NEWSLETTER - NZ Rat Rescue

 NEWSLETTER
Issue 02 August 2013 CONTACT US
office@nzrr.org http://www.nzrr.org Search: The NZ Rat Rescue CALENDER
Sept 28 – 29: Auckland pet expo, ASB Showgrounds. TO ADOPT
Buddy and Teddy
In Nelson Brian
Auckland In This month has been busy for the Rescue, just like always! Mina and Magda, Twinkle and Bubba have all found lovely homes, and people all around the country are helping out with daily care, by buying our shop product and getting our name out there! We would just like to say a big thanks to you all! Milo and Ollie
In Auckland ALL ABOUT THE TEAM:
STEPHANIE
Stephanie is one of the New Zealand Rat Rescue’s founding members, and has been it’s financial officer since the charity was formed in 2008. Over the years she has made many contributions and spent countless hours fostering rats. She has also raised a number of litters that have found their way to the NZRR’s doors. PRODUCT OF THE MONTH:
WODENT WHEELS
Wodent Wheels are a unique product designed to ensure the safety of rodents when they are running. Conventional wheels have unsafe bars and axles that can cause rats injury, but the Wodent Wheel is completely safe for your rat friends! It is Stephanie who took the reins and The Wodent Wheel is the only rat safe began to import the Wodent Wheel, wheel available in New Zealand and has providing donations for the New an enclosed running track that is solid, Zealand Rat Rescue and ensuring that which makes it nice and easy for rats to rats around the country have safe run on. wheels to run on. The Wodent Wheel comes in two sizes: Over the five years she has been the Wodent Senior and the Wodent involved with the rescue, Stephanie Wobust. The senior wheel is ideal for has taken on a number of roles as older or smaller rats (typically female), needed – setting up the website, where as the Wobust is designed for acting as foster coordinator in the Auckland region, and working closely larger rats (like males). The wheels are with the Auckland SPCA who transfer alsp available in a variety of colour combinations of your choice. rats to o ur care. During this time many rats have found themselves enjoying a stay at Stephanie’s home. Scientific research has shown that Currently she has a mix of her own regular exercise helps to provide quality rats and sanctuary rats – 19 in total! of life; so help your rat achieve it’s full potential! She’s also been involved in TV work with her rats, such as a news piece Just remember: if you buy one of these, that explored what NZRR was on tv3’s give your rat some time to get used to it. Close Up. Rats are naturally very cautious! Stephanie lives with her husband and Wodent Senior: $35.00 young son on the sunny Hibiscus Coast Wodent Wobust : $45.00 in north Auckland. She enjoys music, ballroom dancing, computer games and knitting MAMMARY TUMOURS Mamary tumours are the most commonly found tumour in rats. Typically they are found in female rats, though it is not uncommon for male rats to also experience them. The tumours tend to present after the eighteen-­‐month mark, but they are also known to show earlier in a rat’s life. Rats have a lot of mammary tissue, and this is why these tumours are such a frequent occurrence. The tumours come in two variations; soft benign tumours that tend to stay localised to the mammary tissue, and the firmer, malignant ones that may mastisize. Tumours tend to form in areas high in mammary tissue, such as the arm pit, abdomen and groin. Symptoms include a small, flat growth that is somewhat moveable, weight loss, lethargy, increased appetite with no weight gain (as intake is redirected to the tumour), or a poor appetite. Later in tumour progression, mobility may be impaired and ulceration or necrosis of the tissue may occur. Some level of prevention is possible; through spaying and a nutrious, low calorific diet. Mammary tumours are removable through surgery, and even removing malignant ones may extend a rat’s life, though the over all health o f a rat must be considered before taking this option. THE AUCKLAND PET EXPO
SHOP SPECIAL
Pet expos happen all over the country, and the New Zealand Rat Rescue, along with Ratclub are always a popular attraction. People seek out our stall to meet our lovely helpers – rat and human alike. For the month of september, Buy any of these products and receive *50g of Rat poop FREE! Select from 1kg of Lab blocks, 1 kg of premium food or 1kg combo mix *50g bag rat poop limit per person (don’t worry they are just delicious chocolate covered raisins) When placing your order through the
NZRR shop simply type RP50 into the box labelled ‘state’ when filling out your address. The pet expo is a place to share information, introduce people to the wonderful world of rats and to simply enjoy yourself. We always ensure that we have rats at our stall for people to meet, whether to help them decide if they want to adopt rats themelves, or simply discover that rats don’t live up to their bad reputation at all! Along with rats, our stall show cases suitable caging options, healthy and delicious food options and a variety of other necessary rat things such as beds, wheels and litter. This years Auckland Pet Expo is being held at the ASB Showgrounds, from the 28-­‐29th of September. Come down and see us! AND JUST REMEMBER! The friendly team at Pet Fever in Nelson stock the NZRR combo mix and 1kg lab blocks. Pop in and see them and grab some supplies for your rats. Pet fever are on Collingwood street. Opening hours are: Mon-­‐Friday, 9am till 6pm, Sat-­‐Sun, 9am till 5pm Sanctuary Rat
Of the Month
In June of 2010, NZRR member Trudi was asked to take two rats from a petshop that was closing down and had not made provisions for the animals. Those rats were Cookie and three others. Sadly, her friends have passed on, but sweet Cookie is still around to give her foster mother love and cuddles. Cookie was originally a breeding rat, and is suspected to have had several litters the time before she was rescued. When she arrived, Cookies was timid, afraid of people and had a tendency to nip. However, upon integration into a colony of five rats, and careful, attentive care by her foster mum, Cookie has begun to trust other rats and people again. The nipping is gone, and Cookies is able to live a happy life. Unfortunately, at nearly three years of age, Cookies has developed a mammary tumour. However, she is in good spirits and is not letting it bother her at all!