Does anyone know of a good vet in sydney who can desex my two teenage
rats, I cant stop them from fighting and am sick of smelling ratty
after handling my gorgeous boys
MICE TAKE THE STRAIN
The Guardian Newsletter Vol 7 No.22 - Summer/Autumn 2001 page 9
For a hundred years, mice have been intensively inbred, artificially
mutated and selected to produce strains with a wide range of
debilitating genetic problems. Generic modification has brought the
total number of strains available to over 2,500.
Strains have been bred that are hugely obese (in 1950); or that have
little or no immune system, thus lacking resistance to infection and
the bacteria to digest food (the nude mouse in 1962 & SCID mouse in
1983). Nude mice are not better models of humane cancer, they are
still mice, but with a depressed immune system, they are certainly
easier to give cancer. Another consequence of mice with a lowered
immune system is that "almost every producer has had to destroy vast
numbers of animals to halt epidemics"
Certain strains are so delicate that sudden noise or vibration can
induce seizures. They could not possibly survive in a natural
environment, and their short lives in captivity have suffering built
in. A procedure developed in 1954, involving the transplant of
ovaries, even managed to bypass the need for mice to survive to
breeding age in order to propagate the strain. As a result, mice
whose suffering is so great that they die young, can still produce
thousands of similarly debilitated offspring to face the same fate.
Over 1.6 million mice were used in Great Britain alone in 1999,
accounting for 60% of all procedures carried out, with the number
rising. This dose not reflect he true waste of life involved in
breeding mice. For example, Lexicon Genetics of Texas "spend 8 months
creating four custom-tailored knockout (lacking specific genes) mice
for each customer." During genetic modification, mice are killed to
harvest eggs and offspring that do not take up the gene are killed.
Data collected in labs by the NAVS shows that even amongst
conventional lab mice, three are killed as surplus for each one that
is actually used.
It is said that "....scientists like mice because they are
physiologically and genetically similar to humans" but there are
fundamental differences between mice and people, including lifespan
and physiology. For example, CF (cystic fibrosis) research led to the
development of genetically modified CF mice. However, one team
admitted that CF mice do not develop the liver problems common in
human CF patients.
Similarly, if a protein called leptin is given to mice with a genetic
mutation leading to obesity, they will lose weight, but such
treatment is unlikely to be effective in humans since obese people
may already have high levels of leptin.
That massively more mice are being used in laboratories that any
other mammalian species (three times as many as rats even) is almost
certainly down to convenience rather than science. Not even the
vivisectors pretend they are the species most like us. Mice are small
and easy to store (twice as many can be squeezed into the same space
as rats), they breed quickly and easily, so there can always be a
full age range in stock. Animal labs routinely overbreed, killing
three times as many mice as surplus as they actually use, simply
because they always want these animals on tap. The vivisectors also
feel they are safer, in public relations terms, to use mice than
monkeys. Consequently, these intelligent, inquisitive animals
probably endure more suffering than any others, whilst researchers
appear to regard them simply as "fuzzy test tubes"
References.
The Rise of the Mouse, Biomedicine's Model Mammal. Science 288 (14th
April 2000): 248-57
Home Office Statistics of Scientific Procedures on Living Animals -
Great Britain 1998.
Nature (1992) 357:31
Peters R.H. et al. (1996). American Journal of Physiology 271: 1074-
1083.
SCRIP 2133/34:23 (May 31st/ June 4th 1996)
Before you bring your rat home.
You will need to have it's home ready. A cage, with a good
secure top, that has enough room for a nesting box, food dish and
toys. Wooden cages/hutches are not recommended as these soak up food
and urine and become unhygienic.
A 2ft fish tank is sufficient room for rat.
A medium sized bird cage can also be used. But rember to remove any
wire base – as continually walking on a wire floor has been
contributed to a condition known as "Bumble Foot" – a swelling and
infection of the feet.
A `gravity' or `dripper' water bottle is recommended for use
for suppling water. These can be purchased at pet shops.
Water bowls are not recommend as rats often tip these over and
they can also be polluted by nesting material.
A solid, heavy dish can be used for food. Or a small saucer. (I
use a clean lid from the Nes Café coffee jars – remove the cardboard
insert – However, these are too light and are better for mice). You
can often find suitable `feed' bowls for a cheap price at your local
opportunity-shop.
Rats need a nesting box to provide them with security. Make sure
this is roomy enough for bedding and the rat itself.
Linning for the base of the cage can be a hay based cat litter.
Clay cat litters are not recommend as the dust from these may
contribute to respritory problems. Wood chips or saw dust are not
recommend as the tannin in these (a natural occurring chemical in the
wood) is poisonous and has been suspected of causing liver problems.
If you use hay or straw, make sure you also spray the cage for "hay
mites" regularly.
For more details and updated information on the best materials to
use visit AMRIS Online at:
http://www.geocities.com/petsburgh/reserve/5824
Hello Kathy,
I just want to say that members like yourself are a valuable part of
this group.
Thank you for assisting Kylie and others with some very useful links.
Thank you to all members who have supported each other and welcomed
newer members over the past few years...
Your all wonderful!
cheers Rebekah.
No Such Thing As A Humane Animal Experiment
Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (USA)
News Release
Thursday, November 18th 2004
http://www.pcrm.org/news/release041118.html
WASHINGTON - Mice, rabbits, rats, beagles, geese and other animals
all show measurable physiological stress responses to routine
laboratory procedures that have been up to now viewed as relatively
benign.
The findings come in a new report published in Contemporary Topics in
Laboratory Animals Science, based on an extensive review of the
scientific literature by ethologist Jonathan Balcombe, Ph.D., of
Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM). For example, a
mouse who is picked up and briefly held experiences several
physiological reactions. As stress-response hormones flood the
bloodstream, the mouse exhibits a racing pulse and a spike in blood
pressure. These symptoms can persist for up to an hour after each
event. Immune response is also affected. In rats and mice, the growth
of tumors is strongly influenced by how much the animals are handled.
Dr. Balcombe's paper will appear in the Journal's Autumn 2004 issue,
expected in late November.
Until now, humane concerns focused mainly on the experiments
themselves. The new findings suggest that routine procedures, such as
blood draws and use of stomach tubes, are terrifying for animals. "In
essence, there is no such thing as a humane animal experiment," says
Dr. Balcombe. "Fear or panic ensues when the animal is touched or
stuck with a needle."
The paper, a review of 80 previously published studies, it
titled, "Laboratory Routines Cause Animals Stress," and focuses on
three routine procedures: handling, blood collection and force-
feeding. Independent of the invasive experiments themselves, these
daily routines can cause an animal to experience elevated bloodstream
concentrations of corticosterone, prolactin, glucose and epinephrine,
all indicators of stress. Impaired immune response has also been
recorded in animals after anxiety-producing contact with lab
personnel.
"Research on tumor development, immune function, endocrine and
cardiovascular disorders, neoplasams, developmental defects and
psychological phenomena are particularly vulnerable to data being
contaminated by animals `stress effects', notes Dr. Balcombe.
Dr. Balcombe's study follows closely a recent paper in the British
Medical Journal, titled "Where Is the Evidence that Animal Research
Benefits Humans?" The authors found that in many cases trials on
humans were conducted concurrently with the animal studies and in
other instances, clinical trials went ahead despite evidence of harm
from the animal studies.
This article was printed in Mobilise! No.62, November 2004
Newsletter for The New Zealand Anti-Vivisection Society Incorporated.
http://www.nzavs.org.nz
Email: phil@...
Yyrkoon, An Old Mate Remembered
By Rebekah Blackwolf
Yyrkoon left to Rat Heaven a few years ago and is still very
missed. He was one of the first male rats I truly got to know and is
definitely one of my favorites. He was a big chocolate brown rat with
two white front paws and white belly. He shared walks in the park
with me, following behind me like a little dog, and amused other
people with his charming and curious nature. I found him to be very
noble and also very generous. We even nicknamed him King Yyrkoon.
He was the largest and oldest of six males – Raister, Gangrel,
D'Vern Da Vermin (Yyrkoon's look-a-like son), Emmon and Conhan
Thus he held the position as head of the pecking order, so to speak.
Like each of his `house mates', he was quite the individual. He
looked like your classic `black rat', as seen in many horror movies,
and this eerie beauty was what attracted me to him in the first place.
Quite often, as we traveled to Melbourne City by train and Yyrkoon
stuck his head out of the front of my shirt, there would be gasps and
exclamations of fright. He was one sure way of clearing a comfortable
space around myself when traveling home on a crowded train. To
comments like, "Yuk. Where did you get that", I'd reply "From a
drain. I saw him sitting there and just put out my hand and let him
crawl on me."
To the more polite queries, I was enthusiastic about sharing
conversation – either about pet rats or Yyrkoon himself.
Yet, he also endeared himself to children who would watch him
from their seats, often asking their parents, "What's that crawling
on the lady?" (The most common answer was "a mouse" or "a big mouse")
or "Can I pat it mum?" Despite the, "I'm not so sure," look of
repulsion most parents gave Yyrkoon, they were happy after my
reassurance to let their children pat him at least.
I was more than willing to let Yyrkoon meet humans of all kinds,
as he was as curious about them as they were of him. Yyrkoon and I
would show them how I could hold the smallest crumb of food between
my fingers, and he would take it so carefully with not even a brush
of his teeth against my skin. And for those whose stomachs I thought
could handle it, I also showed them how Yyrkoon would take food from
my mouth. Yes, he'd stick his whole head inside my mouth and take out
a potato chip.
When I first met Yyrkoon, he was in a pet shop with a dozen
other males. He was rather large, older compared to his mates, and
he was rasping for breath.
The shop assistant immediately tried to discourage me from any
interest in Yyrkoon, as I questioned his apparent problem. I was
offered the younger, healthier sounding, rats, but Yyrkoon was mine
from the start. "He'll be fine once he's out in the open air" I
babbled, picking him up.
Disgruntled and sneezing, Yyrkoon came home to isolation in a
quarantine cage inside and a trip the vet the following day.
About two months later, quite a different rat, he was to be
allowed in the outdoor hutch and soon joined by Gangrel, Raister and
Emmon (who are all brothers) and Conhan (Conhan was incognito,
having been originally named after a certain plant starting with
either C or M, (in this case C) But the name had to change when I
lived as a nanny to small children. `Know's wa I mean')
Yyrkoon soon met Cleo, the lovely daughter of the late Nahdine
(mother) and younger half sister of Conhan.
Apricot and white she was, and sadly she succumbed to cancer about
four months after their litter of nine was born. Three like their
dad, black as a roof rat, and the rest like their mother. I found
homes for all of them, except D'Vern Da Vermin – because he liked to
randomly bite people, especially me.
Yyrkoon was a gentle giant, and this soft-hearted nature was
also reflected in how he treated his fellow rats that lived with him.
Rats have a pecking order within their colony, like most animals and
humans do. Yyrkoon was boss of the hutch, yet he was no aggressor nor
did he harm any of his companions. He protected them.
When I moved from Olinda to my parents in Ringwood, their hutch
was placed in the backyard with the family dog Bianca (a
Staffordshire Bull Terrier X Kelpie). She'd never met rats before.
None of these rats had ever met a dog before either.
On one occasion, shortly after their arrival, Gangrel, my sleek
back hooded boy, was climbing the wire of the hutch and caught
Bianca's attention. Running over to the hutch, Bianca sniffed it
loudly. This caught Yyrkoon's attention as he fed on seeds nearby.
Bianca then snapped at Gangrel who had stuck his head out to greet
her. In that second, I watched as Yyrkoon pounced up to Gangrel's
level on the wire, swatted his friend back to the hutch floor (I
could almost hear him say, "get out of the way boy and let me deal
with this"), and then fixed his big yellow teeth on Bianca's nose as
she had another snap. With a startled yelp, Bianca pulled back and
retreated from the hutch. Yyrkoon hung on the wire for some time
afterward, and I swear he was laughing at her.
I could always leave a spare set of house keys with the boys,
knowing that Yyrkoon and his obnoxious
son, were never too kindly with strangers reaching into their house.
Though Yyrkoon was friendly, only I was allowed to remove him from
his hutch. D'Vern came out when D'Vern wanted to, or with sufficient
bribes of food. Nether the less, they, above the others, were
excellent guard-rats. So I knew I could trust them with my keys:
however the boys would chew their ratty signatures into my key-
rings.
Soon to be joined by Dublin, Loki, Plague, Thorsten, Matthias,
Vincent, old Ezekiel and Laurence (rescued as unwanted pets from my
place of work) the roomy hutch now contained 14 male rats.
Yyrkoon proved himself the perfect host. He would go to the
feed bowl every mealtime and proceed to remove items of food and take
them back to the nesting box. In here is where my more shy rescued
boys would spend a lot of time hiding. Now, I guess you could call
this hoarding except that Yyrkoon didn't seem to care what happened
to his treasures. He never guarded it, he never fought for it, he
never stole it back. It in fact looked as if he would take food to
his waiting companions, then, once they had enough, he returned to
what was left in the bowl and fed himself there.
Yyrkoon showed my friends and me that rats are just as capable
of loyalty, consideration and compassion towards their fellow
species. More so than some humans are to our own. The fact that he
would guard my keys like a well-trained dog would its property,
fearlessly protect his companion, yet tolerate the sometimes rough
handling of human children, proved just how intelligent rats are.
There are many other little tales I could tell of Yyrkoon, yet
I'd be writing forever.
Yyrkoon passed away wrapped in a little towel, lying on a tree
stump in the garden. It was a sunny day on an early afternoon. His
breathing simply grew slower and slower as I prayed next to him for
God to take another soul to peace. Yyrkoon was blessed with two years
of health and adventures with me, and was blessed with a peaceful
passing to the next life.
He was a true noble king amongst his people.
Thank you very much, I will be sure to check those sites out
--- In AMRIS_rodents_and_rabbits@..., Katherine
Medina <hellowittykitty@y...> wrote:
>
> Hi there Kylie!!..
>
> well good for you!!..i became a member of this site back about 2
years ago..when i had my first litter of mice....ive had two more
lots and kept my little mice families together..boys with dad and
girls with mum....
>
> its great to have a new person come along..
>
> hmmmm..i have a bit of mouse wisdom under my belt..but here are
some sites i really really recomment both to you and anyone else who
may read this...
>
> http://www.afrma.org/fancyrm.htm this ones good for identifying
the type of rodent you have..ive got both rex..the curly ones and
the long haired ones..
>
> http://www.rmca.org/ this one has a wealth of information..the
article on euthanasia was particulary interesting..a must read....
>
> http://www.fancymice.info/index.htm Excellent for first time
Rodent owners...
>
>
http://www.utsouthwestern.edu/utsw/cda/dept42789/files/55094.html
Good for scaling how sick your Rodent is..and if maybe they need to
be put down...
>
>
> http://www.ratfanclub.org/megacolon.html This ones a condition i
think every owner should read up on...dont believe your vet if they
say it isnt possible....it can happen..a bit of olive oil (instead
of senekot if not available) twice a day helps move stuff
along....one of my little guys had it....and if i'd listened to the
vet..she wouldnt have made it...
>
> well i sure hope you find these sites helpful...
>
> Have a Bright and Beautiful Day..
>
> Kathy :0)
>
>
>
>
>
>
> Kylie <kyliejordansmum@y...> wrote:
> Hi everyone I just joined up today and wanted to say hi.My name
is
> kylie,I am 34 yrs old and live in Qld. I have 7 rats and 10 guinea
pigs
> so i thought i'd join to share my wisdom(minimal)and pick your
brains
> if i have any questions. Thanks Kylie
>
>
>
>
>
> ---------------------------------
> On Yahoo!7
> Break a world record with Total Girl's World's Largest Slumber
Party
>
> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
>
Hi there Kylie!!..
well good for you!!..i became a member of this site back about 2 years
ago..when i had my first litter of mice....ive had two more lots and kept my
little mice families together..boys with dad and girls with mum....
its great to have a new person come along..
hmmmm..i have a bit of mouse wisdom under my belt..but here are some sites i
really really recomment both to you and anyone else who may read this...
http://www.afrma.org/fancyrm.htm this ones good for identifying the type of
rodent you have..ive got both rex..the curly ones and the long haired ones..
http://www.rmca.org/ this one has a wealth of information..the article on
euthanasia was particulary interesting..a must read....
http://www.fancymice.info/index.htm Excellent for first time Rodent owners...
http://www.utsouthwestern.edu/utsw/cda/dept42789/files/55094.html Good for
scaling how sick your Rodent is..and if maybe they need to be put down...
http://www.ratfanclub.org/megacolon.html This ones a condition i think every
owner should read up on...dont believe your vet if they say it isnt
possible....it can happen..a bit of olive oil (instead of senekot if not
available) twice a day helps move stuff along....one of my little guys had
it....and if i'd listened to the vet..she wouldnt have made it...
well i sure hope you find these sites helpful...
Have a Bright and Beautiful Day..
Kathy :0)
Kylie <kyliejordansmum@...> wrote:
Hi everyone I just joined up today and wanted to say hi.My name is
kylie,I am 34 yrs old and live in Qld. I have 7 rats and 10 guinea pigs
so i thought i'd join to share my wisdom(minimal)and pick your brains
if i have any questions. Thanks Kylie
---------------------------------
On Yahoo!7
Break a world record with Total Girl's World’s Largest Slumber Party
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
Hi everyone I just joined up today and wanted to say hi.My name is
kylie,I am 34 yrs old and live in Qld. I have 7 rats and 10 guinea pigs
so i thought i'd join to share my wisdom(minimal)and pick your brains
if i have any questions. Thanks Kylie
I got a case of GGAR, I am the proud mum to 2.5 furkids. I adopted a new baby
today, my 2 other girls Bella and Drewcilla both mothered my newest edition
Latte, she is 4 weeks old and a really light brown. I will post pictures later
of all of them:)
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
I have a pure black male mouse seeking a loving home.
He was handed to me with 5 other male mice by Pets paradise Glen
Waverly as these mice were all fighting with each other.
Jett, as I've nic-named him for now is a very beautiful looking mouse
who would do very well on his own away from other mice.
Please phone Rebekah, in Blackburn South on 9886 5327 before the end of
October if you are willing to give Jett a new home.
I used to breed hamsters :) but now I live in Australia so we don't
have hamsters :'(
And yes, hamsters are rodents and they are awfully cute!!!
x
Alex
--- In AMRIS_rodents_and_rabbits@..., "lagenialocaland"
<stacyb03@s...> wrote:
>
> Hamsters are rodents, too, right? We have 5 Russian Dwarf hamsters
> that are just as fun as the mice we used to have, along with a broken
> chestnut Netherland Dwarf bunny, and a guinea pig (not sure what breed,
> piggies are new for us). We also have 2 cats and 2 RES turtles.
> Aren't pets fun?!?!?!
>
Hi everyone,
I've just joined the group and I'm a proud owner of a new rat named Mr
Monk. But he's recently started sneezing a fair bit and having
congested breathing... we fed him some vitamin drops and more fruits
and vegies and he seems a little better but I was wondering if anyone
could recommend some vets around the Melbourne city area or offer any
advice on what my rat could be having?
According to http://wererat.net/rathelp/respiratory.htm rats don't get
colds so I'm pretty worried about my ratty!
Love,
Alex
Hi My names Georgia.
I have 2 lots of parents which one pair had 1 lot of 10 which are
now 5 weeks old and the other parents had 2 lots, one lot is now 6
weeks old and has 8 mice in it and the other lot are about 2 weeks
old with 7 mice in it. I am currently trying to sell the 5 week old
one and the 6 week old ones because I no for sure that they have
stopped feeding of their mother and they are growing very big and I
don't have enough room for them all. I have all ready separated the
mums and dads so their wont be anymore. All the pet shops are full
of mice at the moment so I cannot sell them to anyone else that I no
wont make them bait for snakes. Some of the parents for my mice are
Rex mice and have a bit of long hair in their genes and one of the
dads is rex multi colored so a lot of the mice I am selling have
really different patterns and some of them are curly and some are
long haired and their tails are different colors. Most of them are
all very tame only a few arnt because there were so many I couldn't
keep track of which ones I had handled and which ones I hadn't.
There are about 8 girls and 10 boys and each one is extremely cute
one even looks like a sheep! I really hope you know someone who can
take most of them even if its only one litter.
Thanks,
Georgia,
Please reply via
lady_azurewolf@... or inside this club
Thanks, Rebekah, Founder.
Friday, July 28, 2006
A lifeguard had a lucky escape – when his pet rat helped save him
from a fire.
Derek Banks, 27, fell asleep with his chip pan on following a night
out with his friends.
But Ratface squeaked so loudly as the smoke filled the flat that he
finally woke up.
Mr Banks, from Carlisle, said: I've got her to thank for being here.
I went into the living room to watch TV.
The next thing I remember was Ratface screeching.' The fire brigade
said he was 15 minutes from death when they arrived at 3am.
Yep, pets are certainly fun. They make our world a richer place when
we know the companionship of our fellow creatures.
I'm from Australia, and we don't have hamsters here. Prehaps you could
keep and online hamster journal with us, and share with us the daily
tales and trials of hamster keeping. It would be wonderful to have this
inside our club, as a member experienced with hamsters. Thanks for
joining us!!
cheers, Rebekah.
Hello all,
Welcome to our new members...
I have over 60 manx mice looking for new homes.
The Burwood RSPCA about three weeks ago phoned me to ask that I help
out with a massive ammount of manx mice surrendered to their shelter.
Well that very evening as I was signing the papers at the desk a
mouse (we called Big Mama) was giving birth.
A week later more, the following week it looked like a bean bag
filled with pink beads had exploded in my nursery tank.
Yep, they're everywhere!!!!!
They are just beautiful.
At the momment I have males $1.00 each!!
And females for $2.00 each!!!
The only reasons I ask for money is that it helps the cost of careing
for these animals, as I do not get donoations or funding for this
work.
They are golden fawn in colour, some are white, and some fawn and
white.
I live in Blackburn South and my phone number is: 9886 5327
cheers Rebekah, AMRIS founder.
Please note that this number is only avalible for adoption and re-
housing purposes only. Please refer all questions to our online
notice board or to your local veterinarian.
Howdy everyone - I joined up a while ago but didn't get around to
introducing myself. I think it is great that there is somewhere for
all rat (and other rodent) lovers can get together, share pics,
stories, and advice. I am the proud carer of two lovely little boys
(well not so little actually!) who were both adopted from a rat
adoption centre of sorts (a lovely lady in Melbourne who rehomes
unwanted rats). They are not my first, I was first besotted with the
species after rescuing a darling little girl (Daphne) who was bred to
be fed to owls (!) and she became the apple of my eye but sadly died
of cancer at the ripe old age of 2 1/2. I then purchased two pitiful
looking creatures (Ash and Elfie) from a squallid pet shop (as much as
i hate giving money to pet shops, I couldn't leave them there!) to
find that they were malnourished and suffering from a chronic
bacterial infection which cost me zillions in vet bills however they
lived a good life for just over 2 years before succumbing to their
illness just over the age of two (they died 2 weeks apart).
My two boys, Petie and Templeton are the best of friends and have
*such* differing personalities, they compliment eachother so well. I
love nothing more than to watch them have a 'spazzy' which involves
lots of playing and wrestling - it cracks me up. Unfortunately they
both have Myco which means they're relatively high-maintenance and
almost constantly on antibiotics - from what I have heard this is a
condition that is becoming more common amongst rats and mice now.
We're managing it well so far, but if anyone has any tips or advice
about how to better manage this condition I'd love to hear from you!
Anyhoo I look forward to chatting with all of you - ciao for now!
Hamsters are rodents, too, right? We have 5 Russian Dwarf hamsters
that are just as fun as the mice we used to have, along with a broken
chestnut Netherland Dwarf bunny, and a guinea pig (not sure what breed,
piggies are new for us). We also have 2 cats and 2 RES turtles.
Aren't pets fun?!?!?!
I have just bought 2, 5 week old hooded females after not having rats
for a few years, they are really friendly and are adapting to their
new surroundings well, I will post some pictures soon.
Hi guys I just joined today. I have loved rodents my whole life as they
have to be the most underappreciated animals on earth. I had always
thought I was alone in my passion for the poor darlings but now I
realize there are others out there too! I currently only have one
mouse, a hairless, who was given to me by a pet shop after being
mutilated by his bully hair-clad siblings. No one expected him to live
but I have raised him to full health and he's currently 6-months old.
It has insired me to start some sort of a rodent orphanage, to take in
any unwanted rodents in the area. Does anyone have any tips on how to
get the word out or do this?
Thanks,
Brittany
Hi all! Well I'm a new member that was recruited through an animal
welfare group (thanks for the invite & happy to join!!).
My field is rabbits & I have rescued 17 over the last few years. I
run a website - www.boingonline.com which advises on diet, desexing,
indoor housing, litter training & all sorts of other stuff to do
with responsible rabbit care. I also write a free monthly rabbit
newsletter called The Bunologist which provides articles and stories
from all over Australia. Please feel free to join through my
website (wherever in the world you live!) as we would love to build
up our readership & help more bunnies! The stories are really
entertaining & you can submit & participate if you have a story to
share!
I also run another yahoo group called Rescue Rabbit Australia -
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/rescuerabbitaustralia/ where we try &
tackle some of the not so nice issues facing rabbits and how we can
try to make a difference. If you also want to read any of our
issues of The Bunologist, you can find them under "files" in the
rescue rabbit group.
I also have a petition that's currently making the rounds about the
$30,000 fine faced by many people in Queensland who have pet
rabbits. I'm proposing that the fine is removed for responsible
people who have desexed, vaccinated & registered rabbits. There are
many people who move between states and cannot take their beloved
house rabbits with them (or either they do & have to live in fear of
the councils). If you would like to sign our petition, please
visit: http://www.petitiononline.com/bunny/petition.html
Great to be here, thanks for the invite & I look forward to chatting
with you all!
Karen
www.boingonline.com
Hello all!
I have been working hard emailing invites to Animal Welfare groups
based in Australia, New Zealand, the UK, Canada and America.
It'd be lovely to have more members as this creates richer resources
for all of us.
I am a little concerned that this club has become very 'breeder'
orientated, and are seeking to even the balance.
At the same time, all people who have an interest in Rabbits, Hares,
and rodents of any kind are welcome here - as this is how we learn,
by shareing our experiences and offering friendly advice.
I emailed the invites with the following message attached:
Please consider joining this online rabbit and rodent welfare and
pet care group. I am concerned that it is too 'breeder' orientated,
and would like to encourage members on the alternatives. We are also
looking for fresh facts and information for members.
Thank you,
Rebekah Blackwolf-Mitchell
club founder,
On a final note, I'd like to encourage each member to invite at
least two others to this club, to try an boost numbers.
It also puts our club at a better advantage on the Yahoo Groups
search list - we get higher up on it - the more members we get.
But most importantly, members add richness to our information files..
Rat lovers, ever met a person who just can't help make a few rat
sack jokes? Well this time, listen to them a little. Most arn't
right in the head, and neither is this next person/s. What you hear
could help the police....
Tuesday August 8, 06:49 PM
Rat poison found in Brisbane playground
Parents across Brisbane awoke to a nightmare on Tuesday after rat
poison was planted in a children's playground and a threat was made
to leave baits in school grounds.
Green pellets, later confirmed as Ratsak, were found at the Kidspace
playground in the northside suburb of Chermside.
Police made the discovery after a man in the nearby suburb of
Nundah checked his fuse box when the power went out about 8pm (AEST)
on Monday.
A note on the fuse box said the Chermside playground had been
poisoned and challenged police to find similar baits left at three
unidentified Brisbane schools.
The discovery sparked a mammoth search of the grounds of more than
750 schools in the greater Brisbane area from Redcliffe in the north
to Logan in the south.
No further pellets were found but police said late Tuesday the
person who wrote the note had probably left a previous note in
Chermside two days earlier.
The officer in charge of the operation, Detective Chief
Superintendent Paul Wilson, said a similar note had been found by a
woman at her unit block when she went to check on her electrical box
after a similar power cut.
But the woman only came forward when she heard media coverage of the
search and of the power cut at the Nundah units.
Police appealed for any residents of northside Brisbane who had
found similar writings to contact them.
"We know there is graffiti around from time to time but this is
particularly threatening," Supt Wilson said.
The handwriting on the two notes appeared to be similar but the
content of the note at Chermside was different, he said.
"It's another line of inquiry we are currently exploring in relation
to our inquiries into persons of interest in this matter," he said.
Anyone found and convicted of the crime could face a prison sentence
of up to seven years, he said.
More than 50 officers worked on the case at a special incident room
set up in the Boondall police station, fielding calls from more than
700 frantic parents and members of the public between 7am and 10am
(AEST).
Premier Peter Beattie said the wanted person had caused a lot of
unnecessary distress.
"Frankly I just think this behaviour is right off any sort of limits
and you should never expose children to risk, particularly in
environments where they expect to be safe," he said.
hey guys i just got a new little boy apparently hes 8 weeks and he is the one
being the bully
to my older mouse i keep encouraging rey to show him whos boss but hes being a
wuss the
new one is realy friendly and loves being handled and hes from a pet shop he was
separeated
from the girls so he couldnt get them preg .
>
--- In AMRIS_rodents_and_rabbits@..., "Rebekah
Blackwolf-Mitchell"
<lady_azurewolf@y...> wrote:
>
> Hello, Erin.
> Sorry to hear that you have to part with your little babies.
> What area are you in? This can help people decide if they can collect
> your babies or not.
> If an emergency happens and you need to be rid of them fast, I will
> be happy to take them.
> I am in Blackburn South Victoria.
>
> I will also try and direct enquiries your way, ie: into this club.
> Good luck,
> Rebekah.
>
LOL, omg, I can't believe I didn't say where i was. I went searching for a
brisbane group
and didn't think that I was in a whole of Australia one.
I'm on the Gold Coast in Queensland, and thanks Rebekah for the offer, but it
seems that
i'm a bit far away from you. I'm happy to come drop my babies off to anyone up
to two
hours away from me also.
Thanks Guys
Hello, Erin.
Sorry to hear that you have to part with your little babies.
What area are you in? This can help people decide if they can collect
your babies or not.
If an emergency happens and you need to be rid of them fast, I will
be happy to take them.
I am in Blackburn South Victoria.
I will also try and direct enquiries your way, ie: into this club.
Good luck,
Rebekah.
After trying to look after 10 rats for a year I've finally decided that i can't.
I "inherited" the
rats after my ex thought it was a great idea to breed his two rats and then pawn
them off
on me because he never cleaned or fed them.
I'm moving house very soon too so it makes it very difficult to find room for
them all, I
have built them a "groto" style home, which is made from a large shelf, but it's
still too
small for them all.
I will keep either my two boys, or three of my girls, depending on peoples
adoption
preferences. OK
All my rats are the same age, born Feb 15th 2005, and they all have varying
stages of the
respitory disease, but none are unhealthy. They are all friendly but some of the
girls are a
bit skidish.
There are two boys:
Gir - dark brown hooded
Satan II - caramel hooded
Girls:
Ella - brown hooded
Mary Jane - brown hooded
Asuka - brown hooded
Lilith - brown hooded
Demonia - dark brown broken hooded
Delirium - Cream hooded, red eyes
Lucy - cream hooded, red eyes
I'd prefer to pair them off to people for obvious reasons, Lucy and Asuka used
to live else
where together, but the girl wasnt looking after them so i got them back, I
really want to
find them good homes as I raised them from birth.
I'm also willing to get rid of my "grotto" style cage too as i won't be needing
it so if anyone
wants to take at least four girls they are welcome to it. Other wise if I still
have it when i've
found my girls new homes i'll just sell it for a few dollars.
Thanks! - Erin
Try this sight, especially if you're from Canada - you'll really enjoy
it. It's full of rodent lovers and plenty of fellowship and good
honest advice for owners of rats and other rodents.
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Canada-Rat-Adoption
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