pregnant rat at Petco

[SnowyShiloh]

I'm so sad. We were at Petco tonight and in one of the rat cages there was a hugely pregnant girl. I wanted to buy her and bring her home and take care of her, and then find homes for her and her babies in a few weeks. We had 4 rats in the past so are experienced rat owners, but we decided not to get anymore when the last one died last summer because they have such short lives and our house is full of bunnies.

My heart really went out to this girl though. Paul doesn't want to get her though even if we rehome her and the babies. He said he doesn't really feel sorry for her even though it's very likely that her and all her babies will be snake food (if the babies live long enough, they may be killed by the other females in the cage at the pet store). Here in Alaska, red eyed white rats ("lab rats") are the only kind you can legally have and the vast majority of the ones sold from Petco become food.

I really hope someone else will see her before she gives birth and take her home and give her and the babies a loving home. I don't want to push Paul, but I really wish there were a way to gently change his mind on this. We even have 2 cages we could use for the mom and her babies, and I have a ton of hammocks and beds and tunnels and stuff leftover from my previous ratties- a lot of them were never even used!

 

[GoinBackToCali]

That makes me so sad! I recently fell in love with rats on a Petco visit searching for a sweater small enough for my adopted elderly mini doxie girl..I never paid them any mind, just walked by the cages, but I stopped and perused, mostly because one of the girls on my team is a teacher and brings her class pets home all the time..and I am enchanted with them.
I watched them for several minutes, going to the various cages..the thing that struck me most, and please don't laugh at me, as I don't know a thing about rats, is how their we're so many in one cage, sleeping together under the plastic dome house..and some had boy parts, and some didn't.

I thought to myself.. "now that can't be good"

I had no idea they were so social!!

I would take her if I were closer. I tend to like my animals a bit more than going out in public..

 

[SnowyShiloh]

Yeah, Zin, they're really sociable. Petco does do a pretty good job of keeping the sexes separate- I've only seen a rat in the wrong tank once, and when I informed them, they moved her. They have 4 cages: one for baby girls, one for baby boys, one for adult girls, and one for adult boys. Sometimes they even have cages for midsized boys and girls. This Petco does a pretty good job of taking care of the animals, but that doesn't change that most of them are sold for food.

Paul said that he would have let me get the rat if we had more space in the apartment. Either by having a bigger apartment, or if two of the bunnies were bonded and lived in a cage together. Unfortunately, I can't make the bunnies love each other and want to live together. Literally the only place for the rat cage would be in our bedroom.

 

[GoinBackToCali]

I was just informed I was at Petsmart.. not Petco..

Apparently I can't read signage..lol

 

[undergunfire]

Sadly...some snake owner will probably notice a pregnant belly and take her home to give birth. "Free" pinkies.

:tears2:

 

[SnowyShiloh]

Yeah, Amy, that's what I was thinking. Gruesome as it sounds, if the babies have to be eaten, I'd rather it happen while they're tiny little pinkies than bigger babies who are aware of what's going on. So sad. I wish space could be made so we could take her home. If it were summer, we could put her cage in the entry way, but it's pretty much winter now and I'm afraid it will get too cold out there even if we leave the door open. I also suggested putting the cage (it's a smaller cage with small bar spacing that would be good for babies) on top of Ned's or Skyler's cage.

 

[undergunfire]

Can you post about her on GM? Maybe there are more Alaskan members now.

 

[SnowyShiloh]

Amy, I did make a post about her in Rat Tails & Mug Shots last night. Got 2 replies so far. Should I make a thread in the Adoption Center asking if anyone lives in Fairbanks? Last I know of, there's a girl in Soldotna (who I got Colby from) and a girl somewhere else in Alaska but they're both young and live at home with their parents- both girls have asked me if I could take rats from them before so I don't think they're in a position to get this girl.

I even pointed out to Paul that Petco has an adoption center. We've seen rats in the adoption center before. They said they make people sign a contract when they adopt rats saying they won't use them as pet food, AND they recently changed the price of the rats for adoption to be higher than the price of the other rats. People looking for food wouldn't pay more for a pet rat, right? It wouldn't be ideal, but I pointed out to Paul that if we absolutely could not find homes for all the babies and couldn't keep them, they could go there maybe.

 

[undergunfire]

You could try posting in the adoption section, but I'm not sure if it is just for rats that YOU have or not??

I wish you could get her. I agree, maybe the adoption section wouldn't be so bad. Do you think that if you took in the momma, you'd have a hard time finding homes for the babies?

I know it stinks being in your position. Recently there was an ad on CL..."free male & female rat". Pictures showed a standard male & a hairless female in a tank. Ad stated "the male doesn't like the female "in that way" because she is hairless". WHAT?! Ugh....I was so sad because I knew she was possible pregnant, but I just can't deal with that right now. I also saw an ad for 2 piggies, one male & one female...living in a tank on cedar bedding. The female pig looks to be pretty pregnant. I just can't do anything about it. I leave for dog grooming school for 7 weeks in May...and Ryan already has to take care of all the pets & is being super nice letting Morgan finally get his wifebun. Just breaks my heart, it really does.

So, if I saw a pregnant rat at a pet store....I'd have to just walk away, too. I'd post on GM and try to get her bought that way, but if it wasn't possible because I can't take her in....then I just have to wish for the best for her.

That is just rats in this situation. Now, if a pregnant cat/dog/rabbit needed me.....I'd try harder. No more rats because Ryan is allergic & they are hard to adopt out to good homes around here.

 

[SnowyShiloh]

Thanks for the replies, Amy. I think I'm just going to have to wish her the best. I may give it a couple last tries, but I think she's going to have her babies any second. Paul left to go to the store and buy pumpkins for us to carve and asked if I needed anything else. "Pregnant rat!" (Petco is right next to the grocery store). So he said, "Okay, two pumpkins and a rat. Check." I figured he was kidding, but he took a really long time at the store and when he came home, he said, "Red eye?" I thought he might have seriously got her and was confirming that the rat with red eyes (they all have red eyes) was the right one! But no, he was just asking "Ready?" in a weird way. Boo.

Paul has agreed that if we ever see an obviously pregnant rabbit in a bad situation, she'll be coming home with us no matter what.

Really wish I could just help her somehow. Who knows, maybe she's given birth already.

 

[undergunfire]

I had to laugh at Paul a little bit....sounds just like Ryan! It reminds me of when I ask him (err..beg him not to forget) my fountain coke when he goes to the store/Sam's Club...and he always forgets :grumpy:.

Well, I hope she is okay and they all end up in the right hands. Too bad there wasn't a rat rescue around....but even then, the never-ending "gotta help this pregnant rat" stories are always out there .

 

[JadeIcing]

Hugs to both I know it's not easy.