Rat Rescue – A Much Needed Service!

Rat Rescue - A Much Needed Service!

What Does a Rat Rescue Do?

In short, rat rescues take in unwanted or abused rats and care for them until they can be adopted out to the right person. If you have ever volunteered at a rescue, you know exactly how much work and money is put into keeping the animals safe and happy.

While there are rat exclusive rescues, rats are taken into rescues including other animals as well, and shelters. The difference between a shelter and a rescue is shelters are paid for by local governments, whereas rescues are run privately and kept funded mostly by donation and adoption fees.

Rescues should take care of any preexisting illnesses the rat may have when they are brought in, though some rats may have permanent issues that the rescue will advise you of. A good rat rescue will send you home with rats that are suitable to your level of knowledge, skill, and available time to give to the rat's needs.

Why Are Rescues Needed?

Rescues and shelters are sorely needed because of the sad prevalence of abuse and neglect, especially among small animals. Whether their previous owner misunderstood the animal and its needs, or was purposefully cruel, I am incredibly thankful there are organizations that can step in and save these animals.

Sadly, not understanding the needs of these intelligent animals leads to abandonment as well. A common example is a movie like Ratatouille comes out, and a ton of people want rats, based on a Disney movie they saw. The unfortunate end result is they tire of the rats/can’t handle the smell/can’t care for them and abandon them at a shelter, or set them loose outside.

Note: Setting a rat loose outside is a death sentence for them. If you have a rat(s) you can’t care for, PLEASE bring them to a shelter or rescue or contact me and I will put you in touch with one in your area. 

How Do I Adopt?

The steps to adopting a rat are going to vary rescue to rescue, but as always, the first step is research! Make a list of the rescues near you, and research their history, mission statement, and rats they have available. A good way to find a rescue is by searching “rat rescue near me” in Google or checking a Directory for the rescues in your state.

When you find one you feel is a good fit, contact them. Express your interest in adopting one of their rats, and ask for any advice they have for you moving forward. Most rescues have some sort of application process, but by contacting them before just filling it out online, you show you are invested in learning about and providing your rats with the best life possible.

A rescue knowledgeable about rats will not send you home with a single rat if you don’t have rats already,

and will not separate bonded pairs.

Since rescues are funded mostly by donations and adoption fees, most of them have foster homes the rats are in. This is where you can go to meet the rat and/or take them home upon an approved application (depending upon the rescue’s guidelines).

Some rescues also have adoption fairs, where some or all the rats for adoption are brought to a central location.

Take the time before you bring your new friends home to ask any questions you may have about the rats’ histories, and any special needs they may have. Just like breeders, a well run rat rescue is a great source of knowledge if you have questions about anything.

The Joy of Adopting Rats

Adopting or fostering rats from a rescue is a rewarding experience. Not only do you walk away with new friends, you know you’ve done your part to help find homes for rats in need.

One of the huge pros of purchasing rats from a shelter is you have a range in age, temperament, and care level to choose from. If you are more knowledgeable in how to care for your rats and have the resources to do so, you can help a rat that may have more extensive needs and therefore has a harder time being adopted out.

On the other hand, if you are new to rats and nervous about “taming” rats, you can opt to adopt middle aged rats that are already socialized. Rescues will sometimes have younger rats as well if you are wanting to start with something younger, as rats do have relatively short lifespans.

Another big bonus of adopting rats is you’re providing money towards an organization dedicated to saving rats and/or other animals! Many people ask why adoption fees can be so high. Caring for rats costs money! This money will go towards helping the rescue continue to operate, and save more animals.

Potential Hardships of Adopting from a Rat Rescue

With the joy, there are sometimes hardships that go along with adopting from rescues. When they have been rescued from bad situations or abandoned, it can often leave scars, both physical and emotional.

Depending on the rat's age and previous conditions, there can be slight or massive underlying medical issues. If you decide you want to adopt a rat that has a lot of these problems, you need to have the budget and time required to deal with those to keep your rat comfortable for the rest of its life.

If the rat has been physically abused, it may have lost its trust of humans. Now, I’ve heard many stories where rats come out of these situations and are some of the most loving pets out there.

But what if the opposite happens, where the rat is scared of humans and may never recover from that fear? Are you set up to give that rat the care it needs, possibly never receiving affection in return? 

This isn't in the least meant to dissuade you from adopting a rat, just to prepare you for some of the needs with the more extreme cases. I've seen it a lot among other animals as well, where someone gets in over their head with an animal with needs they cannot handle because they acted solely on compassion. It usually doesn't end well for either party!

As I stated earlier, through your application and talking with the rescue, they should be able to gauge what rats are good for you, and whether you have the resources to take on the rats who have extensive needs.

I Can't Adopt, How Else Can I Help?

If you aren’t able to adopt rats at this time, not to worry! There are multiple ways you can help our furry friends in the meantime.

1.     Donating money. This is the easiest way to help your local (or national) rescue out. Since the rescues operate mostly off                          donations, every little bit helps.

2.     Donating time. Look into volunteering at your local rescue! Rescues can always use more helping hands. If you aren’t sure if rats          are the right pet for you, ask about fostering some rats to see if they are the right fit.

3.     Donating resources. If you have extra cages, food, or supplies, reach out to see if any rescue nearby can make use of them!

4.     Spread the word! Let your friends and family know of the local rescues and their needs. Share on social media, and recommend            one to anyone looking into getting rats!

Final Thoughts

Rat rescue is a great option for buying rats. Not only are you helping an organization dedicated to bettering the lives of animals, you are giving your adopted rats a forever home where they can be loved.

If you think adopting is the right option for you, do your research, talk to rescues to find rats that are suitable to the level of care you can provide, and enjoy getting to know your new friends!

Have you ever adopted rats from a rescue? Let me know your experiences below!