* Hattie found her forever home with an awesome person, and she’ll have another senior rat to be friends with! Yippee! *

Hattie was found as a stray and brought to Lincoln County Humane Society. They are over capacity for small animals right now, so they reached out to us for help.
Hattie has skin issues and some lumps and bumps, but she seems otherwise healthy. Her foster home reports that she is a bit shy, but she happily accepts snacks, tucks them away in her hidey house and then comes back for more.
She’s a sweet and gentle girl.

Dr. Stubbs at Spencer Creek Animal Hospital was able to remove the large lump from Hattie’s armpit, and she did great for the surgery. Hattie healed perfectly, and she’s now ready to find her forever home.

Here’s a report from Hattie’s foster family:

“Hattie is a lovely older girl. She is not a fan of being handled, but if you are patient and go slowly with her, she will eventually be your friend. She loves her daily snacks, and she especially likes carrot and broccoli. One of Hattie’s favourite things to do is to build nests with strips of newspaper. It’s so fun to watch her grab the strips from the pile and carry them all around her cage to decide where she will put her nest this time. She has many hammocks in her cage, but she hasn’t used them much. Hattie would be a great companion for someone with rat experience, and she may enjoy the company of another female, or neutered male rat.”

Sadly, Hattie’s situation seems to be yet another case of an owner releasing their pet into the wild, thinking the animal can survive on their own. Domestic rabbits, rats, guinea pigs, hamsters, gerbils and other small animals do not have the genetic traits to survive without human care. They cannot find food on their own, and because of their colouring and lack of “wild animal” instincts, they easily fall prey to predators. If for whatever reason you cannot keep your pet and are considering releasing him/her into the wild, please don’t. Their chances of survival are slim, and their life until that point may be one of constant suffering…

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IS A RAT THE RIGHT PET FOR YOU?

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Ladybird recommends Critter Nation cages. They are hands down the most spacious, and best quality enclosure for small animals on the market. They come in single and double sizes, and can be modified and customized to create enrichment and provide comfort. Their design and solid manufacturing almost entirely eliminates the possibility of accidental escape. Critter Nation cages are available (or can be ordered) at most local pet supply stores.

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Can’t adopt but want to help?
Monetary donations are always needed, but if you’d like to donate something specifically for the rats in our care, donations of rat food, small pet blankets (used for cage lining), rat hammocks and fleece liners for Critter Nation cages are very much appreciated!
Donations of these items can be dropped off (and purchased) at:
– Dundas Pet Valu – 86 Main Street, Dundas, Ontario.
Or you can purchase items and have them delivered to us through our
– Amazon Wish List
– Tiny Paws Emporium (ask items to be delivered to Ladybird Animal Sanctuary)

Visit this page of our website to see all the ways to donate.