Here to help Rodents and Other small Animals in need of Rescue or Rehome, and/or Rehabilitation
(3)
Please please can you share our foster appeal!?
Hello lovely people! I’m here to ask for your help again!
We’ve been approached for some intakes that we’ve not had the foster space for, but want to fix that as soon as we can!
Would you be able to help?
If you can’t foster for us, even tagging a rodent living friend, or just sharing our appeal will be a great help itself!!
The amazing HII still have many many lovely hamsters- and wonderful information for owners old and new- available ✨
Can I please ask you lovely folks to share this appeal for me??
We can’t take on more fosters without more fosterERS to mind them- and I really want to be able to help more rodents than I currently can, when I’m approached about them 💕
For the most part we already have most species’ appropriate housing, it’s just the space and time of foster homes we please please need more of!
*also,.. if we were to start a patreon type ‘sponsor a cage’ for funding, would that interest people??
It means you get the options of updates on the comings and goings of our adoptable rattos as they’re assessed and eventually rehomed, as well as our long termers- but as their lives are so short and our longterm fosters are generally poorly or oldies on palliative care, that can be a lot of ‘condolences for your sponsor animal’ messages to people, and I understand how heartbreaking they could be!
Hello lovely people! I’m here to ask for your help again!
We’ve been approached for some intakes that we’ve not had the foster space for, but want to fix that as soon as we can!
Would you be able to help?
If you can’t foster for us, even tagging a rodent living friend, or just sharing our appeal will be a great help itself!!
Our newest foster girls having a look at only 2 boxes worth of the food donation from PlayforStrays
The rattos are as happy to have the support as the humans are! 💕🐀✨
An amazingly huge thank you to PlayforStrays for their donation of over 100kg of ‘hamster food’ that can be used in a shunamite diet for our resident rats!
What an amazing help this will be in the coming months as we hopefully welcome a few more foster homes into the fold!
*The boxes of food are stacked higher than me 😅🙈
Hello lovely people! I’m here to ask for your help again!
We’ve been approached for some intakes that we’ve not had the foster space for, but want to fix that as soon as we can!
Would you be able to help?
If you can’t foster for us, even tagging a rodent living friend, or just sharing our appeal will be a great help itself!!
Can you please take a moment to add your name to this petition?? It’s to ban the use of glue traps here in NI..
Thank you 💕✨
Prohibit the Sale of Glue Traps to the General Public in Northern Ireland
He’s not m a ROARRR foster, but in the care of a roarrr fosterer…
Please never just ignore a baby if you find them out of the nest- we will always help.
If you uncover a nest at your home or work, and the possibility of relocating the nest And mother, then please keep them warm and contained, and contact ourselves- or for fancier babies we can help you find a more suitable wildlife rehabber… but we’ll always try to help!
This poor starling must have been investigating a chimney for nest potential. It cleared some debris away from the top and fell into the chimney. It spent at least 2 days down the chimney trying to get back out but thankfully came down into the log burner and we caught it. It has been getting loads of juicy mealworms etc and should be ready to go back to the wild today after much needed rest and food.
Please make sure that all chimneys have a good cap on with small holes. Also now is the time to repair any holes in your walls or roof that you don’t want birds getting into as it is a crime to disturb a nesting bird.
Do we have any more fabulous folks who’d be willing and able to help us help more animals by fostering for us??
(Help with fundraising would be super too please!)
We do still have a pair of beautiful (and now very used to being spoiled 😂💕) piggy boys who are still in need of their Forever home…
I’ve yet more new fostery arrivals today! via Just Like Home Rescues who flew to their aid when alerted that the boys had been found abandoned…
Whilst they’re currently in urgent need of some antibiotics- and probiotics- and tlc, so far they seem amazingly sweet and will make such lovely additions or starter rats for someone’s mischief I’m sure!
They’re here in my care, but will be for adoption via ROARRRescue- N. Ireland not myself directly….💕💜
Because rat folks are awesome… If you can help at all with a pound or two towards their care, the PayPal for the rescue (not currently charitable status) is paypal.me/RoarrRescue 💕✨🐀💜
We have one Syrian boy in foster at the moment. But if it’s a tinier hamster species you’re looking for, Hamster Info Ireland have some very adorable fosters waiting for you! 💕
We’ve had some new arrivals today, and it’s wonderful how friendly and curious these lil babies are!
Their homing post is coming soon, but I couldn’t resist sharing these adorable girlies! 💕✨
These 3 beautiful mice are still looking for their forever home 🏡
They’re approx 12months old, and very low-key ladies 💜
The ideal is that they’d join another group of mouse girls, or perhaps a neutered boy? And that they can be in a nice ‘rolling group’ as is best for mice just the same as rats 💕
Unfortunately we can only home to Northern Ireland, but please do get in touch if you can offer the girls a forever home ✨
RESERVED! 🥳✨💕
Mr Potts is looking for his forever family.
He is approx 6 months, very easy to handle- when you’re respectful of course, and honestly he’s just a no bother little dude and will be quite missed here in foster!
He’ll make anyone a super proud parent 💕
If you’d like to offer this fantastic boy a home, please pm the page with details of where he’d be living and such, and we can answer any further questions! 💜
We have 2 little Syrians who’ll be looking for their forever homes after the Xmas holiday is over 💕✨
🐀10 Most common mistakes that new rat owners make 🐀
MISTAKE 7: Using Unsuitable Litter, Bedding and Substrate (and not knowing the difference between them)
It’s common to see people using litter where they would be better using substrate, using a substrate that is unsuitable, or occasionally not using a substrate at all! The terminology can certainly be confusing so let’s go through the difference between substrate, litter, and bedding, and talk about what makes a good example of each, examples of unsuitable options, and some popular brand names you can find in the UK.
Substrate
Substrate is the stuff you put at the bottom of the cage that fills the base- it’s the thing you will use the most of in the cage. Substrate serves a few different purposes; it is there to soak up urine (this is why no substrate isn’t an option!), and substrate is also key to provide enrichment for the rats because they can dig in it, nest with it and forage for food in it (see the post on nuggets and scatter feeding for more info).
When you are looking for a good substrate you need to consider a few things. How deep is your cage base? If it’s not deep enough to keep in at least two inches of substrate then you need to consider upgrading your cage or creating a perspex base to allow for a deep enough layer. The substrate also needs to be suitable for the rats to dig and forage in, and should soak up p*e without becoming soggy thus preventing bad odours. Finally, it needs to be rat safe. In the UK, many of the (confusingly called) wood beddings for horses are also safe as substrate for rats because they are heat treated/kiln dried (to remove phenols from the wood) and dust extracted (so great for sensitive ratty respiratory systems). You can also get shredded cardboard or h**p beddings that are suitable too. You can try out small batches of lots of different substrates from Rat Rations, but larger amounts are usually most economical when you buy direct from a local horse shop (a bale is usually around £9 and will last the average owner many months).
Examples of safe/suitable substrates for rats (not an exhaustive list):
Bedmax (shavings)
Littlemax (shavings)
Megaspread (shavings)
Pureflake Extra (shavings)
Blue Frog (shavings)
Snowflake Supreme (shavings)
Aubiose (h**p)
Green Mile (shredded cardboard)
Finacard (shredded cardboard)
Eco-bed (cardboard squares)
Walmsley (cardboard squares)
Fitch (fluffy paper)
Bioactive coco fibre soil (see the group Naturalistic and Bioactive Rat Setups for more details)
Try mixing multiple of these for really great substrate!
Unsuitable substrates (not an exhaustive list):
Fleece (doesn’t allow for digging or foraging, doesn’t soak up p*e well and holds it, smells bad, rats chew it so needs replacing often and isn’t economical)
Hemcore (has citronella)
Carefresh (dusty; some types are scented)
Sawdust (dusty)
Puppy pads (no enrichment, rats can chew so unsafe)
Paper pellets (see below)
Anything scented
Anything from the litter/bedding sections below (these are great for bedding/litter but not suitable for main substrate)
Litter
Litter is what you are going to put into litter trays, specifically for the rats to p*e and poo on. Litter should therefore be highly absorbent and reduce odour. The best litter on the market is 100% paper based pellets; these are safe if the rats decide to eat them (they have to eat their own faeces to stay healthy so they may eat a bit of the litter too) and are great for controlling odour and harmful ammonia levels.
Examples of suitable litter:
Back 2 Nature
Breeder Celect (same as above just different branding)
Papelit paper pellets
Examples of unsuitable litter:
Biocatolet (has insect repellent in it)
Clay cat litter (gets dusty when wet)
Wood litter (gets dusty when wet)
Anything scented
You can use a substrate in the litter tray, although you will likely have to replace it more often as they are not as absorbent as paper pellets. If you want to litter train your rats it is also easier if you use a litter that is different from your main substrate.
Bedding
Bedding is the little bits of extras that you can give to your rats for them to poke around with and use to nest in their sleeping areas. The purpose of bedding is enrichment and added interest for the rats, not for controlling odour. There’s lots of different options you can try out, you just have to ensure what you are giving them is safe. Generally it’s things that are soft and cuddly, but sometimes the rats may surprise you with what they decide to take back to their hammock!
Examples of suitable bedding:
Strips of kitchen paper
Toilet paper
Good quality dust free hay
Straw
Shredded paper (such as bills etc- ink used in the UK is safe for rats)
Strips of newspaper (again the ink is safe, although the rats’ coats may get stained)
Safebed paper bedding
Teabag bedding
Strips of fabric
Pieces of substrate (they often do this themselves with bigger pieces of substrate like Bedmax or shredded card)
Frequent Questions:
“I heard/read that wood shavings are dangerous for rats!”
This is partially true- sawdust (often marketed for small animals) is very fine particles so much too dusty, and wood shavings that have not been heat treated have high levels of phenols. But generally in the UK horse beddings are heat treated and dust extracted, so as long as you check for those two things, they’re safe.
“I can’t store a huge bale!”
You can either order smaller amounts from Rat Rations, or consider splitting a bale with someone close by. There are also smaller options such as Eco-nest from other retailers, but these aren’t as cost effective.
“My rats kick out substrate so I took it out, it’s just too messy”
This says that your cage base isn’t deep enough- look at upgrading your cage or creating a deeper perspex base for them to burrow into! It’s also worth noting that rats are living creatures with a range of natural behaviours that are important to them, and it’s unreasonable to expect them not to make any mess whatsoever- after all, you wouldn’t expect that of a human in their own house would you? It is our responsibility as owners to provide our rats with an environment that meet their needs as rats.
“I think fleece looks nice and tidy and I just change it when it smells”
Digging and foraging is essential for rats and we should provide them with plenty of opportunities for these behaviours. Ultimately the cage should be set up and furnished with the rats’ needs in mind- not to be pleasing to the human eye (although what could be more pleasing than seeing your rats happy and thriving in an environment that is appropriate and enriching for them!).
“But the person at (well known pet shop chain) said that Back 2 Nature was a suitable substrate!”
Although paper pellets could be used as a substrate, it is really not the best choice for several reasons; it is expensive, plus as it is very absorbent using such a large amount (several inches deep across the whole base) can make the air much too dry for the rats. It is also not as good for digging and foraging as the substrates listed above. Sadly, pet shops are generally one of the worst sources of advice; we’ll discuss this more in the next mistake.
Photo L to R: Littlemax wood shavings substrate, Back2Nature litter, hay bedding.
As always there’s such amazing info here for rat (and mouse) bedding and substrate! 💕💕
🐀10 Most common mistakes that new rat owners make 🐀
MISTAKE 7: Using Unsuitable Litter, Bedding and Substrate (and not knowing the difference between them)
It’s common to see people using litter where they would be better using substrate, using a substrate that is unsuitable, or occasionally not using a substrate at all! The terminology can certainly be confusing so let’s go through the difference between substrate, litter, and bedding, and talk about what makes a good example of each, examples of unsuitable options, and some popular brand names you can find in the UK.
Substrate
Substrate is the stuff you put at the bottom of the cage that fills the base- it’s the thing you will use the most of in the cage. Substrate serves a few different purposes; it is there to soak up urine (this is why no substrate isn’t an option!), and substrate is also key to provide enrichment for the rats because they can dig in it, nest with it and forage for food in it (see the post on nuggets and scatter feeding for more info).
When you are looking for a good substrate you need to consider a few things. How deep is your cage base? If it’s not deep enough to keep in at least two inches of substrate then you need to consider upgrading your cage or creating a perspex base to allow for a deep enough layer. The substrate also needs to be suitable for the rats to dig and forage in, and should soak up p*e without becoming soggy thus preventing bad odours. Finally, it needs to be rat safe. In the UK, many of the (confusingly called) wood beddings for horses are also safe as substrate for rats because they are heat treated/kiln dried (to remove phenols from the wood) and dust extracted (so great for sensitive ratty respiratory systems). You can also get shredded cardboard or h**p beddings that are suitable too. You can try out small batches of lots of different substrates from Rat Rations, but larger amounts are usually most economical when you buy direct from a local horse shop (a bale is usually around £9 and will last the average owner many months).
Examples of safe/suitable substrates for rats (not an exhaustive list):
Bedmax (shavings)
Littlemax (shavings)
Megaspread (shavings)
Pureflake Extra (shavings)
Blue Frog (shavings)
Snowflake Supreme (shavings)
Aubiose (h**p)
Green Mile (shredded cardboard)
Finacard (shredded cardboard)
Eco-bed (cardboard squares)
Walmsley (cardboard squares)
Fitch (fluffy paper)
Bioactive coco fibre soil (see the group Naturalistic and Bioactive Rat Setups for more details)
Try mixing multiple of these for really great substrate!
Unsuitable substrates (not an exhaustive list):
Fleece (doesn’t allow for digging or foraging, doesn’t soak up p*e well and holds it, smells bad, rats chew it so needs replacing often and isn’t economical)
Hemcore (has citronella)
Carefresh (dusty; some types are scented)
Sawdust (dusty)
Puppy pads (no enrichment, rats can chew so unsafe)
Paper pellets (see below)
Anything scented
Anything from the litter/bedding sections below (these are great for bedding/litter but not suitable for main substrate)
Litter
Litter is what you are going to put into litter trays, specifically for the rats to p*e and poo on. Litter should therefore be highly absorbent and reduce odour. The best litter on the market is 100% paper based pellets; these are safe if the rats decide to eat them (they have to eat their own faeces to stay healthy so they may eat a bit of the litter too) and are great for controlling odour and harmful ammonia levels.
Examples of suitable litter:
Back 2 Nature
Breeder Celect (same as above just different branding)
Papelit paper pellets
Examples of unsuitable litter:
Biocatolet (has insect repellent in it)
Clay cat litter (gets dusty when wet)
Wood litter (gets dusty when wet)
Anything scented
You can use a substrate in the litter tray, although you will likely have to replace it more often as they are not as absorbent as paper pellets. If you want to litter train your rats it is also easier if you use a litter that is different from your main substrate.
Bedding
Bedding is the little bits of extras that you can give to your rats for them to poke around with and use to nest in their sleeping areas. The purpose of bedding is enrichment and added interest for the rats, not for controlling odour. There’s lots of different options you can try out, you just have to ensure what you are giving them is safe. Generally it’s things that are soft and cuddly, but sometimes the rats may surprise you with what they decide to take back to their hammock!
Examples of suitable bedding:
Strips of kitchen paper
Toilet paper
Good quality dust free hay
Straw
Shredded paper (such as bills etc- ink used in the UK is safe for rats)
Strips of newspaper (again the ink is safe, although the rats’ coats may get stained)
Safebed paper bedding
Teabag bedding
Strips of fabric
Pieces of substrate (they often do this themselves with bigger pieces of substrate like Bedmax or shredded card)
Frequent Questions:
“I heard/read that wood shavings are dangerous for rats!”
This is partially true- sawdust (often marketed for small animals) is very fine particles so much too dusty, and wood shavings that have not been heat treated have high levels of phenols. But generally in the UK horse beddings are heat treated and dust extracted, so as long as you check for those two things, they’re safe.
“I can’t store a huge bale!”
You can either order smaller amounts from Rat Rations, or consider splitting a bale with someone close by. There are also smaller options such as Eco-nest from other retailers, but these aren’t as cost effective.
“My rats kick out substrate so I took it out, it’s just too messy”
This says that your cage base isn’t deep enough- look at upgrading your cage or creating a deeper perspex base for them to burrow into! It’s also worth noting that rats are living creatures with a range of natural behaviours that are important to them, and it’s unreasonable to expect them not to make any mess whatsoever- after all, you wouldn’t expect that of a human in their own house would you? It is our responsibility as owners to provide our rats with an environment that meet their needs as rats.
“I think fleece looks nice and tidy and I just change it when it smells”
Digging and foraging is essential for rats and we should provide them with plenty of opportunities for these behaviours. Ultimately the cage should be set up and furnished with the rats’ needs in mind- not to be pleasing to the human eye (although what could be more pleasing than seeing your rats happy and thriving in an environment that is appropriate and enriching for them!).
“But the person at (well known pet shop chain) said that Back 2 Nature was a suitable substrate!”
Although paper pellets could be used as a substrate, it is really not the best choice for several reasons; it is expensive, plus as it is very absorbent using such a large amount (several inches deep across the whole base) can make the air much too dry for the rats. It is also not as good for digging and foraging as the substrates listed above. Sadly, pet shops are generally one of the worst sources of advice; we’ll discuss this more in the next mistake.
Photo L to R: Littlemax wood shavings substrate, Back2Nature litter, hay bedding.
Assessments are ongoing, but look at these absolutely beautiful ladies who’ve joined us this week 💜
They’ll make their new families so happy I’m sure! They’re still a bit unsure what with the huge upheaval, but they’re little sweethearts and I’m smitten already 💕
Please like and share for us and spread the word that we exist- we can’t do it without your support 💕✨
https://www.paypal.me/RoarrRescue
https://www.amazon.co.uk/hz/wishlist/ls/20JV39AHRXKGW?ref_=wl_share
Important info about critical care feeding…
Toooo many places encourage their nurses to make up feeding formulas ‘to consistency’.
Manufacturers recommendations should always be followed, otherwise your patient won’t be receiving the correct amount of nutrients or calorific needs
Take critical care from Oxbow for instance. If your rabbit patient is to be syringe fed, the formula should be made up as 2 parts water to 1 part formula.
If you were to make it up not using the directions it could mean the rabbit is only receiving 4 parts water to 1 part formula.
This would be half the calories and nutrients in that 10mls.
Another example I see is people making insectivore mix from Wombaroo, without following the guidelines of 10g to 15ml water and making it runnier than it should be
If unsure-check the package!
We’ve been quiet I’ve realised, and we Shall get better at keeping you all updated!
We’ve still been working hard behind the scenes though to keep our ‘people’ happy and healthy and get them into forever homes 🏡💕
Our lovely Latte was on to be neutered so he can begin a life with lady friends after his bond with his brother dissolved, but the wee petal seems to have aspirated during anaesthetic, so is currently on medication and critical care with his (foster) Family.
Please keep him and his family in your thoughts and wish him a sp*edy recovery 💜✨💜
💜 and if you could help a small amount with our vet funds too that’d be extremely appreciated. We can only help as many as we can afford to treat when needed… https://www.paypal.me/RoarrRescue
Even our space for fosters is down to funds or lack thereof, so any small amount would be a huge help…
Alternatively there is our wishlist, Hi! Take a look at this List I created on Amazon. https://www.amazon.co.uk/hz/wishlist/ls/20JV39AHRXKGW?ref_=wl_share
Or even a simple share to your friends would help us reach more people so they know we are here 💕
✨Thank you for your support so far ✨
We’re in urgent need of foster homes 🏡✨
Specifically, for one (or two) single boy guinea pig who will be neutered very soon to be adopted out to a pair or group of girls.
If you can help with fostering please get in touch! If you cannot at the moment, please share 💕
These adorable ladies are still waiting for their forever home and mischief to join!! They’d be a wonderful addition to liven up a group of older girls 💗💕
Name: Brea (dark hood) Mira (cream hood), Jellybean (white) & Pierogi (dusty siamese)
Species: Rats 🐀
Gender: Girls
Date of arrival: 21/01/23, & 11/02/23
Age on arrival: approx. 1 year & 8 weeks old
Reason for arrival: older pair’s rehoming fell through, & younger pair are from an accidental litter, that have been foster adopted to bond with the older girls (known to all involved parties)
Character: Jellybean is the most confident & good to handle. Pierogi is a bit more shy but once out during free roam is more confident. The older two girls can be skittish, but are slowly becoming more confident with being handled. The four would ideally benefit from an existing mischief &/ experienced rat owner who can give them plenty of 1-1 time
Health: The older pair have been checked by a vet, as they have remained quite small, but given a clean bill of health. The younger two are in good health. As with any rat, health is not guaranteed & it should be noted that regular monitoring, including weight checks are highly recommend.
Rehoming requirements: to join an existing rolling mischief in a cage that meets a minimum of 5,000cm sq floor space (eg. pet planet, little zoo venture, Savic SRS, critter nation etc).
** We are currently only able to rehome in the North of Ireland**
💕 *reserved* 💕
Bunny the Syrian is still waiting for her forever home!
Name: Bunny
Species: Syrian Hamster
Gender: Female
Date of arrival: 28/02/2023
Age on arrival: approx. 1 year
Reason for arrival: Unwanted child’s pet…
Character: Busy bee who loves to come out for treats from your hand and a loves a nosey around the bed or couch! She is quite tolerant of handling and ‘cuddles’ for a lady Syrian!
Health: Had a UTI arrival that was successfully treated, as well as being underweight & poor condition. She has been put on a species specific food and is now in a healthy weight range & in good condition.
Rehoming requirements: Bunny will require a minimum unbroken floorspace of 6,000cm sq (120cm x 50cm) with height of at least 60cm, to allow 25cm deep bedding across the cage & space for a 33cm wheel. Being a lady, the bigger the cage you can build her, the happier and less trouble she shall be! We are also very happy to help you build a suitable enclosure from ikea an cupboard if you’ve not yet got a big enough cage!
We have attached an Infograph of what a Syrian hamster requires to thrive
Imagine a lifetime in a barren tank, performing tricks for tourists - this is the heartbreaking reality for captive orcas 💔
These wonderful creatures belong in the wild, they are not entertainers.
It's heartbreaking that travel companies like TUI still sell and promote this suffering. Tell them to stop profiting from dolphin cruelty
👇
https://bit.ly/3DcVJCh
We are in need of shelters for feral cats. If you have any kennels/hutches you don't need that might suit please pm us
If we were to hold a fundraising pet show, would we have enough entries for it???
Virtual, or at a venue where we could perhaps bring the fosters too??r
Bunny is still awaiting her forever home!
Lifelong support and advice will be available to help you keep her the happiest she can be!
Wonderful as she is to have as a foster, she deserves a family to call her own 💕
https://www.roarrrescue.com/, https://www.paypal.me/RoarrRescue
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Bunny the Syrian is still waiting for her forever home! Name: Bunny Species: Syrian Hamster Gender: Female Date of arrival: 28/02/2023 Age on arrival: approx. 1 year Reason for arrival: Unwanted child’s pet… Character: Busy bee who loves to come out for treats from your hand and a loves a nosey around the bed or couch! She is quite tolerant of handling and ‘cuddles’ for a lady Syrian! Health: Had a UTI arrival that was successfully treated, as well as being underweight & poor condition. She has been put on a species specific food and is now in a healthy weight range & in good condition. Rehoming requirements: Bunny will require a minimum unbroken floorspace of 6,000cm sq (120cm x 50cm) with height of at least 60cm, to allow 25cm deep bedding across the cage & space for a 33cm wheel. Being a lady, the bigger the cage you can build her, the happier and less trouble she shall be! We are also very happy to help you build a suitable enclosure from ikea an cupboard if you’ve not yet got a big enough cage! We have attached an Infograph of what a Syrian hamster requires to thrive
Just some little boys munching a little dinner 💕💕 (The 3 chonkers are my own, slightly older, ‘baby’ boys)
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