Meet three MRR Sanctuary friends, from left to right: Freed, Mini (RIP) and Artemis. These beauties illustrate some of the many ways a small animal can come to MRR Sanctuary care.
Freed bears a most appropriate name. This pink-eyed white boy’s mother had been rescued from the 1,000+-rat Holbrook hoard. Nearly a third of the hoard, including Freed’s mom, were pregnant females, so numbers grew and grew. In hoards like Holbrook, inbreeding with poor care and environment can create health challenges. Freed lost his beloved brother Gray, leaving Freed alone with health problems of his own. Highly social and sensitive pets, rats should very rarely be kept alone. Freed loves getting the loving care he needs while cuddling his MRR Sanctuary sisters.
Mini, the tiny, blue-capped, dumbo-eared rat had a sparkle that belied her senior status (over 2 years old) and serious lung scarring. Mini’s young owner had adopted her with the promise she’d never leave Mini alone. After Mini’s BFF passed, the girl’s younger rats brought out Mini’s inner grouch, so the young woman sadly surrendered Mini to MRR. Small but mighty Mini’s lung disease gave her precious little time with us. But she loved the time she had, piling on her new friends Freed and Artemis. MRR Sanctuary had kept her young owner’s promise–Mini was never alone again.
Artemis, the lovely rat on the right, has beautiful curly (rex) black fur. When her young owner adopted her and her sister Fantasia, they were skittish from little handling. What’s worse, they each grew mammary tumors. They had surgery to remove the tumors, but Fantasia’s tumors came back and Artemis had complications after surgery. When their owner faced leaving for college, she made the heartbreaking choice that was best for her beloved pets—she surrendered them to MRR Sanctuary. Fantasia could not survive another surgery, so she lived out her days, pain-free and happy with her sister. Artemis receives ongoing medical care as she cuddles Freed and Mini.
Such sad stories, but look at these happy rats now!