Wee Critters Small Animal Rescue

08/11/2024

It’s a piggy post! 🐷🐾

We currently have 7 guinea pigs in our care awaiting lovely forever homes!

All are quite nervous around new people & surroundings, but soon come out of their shells when in a routine. Especially at dinner time…..🥗

Individual details on pics. Homing requirements apply, including large indoor enclosures, a safe & secure environment, species-appropriate diet and health care. Please fill out an adoption application if you’d like to apply to adopt:

https://forms.gle/Ui43gpqe9e9uW1JP7

We will always consider rehoming to homes with with children & other pets, so long as they’re respectful and appropriate precautions are made to ensure everyone is safe & happy.

As well as these piggies, we also have a hamster, mice, rats & a bearded dragon awaiting forever families. Details to follow….as soon as I can get everyone still for photos! 📷

08/10/2024

🐉 new Dragon on the block! 🐉

Meet Pascal, our newest Wee Critters arrival! He arrived last week along with two lovely rattie girls 🐁

We’ve had a number of intake inquiries since re-opening, and are doing our best to accommodate these. This does mean we need to increase our fundraising efforts, as more residents of course means bigger feed & vet bills.

The rattie girls are needing some veterinary care, which thankfully we have covered thanks to a very generous recent donation from the Rat Rescue Fund.

Pascal here has a ferocious appetite and will be consuming lots of bugs whilst in our care. These don’t come cheaply, so any contributions are a big help. Additionally if anyone in the highlands has their own bug colonies & would consider donating some, this would also be amazing!

Whilst he is happily setup in his viv, we will also need to upgrade his lighting and buy him some furniture as he grows, so if anyone is interested in making a donation specifically for this, we can set up an Amazon wishlist. Whilst we have personal experience of reptiles and a few in the family, Pascal is the only the second to come through Wee Critters (and the first was adopted by us)!

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Wee Critters Rescue is a non-profit organisation run solely by a small team of volunteers. This includes myself, Freda, and some wonderful family and friends. All funds received go to caring for the animals. Our main outgoings are veterinary bills, feed and enrichment.

PayPal -
[email protected]

Amazon wishlist - https://www.amazon.co.uk/hz/wishlist/ls/1KYU8L5OP4H4B...

25/09/2024

Due to some work madness & generally life things I’m still working my way through enquiries from our period of closure. Thank you all for your patience awaiting a reply 😊🐾

⚠️ IMPORTANT POST - PLEASE READ ⚠️

Firstly I want to thank everyone for their patience and support whilst I took a very much needed break over the summer. Between personal & work-related stresses I have been super busy, and being able to focus on caring for the critters without responding to messages & managing admin was a massive weight off.

Now the summer is passed things are beginning to level, and I hope to have resumed normal running of Wee Critters by the end of September.

‼️ So, if YOU HAVE MESSAGED OR EMAILED during this break, please consider re-sending your enquiry now so that I know it's still valid. I will be replying to everyone over the next wee while, but there's a lot to get through.

Please be patient whilst I do this, as it's going to take some time to get back into the swing of things.

We haven't had many changes critters-wise during the last couple of months, aside from one very sad loss and two sweet new arrivals. I will share these in due course.

Thank you for reading! 🥰

Pictured: Cupid, neutered male mouse. Currently being bonded to a new pal and will be available for adoption once this is complete.

03/09/2024

⚠️ IMPORTANT POST - PLEASE READ ⚠️

Firstly I want to thank everyone for their patience and support whilst I took a very much needed break over the summer. Between personal & work-related stresses I have been super busy, and being able to focus on caring for the critters without responding to messages & managing admin was a massive weight off.

Now the summer is passed things are beginning to level, and I hope to have resumed normal running of Wee Critters by the end of September.

‼️ So, if YOU HAVE MESSAGED OR EMAILED during this break, please consider re-sending your enquiry now so that I know it's still valid. I will be replying to everyone over the next wee while, but there's a lot to get through.

Please be patient whilst I do this, as it's going to take some time to get back into the swing of things.

We haven't had many changes critters-wise during the last couple of months, aside from one very sad loss and two sweet new arrivals. I will share these in due course.

Thank you for reading! 🥰

Pictured: Cupid, neutered male mouse. Currently being bonded to a new pal and will be available for adoption once this is complete.

25/06/2024

Update!

Does anyone here have experience laying vinyl flooring, and fancy giving us a hand? In exchange for some baking and a coffee! ☕️

We don’t necessarily need a tradesperson, just someone who knows what they’re doing - at least more than we do!

We have the roll of vinyl, and the shed is about ready for this final stage 🥳🤩

As for furniture - we have managed to get a second-hand filing cabinet and some shelving, so that’s good!

18/06/2024

The first step towards re-opening is to get the new Critter Shed in operation. We have been hard at work this week renovating the space, and can now excitedly say that it's not far off being habitable! 🤩

Our new shed is significantly larger that the original Critter Shed, however we have to condense a lot of our storage as we hope to have just about everything rescue-related in the one space, rather than spread-out between locations.

We are on the lookout for a few items to help kit out the shed and make the most of the space. Rather than buying new, we hope to save on funds and be more sustainable by seeing if anyone has spares of these items that they would like to donate.

We need:

✅ Filing cabinet (preferably locking) and/or lockable medicine cabinet

✅ Shallow shelving unit (to fit above a workbench for supplements, treats, & health supplies)

✅ Desk chair

✅ Kettle

✅ Long/low garden storage boxes

✅ Stacking storage baskets/ex shop-shelves/bread crates

✅ Efficient plug-in heater

We can collect from the local area. There are some pictures on this post of the kind of items we're looking for. They don't need to be in perfect condition, just safe & functional.

If you have any other nifty storage solutions that you'd like to share, please do let us know! My brain is on overdrive just now mentally planning out where everything's going to go 😅

Thank you!

07/06/2024

After careful consideration we have made the decision to temporarily close for a period over the summer. This isn’t a decision that has been made lightly, however it’s been a really hard winter and quite frankly we’re exhausted. As adoptions generally wind down a bit at this time of year it feels like a good time to do this. Aside from the odd couple of weeks here and there, and a short period over Christmas, we haven’t put a pause on the rescue work since Wee Critters was established over 6 years ago!

If you’ve visited us since moving you’ll know that Wee Critters is currently being run from our house, as we’ve yet to get the designated shed ‘liveable’. Hopefully by the time we re-open we’ll have a new setup and will be better equipped for our residents and visitors.

A couple of key points:
⚠️ adoption enquires that we’re processing just now will be assessed and we will do our best to finalise these before we sign off
⚠️ we will remain contactable by text/Whatsapp (07549141600) for any previous adopters needing support with critters from us
⚠️ our auto-response message will be updated with key information

As a reminder, if you need to surrender an animal or are looking to adopt, there are the following small animal rescues in the Highlands:

* Munlochy Animal Aid (all species)
* SSPCA (all species)
* Scottish Exotic Animal Rescue (reptiles & amphibians)

For wildlife enquiries, contact Highland Wildlife Rescue or the SSPCA.

We’re going to spend the next week catching-up on admin and making sure everything is up-to-date. For now we will not be setting a date to re-open, but we’re going to take at least a month before we get back in action.

If you have any questions, please do ask. See you soon! 👋🏻

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Wee Critters Rescue is a non-profit organisation run solely by a small team of volunteers. This includes myself, Freda, and some wonderful family and friends. All funds received go to caring for the animals. Our main outgoings are veterinary bills, feed and enrichment.

PayPal -
[email protected]

Amazon wishlist - https://www.amazon.co.uk/hz/wishlist/ls/1KYU8L5OP4H4B...

Bank transfer details available on request.

05/06/2024

After a busy couple of weeks of work, I’m catching up on messages and emails, and aim to get back to posting regularly too. Sorry for the silence!

Everyone is well here, and we have adoption applications ticking along in the background.

Thanks for your patience if you’re waiting for a reply 🤩🥰

*old pic of a previous hamster resident*

15/05/2024

👀 Coal, Twinkle & Claus 🏡

Let me introduce you to this adorable new trio, featuring ladies Coal & Twinkle, and their sweet new companion Claus 🐭

These three came to us as part of a large intake of mice in December last year. Between pregnancy watch, sanctuary/end of life care for one of the girls, and neutering the boys, it's been a long road getting them ready for new homes.

These sweeties will need:

✅ a secure, escape-proof enclosure of at least 100cm x 50cm
✅ plenty of in-cage enrichment and time out of their enclosure to explore in a safe environment
✅ someone unbothered by their ‘mousey’ smell

If you’d like to discuss adoption, please pop us a message!

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Wee Critters Rescue is a non-profit organisation run solely by a small team of volunteers. This includes myself, Freda, and some wonderful family and friends. All funds received go to caring for the animals. Our main outgoings are veterinary bills, feed and enrichment.

PayPal -
[email protected]

Amazon wishlist - https://www.amazon.co.uk/hz/wishlist/ls/1KYU8L5OP4H4B...

Bank transfer details available on request.

09/05/2024

Small Animal Care Services - for all species! 🐾

Firstly a little about FCC and myself, Freda! Last year I became self-employed, and Freda's Creature Care was born. I have worked with animals since 2016, in rescue kennels and as a veterinary physiotherapy assistant.

Whilst running Wee Critters Rescue is as demanding as a 'proper' job, I do this entirely voluntarily, and as such need a source of income in order to support myself and this work. As Freda's Creature Care I am able to have the flexibility needed in order to continue running Wee Critters, whilst doing something I love and making the most of the skills & experience I have developed over the years.

Since launching FCC I have primarily been caring for dogs & cats, however my main goal when launching this business was to offer quality care for ALL species. I know that for many people, aside from daily care requirements being met, their biggest concern is whether or not their small animal's temporary carer will be able to spot if their pet becomes unwell or is behaving in a way that is unusual for the species. I offer a high-quality and reliable service providing peace-of-mind that your critters are receiving the best care with someone experienced and able to spot when something is amiss.

I cover Inverness & the West of the Black Isle, and offer once/twice daily drop-ins at your home to feed, clean, check & provide company for your pets.

If you would like to find out more, check my price list, or enquire about making a booking, please head over to my page and pop me a message.

https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61551999452408

Thanks for reading folks! Have a lovely evening 🥰

08/05/2024

When I have these little faces keeping me company, cleaning isn’t too much of a chore 🧼

We’ve had a few adoptions recently, which has meant some moving around of the critter room, and new intakes too. We have some new critters to introduce, so do keep an eye out for that!

Pictured: Cracker the mouse & Buck the rat. Cracker is looking for a home, Buck isn’t just now.

————————————————————————

Wee Critters Rescue is a non-profit organisation run solely by a small team of volunteers. This includes myself, Freda, and some wonderful family and friends. All funds received go to caring for the animals. Our main outgoings are veterinary bills, feed and enrichment.

PayPal -
[email protected]

Amazon wishlist - https://www.amazon.co.uk/hz/wishlist/ls/1KYU8L5OP4H4B...

Bank transfer details available on request

08/05/2024

When I have these little faces keeping me company, cleaning isn’t too much of a chore 🧼

We’ve had a few adoptions recently, which has meant some moving around of the critter room, and new intakes too. We have some new critters to introduce, so do keep an eye out for that!

Pictured: Cracker the mouse & Buck the rat. Cracker is looking for a home, Buck isn’t just now.

————————————————————————

Wee Critters Rescue is a non-profit organisation run solely by a small team of volunteers. This includes myself, Freda, and some wonderful family and friends. All funds received go to caring for the animals. Our main outgoings are veterinary bills, feed and enrichment.

PayPal -
[email protected]

Amazon wishlist - https://www.amazon.co.uk/hz/wishlist/ls/1KYU8L5OP4H4B...

Bank transfer details available on request.

12/04/2024

🐹 Happy World Hamster Day 🐹

We're not sure who decides what day becomes , but we sure aren't complaining about an opportunity to spotlight these lovely wee animals!

Many people's introduction to animal keeping starts with a hamster, and they are the animal we receive the most enquiries about from families wishing to introduce their kids to pets. Recent development in care standards for hamsters has wildly increased their quality of life within pet homes, but there is still a long way to go. From shoebox cages to dangerous toys & treats, hamsters are easily abused and neglected thanks to the misinformation spouted by pet shops and other out-of-date resources.

We hope that with the continued promotion of ethical care of these critters we will see more improvements on a bigger scale, perhaps with changes to cage manufacturing and welfare legislation. Hmph. We can dream! 🤩

For hamster care information & some interesting factoids about welfare in the UK & abroad:

https://www.hamsterwelfare.com/

https://www.tinypawsmcr.org.uk/advice/hamsters/

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Pictured on this post is Oat, an adorable dwarf hamster who stayed with us before scurrying off to her forever home last summer. Her new home has a fantastic Instagram account lots of adorable content and heaps of superb care inspiration! Check out 📷🐹

12/04/2024

⚠️ FOR SALE ⚠️

It’s time for a spring clean, as we have no space left to store some of our supplies.

If there is something you’re after, such as cage bases for litter trays, wheels, hides, water bottles (we have millions 🤓) then please pop us a message. We also still have some hammocks available, as can be seen in this album.

We also have two great cages looking for new homes: one rat & one hamster/gerbil. See pics for details. Also two brand new dwarf hamster wheels 🐹

As usual, collection from North Kessock or can deliver locally for an extra donation.

09/04/2024

🤩 Community Events - Where & When? 🤩

It's been a couple of years since we got out in the community and attended events. We'd like to change this!

So we're hoping for suggestions for fairs, galas, fêtes, school events, and anywhere where you think we could attend to provide education on small animal care and/or fundraise. We have a couple of ideas already, but it can be hard to come across smaller events when you're not 'in the know'!

Local events in Inverness and the Black Isle are ideal, however we are happy to travel (Ullapool, Elgin, Aviemore), and we will go further afield where possible 🚗

For the time-being we won't be offering talks and group visits (schools, clubs etc) however this is something we hope to bring back when we are in a position to do so.

Thank you in advance for your help. We're excited to get back into the swing of public events and get chatting to all you lovely folk out and about! 🥰

31/03/2024

Cheeky Cleo 🐹🌈

Syrian Hamster Cleo was rehomed through ourselves at the end of last Summer. She was such a character, and made her new home very happy with her antics, taking over her humans’ spare room & enjoyed nothing better than free-roaming and exploring.

She cheekily had a great escape resulting in a camp-out in an amp 🎶 before she was traced & retrived by her carer. Just look at that face 🥹😍

She may only have been in her forever home for 6 months, but we know those will have been the best 6 months ever! Bye Cleo 🐹🌈

Thank you Suzie for taking her into your life ☀️

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We received these adorable photos of Cleo, along with the update, the other week, and knew you lot would love to see them too. We enjoy sharing photos & stories of previous Wee Critters residents, and whilst some contain sad news, we think it’s important to highlight just how wonderful these creatures are, regardless of how long we have with them 🥰

14/03/2024

Harvey is still looking for a home 🏡🐾

Read the post below for details & requirements, then pop us a message to discuss adoption!

13/03/2024

🤩 Rescue Raffle! 🤩

The lovely Amy, aka on Instagram has organised the most amazing raffle to raise funds for ourselves and Kerry's Kritters. Amy adopted Daisy (previously Thandi) the Syrian Hamster from us back in 2022, and gave her the most wonderful home 🏡🌈 sadly Daisy has since passed away, but Amy is still a wonderful supporter of our work, and her account is a fantastic collection of adorable & educational rabbit content. We totally recommend checking it out 📷

Anyway, about the raffle!!

28 businesses, big & small, have contributed, making for 8 fabulous prize bundles. There’s something for everyone, including natural treats, hides, decorations, jewellery & even bunny food & hay! Whether you have a hamster, gerbils, bunnies, guineas or something else, check it out and consider buying a ticket or two to support our rescue work.

Hop on over to Instagram (linked below) for full details ⬇️

https://www.instagram.com/p/C4bNtmMKIkB/?igsh=bmhvNWlxMW5lZDFq

Thank you Amy! 🌟