Euthanising untame rats?

[Hubblez]

Hi all,

I am feeling guilty and am wondering if I am right to be doing this. I own my own rats and am a hobby breeder, have been breeding for years with my own lines. I recently 'rescued' 3 rats from somebody that they had bought from a pet shop and were untame.

I've had them for 6 months now, they are still not tame at all. If I move at the other side of the room they run and hide. I can't handle them at all. If I go in their cage they run and hide and avoid me if I try to touch them, they haven't bitten me but I think if cornered they would bite from fear. They also don't get on with other rats despite many attempts to introduce them to my own and each other, and so I have them in 3 seperate cages, which as you can imagine takes up a lot of room

I've been looking at rescues to take them but nobody wants an untame/possibly bitey rat, especially ones that won't mix with other rats as it makes them impossible to house, and I don't blame them. One rats cage I haven't cleaned in over a month because I can't get him out of it I've tried everything possible to tame them and not once have they shown the slightest bit of interest, I can't even get hold of them anymore and it's getting worse

I don't think it's fair on the rats to be living alone and in what seems like constant fear, they must be so bored and scared, and not to sound selfish but they are taking up a lot of room with their cages that I could use for my own rats, I had assumed they'd be tame by now and living with them but that isn't the case

So last resort time came and I have booked them in to be put to sleep on Friday but I feel awful every time I look at them, they're healthy but I think mentally what sort of existence is this for them? I am tempted to cancel the appointment because I feel guilty but don't know what to do

Am I doing the right thing by putting them to sleep?

[CheeseEqualsHappiness]

So so hard. I really don't know. I love rats but as you say, they are not enjoying their lives.

Have you tried wearing gauntlet gloves and handling them in fleece pouches?

[SunshineAndShadows]

Chronic mental stress and fear is debilitating it's a tough decision but it sounds as if you've tried lots of other options

[Hubblez]

I used to wrap my hands in a towel and force handle them after I first got them (obviously after they'd settled in) but now I literally can't get near them to touch them, if I corner them they end up jumping over me or lunging and I pull back. If I do manage to grab one to take it out for cage cleaning then it squeaks so loud as if I'm torturing it and it won't stop, I eventually think I'm hurting it and so let it go again there's nothing else I can think of and again not to sound selfish but I have already used so much time on them and it's making me neglect the other rats slightly because I am prioritising these, but no matter what I do nothing improves

I feel like because they are healthy I am going to be murdering them by having them euthanised

[CheeseEqualsHappiness]

Oh bless you, sounds like you have tried everything. Do whatever you need to, the current situation is no good for you, the rays or your other rats. It sounds like they have extreme problems

[wanttosinglikemarycoughlan]

You don't have a choice
You have done your best to try and tame them. They are stuck in no mans land, not wild or tame and it must be a miserable, scary existence
It will be kinder to put them out of their misery
Try not to feel too bad, you have tried to give them a better life but it seems not possible

[70isaLimitNotaTarget]

Very but , yes, consider what you have done (6 months is a big chunk of a rats' life) to socialise them and consider what they are doing now.Scared, un-handleable.
Yes they are fed.
Yes they have other rats.
But as you say their mental well-being is what's important.

It is a very difficult decision to have a healthy animal PTS but it's their best interest you need to think of.

Keep that vets appointment on Friday

[Midori1999]

Where abouts are you based? I have a friend who is a NFRS breeder and very, very experienced. She may be able to help or know of someone who can, either by taking them or advising if this is the right thing.

I have owned hundreds of rats over the years, if you are near to me I would be prepared to take them if my friend thinks there's a possible solution for them.

[Midori1999]

Right, I have messaged you. I have been I contact with my friend and she says there are highly experienced homes that will take these rats and be able to work with them and provide them with a happy future. She is in Ireland, but if you are there she can definitely help herself. If not, she knows people in the UK who can help. She has no doubts whatsoever that these rats can have a happy future. If you message me back I can put you in touch with her.

[Hubblez]

I have messaged you Midori, thank you

[PixieofCatan]

As Midori said, there will be really experienced people able to take them on. How awful for them though, they really can't be living much of a life if they're terrified. What on earth did they go through before coming to you?! And poor you feeling like you have to make that decision. It's horrible all round :(

I hope Midori's friend can help you, if not and you're south of England based my local NFRS breeder is brilliant and she'd likely know somebody who could take them in too.

[Midori1999]

I agree Pixie, how sad that these poor rats had been through so much before Hubblez had them to make hem so nervous and what a difficult situation to be in.

I hope Hubblez doesn't mind me updating. I've been in touch with some friends and their contacts and a lovely lady who is very experienced with aggressive rats is going to take them in the short term and then a friend of hers happens to be driving up to Edinburgh, so they are coming up to me, although the lady who can have them now may be able to keep the boy long term.

[PixieofCatan]

Brilliant to hear Midori :)

[Midori1999]

I thought I'd post a small update.

Hubblez kindly delivered these rats to the lady who is fostering them last night. They are a little nervous, but have settled in well and even enjoyed some cuddles too. So the future is looking very good for these gorgeous little rats. I'll try and add a few pictures.

[Midori1999]

The youngest girl and the boy.

[NewEraNewMindset]

Oh wow that's amazing that you stepped in Midori and helped rehomed these rats. I love a happy ending

[PixieofCatan]

Oh, they are gorgeous! Especially the silver backed one, I can't think of the correct term for them now but how lovely :)

[AmazonGrace]

What a great thread.

I came on here looking at your GP stories (we're thinking of having a couple) but got side tracked by this story.

Love a happy ending

[PixieofCatan]

Amazon can you be swayed to the way of rats?

midori how are they settling in?

[AmazonGrace]

I would have to do my research but I'm open to persuasion

We miss our dog terribly, she died last year and although we'd love another dog we just couldn't at the moment, due to work commitments.

We were looking at GP's because they always have that mischievous look about them, great personalities etc.

The rats never sell themselves to us in the pet shops, unlike the Degus. I could watch them all day long

[AmazonGrace]

Sorry, went off on a tangent.

We were looking to replace the 'empty feeling' losing our dog as left by going down the GP (or similar) route. Something that loves a good cuddle etc

[BBQsAreSooooOverrated]

Great update. :)

[PixieofCatan]

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/super_furry_animals/2160097-Rats-rats-rats

Photos of my mischief, they're very cute! Rats are really great pets, especially for children :)

[AmazonGrace]

Pixie, they are lovely great pictures. Do they love being handled, cuddled, stroked?

[PixieofCatan]

Sometimes They can be cuddly, when they're younger they're more active, but we can get five minute cuddles from them. Our boys have just started to get more cuddly at 9 months, as has our rescue girl (18 months) but I get nice cuddles from my 3 month babies most days.

All of ours are happy shoulder rats though, they'll sit on our shoulders and climb around a lot, our boys free range and our girls are allowed to play on our desks and free range certain parts of the room. They need at least an hour out a day but we do that in spurts of 20/30 minutes usually, part of that is when they're sleepy for cuddles, but mostly when they're hyper to watch them running around!

[Midori1999]

Pixie, they're doing great! The two girls are now living together, the boy is more nervous, but doing great too and hopefully going to bond into a group of boys.