I can't even think of a topic for this thread. (Long)

[KimbearlySue]

Last night I tried to convince my friend that she needed to rehome her rats, even if it was only temporarily. She brought them to her mom's apt.(she moved back home), and basically snuck them in. Because her mom is absolutely DISGUSTED by rats, she had the two males and the three females each living in a hamster cage that is not even big enough for one rat. You can see the two cages here http://community.webshots.com/sym/image3/6/20/14/73762014PJdVnu_fs.jpg (this is at my house).

Anyway, my efforts to convince my friend to rehome them failed miserably. I even offered to keep the two boys for her until she could get her OWN apartment, or at least lived with someone who doesn't mind rats. She said I was being "Holier than thou" and condescending, and just because they lived in such small cages didn't mean she didn't love them. At least, I can say, they weren't on pine. She said that she couldn't part with her fur kids. Even after discussing this more with her today, she still refused. Regretfully, I assumed my efforts were a complete failure. I can't save them all, right?

Well, earlier this evening I receive a call from my friend. She is practically in tears. Apparently, her mom REALLY found out about her rats. She was already upset because of something that had happened at work, and she had been drinking (always a bad combination) and now was threatening to throw the rats out of the window. I think I would have crawled through the phone and strangled this woman if she had laid a FINGER on ANY of those rats!   I even told my friend that if anything happened, I could and most certainly WOULD call the police and the ASPCA on her mom if she touched the rats.

My friend asked me to come and get them. And I asked her if this meant that she wanted me to rehome the girls. She just burst into tears and told me that she didn't want to, but if she had to she would. I think I felt my heart breaking for my friend and for these poor fur kids   I am keeping the boys, who, as it turns out, have lice. Of course, nothing can be easy, right? No sign of bugs on the girls, though.

I have contacted a rescue in St. Louis, so we'll see. I am feeling very overwhelmed, and very angry at my friend's mom. I never realized I could harbor such disgust for in my heart for another human being.  

Here is a close up of the boys:
http://community.webshots.com/photo/72826655/73762505xjYxxg

Ick is the PEW in the front, and Fred is in the back.

And the girls:
http://community.webshots.com/photo/72826655/73762682bnfaXZ

Sugar, the PEW (actually, she might be a really light beige hooded), Mouse the agouti, and Lucy is in the back, she's a black berk.

Now I'm going to go and give myself a headache worrying about these guys.

 

[midnightsky]

post the adoptions in the "adoption" section if you already havent.
good for you for taking in the rats on such short notice.

[Wolfchan]

I'm glad you got them out of that situation.  Kudos to you, good luck with them.

[anaphylaxis]

i think your ungracious friend, and those poor ratties, are lucky to have you.  i hope she learned something after having to crawl to you for help after you'd already warned and offered.

"holier than thou" nothing.

</bitter>

[BabyBlue]

THAT's what they were living in? I'm so glad they're now with you and that situation forced your friend to do this.

Oh and fyi, if the boys have lice it's most likely that the girls do too. I'd make sure to keep them separated from your own rats. Best of luck to you. Hope you find good homes for the girls.

[KimbearlySue]

I'm going to treat them all for lice, just in case. Even though I could actually SEE the lice on the boys, and I couldn't when I checked all the girls.

The rescue in St. Louis got back to me, and they will most likely be able to take the girls   That is at least some good news. And, at least lice is the only thing wrong with the boys, it seems. The PEW is larger than ANY of my other rats   He's a big squish butt. I will try to get close up pictures of them later today.