Quarantine VS. Being Alone

[TorachiKatashi]

I'm making this post about a friend, because we were talking about this the other day. A few months ago she got her naked hooded male, Fink, as a "surprise" birthday present from her friends from the pet store. We know that pet store animals are no-nos, and we know that pets as birthday presents are no-nos, but once she saw him, she couldn't really tell them to take him back (to then probably be snake food). She's currently trying to get him a buddy, but the main problem is that she lives in a one-level home that is set up such to make it pretty much impossible to keep them in separate air-spaces, and she doesn't really have another building to keep a new rat in long enough to quarantine it. So my question is, would she be better off to skip quarantine (she does have a second cage, so she would still proceed normally with introductions), or to keep Fink as a singleton? After watching my own two boys together and how attached they are, I have to imagine myself that it's worth the risk if the only other option is for him to be alone, but I was hoping for opinions from some more experienced owners.

 

[jorats]

If you can get the second rat from a rescue or shelter where the rat's been there for awhile, that might be considered a quarantine already.

 

[lilspaz68]

She can do a basic in-house QT which is not as effective, but keep the new boy in a separate room, wash hands between visits between the 2 (best to handle/deal with the newbie last and then not go back to the resident rat that night).

Watch out for parasites and illnesses to flare up in that 2 week period. Treat for parasites and if an illness crops up, it must be treated and once the symptoms are gone, the 2 week QT starts again.

 

[Moon]

If you can get the second rat from a rescue or shelter where the rat's been there for awhile, that might be considered a quarantine already.

This would be ideal, getting a second rat or pair of rats where there were no other rodents.

 

[user 1946]

You can't do a proper quarantine in the same house... its impossible. There is no way for a person to prevent all spread of any sort of disease or virus in a home. So if she can find someone to take a 'questionable' rat in for a week or two that would be ideal. Otherwise, being really careful and always being with the original ones first and the new one second, and keeping really high hygiene standards, is the only way to help control any spread.

Like the others said, getting a rat from a place that has no issues of health, or if it is a lone rat, then the chances of introducing something is limited.

Good Luck!

 

[MomRat]

Maybe one of the friends who put her in this awkward situation could help out by providing a space in their home for QT?

 

He needs a friend. If she cannot do QT at a friends house, then like the others have said, do it in a different room in her house, and play with the noob last before bed.

We only have one small animal rescue here, and they rarley get rats (I work with them). Most rescues would come off kijiji.

 

[Dazzle87]

I agree with others, definitely the lesser of two evils. I still think her "friends" should be helping with the crappy situation they put her in, and second the rescue that quarantines option. Short of that, a lone rat off of CL that she meets first to make sure he appears healthy.