We have 2 fancy rats that we bought for my little sister and I don't feel like they're being well taken care of. My dad put them together a huge cage and threw away the one we bought! Anyway the cage is getting nasty no matter how many times we clean it so I suggested we buy another one and my mom said no. She wants to get rid of them, and I want them to go to a better home but feel bad not knowing where they may end up and seperating them. What should we do?

I would call the SPCA, let them know your situation and tell them you can keep them until they find a home. Also, you might be able to find a new home by placing a add on Craigslist. It's free and they have a pets section. Good Luck

I would call the SPCA, let them know your situation and tell them you can keep them until they find a home. Also, you might be able to find a new home by placing a add on Craigslist. It's free and they have a pets section. Good Luck


Thanks :)

Your welcome and good luck!:nana:

Wow, I went through nearly the EXACT same situation recently- my sister had two rats that she really didn't like after very long, and they were not being properly cared about. Luckily, my boyfriend's counsin wanted them. Sometimes its valuable to put an ad up at local animal hospitals and shelters, since they attract animal lovers.

You can also put up a notice on a rat lovers group on yahoo or msn.

Great ideas guys, thankyou so much. I just talked to my mom about putting ads up online and she said she is fine with it but my dad doesn't want to give them away... I told her that it was unfair because they are not being well taken care of, and he'll have to either take better care of them or I am going to post an ad. I know he'll be mad at me but it really upsets me because they're stuck in this stinky cage (we clean it every few days, but the cage is made of wood and smells horrible! I don't know why he did that) anyway, they never get any exercise (they have a wheel but for some reason never use it) I think maybe they're depressed because they never leave their little home and rarely get any interaction with us. My sister has lost complete interest in them, my mom is disgusted by them, my dad is never home, and I can only spend so much time with the little guys! I think it's unfair to me too because I wasn't even there when they got them, I had gone shopping and when I got home here they were. Now they're not being taken care of and I don't mind finding them a better home, but it bothers me my dad would rather let them suffer than admit he's a lousy owner and let someone else take better care of them.

Where do you live?

Another place to try is the classifieds at petfinder.org

I would adopt them!

Aren't you in NY? I am.

If exit doesn't take them, maybe you could ask a local school? I had mice years back and donated them to the grammar school. The science teacher was thrilled, a real animal lover, whom I knew personally, so I knew they were taken care of and it was a great experience for the kids.

It does sound as if they'd be better off rehomed. There's no need to separate them, you can insist they go as a pair. Why don't you get on a rat forum such as Rats Rule? http://www.goosemoose.com/index.php?option=com_smf&Itemid=61 All the members are rat fans, obviously, and they have a Rehoming Section. I have helped people rehome their rats through forums before and would much prefer it over taking them to a centre, since you have direct contact with potential new owners and can get a real feel for where they'll be going. There is also a great rescue on there (AnyRat I think it's called). It's based in Arizona but they pick up from all over the country.

Great ideas guys, thankyou so much. I just talked to my mom about putting ads up online and she said she is fine with it but my dad doesn't want to give them away... I told her that it was unfair because they are not being well taken care of, and he'll have to either take better care of them or I am going to post an ad. I know he'll be mad at me but it really upsets me because they're stuck in this stinky cage (we clean it every few days, but the cage is made of wood and smells horrible! I don't know why he did that) anyway, they never get any exercise (they have a wheel but for some reason never use it) I think maybe they're depressed because they never leave their little home and rarely get any interaction with us. My sister has lost complete interest in them, my mom is disgusted by them, my dad is never home, and I can only spend so much time with the little guys! I think it's unfair to me too because I wasn't even there when they got them, I had gone shopping and when I got home here they were. Now they're not being taken care of and I don't mind finding them a better home, but it bothers me my dad would rather let them suffer than admit he's a lousy owner and let someone else take better care of them.

to make things better for now you can cover the wood with vinyl so it doesn't absorb odor and make sure you're not using wood shavings as a bedding (they will distroy the rats lungs). Rats rarely use a wheel, and if its a wire wheel they could break their legs/tails if they did use it. To give them more out time you can just sit with them in the bathroom or another small room w/ no wires, etc. while you do homework or something else.

I hope you find good homes for them soon :)

How are you cleaning the cage? How often is it being cleaned? What is being cleaned? From what I have read, rat urine turns to ammonia very quickly, so it needs to be cleaned frequently.

What are you guys using for bedding/litter? Are the rats litter trained?

If the cage is stinking because urine is seeping into the wood, try sanding down the stained sections. Then trying putting something more waterproof/less porous on the bottom like plexiglass, vinyl flooring, tiles, a metal pan, etc. Just be sure that the rats can't chew it.


ETA: thebelovedtree posted while I was typing...

So, what did you decide to do with them?

So, what did you decide to do with them?

Sorry! I should have posted before but it has been pretty busy around here. My dad cleaned the wood by sanding it. We're still considering giving them away, but want to find someone we personally know to take them.

Sorry! I should have posted before but it has been pretty busy around here. My dad cleaned the wood by sanding it. We're still considering giving them away, but want to find someone we personally know to take them.

Good to see something is being done, and yes, be careful about who gets the rats. I'd be very hesitant to give them away to just anybody. It's like turning over a beloved cat or dog to a stranger; you just don't know how the animal is going to end up (in a lab perhaps?). There are nuts out there who'd probably just feed the rats to their pet snake...

Good to see something is being done, and yes, be careful about who gets the rats. I'd be very hesitant to give them away to just anybody. It's like turning over a beloved cat or dog to a stranger; you just don't know how the animal is going to end up (in a lab perhaps?). There are nuts out there who'd probably just feed the rats to their pet snake...


That's what we're scared of, it would be no problem taking them back because they put them out for sale and they could stay together... but we don't want them becoming snake food.

Wood cages aren't the best because they are porous. So it's really hard to get the smell out without using harsh chemicals and that's not good for them. You could try covering the wood. Maybe laminated place mats. Those worked well for me. I had a metal cage but the shelves had holes in them so that's why I used the place mats.

Wow, where do you live? I'll take them!

I've been thinking of rehoming the rats my sister had me get for her kids, and then wouldn't take after I got them. They don't get sufficient attention with all my other animals, among other things. But I would be afraid to give them to just anyone. Anyone live in or near IL?

Wow, where do you live? I'll take them!

Indiana, but IL is good for me too.

Damn it. If you both lived closer, I would take them. I still have all of my rat supplies from the last group I had.

I hope you guys can find someone great to give the ratties to. :)

I met someone at the Spay Day yesterday who knows a person looking for rats to rescue. Would either of you be able to get to the Chicago area? I don't have the contact yet, but if I do, I'll pass it on.

I might be able to get to Chicago if my sister (not the rat abandoner) would let me use her car.

The rats are taken care of here. They have nice cages and all. I just feel bad because with 5 dogs and 3 cats at the moment, I don't always have time to play with them and let them out.

If I do give them away, I want them to stay together. They're pretty attached to one another. There are 3 males and 3 females, so as long as this person was open to taking in 3 rats . . .

I feel bad even thinking about giving them away. I've never re-homed an animal before, other than dogs that I've taken in with the sole purpose of finding them a home. And the kids love to play with them when they're here. But that's not often enough to be fair to the ratties. Plus, I'm getting a bit tired of my sisters thinking they can leave all their kids' pets at my house when they don't want to deal with them.