rachiesratirementhome

[rachiesratirementhome]

I don't have much reach on my own so please share this if you can!!!

@rachiesratirementhome is an amazing, Not For Profit organization that cares for pet rats that have been injured, abandoned, surrendered, etc. You name it, they've done it. As a rat lover I have been following them for YEARS and they work wonders to care for, rehome, or - when necessary - provide quality End of Life care to pet rats. Not just the elderly at the ripe old age of 3. They take in

"I Didnt Know They Were So Expensive."

"The kids didn't like them."

"I Just Thought She Was Fat."

And much more!!

All joking aside they are in Critical Need of relocating but, as a lowly American, I know nothing of Australian housing specifications and can only help in the form of humorously exaggerated text posts.

Have you ever shared any Rat of the Week posts? I can almost guarantee you it was them.

Do you remember #TheFullSpoon?

RRH baby.

So, if you're an Australian rat lover, animal lover of any kind, care about nonprofit organizations, enjoy random challenges and have 20 minutes to spare, or just really fucking good at real estate in general????

• Reblog this post

• Join their Facebook group

Or if you don't have FB, message me your advice or reply to this post and I'll forward it to them!!

TIA to anyone and everyone who helps in this cause, even if it's just to spread the word.

[rachiesratirementhome]

She fell over while grooming herself

[rachiesratirementhome]

She fell over while grooming herself

[rachiesratirementhome]

To start we want to celebrate #Hettie who is essentially the perfect rattie. She is super chill when her HuMum is a bit too busy for snuggles unlike some ratties (DEFINITELY looking at you Gizmo and Gadgets). She never holds a grudge if it isn't time for Hettie. But when it is time for Hettie, my goodness - it's all happy rattie, endless loving and good times. She might be in the "you own rent hold" in this photo but she is so wonderful that she can just owe rent forever and that is a-okay! So, for being the perfect balance of chilled and loving #Hettie, you are absolutely this week's Best #ROTW.

Now, the following nomination is brought to your attention on the behalf of our beloved and long suffering #RRHVollies who are subject to cleaning #Cage5 EVERY WEEK. It is a sufferance, believe us. The residents of Cage 5 excel at mess making, scent marking, poop generating and just absolute unkempt chaos. No matter how much enrichment, litter training and attention we provide - they just do not seem to care about the comfort of their surroundings or the experience of the #RRHVollies who are scheduled to clean up after them. So #Cage5 #RRHResidents, you are absolutely and disgustingly this week's Worst #ROTW.

[rachiesratirementhome]

The height of fashion is apparently wearing your colonies enrichment toys as some sort of head wear.

Watch out Milan, this little lady has RatWalk dreams!

[rachiesratirementhome]

Be a rat parent they said...

It will be fun they said...

- Photo by #VollieTyler, post by #AdminAlly

How many times have you gone to your ratties cage space to find one of them in a position like this causing you go through 4 levels of panic of 3 of the 7 stages of grief before you realise that they are actually just sound asleep and have no idea why you are crying or why they are suddenly and rudely awake?

No ratties were harmed in this photo, this dude is alive and well - in fact he is unexpectedly awake and angry about that right now, so we are off to grab some compensation yogies.

[rachiesratirementhome]

This here is #Hudson <3

He doesn't really have much experience being with other rats.

He has no idea whether they are real, friends, a threat to his well-being, or a mirage caused by Australia's summer heat.

#Hudson has decided the total freeze approach is the best way to respond given the circumstances.

He did accept the nutrigrain we offered him (#AudreyII has not yet been able to tell him that being perceived by nutrigrain is also terrifying).

He didn't think it was smart to eat it yet though, so he is just going sit here like this for...well...a while we guess.

- Photo by #VollieCat, post by #AdminAlly

Educational Note: Ratties like #Hudson as such an important example of why ratties should not be sold before 8 - 10 weeks of age. They need that time to be both physically healthy and socially confident. Trying to teach them friends are safe after the fact just isn't necessary and no rattie should ever be so terrified that they won't eat a nutrigrain just in case they are perceived by their own species.

[rachiesratirementhome]

Why have an angel on your should when you can have a rattie be your concious and your guide!

Of course rattie guardian angels are an exception!

(if you sang that pinnochio style, well done - so did #AdminAlly when she wrote it).

📸 by #Dianne, post by #AdminAlly

[rachiesratirementhome]

Naps are great but hear me out...have you tried...naps with friends. They are infinitely nicer, especially once the temperatures start to cool here in Queensland!

Dis #Marley n #Rodger being helpful with good nap advice.

Photo by #VollieTyler, post by #AdminAlly

[rachiesratirementhome]

Most importantly #Bubbles, when we get to the end of the tunnel we pause for scritchies...

Dis #MrBigglesworth and #Bubbles

Photo by #Denise, post by #AdminAlly

[rachiesratirementhome]

Ever wondered what happens to the thank you letters, drawings and other creations gifted to the rescue by our incredible community...?

Well here are so snaps from inside our vollies room which show a growing collection of the treasured items gifted to us from some wonderful and talented community members!

This brings a wrap to the community art sharing focus for #February, but keep an eye out as we work on a little community art celebration for our birthday in November!

- #AdminAlly

[rachiesratirementhome]

Ahhh - well hello.

I was speaking with my friend #Leia earlier today and she told me you hoomies are holding out on treats or something?

I was thinking, just between you and me...if you hook me up I won't tell everyone else here at the rescue.

Just like, be generous yeah?

dis #Gizmo ❤️

- #AdminAlly

[rachiesratirementhome]

Today is World Wildlife Day, which means it's time for another of Grover's Educational Rambles!

WWD was established by the UN to "celebrate all the world's wild animals and plants and the contribution that they make to our lives and the health of the planet."

Usually I'd take the chance to rave about one of the 4660 odd species of rodent in the world, but this date was chosen because it's the birthday of CITES, the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora, which is celebrating its 50th today!

"Grove." you say "Those are all definitely words but what do they mean, and why do I care about this?"

Well I would love to go over the Instagram word limit telling you all about that. (Sorry Ally!)

CITES is basically a global, legally binding system that defines the restrictions on the trade of plants and animals under threat. In 2023 it's obvious to us that something like this should exist, think of rhinos for example. But back in the 60's when the conversations that would eventually lead to CITES were happening, attitudes to conservation were very different.

Each country has their own native species protection laws, for example Australia varies state-to-state but in most of the country you can't collect or sell native bones at all without specific permits. Each country also has their own biosecurity protocols, for example in Australia we can export rats, but can't import them (not a bad thing, we lack several devastating diseases here that would make the rescue near impossible to run!)

But what about the conservation angle? What is it that makes selling a cowhide rug different to selling a tiger pelt? THAT'S what CITES is for. Parties (think countries, all but a handful) signed with CITES are legally bound to write policies around and enforce CITES regulations. There are three appendices covering species at different levels of risk.

Appendix 1 handles animals threatened with extinction, and prohibits trade except in exceptional circumstances. So for example, a Zoo maintains a red panda population in which it has a breeding and conservation program. One dies of old age, and it's deemed of no harm and noncommercial scientific interest for the national museum to prepare and display it as taxidermy. The Zoo has CITES paperwork to keep the animals, and paperwork is generated that must stay with the specimen permanently once it's in the museum.

Appendix 2 handles animals not threatened by extinction specifically but who need careful management to keep them from becoming so by unregulated trade. For example, you see a hippo skull for sale. You check if it has its CITES paperwork, so you can own it legally and be sure that it was legally obtained. The seller dodges your questions and turns out to be an illegal poacher, you report them to the authorities, huzzah the system works!

Appendix 3 covers species that are protected in at least one country, which has asked other CITES Parties for assistance in controlling the trade. An example of this would be things like a specific species of goat, Capra hircus aegagrus, in which domestic specimens are non-CITES and free to sell and own, wild populations in their endemic location in Pakistan are protected by the CITES system, to prevent people from capturing them for their own use as livestock.

Basically, it's comprehensive and conservation focused, and is the framework that allows animal based trade and lifestyles to exist while protecting those that need it. It's not without criticism, for example being a negative list means that a species isn't protected until it's listed, rather than having a positive list, where species are protected by default until decided otherwise, but given that there are an estimated 6.5 million land species and 2.2 million in the ocean, I really do understand why it's done this way.

Happy birthday CITES, cheers to 50 years of defining trade restrictions based on conservation needs. We're grateful you exist!

- #Grover

[rachiesratirementhome]

When you come to an adoption appointment, fair warning - you will be subject to this level of manipulation.

We wish you good luck, we are merely servants to their whims and fancies.

- #AdminAlly

[rachiesratirementhome]

I hear the #RRHResidents found out you were hiding treats...

...oops...

Dis #Leia 🤪

- 📸 by #Grover, post by #AdminAlly

[rachiesratirementhome]

What about another #ROTW...

Without further delay, please take a moment to appreciate #GrandmaPaesh who has a reputation for spicy territorialism when it comes to her space and other ratties in general. Where do the sweet Grandma vibes kick in (I hear you ask)? Well, #GrandmaPaesh is OBSESSED with humans. She simply adores them - absolutely nothing brings her joy quite like time with her humans and we have never one had even a glimpse of her spicier side when she is snuggled up with us. For being sweet and nice at all times with us #GrandmaPaesh you are absolutely deserving of this weeks Best #ROTW nomination!

This said, we also have some incredibly high maintenance beings within the #RRHFamily and the leader of that pack is #Celeste who runs a tight set of expectations around dinner service. She believes her expectations to be entirely reasonable - after all, how hard can it be to serve dinner WITHIN a 3-hour window. Alas #Celeste is not aware (or interested) in how complex it can be to be a human and if we fall short she communicates her disappointment clearly and absolutely. For being one of our more dramatic (read: drama Queen) ratties, #Celeste - you are this week's Worst #ROTW.

Thanks to #FosterCoordinatorKyla for these hilarious submissions for #ROTW - we hope you enjoyed!

- #AdminAlly

[rachiesratirementhome]

One of our artist collaborators, Hotel Rat, designed these 3d printed enrichment toys. After tough critical review by our residents... they work! You can shop their work here: https://hotelrat.com.au/