# My Rat Rescue.



## pooka dotted (Jan 5, 2011)

So this morning, my boss found a box outside the store. (I work at petcetera) She thought nothing of it and grabbed the box, thinking she would just fold it and recycle it. Well when the opened the box to flatten it she was greeted with two little tiny eyes, and fuzzy, scabbed body, and a scaly tail. The rat is definitely a boy, and he's dog tame too. He's grey with a white tail and a pink nose.

I worked today and I went into the back to sell a mouse to a young girl when i noticed the cage in the back and wondered why it was set up. After I sold the mouse I went back to the back room, then opened the house inside and there was the poor little guy. He walked right onto my hand and sniffed me. and i fell in love. IN LOVE.

I asked my boss about him and she said he was abandoned outside the store this morning. and he was chewing himself she figures because he was stressed and the owners didn't know what to do so they dropped him off. We had never seen the rat before so he's not from our store. But PetLand is also in our city so we figure he probably came from there.

I have him in Sumos old cage with soft and comfy litter because I don't know if they like to make nests or not, and a fleece sleepy sack, I bought him food and put in some apple and some carrot in his food bowl. I gave him water but he seems to be too frightened to come out to drink or eat so I put the apple in the fleece sack in hopes he'll eat something.

Now about the chewing himself bit. Could i put regular polysporin on it? What causes him to do that? Could another rat chewed on him? Or could he have done it to himself because he was lonely? I know rats are communal animals, like chins they should have a buddy. But I don't want to get another one till he's all better and he's been to the vet. (Ugh more vet bills lol) So if anybody on here has a rat, or if anybody has any idea what causes them to chew themselves that would be great. also wondering if I should bath him? or if it's bad for them to be bathed? OH I KNOW anybody know a good rat forum out there? And is there any way to tell his age? And if he's neutered or not? I highly doubt he is because his uhm... testes are huge lol

Also here's a picture of him. He's so so sooooo sweet this guy.


















Any help is appreciated


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## Lilysmommy (Jan 7, 2009)

Awww, he's a beautiful little guy! I'm not sure about most of your questions, but he probably hasn't been neutered. Male rats are pretty large, lol. If I remember right, there shouldn't be any need to get him neutered, I don't think it makes much of a difference in anything except maybe smell? I have a friend who's owned quite a few rats and she once gave me this forum when I expressed an interest in doing more research in order to get rats eventually. http://www.fancy-rats.co.uk/home/ It's a UK forum, but I would definitely trust her advice that it's a good one! She is to rats as we are all to hedgehogs. :lol: Good luck with the little guy and I'm so glad you brought him home! He's a lucky ratty.


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## ReginasMommy (Apr 13, 2011)

I don't have any rat knowledge, but he looks like a sweetie! And it's awesome that you took him in!!!


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## pooka dotted (Jan 5, 2011)

Thank you Lillysmommy, i'll take a look at that forum and possibly join it lol. I have quite a few questions


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## PJM (May 7, 2010)

He's adorable!! What is up with all these people dumping animals? GRrr..
I'm glad you have him - this should be a fun new experience for you.


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## pooka dotted (Jan 5, 2011)

Som e more piccys:


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## tut (Feb 27, 2011)

Does this little guy have a name yet?


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## pooka dotted (Jan 5, 2011)

No he doesn't I haven't actually thought of it. Just getting him better. Any suggestions?


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## Herisson (Jan 7, 2009)

He is beautiful! I like this rat forum:

http://www.goosemoose.com/component/opt ... /forum,rat

Rats are really sweet little creatures. I have hairless rats. :mrgreen:


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## PJM (May 7, 2010)

He has the cutest ears!!


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## pooka dotted (Jan 5, 2011)

Well Herisson, now I just might have to bug you for Rat info  better clear you inbox hahaha. I have also decided on the name Pippin for him  he also did this weird thing and it looked like his eyes were going all googly? does that mean he might have a tumor? it was like.. his eyes were bugging out really fast...


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## Herisson (Jan 7, 2009)

pooka dotted said:


> Well Herisson, now I just might have to bug you for Rat info  better clear you inbox hahaha. I have also decided on the name Pippin for him  he also did this weird thing and it looked like his eyes were going all googly? does that mean he might have a tumor? it was like.. his eyes were bugging out really fast...


I love the name Pippin! It's very cute. Rats have buggy eyes and the poor guy is going through a lot of changes. Are you going to join the rat forum? I'll send you my email address. :mrgreen:


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## Nancy (Aug 22, 2008)

He is gorgeous. Is he gray or is he blue? He looks very much like one we used to have and he was a blue, named Blueberry but Blue for short. Yeah, I know, not very original. :lol:


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## nikki (Aug 28, 2008)

He's beautiful, makes me miss my guy Jigsaw.


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## pooka dotted (Jan 5, 2011)

I asked the people on the rat forum and they told me he looked like a Blue, they didn't know what kind though (Dumbo or hooded or anything) But he definitely is a looker  He was waiting by the cage door for me when i got home. We've bonded already. Juggling him and two hogs isn't as hard as I thought it would be. Which is nice. "What's one more?" lol


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## Nancy (Aug 22, 2008)

I suggest you get another male rat. Rats are very social and do best with a friend. Two rats in the same cage is no more work than one.


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## gpluvscats (May 6, 2011)

:shock: i wish my mom would let me get a rat!! lol hes adorable!! :lol:


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## pooka dotted (Jan 5, 2011)

I'm looking through the spca adds and the humaine society adds, as well as kijiji and it's hard to find a male rat in my area. I;m not mobile so i have to be able to take a taxi to pick him up. I also have to quarantine him first, then get a bigger cage while that is happening, then quarantine the other rat lol


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## RalphsMum (Oct 14, 2010)

he's super cute!!


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