Tater and Gregory

I'm not supposed to say how I got them... hence this being a preferred post. If you are my friend don't tell on me. Don't mention this to other people. I don't know how big of a deal this is, but I can't afford for it to cost me my job.

At PetSmart we have a room where we keep animals that are not able to be sold... they're "not perfect" and so that means that obviously no one would want them. *rolls eyes* We have a few one-eyed hamsters and such in this room and also the two rats that I brought home were from this room... they were beat up and scarred pretty bad... one was even bleeding, though he was all alone. I'm sure his wounds were itching and he just scratched them.

I guess some of the smaller animals don't always get along with their housemates or probably even some of them just come in with little abnormalities. Anyway... PetSmart has an image to protect just as most businesses do.

When I saw those rats back there all alone and shit I just couldn't leave them. And honestly I don't know what happens to them if they're not adopted by an employee. (PetSmart will pretty much give these animals to employees - but not the public, as far as I know - just to get them off their hands since they can't sell them.) They told me that they didn't get along with other rats which is why they were in solitary and beat up.

Well, I took them both home and gave them all baths (even Daxter - who btw, has seemed really depressed since Jak died) and put them all together. They've been really nice to each other... no squabbles or anything. They even groomed each other and curled up to sleep together. "Doesn't get along with other rats," my ass. I know every rat will not get along with every rat, but that doesn't mean that you have to put them in solitary. That's really bad for a rat. 😟 Honestly on second thought they may have just been so grateful for company that they could now get along with anyone.

Either way they are all doing well socially. Now to heal the wounds. I took Hairy to the vet last week to have her eye checked on again. It's much better, btw. 😀 She has some scratches on her skin (where it looked like she'd scratched herself too much), so the vet gave me a tube of some anti-itch, anti-bacterial cream to put on her. I think I'm going to use it on the new fellas, as well, to see if that helps.

Anyway, I understand why PetSmart wouldn't want the public seeing beat-up, one-eyed little animals (even though shit like that just happens - it's nature), but it sucks that unless an employee takes them home they're just pretty much stuck back there (unless they heal up nicely). Again, please don't go in there asking about pets for adoption because I'm the only one who's adopted a pet in quite a while that I know of so I'm sure they'd realize it was me who said that that happens. If anyone's interested in an unperfect little animal let me know. I plan to find out who all is back there (there's not that many in case I've got you all freaked out), and I'm trying to think of a way to bust them all out. 😁 They deserve loving homes, too. 😊