I have always been very concerned with the tiny cages that Doolittles sell. It is incredibly cruel…read moreto house even a dwarf hamster in some of the cages they have and I think it's a disgrace to suggest to customers that these cages are fine.
Although Doolittles sell these cages and toys, I decided to buy accessories and a cage from elsewhere, but bought my animals from them.
Being left without a pet, I decided, after lots of research, on buying a pair of male rats, Ernie & Otis (23/02/2023, 2 weeks and 1 day ago from today). There were just those two in the glass tank, but when we asked, they told us that there were two other rats in the back, due to one being sick (which I was told was not contagious ) and the other there to keep him company. We asked to see the other healthy one, so all three of them were put in the tank. (Rats need a well ventilated cage as they are prone to breathing issues - this was a glass tank).
We asked if there were some toys to put in the tank as we noticed that none of the small animal cages had any toys, and they said that "we don't have any toys in the back"... They are a pet shop and they don't have toys for their livestock? They just sit in their beds, get up for food and water (which looked messy with bedding in the water bowl) and then go back to bed. How can anyone justify keeping animals like that?
We noticed that Ernie was a lot bigger than Otis and the other rat. When we asked, the staff member said that "the breeder told us they were all from the same little but we don't know if they lied to us". It was quite obvious that Ernie was a lot older, his fur was like adult fur too, unlike Otis who has baby fur still. Despite Ernie being older, we were told that they have been getting on just fine and there had been no fights since they got them in and I had no quarrels once I had taken them home.
The staff member said they would do a health check and then they put them in a box. I also want to note that the staff member said they aren't a trained vet, so I'm not sure how Doolittles staff have the authority to do a health check. I also noticed that there wasn't any bedding or anything for the rats to snuggle up into on the journey home, which I thought was a little cruel too.
Once we got them both home, I left them in the cage for a day to get them use to the new environment. For the very start Otis was quite confident, jumping around the cage, climbing onto my shoulders. Ernie was a little more skittish and more cuddly. He only came out for food and water really. This is my first time with rats, so I don't know how they normal behave, so I wasn't concerned about either of them.
I noticed that Ernie was making a few noises which I now know means they have a respiratory infection. However, these symptoms of illness can arise days, or weeks after they first catch them, which means the three day "guarantee" the Doolittles offer, is of absolutely no use. They basically say you can bring them back and get compensation or treatment for animals within the first three days, but after that they aren't liable for any vet bills or animal illness or death.
Just over a week of having them both, I took Ernie and Otis to the vet because Ernie had a couple episodes of breathing from his mouth. This is a serious situation, as it basically means the rat is gasping for air. We had them both on antibiotics, anti inflammatories and painkillers for only a few days and Ernie had to come back to the vets because of another serious condition, paraphimosis, which is very rare for a young rat. The vet sorted him out and I thought it was going to get better. Then the vet saw that Otis has mites. He's been scratching like crazy and has scabs all over his ears and tail, so we had to pay for that treatment too. Later that day I saw mites on Ernie too, so I treated them both.
Just the next morning, my mum found my baby Ernie lying on his side, away from his usual sleeping place. I picked him up and tried to give him his medicine which he just didn't want. My mum and I nursed him all morning, feeding him a little food and drink through a syringe. We took him to the vets as soon as we could and, we made the really hard decision to put Ernie down. He seemed to have so much wrong with him and it just wasn't fair to put him through anything else. His last hours were full of love. I'd only had him for just over a week, but I'd bonded with them both every single day.
I managed to find Otis two new brothers, Albie & Abraham from a breeder and they are so different to how Ernie was.
Please DO NOT encourage this pet shop and ones like them by buying ANYTHING from them. I am so devastated to lose my baby Ernie so soon and Otis is still not well. I will never shop at Doolittles again and I am very worried about all the animals they sell. Please find a reputable breeder on Pets4homes or Preloved and make sure the animals are properly cared for, don't go to Doolittles just for the convenience.
