats one of the reasons I loathe going into pet stores that sell live animals. Most of the time the conditions are lousy and the animals seem depressed and desperate.

I hope you are able to help her if it is nothing more than to ease her suffering humanely.

Good Luck!

[gesticulator]

What a sad story. Were you able to find anything out? Poor girl.

[jujipup]

I updated the first post, but here it is again:

I went back and saw the cage empty.  I asked an employee and she said they were sold but she wasn't there for it.  So I told her about the one with the tumor and she said that they were probably sold as feeder.

But seriously, aren't they not suppose to sell rats in that condition?  Even if it was a feeder, why would you give a sick dying animal with questionable health as to pass something to its captive?  v.v

I'm hoping they're wrong that they were bought for pets, or they took a look at her after I left and euthanized her if she was as bad as I thought she was.  I feel better though that she's not just sitting at the pet store waiting for death.  SOMETHING happened to her.

[TheZookeeper]

UGH! I hope some moron doesn't have her to get the babies to feed and is just letting her suffer more.  Poor girlie!

[jujipup]

I know...  I feel horrible.  I should of asked at the store when I pointed her out what they were going to do with her.  Or like demand her to do something immediately.  I just figured they'd do something once it was pointed out.

The person I talked to didn't know who bought them, she wasn't there.  So maybe they had already pulled her out when I pointed her out and they might of taken action.  Idk.

I'd just like to think that something was done to either help her or end her suffering.  But next time I see an animal like that, they can bet they'll hear it.  I learned that just pointing it out isn't enough.  They'll be pushing me out the door after that, then talking about the insane guest they had at work to their families.  XD

[TheZookeeper]

Well, you did more than most people.  Most people wouldn't even notice a nasty, gross rat.  Hopefully you are right and she was taken out and helped.