socRATties

December 2007 - July 2008

So things have been going very well since the end of last year. We have assisted in rehoming around 11 rats and wish their new owners all the joys in the world.

Unfortunately we are still struggling with petshops (Longbeach Pets and their sister store, Central Pets in particular - both in Fish Hoek) selling rats that have been in cages with mixed sexes resulting in pregnancies, selling rats with the incorrect bedding (shavings) and food (hamster food). It is so frustrating for those of us that need to clean up after petshops, at their total and complete lack of care of the animals that they sell.

June - November 2007

Between June and today (9/11) we have rehomed 2 ex snake food girls and I have two more girls (an Agouti and a PEW) who are about to go to their new mommy and daddy.

Last night we collected 2 boys (un neutered) and 2 girls, who are now in quaranteen for 14 days until we are sure they are healthy. They will get a vitamin boost, an immunity boost, and be treated for mites using Ivermectin. We are hoping to rehome them all before the end of 2007.

Well, my goodness but have we been busy!

socRATties started off with a bang right off the mark last year with a rehoming of two male rats, Stuart and Jax, who's mom was heartbroken to have to say goodbye to her two stunning boys. We were able to rehome her boys with a wonderful family where they immediately got a sister rat, Karni Bai and soon after that, another sister and brother called Splinter and Tabasco!

2007 has brought lots of work for us. Around March we were contacted by a family who needed rehoming of their little female rat, Fizzy. Thanks to Runebound Rattery in Glencairn for immediately saying yes to taking her in. Ofcourse as it happens, I walked in with Fizzy and the young lady who was visiting the Rattery walked out with her that same night. Fizzy is now Vogue and is living with 5 other sisters and 6 brothers.

In April I received a call regarding a female and male rat living with a family in Noordhoek/Capri. They had been purchased by a young man and his girlfriend who had since split, and mom was left with two rats. After unsuccessfuly rehoming them, she contacted me. On arriving at the house i was horrified to find two rats, one a male one a female living in a bird cage and living on sunflower seeds. For the record however, the person (the mom) who contacted me, was doing what she had been told by a certain local petstore. They sold her sunflower seeds with the rats as their food. I couldnt understand why the rats hadn't had young. Both rats went to Jackelhead Rattery in Kraaifontein. This was where things got horrific.

The male rat was grooming excessively, and struggling to balance etc, so Jackelhead took him to her vet. He was diagnosed as having mental retardation almost definately caused by interbreeding and made worse by poor dietary habits in the months after the rats left the pet store. The reason that his cage mate never got pregnant was due to his testosterone levels being low because of his bad health. Thank goodness for that as it is something that can be passed on. Sadley he will never get better, only worse till he dies of the growth in his brain. He is however, with someone who loves him and is equiped to give him special care and lots of extra love. Id like to stress that he is not in pain and has an excellent quality of life where he is. If he, at any point, starts to suffer, he will be put to sleep. I have personally visited him and he is a sweet little boy.

I want to stress with this story that I lay the blame for the male rats condition on the Pet store 100% for bad management and bad advice. We will at some point be taking this issue up with them.

May 23, 2007 I delivered two female rats to a family in Constantia. They had picked out their rats at Runebound Rattery and were supplied the cage by Jackelhead. We put the whole package together and had the wonderful job of handing the two young charges over to the family.