Wee Critters Small Animal Rescue

Just some mice exploring their clean enclosure 🐭 All the mice got cleaned out last night, so here is a video of the girls investigating after housekeeping 🧼 thankfully it was all up to standard! Everyone got their weights taken too, and I’m happy to report all the babies are up to a good size now and ready for homes. Unfortunately we do have some sad news regarding Bauble, but I’ll share this in a separate post. Happy Sunday folks 🥰🐾 ———————————————————————— 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.

Sooty 🐹 This lil’ hammy dude is such a great character. He always zooms out from his bed to say ‘hi’ when I’m in the Critter room - no doubt hoping for a snack (or even a second dinner 🐷)! Recently he was upgraded from an Alaska cage (barred cage, 80x50cm) to a Zoozone 2 (bar-less cage, 100x50cm), and it’s been so good for him. The overall change in his demeanour is amazing. He’s no longer able to climb the bars, which has reduced his stress and also the risk of injury. Now he has more floor space, plenty of burrowing room, and generally seems more relaxed. We’re hoping to find him the perfect home once we re-open next week. Could that be you? 🏡 Sooty needs: ✅ a large bar-less enclosure that’s at least 100cm x 50cm ✅ plenty of hides and environmental enrichment such as mixed substrate, foraging opportunities and natural materials to chew ✅ a solid exercise wheel that’s at least 21cm in diameter ✅ a varied diet provided in the right quantity so he doesn’t get tubby (again) Whoever adopts this little guy is going to be very lucky indeed. He’s bold, curious, and can be handled once he gets to know you 🤩 #dwarfhamster #hamster #dwarfhamstersofinstagram #dwarfhamsterlove #adoptdontshop #smallanimalrescue #rodentrescue

Sal the snake 🐍

Something a little different 🐍 Sal isn’t technically a rescue resident, anymore! He came to us from another local rescue almost three years ago, and as myself and my partner were both very keen to hop into the world of reptile care, we jumped at the opportunity. So, Sal never left 🐍🏡 he’s taught us a lot, and we now have a second corn snake and a bearded dragon too - also rescues! He’s around 10-12 years old now, and before he came to us he didn’t have a very happy or enriched life. He’s still a rather unsociable chap, although isn’t remotely aggressive. He just prefers his own company. We make sure to get him out periodically for health checks however, and we’ll often do this when we have visitors, as he’s a wonderful ambassador for slithery critters; having changed a few fearful minds with his calm (and adorable) demeanour. I snapped this video at feeding time today, and couldn’t resist sharing it 📷 he’s always hungry after a shed, which you can peep to the left of him. #CornSnake #SnakesOfInstagram #DangerNoodle #BoopTheSnoot #SnakeSnoot

Hi from Monti! Handsome single guinea pig Monti is still hoping for a new home and a new friend! He’s a happy chappy with lots of personality, and is the face I see most often when I’m in and out of the Critter Room. Monti has previously lived with another boar, and has no issues here, so should be happy to have another companion 💕 He’s been living indoors and would need to stay this way at least until the Spring 🏡 Do you think you might be the right home for Monti? If so we’d love to hear from you! Just pop us a message and send over an adoption application, and that gets the ball rolling! https://forms.gle/Ui43gpqe9e9uW1JP7 As always, shares and tags are much appreciated. Thank you! 🥰

Enjoy some snippets from yesterday's morning snack of yummy green forage! 🌾🌱 We thought it would be a good opportunity to remind you of some of our current residents (and visitors)! ⭐️ Alvin, Simon & Theo ⭐️ Trio of intact male guinea pigs, adult, age unknown. These boys have come such a long way since they arrived this time last year. Their first few weeks with us were heartbreaking, as they were so terrified that they would blindly run around their cage in panic whenever I was near. I had to cover their enclosure whilst I was around just to get anything done. Fast forward to now, and thanks to a quiet space, plenty of snacks, and heaps of patience, you would never guess just how scared they used to be! Theo in particular is bold as brass, always the first up to say 'hi', even when new people come to visit! Simon is the next to appear, eager to see what food might be on-offer. Alvin is a little more shy still, but always pushes this aside when it's time for dinner....of course! ⭐️ Monti ⭐️ Intact male guinea pig, around 3.5 years old. Monti is an absolute darling, super sociable and confident around people he knows. Sadly he lost his pal a while back and is looking for a new best friend in another boar or a neutered sow. Monti loves his greens, and is always right up at the side of his enclosure when I go into the critter room, eager for a snack (or two). ⭐️ Rocket & Colonel ⭐️ Neutered male rabbits, around 3 years old, vaccinated. These lads are actually just staying for the weekend, however we thought it would be a good opportunity to share a little bit more about them! They are looking for a wonderful new carer, and would suit a variety of environments, including a family home. Despite only having been with us for a couple of days, Colonel and Rocket are already super confident in this new environment, and come running to the door when we are near. They are the most wonderful hay eaters, munching away 24/7 in their litter bo

Beatrix 🐰 An update on this tiny lady is due! Where do I begin…… I suppose with the good news, which is that her post-spay wound infection appears to have cleared up nicely, and the tear duct flush she underwent was successful too 🎉 The not-so-great news is that we’re not out of the woods yet. She is still on anti-biotics for the tear duct, as well as pain relief. She’s quite a sensitive bunny, and the long course of antibiotics & stress of vet trips hasn’t done her tummy any good. She’s eating little bits here and there, and still toileting ok, but I’m needing to supplement with syringe feeding too, which she isn’t a fan of. In-fact, Beatrix isn’t a fan of anything to do with me anymore! As I’ve had to get her out a minimum of twice a day for meds, and often up to 5 times for checks and feeding, I think it’s fair to say that I’m not her favourite person 🥲 The last bit of good news is that her last vet bill wasn’t quite as large as we’d been quoted, which always makes for a nice surprise. It still all adds up though, and I think she’s still cost us nearly £500 since her adorable arrival. Ah, how could we be mad at that face though?! 🥰🐰 For now it’s continued tlc and monitoring, and hopefully she can catch a break soon. We’re keeping everything crossed anyway 🤞🏻 ————————————————————— To donate to the vet bills & upkeep supplies of Wee Critters…… PayPal - [email protected] People’s Fundraising - https://www.peoplesfundraising.com/donation/Weecritters Bank Transfer - Account Name: Wee Critters Small Animal Rescue Account Holder: Freda Murray Acc no: 86108998 Sort code: 608371 Amazon wishlist - https://www.amazon.co.uk/hz/wishlist/ls/1KYU8L5OP4H4B... Thank you 🙏

Another day, another vet trip (or three) 👀 Beatrix was dropped off first thing this morning as she’s getting her tear duct flushed. It should be a relatively straight-forward procedure, but she’ll still be going under heavy sedation, so hopefully everything will go smoothly 🤞🏻 This afternoon I’ll be back to the practice with Harry & Larry for their annual vaccinations and to discuss next steps for each of their own ailments! We will not be taking in any new critters for the foreseeable future, as we simply can’t afford it. Our priorities just now are to provide veterinary treatment for our current residents, and trying to keep afloat. I have some ideas for further fundraising this spring and summer, particularly ways in which you can get something in exchange for your donation 🎁 There is a raffle and/or auction in the works, and of course the plush-doptable event that is already running. If you have any pennies to spare, please consider sending them our way. Today’s vet bill will be around £400 🥲 If you can’t contribute financially, please consider liking and commenting on this post instead. Shares are great, too, as they spread the word about us and helps to find new supporters and adopters. Ways to donate… PayPal - [email protected] People’s Fundraising - https://www.peoplesfundraising.com/donation/Weecritters Bank Transfer - Account Name: Wee Critters Small Animal Rescue Account Holder: Freda Murray Acc no: 86108998 Sort code: 608371 Amazon wishlist - https://www.amazon.co.uk/hz/wishlist/ls/1KYU8L5OP4H4B...

A little more about this piggy trio….. Theo 🥰 The boldest of the three, Theo is who I see the most of. He’s always the first out at mealtimes and the least likely to do a runner if I made a sudden move. He’s a total fluff monster, and needs regular grooming to keep his gorgeous locks flowing! Simon 😎 Next is Simon. He’s a bit of a bossy piggy, and despite his small size will happily take on the other boys if he feels the need. He’s a smooth black and tan with a super shiny coat. Alvin 🤩 Last but not least - Alvin! He’s a smooth-haired tricolour piggy, and is the shyest of the group. He’s usually the last to appear, preferring to watch from the comfort of his wooden hide, before braving the outside world. Alvin can also be quite bossy, although more quietly so. The boys are shown here enjoying their dinner time pellets, hay top-up, and some fresh apple branches. Thank you April and Julie for the tree cuttings! 🌳 If you think you can offer these lads the home they need, please pop us a message to begin the adoption process. We look forward to hearing from you!

“Could you be our forever home?” 🥺🏡 This is Theo! He has two pals, Alvin & Simon, and they’d love to find a wonderful new home to call their own. When this cheeky trio arrived, they were as scared as I’ve ever seen guinea pigs. Their cage had to be kept covered whilst I was in the room, otherwise they’d run blindly into the sides in panic. As you can see from this video, they’ve made massive improvements. They’ll now all come out f or meals, happily munching away whilst I’m still close-by. They’ve even proven themselves to be brave with strangers visiting and feeding them! 🥳 What they need: ✅ a quiet environment with a patient carer who can continue to build their confidence ✅ a large enclosure with plenty of different hides and feeding stations ✅ unlimited hay (they inhale the stuff) & plenty of natural chews These boys will likely never be cuddly, laid-back piggies. We just want to find them a home where they can continue to get braver and trust people. They are currently housed in a 4x2 C&C cage with a 2x2 side extension. This is the minimum space they will need (or equivalent) as they squabble in a smaller enclosure. As we move into spring and summer, we’d also consider a semi-outdoor home for them, such as an insulated shed or wendy house. If you’d like to register your interest in adopting, or have any questions, please pop us a message 🥰 Shares are also massively appreciated! Thank you!

Every-bunny loves fresh hay 🌾 This is Lola, one of our current rabbit residents! She has received her vaccinations, and will be spayed soon. Unfortunately her history is a little unclear, and there is a very small possibility that she is already spayed, so we need to do some further investigation. Once that’s sorted however we can find her the perfect partner and forever family 🏡 As far as rabbits go, Lola is a wonderful guest. She’s a champion hay-eater, is wonderful at using her litter tray, and is slowly becoming more outgoing with people. She’ll even hang around for some head rubs now! Stay tuned for further updates, as it won’t be long before we’ll be hunting for the perfect place for this lovely girl to call home 🐰 P.s. turn your volume up for relaxing rain sounds ☔️ [Video Description: Lola, a white rabbit, sits munching a pile of hay that’s in a black litter tray to the left. She’s sitting on a yellow carpet.]

Meet my own critters - Warren & Womble 🐰 If you’d asked me three years ago if I would ever have my own rabbits, I’d probably laugh and say “No way!” Since Wee Critters Rescue began we have been helping all species of small animals, including rabbits. However I’ve always found them complicated, high-maintenance, and far too stressful. Honestly, these points still stand 🤣 BUT, then along came Warren. He was one of 7 young rabbits than came into our care in early 2021 from a hoarding case. When he arrived, Warren has a large gash on his stomach, presumably an accidental injury from being in cramped conditions with his Mum and siblings. He had to go straight into the vet for surgery, needing stitches and antibiotics to fix him up. Then as he grew and matured it became apparent that he had malocclusion and needed dental work. Because of the severity of this he ended up getting his incisors removed entirely 🦷 What next? Well, he lost his brother Cotton very suddenly from an aggressive abdominal mass. Then he had an ear infection. Talk about a series of unfortunate events! 🥲 Throughout each and every hurdle that we faced with Warren, he was the kindest, bravest and cheeriest bunny. Bouncing back from surgeries, courses of antibiotics, and of course the loss of his friend. By early 2022, he had wriggled and hopped his way firmly into my heart ❤️ in the spring, his brother Womble (previously Flopsy) was returned to the rescue after his own series of unfortunate events, and I decided to bond them and officially welcome them into our own little family. Now here we are! I Warren and Womble are the best of buds, always causing mischief and getting into places they shouldn’t. Warren gives Womble confidence with people, and Womble provides Warren with love, comfort, and a wingman for all his antics. Shown below is Womble (left) and Warren (right) munching of some hay after a top-up 🌾 #Rabbit #PetRabbit #ILoveRabbits #DomesticRabbit

Little Peggy 🥰 World, meet Peggy! At around 2 years old, Peggy the dwarf hamster is an old lady who’s been waiting for her quiet retirement. Unfortunately Peggy doesn’t have a very happy background, but she’s comfortable and safe now, and will be residing here at Wee Critters as a sanctuary residents for the rest of her life. We visited the vet today, who determined that Peggy’s unusual movement is as a result of a neurological issue. Either damage done by a stroke, or being caused by a brain tumour. Paired with limited vision due to cataracts, Peggy has a fair bit going on! As this isn’t a new development, we will not be treating with steroids, especially due to the risks associated with steroids, diabetes, and dwarf hamsters. The good news however is that Peggy doesn’t appear to be suffering, and she is loving exploring her new home and enrichment items. We will be moving her into a bar-less cage to prevent any accidents from climbing, and will continue to monitor her behaviour to ensure she is comfortable. If you would like to donate towards Peggy’s care, please check out the options below! We have had an expensive start to the year with a poorly bunny, so every penny is appreciated just now. There will be a post to come explaining the bunny situation, I’m just struggling to put it together 😔 PayPal - [email protected] People’s Fundraising - https://www.peoplesfundraising.com/donation/Weecritters Bank Transfer - Account Name: Wee Critters Small Animal Rescue Account Holder: Freda Murray Acc no: 86108998 Sort code: 608371 Amazon wishlist - https://www.amazon.co.uk/hz/wishlist/ls/1KYU8L5OP4H4B...

Christmas closure 🎄 With Christmas approaching many rescues will close adoptions to prevent the giving of animals as gifts. Although we also want to avoid this, we know that spontaneous gifting of animals is a bad idea at any time of year. A bigger reason for closing over Christmas is because we feel that the holidays aren’t the best time to welcome a furry family member. Most people will have visitors, including kids, as well as being busy with cooking, drinking & generally having a good time! This isn’t to paint other rescues in a negative light, as we’re sure most will agree. It’s purely that the reason we see stated most for closure is just gift-giving, and we wanted to share the additional reasoning 💡 We will be closing the rescue for a period over Christmas and the New Year, which will be announced soon and put in our pinned post 🎄 In the meantime, feel free to begin the adoption process, and your application will be processed as soon as possible, even if that’s in the New Year. In this video: Oreo munching away happily on fresh hay after a cage clean. Can you spot Nugget too?

UPDATE: GIVEAWAY CLOSED. WINNERS WILL BE DRAWN SHORTLY! 📷 WIN WIN WIN 🎁 To cheer everyone up in this dark season, we’re offering a small animal photoshoot to 3 lucky winners! It’s FREE to enter 🎉 just share a photo of your pet in the comments and tag a friend who might be interested too! You can comment as many times as you like - each comment (photo + tag) counts as an entry. Sharing this post will get you an extra 5 entries. Just make sure friends come back to our original post to enter themselves! A little about the prize…… 📷 Each winner will receive one photoshoot lasting approximately 60 mins. 📷 You will receive at least 5 high-quality digital images of your pet, to use as you wish. 📷 Printed & framed prints available for a small charge. 📷 Photoshoot must be used for small animals (rodent, rabbit, cat, dog). Multiple animals ok, but time will be limited. 📷 Can be shot in the animals enclosure (in case of caged animals) or outwith. This can be discussed beforehand. Dogs may be photographed at a location other than your home, if you wish. 📷 Photoshoot must be claimed before 1st April 2023. Suitable dates and times dependant on my schedule. 📷 Winner must be within Inverness/Black Isle area, or within 30 miles of that. If you have any questions - ask away! I can’t wait to get pics of your gorgeous Critters 😍 * Entries close 19/12/2022. Winners will be drawn and contacted that week. ** This giveaway is in no way associated with or endorsed by Facebook. #WeeCrittersRescue #WeeCrittersSmallAnimalRescue #PetPhotography #PetPhotographyPackage #PetPhotoshoot #PhotoshootGiveaway

Following-on from yesterday's post, here's a Raven & Rhino video! They ADORE their food, so pellet time is super exciting! So is hay top-up time. And forage time. I suppose really time involving anything they can munch...! Check out our last post for further details regarding this pair 🐰🏡

After declaring that I’d get caught-up on admin today, messenger appears to have stopped working. I’ll problem solve tomorrow. In the meantime, have a cute little video of Onion enjoying some fresh hay after a cage clean 🥰

🐹 𝙺𝚎𝚗𝚓𝚒, 𝙺𝚊𝚒𝚝𝚘, 𝙺𝚘𝚝𝚊 & 𝙺𝚒𝚢𝚘𝚜𝚑𝚒 🐹 Shares appreciated! - male gerbils - d.o.b. 01/03/2022 - currently a quad, will consider splitting into pairs (Kenji & Kiyoshi, Kota & Kaito) Firstly, some ID! 👀 Kenji - ginger & white 👀 Kaito - light grey/white 👀 Kota - black 👀 Kiyoshi - dark grey Never mind double-trouble, these lads are four little bundles of mischief! Born as a result of a pet shop mis-sexing, these boys and their siblings came as quite the surprise to their last family. Thankfully their home sprung into action, re-searching the best care they could for their new arrivals, and splitting their parents so there wouldn’t be any more babies arriving. They were then found a home, but unfortunately their carer’s circumstances changed and they found themselves here at Wee Critters. They are happy & healthy boys and we’d be delighted if they could remain together as a quad, as they’re showing no issues with this grouping as they reach maturity. Saying this however, we would consider splitting them into pairs if it aids rehoming and allows them to go off and be spoilt by their own families. Now a little about them….. Kenji & Kota are the bolder two, often being the first ones I see when feeding and doing daily checks. Kiyoshi is a bit more shy, and Kaito is the most-so. Kenji will tolerate being picked-up and handled, but in general they’re more of a hands-off group and we tend to handle only for health checks and moving. Despite this theses boys will happily come and investigate when you’re nearby, and as they love their food - treats are a sure way to earn their trust. They’ll need a spacious enclosure with plenty to do and heaps of burrow-room to design as they wish. Can you offer them this?

Mr Bean 🌱 - Intact male gerbil - Under 6 months old - Friendly and well-handled - Looking for a companion and a large setup! Mr Bean is a super cute little lad, and such a beautiful bundle of joy. He was born as the result of a mis-sexing of pet shops gerbils, an all-too-common instance. Thankfully his parents’ new home were on the ball, and quickly dived into research finding out the best way to bring up him and his siblings. They managed to find homes for most of the babies themselves, however Mr Bean was the only boy in the litter and is still waiting for a new family and a gerbil companion ♥️ Upon arrival we attempted to bond him with another single boy we have, however they’re both rather bossy and weren’t a good fit. At least we now have some more information that should help us to place him in the right home. So, do you have a single male gerbil looking for a new friend? If so, pop us a message or email to discuss adoption! If you’re not looking to adopt but want to support us in another way, here’s how you can donate 🥰 PayPal - [email protected] People’s Fundraising - https://www.peoplesfundraising.com/donation/Weecritters Bank Transfer - Wee Critters Small Animal Rescue, Acc no. 86108998, Sort code 608371 Amazon wishlist - https://www.amazon.co.uk/hz/wishlist/ls/1KYU8L5OP4H4B...

Violet munching on some corriander 🍀

🚨 Important Notice 🚨 From Monday next week Wee Critters will be temporarily closing as we need to move out of our house for some building work to be done. Long story short we had a flood last year, and finally the damage is being fixed. It’s estimated to take around a month, so my hope is to get back to ‘normal’ at the beginning of April. Myself and the critters will be moving to a family member’s house in the meantime. All commitments already made will be upheld, so if you have an appointment then don’t worry. I’ll be in touch if changes need to be made. As for adoptions and surrenders, these *may* be able to continue once we’re moved and settled. I can’t say for sure though. I think that about covers everything! I’ll be aiming to keep on top of admin, but this is quite a stressful period so I may fall behind. For EMERGENCIES (ie urgent surrenders) please text 07549141600. Video Description: A brown rabbit sits munching on a small pile of green coriander. Behind her is a green litter tray with hay, and beside her is a white rabbit.