I have kinda rescued two rats from craigslist and well....

Keruushee · Oct 20, 2012

Someone posted on craigslist that they had two rats for free. I have been rodent oriented for some time and messaged her seeing what the reason was to the rats being on craigslist. It was a mom who had three kids and a foster kid, two mastiffs, an old cat, and there kids just got a new puppy and kitten...the rats were no longer interesting even though they have had them for 2 years and they were even fixed. I said I would take them into my family. (BTW i am a full time college student renting a room six hours from any real family but i do have my animals) I went to pick them up and come to find out they were living in the garage in a small all wire nothing else cage, and they had the red mucus under there eyes. One is extremely emaciated and the other is still too skinny for my taste... i have had them for a week and a half now and they gained a minuscule amount of weight and show no signs of improvement. I know these are old rats but I am not used to such suffering from pets... One is currently in quarantine due to what appears to be an hour long seizure now and the other is extremely lethargic.... a trip to the vet is out of the question because my financial aid is already drained... I know this sounds cruel but should I put these two out of their misery or continue to care the best i can for them until they pass? :?

victoria · Oct 21, 2012

Have you separated them from each other? Quarantining them from each other is useless (if one is sick, the other is exposed) and harmful to them. The only reason to split bonded rats is if one is harming another. If they're unwell, it could aggravate their condition because you took away their only companion.

Pictures and a video would make it easier to gauge what's going on with them. The red mucus is porphyrin, it's secreted by the eyes and sometimes drains through the nose. Rats produce more when they are sick or stressed and don't manage to clean it all off.

Honestly, if they need vet care and you can't afford it, the best thing for them would be to find someone who can. It may not be as hard as you think if they are fixed. There may be a rescue able to help them as well. I know Wee Companions is in California, I'm not sure if they have space or are in your area but it's a good place to start looking for help.

lilspaz68 · Oct 21, 2012

I agree with Victoria, put them back together, if there's any contagion between them, they have already been exposed. I think you need to email Wee Companions ASAP, and see if they will take them in. If you aren't able to rehome them, the best thing to do for these poor sick rats is to get them a humane euthanasia with a vet that knows how to euthanise small domestics (strictlyly cat and dog vets often don't). You can afford that can't you?

For now, give them lots of good food, even try supplementing them with baby cereal, ensure, things like that, easy to eat and yummy. Nice warm cage, lots of fleece to rest their weary bones on, and if they will allow it love and cuddles...they deserve that

What did the seizure look like for the one boy? Oh and its possible these neutered boys are from Wee Companions originally as they are neutered. Can you contact the original owners and ask?

EDK · Oct 21, 2012

You're heart is in the right place but I agree with everyone else here, try to get them to a shelter

SQ · Oct 21, 2012

In case they need to be pts - most vets do not know how to do it humanely (a rat deeply unconscious from gas/oxygen mix used for surgery, is injected)
viewtopic.php?f=26&t=9582

Hope they recieve vet care (re the rescue) and are soon feeling much better

Joanne · Oct 21, 2012

I agree, keep them together, keep them warm and feed them yummy, nutritious food, and give them a soft, comfy spot to curl up in. Contact the rescue - maybe they could help with a vet visit to see what can be done if they are too far away to take them in. Are they breathing OK?