# OOPS I did it again!



## PEG (Aug 19, 2010)

Okay I'm in big trouble with this one guys. I was driving with my sister when she noticed a pet store coming up and begged me to stop to look around. It was the same pet store I got my 6 month old agouti berkshire girl Gipsy from. This place keeps their small animals in horrible conditions. They pile in like 25 or more rats in a 50 gallon long tank, knowingly mixing males and females and if one gets pregnant or has babies they move them into a seperate tank and price the babies starting at 50 cents and up depending on size as feeders. They have an amazing fish section though and lots of other animals so I thought I would take my sister inside just to look. I figured what's the chance that there will be a rat that catches my attention like Gipsy did again, I mean I've gone in there a million times and walked out just fine. Well not today :doh: I looked at the rats cause well I just can't help myself. I got through the first 3 tanks and felt bad for the ratties but nothing tugged at my heart until I got to the last tank. I scanned and saw these huge black and white boy rats (I only keep girls) and then in the corner saw this smaller rat with the cutest face staring right at me from under these two huge boy rats. I figured it was probably bigger then it looked and a boy so I walked away. As I walked through the store I kept thinking about how that rat was just staring at me :BlueDumboBigEyes: so I went back. I opened the tank and reached it, gently pushing aside these really big rats and I was right, it was a scared little girl rat about the size of my 6 month olds at home. I held her and she didn't run or bite just sat there and looked at me. I went to put her down and she turned around, grabbed my hand and licked it. I almost cried! Knowing that my mother would kill me (I'm 19 but still live at home) I left the store with my sister and went to my car and turned it on. I just couldn't drive away...So I am now hiding this rat in my room from my mom and the worst part is that I'm pretty sure she is pregnant, or at least there is a very good chance! So anyone want babies PLEASE let me know! I'm in the Federal Way area of Washington (between Tacoma and Seattle) and need to find homes ASAP just in case. Here are some pics of her and name ideas would be awesome!


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## eddricksmommy101 (Jul 16, 2010)

Just one question. Did you quarrantine?


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## PEG (Aug 19, 2010)

Unfortunately I have NO way of doing that. It was either get her and bring her home or leave her there to become snake food. She is right next to a very powerfull air filter (I know that doesn't really matter) and I'm being very careful to wash my hands thoroughly everytime after touching her or her cage. I used to work at a vetinary clinic which has a lot of experience with small animals/exotics and have an account set up with them in case of any emergencies so if anything were to happen, I have it covered.


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## eddricksmommy101 (Jul 16, 2010)

ahh lol just asking.

id adopt a baby if shes preggo, but im too far away


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## PEG (Aug 19, 2010)

Oh that stinks >.< I'm open to the whole train idea just so people know, if that's possible at all. I just want to make sure they get good homes ASAP lol I'm going to try to hide the whole thing from my mom and well I have a bad feeling that won't last for long, but look at that face!


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## eddricksmommy101 (Jul 16, 2010)

Im not gonna lie.

I wouldve done the EXACT same thing you did.

XD

Isnt it wierd how they can do that to you?


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## PEG (Aug 19, 2010)

It's downright cruel >.< I feel like they have mind control sometimes! I really love her though she is just so adorable and really sweet but shy which is understandable. I feel bad though cause I used the last of my money to buy her when I was on the way to buy more fleece for my other rats.


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## eddricksmommy101 (Jul 16, 2010)

Well, you can be happy in the fact that shes a gorgeous girl. And she ISNT going to be snake food


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## PEG (Aug 19, 2010)

That's enough for me...I can't save them all but so far I have saved a total of 11 rats and successfully rehomed 3 ^.^ working on the last 2 right now.


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## hshelton (Feb 23, 2010)

Ohh this so sounds like me lol. I brought my dog home at 6 weeks old without asking and a rat one time. My mom was real mad about the rat and took her back. I cried for my dog lol. I even brought home four baby birds last night. My mom was just like "what do you have now" hah. I would just tell her that someone you knew needed you to take it off their hands. I almost did that with Darla Faye I wanted her so bad. But I begged my mom and luckily my mom knows how happy they make me so she let me have her. Good luck with everything though, I hope she's not pregnant. She sure is beautiful!


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## PEG (Aug 19, 2010)

Thanks ^.^ I've never seen a rat like this in that pet store. Mostly they have albino, hooded, solid black, black berkshires and sometimes agouti so she totally stood out.


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## hshelton (Feb 23, 2010)

Thats how it was with Darla, I begged for three weeks. I went to the petstore like 5 times a week to make sure she was still there. I was suprised she wasn't gone because we never have rats like that around here.


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## PEG (Aug 19, 2010)

Sounds like me and my girl Panda. I adopted her sister Ember and then went back twice a day every day until I had enough money to get her sister.


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## hshelton (Feb 23, 2010)

Lol I'm just determined, I don't give up easily on something I want. I really wanted to take her sister too but there's just no way I would have been able to take care of five. I've been meaning to go back to the petstore to see if she's still there.


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## PEG (Aug 19, 2010)

I'm lucky she was the only one that caught my eye...I can NOT get anymore while I live here with my mom I'm at my limit...Hiding a rat is a problem lol


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## Jaguar (Nov 15, 2009)

Unfortunately, by saving her from being a feeder, you're also supporting and fueling the unfair business and she's just going to be replaced by two more rats to be sold again to snake food. You might feel like you did a good deed, but in the long run... the only way to really end the supply is to stop the demand. 

As long as you are able to take care of her to your best ability, though, I'm sure she will appreciate it. Likely she's pregnant... Heck she's probably already had babies more than once already if she's 6 months old and was born there. Heh. There's some good threads in the Accidental Litters section that would be of use to you. It'd be a good idea to have an emergency vet on speed dial just in case there are some complications if she is pregnant. Good luck finding homes for the babies


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## PEG (Aug 19, 2010)

I just went through the same thing with another rat. I took her in and she was pregnant. I'm still fostering her and her one daughter that's left. So I'm nervous about finding homes for these babies as I'm still having trouble rehoming the two I have now. Oh and this pet store doesn't buy rats they take ones in that people don't want and since they mix the boys and girls they are gaurenteed a constant supply therefore they make almost pure profit off these rats. So buying one just means they have one less to keep there and breed so in turn I probably just saved hundreds of babies from being born there. Oh and I highly doubt she was born there, rats there don't stay there for more then a month since people go there very often to buy them as feeders.


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## hshelton (Feb 23, 2010)

I know what you mean, I'm in the same boat. My mom loves my rats but complains about them all the time. Darla runs on the wheel all night and Percie and Piper live in my dresser and squeak all the time. Tilly is a jerk about food and will almost take off your finger for a treat. I hear her talk to my brother all the time about how crazy I am..especially after I got the tattoo of them hah


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## PEG (Aug 19, 2010)

I plan on getting a tattoo of little ratty foot prints circling a portrait of a specific picture I have of my rat Gipsy. So you're not alone lol My mom likes the rats but hates having so many animals in the house. She can't really complain about much though cause you would never know they were here if you didn't see them, I clean like crazy so they never smell and they don't make much noise other then the occassional play session gone crazy lol


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## eddricksmommy101 (Jul 16, 2010)

Awwwie.

I have to wait now until im 18 to get a tattoo.

Because of stupid Laws.

Im gonna get The word

Itty.

on my toe.


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## PEG (Aug 19, 2010)

I feel so bad for this little girl. She came out of the box at some point to grab food but other then that she just sits in there looking scared. I'm just going to leave her alone to de-stress until tomorrow and then I'll take her out and let her wander around. I want to wait until I know if she's pregnant before I think of how to tell my mom about her and start intros with my other girls so she isn't lonely. Also my mom wont be nearly as mad if I find a home for the two I'm fostering before I tell her...


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## lilspaz68 (Feb 24, 2007)

Can you not get her spayed at your vet clinic? That would solve the whole problem with the unwanted babies, and it would help your adorable little girl have a wonderful much longer., hopefully tumor-free life.


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## PEG (Aug 19, 2010)

The only doctor I trust to do her spay won't be back for a month >.<


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## Alethea (Jul 14, 2010)

What an adorable little girl ^.^


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