About Me

Who Am I?
My name is Tiana.  I live in Las Cruces, New Mexico, and have been keeping rats since '05.  I've been doing rescue officially since '08, and in that time I have owned 22 rats and helped to find homes for about fifty others.  The number is constantly going up as I find more rats in need!

Whenever I'm not rescuing rats, I'm also a freelance writer.  I'm looking to leave my day job (working in a call center for a major insurance company) full time so I can devote more time to writing and caring for the rats.

How I Got Started
I never fully intended to start a rat rescue; it just sort of happened.  After the death of one of my pets, I was looking for a new rat and didn't want to buy from a pet store.  I had recently joined the community at the Rat Shack Forum and was sold on rescuing a rat in need! Unfortunately, there are no rat rescues anywhere near where I live, and the local animal shelter didn't have any rats, either.  How was I supposed to rescue a rat if there were none needing rescuing?

So I emailed a few of the local rescue organizations in town. I joined the mailing list of the "friends of the animals" newsletter.  I let everyone in every animal-related group I could find know that I was interested in being involved in rescuing rats.  Then I started trolling around on Craigslist and Kijiji for ads.

It wasn't too long before I found my first rats needing homes.  Then, as word began to spread, more opportunities came my way.  I always keep an eye out for rats on Craigslist, and I also sometimes get phone calls or emails regarding rats -- sometimes looking to adopt, sometimes looking to rehome their rats.

How Does the Rescue Work?
I don't consider myself so much a "rescue agency" as a "person who does rescue" and maybe sometimes even a "rescue broker."  What I mean by that is that I don't have a quantity of fostered rats available for adoption.  Instead, I rescue rats to live with me for the duration of their lives as beloved pets.  When someone approaches me asking to adopt a rat, I keep their information on file and whenever I find a match, I act as the go-between.

For example.  Say you email me and say, "Hey, Tiana, I'd love to rescue a pet rat.  I'd like a pair of girls." I will save this email, and the next time I see a pair of girls needing a home, I'll ask you "Hey, you still want those rats?" And if the answer is yes, then I will contact the owner of the girls, arrange transport, address any medical issues, and foster until you're able to pick them up.

I Have a Rat I Can No Longer Care For.  Will You Take It?
Well, it depends.  I, personally, am only able to keep males.  I choose to keep only one sex in the house to prevent any accidental litters (although I will foster females short-term), and I keep boys because, well, that's what I decided on.

I do have a few associates in my adoption network who take girls, though.

If you've got a rat (or several) in need of a new home, you may contact me wolfskin24 (at) gmail.com.  If I or one of my foster homes has space, I will let you know.  If I am absolutely unable to take in the rat(s), I will make every effort to find you a home that can.  That's what I do -- I match rats with the people who want them.

Please note, since I take rescues and assume responsibility for the vet costs throughout their lives, I am unable to pay anything to the person rehoming their rat.  I have cages and carriers available, so you can keep your cage to sell and make some of the money back.  I also refuse to support backyard breeders, which is another reason why I cannot pay "adoption fees" for the rats I rescue.

What's The Deal With This Blog?
I decided to start this blog for a few reasons.  First, as a potential side business venture and a way to generate a little extra income to put toward the rat's care. I also blog as a way to share the joy and sheer hilarity of rats.  So many people don't realize or understand just how much intelligence and personality these creatures have, so I feel it's my duty to put my skills as a writer to good use in educating people.  I also will be blogging to share as much wisdom and knowledge as I have on the topic of rats to anyone who will listen.  You're welcome ;)

Are You A 401(c) Charity?
No.  I'm not an "official" rescue or charity of any kind.  I'm just one lonely girl with a few cages, some know-how, and a big bleeding heart.  I also don't really make any money from doing what I do.  I absorb all costs myself for the upkeep of all the rats in my care: food, bedding, cages, vet care, and gas spent on traveling out to pick up and deliver rats.

I don't charge any adoption fees.  All of my fosters in my network are pre-screened, so I trust them to care for the animals.

To that end, I have monetized this blog in hopes of off-setting some of the adoption costs as well as providing useful, entertaining information for rat owners.  You will see ads here and possibly affiliate links.  I promise I won't put in affiliates for any product that I don't personally support and believe in, but the ads may sometimes be inappropriate.  Tell me if you see something that shouldn't be there!

If you DO want to make a donation, however, I certainly won't stop you.