# To adopt or not to adopt?



## Keelyrawr (Mar 7, 2012)

So.. Here's the issue. I saw an Ad in my Classifieds yesterday that said something along the lines of "Got a rat from the pet store for my kid, she's getting really fat, her nipples are sticking out and she's becoming really aggressive towards us. She's definitely pregnant, Need someone to take her or she's getting dumped. Can't deal with a ton of rat babies" Not even kidding. Getting Dumped. I emailed the person venting my anger towards them- And they took the Ad down immediately.. They said they feel like they have no choice, their pet store will not take her. Here's where I'm stuck.. Do I take this little girl and her babies-to-be into my home? I feel like I really don't have a choice.. But not only would I be doing it behind my parents back-- How am I supposed to possibly re-home so many babies? Sorry for my mini-rant. :-( Tips?


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## Malcolmratdad (Mar 29, 2012)

Do you have a local shelter that routinely takes rats? The spca where I volunteer does. Its a no-kill shelter and they always have room for a few rats since they're pretty little guys. If the only options are them getting dumped or you keeping them behind your parents back that might be a good choice if its available.


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## Keelyrawr (Mar 7, 2012)

I know of a Rat rescue, but he claims to have already contacted them and they are full. I know there are no shelters out here that adopt rats. I checked last year when I was searching for pet rats.


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## Malcolmratdad (Mar 29, 2012)

That's a bummer  there's no way your parents would agree if you promised to find homes for all the babies?


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## Keelyrawr (Mar 7, 2012)

Aha.. I wish  They already think Rats are the devils spawn. God knows what they'd do if they found out I had a ton of baby Rats.


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## Malcolmratdad (Mar 29, 2012)

OK how about your friends? Anyone who could keep her with them and you could go check on her?


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## Keelyrawr (Mar 7, 2012)

Only my sister, who's living in an apartment and Isn't supposed to have rodents in there at all >_< I do have a tree house a few acres away from my house, I could always keep an aquarium in there with a Heat lamp or Heater of some sort. That's looking like one of my only options.


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## Malcolmratdad (Mar 29, 2012)

Well... I'm not advocating lying to a landlord or anything but my rats stay in my walk in closet in my apartment. He knows I have a "guinea pig" but he's never seen my girls. So it can work, but it'd be her decision only. Idk about outdoors I'd be soooooo worried about predators. Crows, cats, wild rodents, not to mention the weather.... maybe other members will have other suggestions for you though. Best of luck.


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## British (Apr 2, 2012)

I completely understand how you feel. I'd want to take her as well. Not that I'm suggesting you lie to your parents or anything, but... 

How completely irresponsible of that person >.< Not nice! And what a rotten thing to teach the kid, too - if it's inconvenient, throw it away.

I'm quite far away from Texas, or I would offer to take one or two of the babies, if you kept them 

Also, the guinea pig comment made me LOL


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## PitterPatter (Feb 28, 2012)

Personally I'd take them anyway. Just tell your parents you found her.


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## Keelyrawr (Mar 7, 2012)

Met up with him at a Convenience store, he passed her onto me and said Good luck kid.
So far she's been really aggressive and won't take any treats. I'll keep working with her 
though.  She is so beautiful! I think she has dalmatian coloring or something.
Definitely pregnant though. Thanks for the tips everyone! I'm hiding her cage in my closet ;-)


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## Malcolmratdad (Mar 29, 2012)

You'll have to put up a picture! I'm glad things seem to have worked out for now. Best of luck and I'm sure everyone here will have great advice for socializing her and with the babies.


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## British (Apr 2, 2012)

Yay! So glad you took her!!


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## A.ngelF.eathers (Jul 6, 2011)

Keelyrawr said:


> Thanks for the tips everyone! I'm hiding her cage in my closet ;-)


I LOL'd
Glad she's in better hands now, and I wish you the best of luck with the sudden shift in feeding bill! xD


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## JessyGene (Feb 27, 2012)

Good luck! It is so awesome of you to take the mother in. I would never be able to turn away from that either. Some people are so irresponsible


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## moongate (Mar 12, 2012)

I agree. I wouldn't have been able to say no either. Good luck to you and let us know what happens to the little ones!


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## Maiden (Mar 9, 2012)

I hid my rats at first too. Their owner cared a lot about them but she was moving and couldn't take them with. Their tank was too big for my closet though.

Once my family found out they weren't happy. Honestly, my dad even threatened to have them exterminated unless I found them another home. 

A lot of sucking up, buttering up, and extra chores later he tolerates them but only because he doesn't have to look at them. It helps to get one parent on your side. My mom had a lot of pet peeves about my room and I cleaned it up. (Took me a week and another week to get rid of the allergies from all the dust that got stirred up.)


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## moonkissed (Dec 26, 2011)

While I do not support lying to your parents, I may have done the same thing lol. I remember once when I was fairly young I found a stray cat that I fell head over heels in love with. I made up this huge story about how I had been walking down the street and some people were in the middle of moving and couldn't take their cat and so they gave him to me. & I couldn't remember where, but they had already left. I doubt my parents believed me but they let me keep him. 

But if your parents find out later on that you kept it from them you could be in big trouble or seen as untrustworthy and it could mean bad things for the rats  I do encourage you to be honest.

that being said it was so great of you to take her in. maybe try petfinder to look at rescues in your area or make a classified add on their site looking for homes for the babies. Goodluck!


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## minnehaha25 (Mar 14, 2012)

Hun dont lie to the rents just ask what could it hurt they might understand.


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## Korra (Dec 11, 2011)

Some parents will just never understand. To this day my mother still thinks that my rats are mice. I told her this b/c while mice are "horrid gross weird things that only an odd loser would want", rats are "the ugliest oddest creatures out there and anyone who has pet rats will never be loved in their life". I am not making these things up. These are some of the things she says about rodents, mice and rats being the worst. So sometimes, being blissfully ignorant makes things easier.

EDIT: Ok, woah I'm sorry. I just realized how old this topic is. My bad  Shouldn't have bothered to post hehe


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## lilmiss_paradox (Apr 9, 2012)

My mom and sister HATED the ideas of rats before I got my first girl. But as soon as they saw her and realized how cute she was, they came around. I am glad that she is in a better place, but I really hope that you can come clean with your parents. You would HATE to end up in a situation where not only do you have to find a new home for her, but you also get in a whole bunch of trouble.


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## A.ngelF.eathers (Jul 6, 2011)

Guys, this post is old, and the result of gravedigging, something I don't understand.
don't worry about it.


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