I'm Sorry but We're Closed

I get plenty of them, complaints. Apparently because I am so opinionated. I won't apologize for that. You can try to war with me if you like but be aware before you start, complaints that have no valid basis for an argument will fall on deaf cyber ears here.

Since building this rat site I've had the experience of people sending email attacks and accusations because they don't like what I have to say, don't like some of the links on this site, sometimes the reasons are indecipherable, whatever. Before you write to complain because you don't like something on this site, please read this first to see if your complaint is listed. If it is listed here, you likely won't get a reply from me.

I'm sorry if this seems harsh but I simply no longer have the time to reply to baseless complaints.

I've been told I'm mean.

Why? Because I won't stop insisting that people pay a veterinarian to treat their rats when they are ill. If you aren't willing to pay a doctor but would rather that your pets grow more ill by the day and suffer to death; I don't know how much more mean and cruel you could be. I am a registered veterinary technician; I do have the medical experience to recognize when a veterinarian is needed. Calling me mean isn't going to make me stop insisting that people obtain proper medical care for their pets when it's needed. Would you deny medical treatment for yourself, your children, or even your dog? Looking for the cheap way out by diagnosing them yourself and then using pet store so called medications that may be harmful to your pets is dangerous. If you don't have the medical training to properly treat your pets yourself, you shouldn't be trying it.

There is no argument here, I stand firm on this attitude, I will not budge, period.

"But some people can't afford a vet. It's not fair that you think only people with money should have rats. You're mean."

Being poor is not an excuse for being irresponsible. I'm not unfair, I'm honest and sometimes the truth hurts. I'm sorry if it does but that's not my fault.

I simply cannot comprehend the attitude that pets bring us joy so we must have them; however, we can't afford medical care for them therefore they will not receive any. Is it really all that far from the truth for me to say that you are the one being selfish? I am not saying that only certain people should have pets. I am saying that it's selfish to use animals as toys for your entertainment. They are alive, they feel pain, and animals are not disposable. If you truly love them how could you not provide medical care when it's needed? You can't afford it? Can you afford a TV, a microwave, a VCR, a CD player? If you are so poor, where did you get the money to buy the computer you are using right now?

You really can't afford to pay a vet? Earn some money, sell something, do whatever it takes but do not allow the pets that you chose to bring home and are now 100% dependent on you, to suffer.

Not all vets are going to break your bank account. If you are truly so poor that you cannot care for a pet properly then don't have one. Pets are a luxury for us but most importantly they are a living luxury, not a piece of furniture. We can't allow them to suffer by neglecting their needs.

There are other ways to pay for treatments other than cash up front. Use a credit card, establish a credit account with your local vet, work out other payment plans with the vet. Your local humane society or county animal control department may be able to help get you discounted medical care. There may be a vet school or a veterinary technology school near you that can do discounted or even free medical treatments for you. Maybe you could get a job working for a vet in your town.

You do have options other than allowing your pets to suffer, but it's your responsibility to find out what the options in your area are.

If you are a minor living at home with your parents, perhaps you can find some chores to do at home that your parents will pay you for. Earn the money yourself to pay the vet. Not only will your pets be saved but you'll show your parents how responsible you are that's a win-win situation any way you look at it.

If my attitude seems mean maybe you should take a look at your own attitude, are you being selfish? Is what you want more important to you than what they need?

I've been told "But they are only rats. What's the big deal anyway?"

If you have that attitude toward rats, why do you have them at all? If you think of your own pets as JUST a rat, ONLY a rat, then I'm sorry but I can't understand that attitude. No, it's not just a rat or only a rat; it's a living, breathing creature with feelings that you are now responsible for. If you are so heartless that you don't care about them any more than that, then please don't have them.

The links:

Yes, I have links to laboratory suppliers such as Harlan Teklad and PMI LabDiets.

Yes, those places do breed animals for use in medical research. I don't necessarily advocate the use of animals for research, so why do I link them to my site?

Because these places do manufacture high quality supplies such as food and bedding for rats. It's not my fault that not all pet stores carry good quality products.

Many stores sell nothing but cedar chips for bedding, or food with bugs in it, or just plain low quality food. The lab suppliers will sell products to individuals so if you are in the Middle of Nowhere, Small Town USA, you can mail order good and affordable supplies from these places.

Maybe it does seem like dealing with the devil but until manufacturers of pet supplies start to produce better products for rats, those links will stay on my site.

I didn't invent the viral infections that affect rats. I didn't invent rat shows. If you want to risk the lives of your pets so that you can win ribbons at shows, that's your prerogative. Please don't kill the messenger, but instead face the truth. Viral infections can be deadly to rats and that's not my fault. My information merely spells out what can happen. If you find your colony infected with any of the deadly rat diseases and have to shut down your breeding operation, that truly is a pity and I am very sorry for you that it's happened, but again it's not my fault.

Just keep this in mind:

Each of us will be judged by how we treated the lowest of God's creatures.