# Hoarding Hairless rats..



## haunt (Sep 9, 2012)

Is this seriously something common? I'm actually kind of curious, because this lady lives in Phoenix, Arizona.. which is where I live. There's a local rat rescue here called any rat rescue, and if you look up their page they have this little side note.. "We are unable to provide care for additional rescues until we find homes for the 60 hairless rats who were relinquished in May." I wonder if they are from the same lady in this video.. >_> I've heard a lot of stories about people hoarding rats.. how about you?

And on an off note.. be prepared to internet rage at the living conditions of these rats because it is AWFUL.


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## Babs (Jan 26, 2012)

I've never heard of anyone hoarding just hairless rats before, that's new to me. I did see that classic animal hoarders episode before with the guy whose house was overrun with his rats, though. I do feel sorry for this woman, but I will never understand how people can honestly think they're doing what's best for the animals they claim to love in these situations. 

If you go to about 2.10 in that video, I'm pretty sure that hairless rat has a large abscess on the side of its head. It looks like one my hairless rat, Dobby, had once, only his was on his tummy. Who knows how many of her other rats have things like that, which will go untreated because she can't bring herself to part with them? 

I hope you're right, and that the rescue has got a lot of her rats. Maybe she could benefit from getting back in contact with her family and maybe having just a couple of rats, if that's possible for her.


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## Rat Daddy (Sep 25, 2011)

I've seen other rat hoarder episodes, but this is the first hairless one. But why not? Rat hoarding is very easy to accomplish, start with a pair and in a year or so you wind up with over 1000 just add food and water.

Actually, I can't imagine the smell of that house and the condition the building is likely to be in with rats gnawing everything... And I also can't imagine that many of the rats in the video know their names or have much socialziation at all... Still I would feel sorry for the lady if she has to give up her friends...


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## Rat Daddy (Sep 25, 2011)

Actually with 50 rats of both sexes running around the house the lady in the video isn't really that far away from having a thousand rat nightmare... 25 female rats x 10 pups is 275 rats 135 female rats time 10 pups and she's over 1500 rats in under six months. One more breeding cycle and she makes the guiness book of world records under the catagory worlds worst reason for being homeless.


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## Phantom (Apr 4, 2012)

Yikes! I like hairless rats too (the reason I got Molly), but not that much. D=


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## Drowsy (Oct 23, 2012)

the conditions she kept them in are just disgusting. How horrible. 

I want to feel pity, knowing this is a mental disorder, but at the same time I get so angry that they could keep those poor things in that kind of condition.


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## mistymornings18 (Aug 13, 2012)

wow poor rats :-(


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## Awaiting_Abyss (Jul 24, 2012)

You also have to remember that those kinds of shows fluff things up to make it more interesting for the viewers.


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## Isamurat (Jul 27, 2012)

definitley, in many cases they specifically cut the videos to show the worst, saying that it's pretty clear that the woman in that show has issue. If you want a far kinder and more relective program on people who own rats check out http://www.channel4.com/programmes/head-over-heels-in-rats/4od , it follows Kate and Kevin Rattray, 2 lovely people i know who are well and truelly besotted by there rats and each other. Well worth a watch


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## lilspaz68 (Feb 24, 2007)

The rat at 2:10 has a zymbal's gland.

I honestly don't care too much about the smaller cages (they get out) and the food (i am sure the cupcakes are treats not a staple), but what bothers me the most is that if she cannot afford rat food then how does she afford vet care, humane euthanasia's etc? Nakies are prone to serious issues with their eyes and skin that often need vet care and obviously these rats aren't getting it.


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## ratclaws (Nov 11, 2012)

I assume this is the program whom had a representative sign up on the forum asking for people to partake in a documentary, as though having pet rats makes you strange... Although this woman is certainly not doing the right thing.


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