Last Night's Discovery

[plumtreeblossom]

Coming home last night from the Obama meeting, I was startled on the 2nd floor landing by a sight I didn't expect -- a large white rat atop a box outside the 2nd floor neighbor's apartment.

We've never had a rodent problem in this house, and I was spooked enough that I actually retreated down a few stairs, but only so far that I could still see the rat. After the initial shock and a few minutes of observation, it was clear that this was a pet rat, albino, bright and alert but bewildered and out of its element.

No one was home on the 2nd floor. vanguardcdk wasn't at home. I went down to the 1st floor, and the new neighbor, who I was just meeting for the first time, came back up to the landing with me.

She braved the box, and inside was a neglected and filthy cage which the rat had chewed its way out of via a jerry-rigged cardboard closure. After a round of calls with my landlord, I finally got one of the 2nd floor neighbors on the phone (these neighbors are also new). She explained, in a sort of embarassed half-giggle, that her brother had visited and had abandoned the rat and his cage, and that "we were like gonna take him to the Humane Society or something but we like haven't gotten around to it." Apparently they didn't like the smell of the cage and had put it out on the unheated landing. She said she was on her way home and promised to bring the rat back into her apartment, out of the cold.

Honestly, I would have brought the poor little guy into my own apartment, but my cats would have made short work of him. I went back down to check on him, and found that he was completely without food or water. I filled his little water dish, and he drank and drank. I fed him apple slices and tortilla chips (I don't even know what foods are appropriate for rats, but that's what I had on hand). Goodness knows how long it had been since he'd had anything to eat or drink. The paper on the floor of his tiny cage was saturated with urine, and he seemed desperate for warmth and human attention.

I waited and listened until I heard the neighbor come home. I went down to the landing, and the rat and his cage were gone, presumably into the apartment. I e-mailed a report to my landlord.

I'm very sad for this gentle, intelligent little animal, and I don't know if I handled the situation in the best way possible or not. I don't know what action I should take from here, either. If not for my cats, I would have rescued him then and there. I heard the lonely mews of a cat from inside their apartment, and the rat's cage doesn't have a proper closure. I have no idea if they'll really take him to the Humane Society, or if they're just going to let him starve to death.

I despise people who do things like this, and I have no idea if I can even help.

Comments

[spacechicken.livejournal.com]

The ASPCA recommends calling the police to report animal cruelty. If you have a local himane society (I imagine Boston must) that would be another resource. Or you could call animal control.

[plumtreeblossom.livejournal.com]

My other neighbor did call Animal Control, but it turns out its a 9:00 to 6:00 operation here in Somerville (suburb of Boston). I was a bit afraid to do that because I worried that they would kill it. But, I just heard from my landlord that they found a home for it on Craigslist. So, I'm hoping he has a better life with his new owner.

[oneagain.livejournal.com]

I don't know if I handled the situation in the best way possible or not.

You did a decent job--very loving of you to feed and water him (I think rats eat most things, actually). I wonder if deguspice would quietann would take him...they breed rats and live in Andover. If they did not, they might at least know what to do...

[oneagain.livejournal.com]

I don't know if I handled the situation in the best way possible or not.

You did a decent job--very loving of you to feed and water him (I think rats eat most things, actually). I wonder if deguspice and quietann would take him...they breed rats and live in Andover. If they did not, they might at least know what to do...

[kalliejenn2.livejournal.com]

if you need to feed him again, he'll probably eat cat food (that's what we feed our hedgie) - hard is best, but soft works too.

[docorion.livejournal.com]

Best, shmest. "Good enough" is, in fact, at *least* good enough; you did *your* best, which was more than the rats putative 'owners' were doing. I'd even go with 'better than average'; 'best' is for people who know rats well.

Kudos to you. *hug* You can call the SPCA, or the animal control officer for Somerville (whom I've met, and she's a very nice woman, April Terrio is her name), who can also guide you if you still have doubts about what to do from here. 311 will likely be able to hook you up; I used to have the number handy, but it's not on my desk at the moment, apparently :-)

[kalliejenn2.livejournal.com]

also, you could always ask around and see if anyone on your f'list is willing to adopt a rat, and if so, could then tell the tenants you'd found a home for him. thanks for caring so much about the poor rat!

[eclecticavatar.livejournal.com]

*Waves politely from the back of the room*

He would have to be sequestered from the cats, but in my current place, that can be done. I'd like to meet him!

[plumtreeblossom.livejournal.com]

Really? That would be so awesome! I'll contact you offline...

[plumtreeblossom.livejournal.com]

Oops, I just found out that the found an adopter on Craigslist. I'd rather have it be you, but oh well. I hope the rat has a happy life ahead.

[eclecticavatar.livejournal.com]

Oh, good! I'm just a sucker for someone in need of a loving home. :)

[heatherp8.livejournal.com]

You're braver than I am, Mare. I'm scared to death of rats, domesticated or not.
I'm proud of you for doing what you could for the little critter.
It never ceases to piss me off how people treat animals. I mean, okay, so he's a rat but damn it, he's a sentient little being and deserving of decent treatment. Having been acclimated to trust humans and depend on them for his care and feeding, it must have broken his little rat heart to be abandoned like that. I'm sure he appreciated your kindness.
Please update as to his fate.

[daisytells.livejournal.com]

Definitely call the SPCA! They will rescue and "rehab" the rat, plus give him complete vet care if needed. Your landlord ought to call, too, since he knows about it. That was a terrible thing those people did. If the rat had stayed loose and wandered off to go wild, he would not have survived at all. Those pet rats are bred in such a way that most of their innate survival instincts are no longer working.
Yes, they will eat anything. And yes, you did a really kind thing for the poor little guy.

[beowabbit]

Those pet rats are bred in such a way that most of their innate survival instincts are no longer working.

Also, they tend to be much more susceptible to illness and injury than wild rats.

[eclecticavatar.livejournal.com]

I would add a rat to my menagerie if they would rather he go to a home than a shelter. A shelter will probably put it down, honestly. =/

[ron_newman]

Thanks for doing what you did; you went well beyond the call of duty. I'm not sure what you should say to your downstairs neighbor, though; you'll have to live with her for quite a while.

[beowabbit]

Oh, sweetie! Thank you for helping out the rat. Yes, apple slices and tortilla chips will be OK for rats — that’s the sort of thing the wild ones pull out of the garbage. :-) I think Tigris used to feed her rats commercial rat food, with an admixture of leftover treats. Some cooked meat without bones would be great, or (as kalliejenn2 said) cat food.

If this were a stranger, I’d second calling animal control or the cops, but these are people you have to live near for the next year or so, so it’s probably not worth the hassle (particularly since, if they’re telling the truth, they didn’t really choose to be responsible for this rat, and aren’t likely to repeat this).

Rats are very sweet! If I were home enough to care for one I’d seriously consider taking it myself. (There’s Chickenfinger to be concerned about, too, although cats can sometimes get along just fine with pet rats.)

Love you, sweetie!

[kalliejenn2.livejournal.com]

the only prob with meat is that it makes the cage very smelly/rancid. our hedgie breeder recommended against it unless you're willing to sit there and immediately remove any uneaten portion.

[plumtreeblossom.livejournal.com]

Thank you, my love. I just now got the good news from my landlord that the tenants found an adopter for the rat on Craigslist. That's a relief because I was really grieving for the poor dear. I hope he's happy and comfortable in his new home.

[cowgrrl.livejournal.com]

Aw...poor little rat. (My ex-gf and I had pet rats so I know they can actually be sweet little critters.) I'm glad to see you may have found it a home.

[weegoddess.livejournal.com]

I can't really add much to all the stuff that everyone else has said. But I will say that your compassion and behaviour say volumes about you. I am very proud that you are my friend.

::hugs you tightly::

[beowabbit]

Yeah, what weegoddess said. I love you, sweetie!

[spwebdesign.livejournal.com]

I have a friend in Western Mass who might be interested in taking the rat. I can try to get hold of her to find out. Let me know if this something I should follow up on.

[spwebdesign.livejournal.com]

Just read the other comments. Glad to hear the rat found a home. If that Craig's List person falls through and eclecticavatar changes her mind, though, keep me in mind as a fallback option.

[scholargipsy.livejournal.com]

Good for you for doing your best to help. As you may recall from our adventures with the caged kittens a year ago, I know how that helplessness and anger can feel. The important thing to remember is that doing something, even if it isn't the best thing possible, is nearly always better than doing nothing.

(And vote YES on Prop. 3! Greyhounds need help too!)

[plumtreeblossom.livejournal.com]

I will! Are you voting from overseas?

[scholargipsy.livejournal.com]

You bet your ass! I sent in my absentee ballot a week and a half ago.

[plumtreeblossom.livejournal.com]

I've been loving reading about the little town of Obama, Japan. They're so pumped. There's an adorable video out of there (I believe) called "Obama Is Beautiful World." I just want to hug them.

[scholargipsy.livejournal.com]

They, like nearly everyone else outside the States, are desperately hoping Obama wins, and restores sanity to the madness America has become these last eight years.