Their Wish List

I know that Christmas is over, but the little ones ( rescued pets) have many items they would love to have. They have made a wish list and anyone can donate from it. There are items for the birds, ferrets, hamsters, rabbits, etc. You can pick and choose anything and they let me know they wouldn't mind any doubles. The little ones would be happy for any gifts and greatly appreciate it! All donations are not tax deductible. Thank you and Happy New Year!
Here is a link to their wish list- http://www.amazon.com/gp/registry/wishlist/2F5K6GO277URS

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas everyone! To all little pet lovers , animal lovers, volunteers, foster parents, adopters, supporters, family and friends. You mean the World to us!

Hugo, Ellis, Anita, Farrell, Juno and Abby

Over the weekend we had many adoptions, we are as happy as can be!! Abby and Juno the female guinea pigs went home first. They are a bonded pair and went home together. Then the female rat sisters; Ellis, Anita and Farrell went home together. Then big boy, Hugo the guinea pig went home.
Thank you to everyone who adopts. You have saved the life of that pet and others. We know they are all going to be loved and spoiled in their new homes. I cannot give enough thanks to everyone who has adopted, is in the process of adopting, will adopt, and fosters.. we couldn't continue the rescue efforts without you.
Pictured above is Hugo! Isn't he handsome?

Update on the Ferret Boy

Update on Molsen the ferret. He is looking wonderful! His skin is healing and I think i can see new fur growing in already! He is eating more. Today he was bouncing around the living room and kitchen like he's a young kit. I am proud of him and happy that he is so much better. Wednesday he is getting his stitches removed.
Thank you to those who donated on Molsen's behalf. We are still in the process of reaching the goal for Molsen's surgery. Every little bit helps , for the life altering and saving surgery Molsen had.

Good news to counter the bad

As you can see from Rachel's last post, things did not go very well for Cadet. Yet there is good news to be shared and take comfort in. (AUGH! I just ended a sentence with a preposition. Kill me.)

On Sunday, McGee and DiNozzo were adopted by a lovely little girl and her mother. It was obvious by the way the little girl cradled the dwarf hamsters that they are going to be very well taken care of and loved. They will be keeping their names, as the family thought the names were too darn cute. Congratulations to the boys for getting their forever home!

McGee and DiNozzo in their foster home

In other happy news, Molsen the ferret is healing well. Unfortunately, removing the tumor on his toe would have required the removal of the entire toe. Since it isn't cancerous, doesn't seem to affect his walking or cause him pain, it was decided that it would be best to leave it as it is. The surgery to remove the adrenal tumor was a great success, however, and he's already looking much better. Where he previously had scabs from scratching himself, he now has smooth skin. With luck, it won't be long before his fur starts to grow back in those patches. The incision site looks to be healing properly as well. Three cheers for Molsen!

Despite the success at the Purina rally, Small Pets-Big Hearts is still in need of monetary donations to help with the cost of the recent surgeries. If you can afford to help out, every dollar is very much appreciated. If you would rather donate food, bedding, or cleaning supplies, those donations are also greatly appreciated.

Molsen is Doing Great!

I am very happy to post about Molsen the ferret's fabulous recovery after surgery. He went in to have his adrenal tumor reoved and a tumor on his toe. The tumor on his toe was biopsied and found to be benign. It would have been difficult to remove the tumor without removing the whole toe. Since it is benign , we found it best to let it be, it isn't bothering him at all or growing. The tumor on his left adrenal gland was removed. His first night back home , we was very groggy. Now he is back to his perky and energetic self. His incision area is healing perfectly and we can already see improvement with his skin. We cannot wait for his fur to start growing back in. We are very proud of Molsen and happy that he is on the mend!

Sadness Over Cadet

I have sad news about Cadet the soft furred rat. The swollen area on his face has not gone down at all. I talked to Dr.T and as he feared, there is actually a tumurous process going on. The abscess and infection was only secondary to the tumor growth. Given the location of the tumor, it is on his face and mouth, removal is not possible. .
Both Dr.T and I agree that in order to end Cadet's suffering and stop it before his suffering worsens , euthanisia is the kindest thing we can do for him. We gave all we could and did all we could to make him better, it seems so unfair in the end , it is untreatable.. and Cadet will be lost. I hate making this decision and saying good bye. I never truly know if it is the right thing to do and I second guess myself. I know Dr.T did all he could and he would only recommend it if it was the best thing for Cadet. It still isn't easy.
This is a picture of Cadet before the tumor, abscess and infection.

Purina Pro-Plan Rally to Rescue!

Free tomorrow? Love SP-BH? Want to help us spread the love for the little ones?

Come to the Purina Pro-Plan Rally to Rescue. It's taking place at the American Legion. (3740 North Buffalo Road in Orchard Park) from 10am - 3pm. DO IT!

Molsen and Cadet

Next week Monday, November 22nd, Molsen the ferret is having his adrenal surgery. Cadet the soft furred rat is also going in for surgery. He is having an abscess removed that is on his face/mouth area. Please keep them in your thoughts and wish them well.
We are still fundraising for Molsen and Cadet's surgeries. Please feel free to donate toward's them, every bit counts. You can e-mail us at Rachel_Murphy@Smallpets-bighearts.org for details on how to donate.
Thank you.

Public Apology

Hello to all from your friendly assistant blogger.

I do have to apologize sincerely. I have been rather neglecting my job as assistant blogger, and thus putting more work on Rachel and Ray. I have been settling into some new life changes, but there's no reason that I couldn't have made time for at least a few brief updates.

Don't forget about next Saturday's event, the Pro-Plan Rally to Rescue. It's taking place at the American Legion. (3740 North Buffalo Road in Orchard Park). I promise that I will post the hours of the event (and other details) as soon as I know them.

Again, my sincerest apologies for my oversights.

Upcoming Adoption and Fundraising Events

Small Pets Big Hearts, Inc. will be a part of an Open House fundrasing event. Marcia Scott is holding the open house. There will be a small display table all about Small Pets-Big Hearts, and anyone can donate to all the little rescues. ( donations are not tax deductible) This is the information regarding the event-
The Open House is the 12th from 4-8 and the 13th 10-4. Address is 3250 Countryside Lane, Hamburg, NY. People can call to confirm at 648-1030. You can RSVP with Marcia to let her know you will be stopping by.
Small Pets - Big hearts, Inc. will also be participating in this year's Pro Plan Rally to Rescue event. Here is that event information-
American Legion
3740 North Buffalo Road
Orchard Park NY 14127
SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 20, 2010
10AM to 5PM
FREE ADMISSION
There will be many other rescue organizations and Pizza and snacks! There will be many things to see and do!

These events came at crucial time. We took in a 6 year old ferret named Molsen at the beginning of October. After a vet visit we disocovered that he has a tumor on his front toe and also adrenal disease. The adrenal disease is a tumor on one of his adrenal glands. Even though 6 years old is senior age for a ferret, we still want him to possibly live a couple more years and be healthy during that time. We want to give him that chance and go ahead and have the vet perform the surgical removal of both tumors. Molsen's procedure will cost up to $300 possibly more if the tumor on his toe is attached. If that is the case, his toe would need to be removed to take away the entire tumor. This would bring up the cost a bit. We hope to raise the funds for Molsen soon. We want him feeling young again :)
Donations are not tax-deductible at this time.

Wonderful Adoptions!!

We have had 13 adoptions this month so far. I cannot express how happy I am about this. I am thrilled that people and families are looking into adopting and are also spreading the word about adopting the little pets.
First for the month- Zack the neutered male rat, Darlene, Janet, Gypsy and Tempe the females rats were adopted together. The little senior aged mouse, Ralphie, was adopted. Kirby the guinea pig went home this past Sunday as well as Jack and Jill the senior aged rabbits ( a neutered male and spayed female bonded pair). Sage and Oregano and baby angora rabbits went home on Wednesday as well as Hefner the dwarf hamster. On Thursday Albert the hamster was adopted. Every one went to wonderful families and homes, I know they will be cherished and loved they way they should be. I am grateful to anyone who gives a senior aged pet a chance. Even though it is not known how long their newly adopted pets will be in their lives, they still open their hearts and home to them. It is an enormous act of kindness and love. Thank you so much to Jack and Jill's new Mommy and Daddy, and Ralphie's new Mom.
We do have some new arrivals. We took in a 1 year old ferret named Sam. He is now with Alyssa , a foster parent for our ferrets. She introduced Sam to Charlie the ferret ( adoptable) and they now love each other :) They sleep cuddled up to each other. We took in another ferret who is currently residing at the Small Pets-Big Hearts, Inc. headquarters ( our home) and main foster home. Molsen is a 6 year old Sable colored ferret, he will need to be checked over by the vet before he is adoptable. We also took in a golden colored Syrian hamster named Willy, he is 1 year old male and very friendly. A male guinea pig named Scooter who is brown and white and has teddy type fur. And then recently Herman and Goober the guinea pigs arrived, they are males , short haired and are calico colored.
I think that is a good run down of October so far. Oh, I forgot to update on Chillia the chinchilla. Chillia does have slightly overgrown tooth roots, this was shown on his dental X-rays. Dr.T does not advice removing the two bad bottom incisor teeth. Without the bottom teeth , the top teeth would grow at an alarming rate. There fore it would best to let his teeth be, instead of removing all his incisors. He also fears placing a 10 year old chinchilla through a tooth extraction surgery of that magnitude. Dr.T is very certain that Chillia is at least 10 years old. The overgrown roots will eventually cause him pain, at that point he will need to be placed on Metacam for pain managment. SO far he seems comfortable, he eats his pellets like a champ and loves dried papaya as a treat. I wish he would eat rose hips , but he seems to truly dislike them. He is a cutie pie and we hope to find someone who will adopt him despite his age and special needs. Chillia is currently adoptable.

The Visit, Adoptions and Peanut

I will make a quick run down on the vet visit from yesterday. Abby and Juno the two guinea pigs are possibly not pregnant, just overly plump. Dr.T couldn't feel anything that would be a baby in them. He said guinea pigs do not show pregnancies in an X-ray. We are still keeping them for the duration of a pregnancy watch ( 2 to 2 and half months) just in case. Dr.T said they could be very early in their pregnancy where not much is "formed." Remi the hairless rat had 2 cysts, Dr.T was able to remove them both during the exam. After some healing time, he with then be adoptable. Quagmire the white pigeon had a great exam, he is healthy and ready for adoption. Baby the cockatiel had plugged up nares ( notrils ) from excess dander, after some flushing out her notrils are now clear. She is missing an entire toenail on her one foot. Could have resulted from an old injury. Otherwise, she is doing great. Chillia the chinchilla does have some issues. He has some tooth disease going on and mislignment of his teeth. Chillia is back to the vet today, he was dropped off this morning. Dr.T is taking X-rays of his teeth and jaw, and can hopefully help him out with the crooked and diseased tooth. He suspects there could be some problems with the roots of that tooth as well. I will update on how he is doing.
Yesterday, Pepper the baby angora rabbit was adopted. And also Goldie, Katie and Pocohantas the dwarf hamsters were adopted :)
Peanut the guinea pig arrived yesterday. He is a cute black and white guy with a crest of fur on his head. He has acclimated well to the hub bub of the house. He is eating timothy hay and exploring his new home.

Vet Visit Tomorrow and Hermit Crabs

Tomorrow , we are taking quite a few of the rescues to see Dr.Tomaschke. Quagmire the white pigeon is getting a wellness exam to make sure he is perfectly healthy before placing him as adoptable. He was wandering around outside a neighborhood for a month before anyone was able to catch him and bring him to the rescue. We want to make sure he didn't catch anything "bad" from outside. Baby the cockatiel is going for a wellness exam and beak trim. Baby was surrendered after a family moved into their new apartment and found the last person that lived their had abandoned Baby. The family was unable to keep her, and weren't expecting a bird as to part of their new home. Chillia the chinchilla has a runny eye and some fur loss around that eye, we want that looked at. Remi the hairless rat has a small lump that we want Dr.T to check out. And last but not least, the two female guinea pigs, Abby and Juno, arrived at the rescue already pregnant. I am certain Abby is pregnant , Juno I am not as sure. I want Dr.T to confirm if they are pregnant or not and make sure that everything is going okay with their pregnancy. Complications can arise with guinea pig pregnancy and labor. I am worried about these two girls. I am always so worried and nervous when a pregnant guinea pig arrives, I wish it wouldn't happen. We are completley against breeding but all too often , we take in a pet hat has already become pregnant somehow prior to their surrender. We also take in unwanted litters of babies. We would never, ever intnetionally breed or cause any female to become pregnant. Our mission is to help homeless pets , not create more.
Now that I went on a tangent and also went off topic.. onto the hermit crabs. We took in two hermit crabs two days ago. They were bought for a child, and then the child lost interest quickly :( The crabs made their way to the rescue so they can find a forever home. Hermit crabs are great pets and are as deserving of excellent care and love as any other pet. I have named the crabby duo, Jenga and Poker.

Mostly good news with a hint of sadness

I'll get the bad news over with: Gibbs the dwarf hamster has passed away. You may recall that he was one of the hamsters with a lot of medical issues. We believe that his body just couldn't take it any more and that he passed peacefully. His brothers, McGee and DiNozzo, have healed, however, and are in good condition. They are up for adoption.

Speaking of adoptions, Saturday's expo was a great success. There were a huge number of people that stopped over at the Small Pets-Big Hearts table, both people from other organizations, and people just interested in finding out more about us. I'll post more information as it gets sorted.

We had Charlie the ferret, Pepper the angora, Kirby, Marvin, and Norman the guinea pigs, Olivia and Casey the gerbils, and Goldie, Katie, and Pocahontas the dwarf hamsters at the convention to give people an idea of the animals we have up for adoption. We also had Lilly the rat there as a success story. Norman was brought on stage by a woman who was demonstrating clicker-training, and he brought a lot of attention our way. In addition, Lilly helped attract a lot of different people. She brought over people who liked rats and gave us the opportunity to find people who thought rats were "gross" or "mean" and change their minds.

Thanks to everyone's efforts and the adorableness of all of the animals, Norman the guinea pig has been adopted, as have Emma and Tessa the dwarf hamsters. Adoptions are pending for Lilly's sisters (all 4!) and her (neutered) brother Zack as well as for Gormy the rat.

So all we can say is "THANKS!" to all of the people (and animals!) who helped out with the expo. Since Rachel was ill, she couldn't make it, but with Ray's help and the help of a few volunteers, things went over very well. Keep spreading the word and getting people to adopt rather than buy. The more animals get adopted, the more animals we can get and place in loving homes. :)

A Long Overdue Post

Hi everyone! I sincerely apologize for my updating failure. I recently started a new job, and with training and learning all of the shifts, everything else went by the wayside, which is kind of unacceptable. But here are the notable things you've missed because I wasn't updating:

On August 29th, Baby the guinea pig was adopted. Tommy and Pepper the guinea pigs were adopted a few days later, as were Leonna and Luke the sugar gliders. Sadly, the last of the elderly mice passed away shortly thereafter, but we gained Remi the hairless rat, Herman, Melvin, and Norman the guinea pigs, as well as Albert the Syrian hamster.

Gibbs, McGee, and DiNozzo the dwarf hamsters have been healing well, thank goodness, and will hopefully be free of any umbilical infections very soon.

In addition, one week from today, SP-BH will be participating in another expo. I'll post the full information as soon as I can. What I do know for sure is that it's on the 25th at the Hamburg fairgrounds - where the Erie County Fair is held - and it's another adoption event. We'll be there with Charlie the ferret, Pepper the angora rabbit, Kirby and Norman the guinea pigs, Albert the hamster, and Oliva and Casey the gerbils. Will we see you there? We sure hope so!

Summer Summary!

With only a couple more days left in August, the reality that summer is coming to a close is setting in. Almost all of the colleges are back in session, and grade schools are going to go back fairly soon, too. Since the summer is about to end, I talked to Rachel about setting up a summary post to show just how successful SP-BH has been. So here's all the news that's fit to share!

June saw the arrival of the 7 angora rabbits from another rescue. They had been seized from a hoarding situation and were in pretty bad shape. Some were pregnant, and they all desperately needed the vet visit they received, at which time they were shaved to remove the horrible matting of their fur. 7 gerbils also arrived, as well as Chip the love bird and Earl the turtle.

As per usual, all of the animals were checked out at the vet. Other notable vet visits include the spay/neuter visit for Flander, Hudson, and Ohana the rabbits and Buddy the guinea pig's eye removal surgery. Sadly, Buddy passed not long after h

is surgery. In happier news, however, Malary, Vasari, and Prima the rats were adopted, as was Pablo the guinea pig. At the end of June, Florence the angora rabbit gave birth to 6 babies, 5 of which survived. There were more births to follow...

July proved to be an incredibly busy month. To start off, the rest of the angora babies were born. This proved to be bittersweet. On the 2nd, 6 babies were born to an unknown mother. Unfortunately, none of them survived, as they were ignored completely by their mother and the other females. On the 6th, both Magenta and Marylin had 8 babies. None of Magenta's babies survived, and only 4 of Marylin's babies survived. It's assumed that a combination of the deplorable conditions and constant moving from place to place played a role in the low survival rate of the babies. Fortunately, the 9 that did survive ap

pear to be in good health.

A bit later on in the month, Lifelong Tails became Small Pets-Big Hearts, Inc. and was able to begin the process of becoming a tax-exempt not-for-profit organization. This is HUGE news, as it means the name is now protected, and there are far more opportunities. As the name gets out there, we can reach more potential adopters and foster parents.

A large group of rats were surrendered when their family had to move and couldn't take them. Burrito, Zack, Gormy, Potter, Lilly, Gypsy, Janet, Dot, Bellatrix, Tempe, and Darlene are all very friendly and were obviously well cared for before coming to SP-BH. A group of Zebra finches, named after the cast of Firefly, was surrendered shortly before 8 gerbils, named for the cast of Law and Order were surrendered. Two rats, Charity and Dee Dee were placed in a foster home.

Luckily, the influx of animals was counterbalanced

by a long list of adoptions. Mimi, Momo, and Hopper the gerbils, Edger the (female) guinea pig, Milton and Cleo the rats, Sofia, Mabel, and Marigold the angora rabbits, Coco and Annabelle the guinea pigs, Hawthorne and Flynt the rats, Chip the lovebird, Gary and Doug the dwarf hamsters, Katarina the one-eyed hamster, Ginger and Fonda the gerbils, and Picasso and Potter the rats all went to their forever homes. Whew!

There were 3 routine vet visits, and sadly, Shaft the mouse died of old age. He and the other mice from his surrender had been previously taken off of PetFinder because of their age.

Things have calmed down this month. Despite a few setbacks, like the unfortunate deaths of Hendrix the one-eyed African Soft Furred rat, Book the one-footed zebra finch, and Mars the elderly mouse, this month has been a fairly good one. The

re was a much smaller influx of animals, mostly due to the already-crowded conditions of Small Pets-Big Hearts headquarters. The surrenders were Leonna and Luke the sugar gliders, Charlie Brown the ferret, Cleopatra the (ENORMOUS) turtle, and Abby and Juno the guinea pigs. 7 of the 18 African Soft Furred rats were fostered, as were Gibbs, McGee, and DiNozzo the dwarf hamsters. While they have been suffering from umbilical infections and one nasty case of "hair ring" (a rather unpleasant condition involving male parts and debris), they are still incredibly friendly.

Christopher the rabbit was adopted this month, as were S'Mores the guinea pig, Pumpkin the rabbit, Meela and Keesha the gerbils, and as of today, Lilly the rat.

In other happy news, SP-BH has officially opened a bank account! This means that Rachel and Ray will have a much easier time accepting donations and adoption fees. Here, take a look at this check:

We're all incredibly excited about this.

All in all, 62 animals entered Small Pets-Big Hearts this summer, not counting the babies that were born. A total of 31 animals were adopted, and 12 went to foster homes. Though 5 adult and 15 baby animals passed away, it's obvious that SP-BH has been incredibly successful.

There are still two days left in August, so I'd love to have to come back and edit this post to add more fosters and adoptions. As it stands, Emma and Tessa the dwarf hamsters are adoption pending. Let's hope they go to their forever homes within the next two days.

Enjoy the rest of your summer, everyone!

A plea for help

Small Pets-Big Hearts has been booming lately. Unfortunately, this means that headquarters is full! But that doesn't stop requests for surrenders from coming in. Just today, two major requests came in. We're asking for help in finding either rescues that can handle the overflow or forever homes for the rescues already in SP-BH headquarters. Here are the stories:

Travelers from New Jersey have called in dire need. They are currently carrying 14 sugar gliders that were unwanted. Unfortunately, as SP-BH already has a pair waiting for adoption and has a vast menagerie of other animals waiting for forever homes, there's just no way to take them. Unfortunately, to our knowledge, there are no other no-kill organizations that take sugar gliders. If you know of anyone who can take them in, please let us know.

We also received an email requesting a surrender of 5 rabbits, 3 guinea pigs, a syrian hamster, and a hairless rat. All but the rabbits are known to be male. If you're familiar with other rescues that can take in these animals, or if you're interested in taking in these - or any other animals at SP-BH, please contact the rescue at rachel(at)smallpets-bighearts(dot)com.

Please don't forget that adoptions and fosters are always welcome. Every animal that gets adopted means that another can be rescued. If you can help, please let us know.

Newcomers and gerbils with New Home

Abby and Juno the female guinea pigs arrived today. Their previous owner was unable to afford or find the time for them anymore. They are gorgeous short haired girls with a mixture of browns in their coat. Abby has a bit of teddy fur in her. They have gorgeous black eyes that say , " I am Beautiful and drop dead CUTE!" They are adjusting well to life at Small Pets-Big Hearts, Inc. headquarters and main foster home. They didn't waste time to try out the timothy hay and fresh veggies. After a bit of time and a wellness check up at the vet, they will then be adoptable.
We have great news about Meela and Keesha the female gerbils. They have been adopted!! They will be be loved and spoiled by their new Mom :)
Our not so great news is about DiNozzo, Gibbs and Mcgee the dwarf hamsters. They have been finished with their antibiotics for a few days now, and unfortunately , their infections have returned. We will give Dr.Tomaschke a call on Monday for advice on what to do next. He may want to see them again, or try another round of the same antibiotic or a different one. We willpost about his instructions and the boy's progress.
Pictured above is Meela and Keesha.

Zack, Cleopatra, Pumpkin and Sugar Gliders

I have great news about Zack the rat. His neuter went smoothly and he is already nearly healed. He didn't skip a beat after his neuter and immediately went for his food and climbed up to his hammock. He has been behaving well with Burrito and we hope to move Gormy back in with the two. Gormy's wound from Zack is also healed. All three will be monitored closely when they are reintroduced. If Zack acts back up, our next step will be introducing him with females ( after a month has passed from his neuter)
Yesterday we received a new arrival, one we didn't expect to be quite so large. Cleopatra the red eared slider arrived. I was told she was 5 to 6 months old, I was not envisioning a full grown female red ear that is definetly a lot older than that. We are urgently looking for a foster or adoptive home for her , with someone that has an indoor pond. Most glass aquariums are much too small for her. We have her in a glass aquarium right now. I know she needs more space. We would love someone with better accommodations to either adopt or foster her.
Pumpkin the rabbit was adopted today!! Pumpkin was dropped off at a pet store. Her previous owner had to rehome/take her somewhere, because the landlord found out about Pumpkin and pets were not allowed. Pumpkin went into foster care immediately and quickly found a loving home a couple of weeks after she was spayed. We are very happy for Pumpkin :)
The two sugar gliders saw the vet yesterday. We found out that one is a female and one is neutered male. That is why the neutered boy appeared to be a female , no male " pom poms" and the scent gland on the head disappears after a neuter. But Dr.T couldn't find a pouch, that signalled his true identity. The female does have a pouch. They are both in great health and are now ready to be adopted. The male has been renamed Luke , they are Luke and Leonna.

More Mixed News

It seems like there has been an awful lot of mixed news lately. In a way, it's better that we have the mix - the sad news would be much harder to deal with if there wasn't happy news to follow.

To start, Hendrix the one-eyed African Soft Furred rat passed away. Like Book the zebra finch, his death was sudden and most likely not related to his disability. His permanent wink will be missed.

The better news is that Gibbs, DiNozzo, and McGee the dwarf hamsters have healed. Their umbilical infections have cleared up thanks to Baytril and a little extra loving. Their foster dad was a great help with this, even though they gave him some trouble with the medication.

In other good news, SP-BH now has a bank account! This means that donations can be made to the rescue directly, which will be infinitely simpler for Rachel and Ray. Donations are not tax deductible. We are hoping to become tax expempt by the end of the year, at that point donations will be tax deductible. Speaking of the founders, let's give them a great big hurrah for all the work they've been doing to get Small Pets-Big Hearts, Inc. the incorporated status that it deserves. Everything they do is for the benefit of the animals who are so often overlooked when families consider a pet. Literally hundreds of small animals have been given loving homes because of their efforts. Please help them out. Adopting, fostering, and donating are all ways you can help and become a part of the Small Pets-Big Hearts phenomenon.

Zach the Rat and Adoptions.

I love to start out with our adoptions this week. Christopher the rabbit has found his forever home. He was waiting since November, 2009. It was worth the wait for him, he now has a loving home and family. Then, S'Mores the guinea pig went home. His new Mom drove here from Erie, PA, just for him. She couldn't resist his cuteness.
Zach the rat has been causing some distress and injuries to his cage mates, Burrito and Gormy. He has been displaying an overbearing, dominant and macho personality and behavior. He is only showing this behavior to his rat friends, with people he is a mushy pants, he loves to be held and loved on. The best way to resolve Zach's issue is a neuter. Neutering a rat normally brings down those hormone levels that cause the dominant behavior. If it doesn't work and he is still mean to Gormy and Burrito, we will then introduce him to some females, he may get along with them better. And since he would be neutered, we won't have pregnancies occurring, which is always a very good thing! We are doing everything we can to prevent having to place Zach by himself. Rat are very social and are the happiest with a rat companion living with them. Zach's neuter is scheduled tomorrow. But we may not see a change his in his behavior towards his rat buddies for a month, it takes that long for hormone levels to subside. I will update on his post-surgery and progress.
I will leave you with a picture of Christopher and S'Mores.

Sugar Gliders and Ferret

We have a few new arrivals at Small Pets-Big Hearts, Inc. We took in 2 sugar gliders that were abandoned by a room mate that moved out. The person still living at the place , didn't know how to care for them or what to do. We are thankful that he took the time to find us, ask for help and bring them to us. We quickly provided them with a water bottle, pouches, a wodent wheel, toys and fresh foods at night time. They appear to be females, they do not have the fuzzy "pom poms" and scent glands that males have. But one or both might be neutered boys. Once we get them to our vet, then we will know for sure. For now, they are have been named Leona and Julianne. Unless we found out someone has been altered.
Yesterday we took in a ferret named Charlie Brown. His owner couldn't care for him any longer. He is a black eyed , white , 4 year old male. He is a Marshall's ferret , this means he has been neutered and descented. He is now in foster care with Alyssa. Alyssa has been our favorite ferret foster parent.
Both Charlie Brown and the sugar glider will not be placed as adoptable until they have seen the vet for a wellness check up. We will update on their status.

Memorial for Linus

Yesterday I received grave news from Lucy and Linus the chinchillas' Mom. She let me know that Linus passed away, his passing was sudden and it left his family and Lucy very depressed.
Linus ( was neutered) had arrived at the rescue with three other chinchillas. Hermione and Harry, and Lucy. You could tell who was already paired up and were life long companions. Those pairs were inseparable. Hermione and Harry found a loving home quickly. But it took a while longer for Lucy and Linus. We were told that they were already at an older age of 7 to 8 years. Despite their older age, they enjoyed climbing and jumping to the extra levels in their cage. Linus loved pressing his nose at the bars of the cage and beg for treats. He was a smaller chinchilla packed full of soft fluff and love.
He touched the hearts of many people. We hope that Lucy will bounce back from her tremendous loss. The only thing that could have come between them was such a tragic event.
Our thoughts are with Linus's family and with Lucy. He will always be remembered.

Mixed News

Well, we have some bad news and some good news.

Unfortunately, we lost one of the zebra finches today. One had come in missing a foot, but otherwise healthy. Despite having seemed healthy, he passed today. There's no indication that his missing foot had anything to do with his passing; it was well-healed when he arrived. He may not have been at Small Pets-Big Hearts, Inc. for long, but he will be missed.

In better news, Gibbs, DiNozzo, and McGee the hamsters appear to be healing well from umbilical infections. While we're not sure how they wound up infected in the first place, a few days and some Baytril have already led to much improvement. Skin color is returning to normal and the infections are draining.

As always, if you would like to help out the rescue by fostering, adopting, or donating, please email rachel(at)smallpets-bighearts(dot)org.

Updates

Pumpkin and Christopher the bunnies were spayed and neutered, respectively, yesterday. They're currently resting comfortably and awaiting forever homes.

You may recall that Lilly the rat saw the doctors for an eye issue. Luckily, the eye is already looking much better. With any luck, she'll adjust well and be ready for a forever home very soon.

In other veterinary news, Gibbs, McGee, and DiNozzo the dwarf hamsters will be going to the vet tomorrow afternoon to check out some suspicious looking spots on their tiny bellies. If there is something wrong, they sure don't act like it! Those three are just fluffy bundles of energy, and they love being held. They're still in foster care, awaiting their forever home, too.

Homes!

Good news! Today saw 4 rats head to homes. Charity and Dee Dee the rats went to a foster home. Picasso and Potter went to forever homes. Big thank yous go out to the boys' new families, and another big thank you goes out to the girls' foster family.

Picasso and Potter

Rattie update

As you may recall, last Friday, Small Pets-Big Hearts took in some more rats. One of them, Lilly, arrived with a cloudy eye and was taken to Dr. T. at Seneca Animal Hospital. It seems as though there was a laceration (cut) to the eye that goes clear through the cornea. It was most likely an accidental wound from one of her sisters, which most likely occurred during play. She's on medication to help with healing, and provided she doesn't develop glaucoma, she should heal just fine. Unfortunately, it looks like she will not have any sight in that eye even if it heals perfectly.

Lilly will need a little extra love and patience. With eyesight problems can come some skittish behaviour- a hand coming in fast from the blind side can be scary! Once her eye is healed, Lilly would love a forever home with someone who will love her despite her disability. Help us find her a home!

Don't forget to check out our website to see all of the animals we have up for adoption.

Adoptable Hamsters

Mcgee, DiNozzo and Gibbs the dwarf hamsters have just been added to www.petfinder.com , www.Pets911.com and www.adoptapet.com to help them find their forever homes.

Sometimes a zebra is really a horse...

...and other times, it's a finch. Or twelve.

Recently, our friends over at Lollipop Farms took in 100 finches. Small Pets-Big Hearts took in 12 zebra finches. Their names are Mal, Washburne, Jayne, Simon, Book, Zoe, Kaylee, Inara, River, Saffron, Nandi, and Bridgit.

SP-BH also had a family surrender an accidental litter of 8 gerbils. They're named Olivia, Casey, Fin, Elliot, Munch, Kragen, Lennie, and Jack.

In case you noticed, yes, these names are all from TV shows, specifically Firefly, Law & Order, and Law & Order SVU. We like to go with themes. Suggestions for future themes are always welcome.

And in other good news, Katarina the one-eyed hamster has been adopted. Many thanks to her new family who will love and nurture her despite her disabilities. Everybody loves a happy ending!

Forever homes, Fosters, and Fuzzy arrivals

Clearly we like alliteration here at Small Pets-Big Hearts, Inc. But that's neither here nor there.

First things first: Doug and Gary the hamsters have gone to their forever home! One has already been renamed "Mailbox" by the youngest in the house, and it's obvious that they're going to be getting a lot of love.

Doug and Gary

In anticipation of their pending adoption, the fostered Emma and Tessa the hamsters have gone back to SP-BH headquarters. However, DiNozzo, Gibbs, and McGee the hamsters have gone to a foster home. Pictures of the boys will be posted just as soon as we can get them to sit still! It looks like these three will be a handful of exploration and love.

And in fuzzy arrival news, 4 male and 7 female rats have been surrendered. There are rexes and dumbos, and they're all positively adorable. As always, they will be placed up for adoption when they've been given a clean bill of health by the team at the Seneca Animal Hospital.

In other news, the new website is being worked on right now! There will be fun new pages that include pet care tips, recent adoption stories, and testimonials from people who have adopted from SP-BH. To make the latter two pages work, we'll need to hear from you! So comment on the blog or send an email to rachel(at)smallpets-bighearts(dot)org. Tell us the story, send us a picture, and pretty soon, we'll have them up on the web page.

Goodbye Little Shaft

Today, little Shaft the mouse passed away. He had reached senior age for a mouse months ago, and I decided to retire him from adoption. His home had become Small Pets-big Hearts's headquarters. We really enjoyed his stay with us. He loved Tofu, millet seed and cheerios, those were his favorite foods. He also spent hours zooming in his wheel. He did urinate and poop in his wheel consistently, but I didn't mind. As long as he was having fun, I was happy to clean his wheel on a regular basis. As he grew older, more grey fur started to show up in his black coat. He still zipped in his wheel, but not for as long of a period of time. Today was the end of his story at Small Pets-Big Hearts, Inc. but the beginning of his journey at the Rainbow Bridge.

Fosters, Donations, and Getting the Name Out

Good news all around. To start with, on Thursday, Emma and Tessa the dwarf hamsters were brought into a foster home with repeat adopter and owner of Persephone and Hera (formerly Pandora) the rats. (In case you're wondering, that would be me.) It's probably only a matter of time before they become a permanent fixture here. Along with the dwarves, Pocket, Charm, Jenkins, Scribble, Hummus, Egg Roll, and Zig-Zag the African soft furred rats were given a foster home. It wasn't easy determining who was who - they all look so similar - but with some study (and the petfinder page open) they were all determined.

It's plain to see that the ASFRs are extremely energetic and a lot of fun to watch, though getting them to a handleable state will take time. If you're interested in fostering any of the remaining 11 ASFRs, please let Rachel know. Every little bit of socialization time helps.

As you may recall, today SP-BH participated in the Hamburg Burgerfest. Thanks to volunteers and Ray, our name got out there and people got the message that small pets can be rescued, too! Ray printed up a bunch of pamphlets and had a slideshow running on a large monitor. With that sandwiched between Christopher (the rabbit) and Pepper (the guinea pig) with Gary & co. (the dwarf hamster boys) off to the side, people began to come over and take notice. Thanks to a few "chinchillers" (stone slabs kept in a cooler and rotated out when they got warm), everyone endured the heat well.

After a donation and several requests for adoption information, the Animal Alley segment of the Burgerfest was over, and SP-BH packed up and went back home knowing that the word is finally getting out. With any luck, people will take notice and tell their friends. Wouldn't it be wonderful if all of our furry friends could find forever homes?

On a semi-related note, it won't be long before we start to determine the genders of the baby angoras. Pretty soon, we'll have an idea as to how much money will need to be raised to have them all spayed or neutered. Keep an eye on the website for more information.

Happy weekend, everyone!

Incorporation and Hamburg Burgerfest Animal Alley

As some of you may already know, the rescue's name has been changed along with the incorporation status. Here's why: When Rachel and Ray started the rescue, they hadn't heard of Life Long Tails operated out of Boome County in NY. As that rescue was already incorporated under the name, this rescue was told that the name would have to be changed. This was all done in a very amiable manner - there were no hard feelings.

After some thought and a lot of hard work, our rescue was granted incorporated status under the name of "Small Pets-Big Hearts, Inc." A new website will be created to go along with the new name, and everything under the old name will be removed or altered as per the agreement with the Boome County rescue. The rescue remains the same in every aspect aside from name. The mission, the treatment of animals, and the adoption/fostering/surrendering process will remain the same. So three cheers for incorporation!

In other news, this Saturday (July 17th) is Hamburg's Burgerfest, where SP-BH will be participating in Animal Alley. This activity is intended to showcase rescue groups, sell pet supplies, and have various awesome things like a dog wash and a micro-chip clinic. Animal Alley will run from noon to 5pm at Buffalo/Main in Hamburg. We will be there with info on the rescue, pamphlets, answers to questions, a place to donate, a place to sign up for fostering or adoptions, and a "plea" for the angora rabbits' spay/neuters.

We will have guests Tommy the guinea pig, Christopher the rabbit, and Doug the dwarf hamster (and his brothers). If you're free, stop on down! While Rachel won't be able to attend, Ray will be there (because he's awesome), and if you get there in the earlier portion, I'll be there, too.

Stay tuned for more news as it happens!

[Edit] I've just gotten word that Cleo and Milton the neutered rats have been adopted. Yay!

(I'd post pictures, but they've already been removed from petfinder and I didn't think to save them beforehand.)

More news!

The news just keeps coming in! I suppose I could wait until the end of the week for a full compilation, but where's the fun in that? We have both good and not-so-good news. Let's start with the not-so-good.

About a week ago, rats Anita, Ellis, Farrell, Larkin and Maya were adopted. Unfortunately, things didn't work out with their new family, and they are back. They're a bit on the tentative side, and tend to get frightened easily. They are still lovable, but will need a little extra patience.

But now for the good news: Hawthorne and Flynt the rats were adopted, as was Chip the love bird! Yay for them and their new forever families!

Hawthorne, Flynt, and Chip

Stay tuned for more news as it happens!

More adoptions!

Remember how yesterday, we said that Mabel, Marigold, and Sophia the angora rabbits were up for adoption? Well, it turns out that we have to make an adjustment to that statement. They've been adopted!



Mabel and Sophia (Marigold is camera shy)



But wait; there's more! Guinea pigs Annabelle and Coco have also been adopted!


Annabelle and Coco

And don't forget, there's a yard sale happening today (7/10/10) and tomorrow (7/11/10) at the rescue's headquarters (Rachel's house) with all sales to benefit the rescue. Pet items are for sale including:

• Small animal cages
• Aquariums (fish tanks)
• Bird cages
• Bird "play gyms"
• Small animal wheels
• Play balls
• Tubes and accessories
• Hamster cages and Crittertrail brand cages
• Ferret/rat hammocks and sleep sacks

If you need directions or have questions, comment here or email Rachel at rachel(at)lifelongtails(dot)org.

One last thing: After some calculations, we've determined that the bare minimum cost to spay/neuter all of the angoras that have yet to be adopted will be between $2080.00 and $2500.00 depending on the amount of female babies. (Neuters are less costly than spays, as they're less invasive.) We really would like to "alter" all of the bunnies we still have despite the cost. Donations are the only way this will happen. Please help of you can.

Oh, and happy Caturday.

Bunnies and Babies and Adoptions, Oh My!

You might remember that not long ago, we took in 7 adult angora rabbits that came from a cruelty siezure in Canada. They all needed extreme cleaning and were put on pregnancy watch, as the females were not separated from the males. Two weeks ago, one of the rabbits gave birth. She and her five babies are now in foster care and doing well. Two week old Angora babies

Now two of the other adults have given birth. Each of them had eight (8!!) babies, bringing the baby total to 21! We are in dire need of both foster homes and donations to help take care of these adorable balls of fluff. Anyone who can foster would be greatly appreciated. Donations are also appreciated, be it monetary or food - the moms have been going through Oxbow brand bunny pellets and timothy hay like crazy. Ideally, we would like to stop this rapid rabbit reproduction (three cheers for alliteration) with spaying and neutering, but we simply can't do it without financial help. If you can help with this, please comment or send an email to rachel(at)lifelongtails(dot)org.

Luckily, not all of the adults were pregnant. Three of the angoras are up for adoption: Sofia, Marigold, and Mabel. These three beautiful ladies would love a forever home. Will it be with you?

And in other happy news, Edgar the (female) guinea pig was adopted yesterday! We're sure she'll be feeling right at home very soon.

Edgar the Guinea Pig

A new blogger!

Hi everyone! Just a quick note - Rachel has asked me to help out with maintaining the blog and the website. This gives her more time to spend with the animals, but allows you to continue getting updates.

Buddy, Pablo and Earl

I haven't updated about Buddy because I've been sad about loosing him. We lost him last Tuesday morning. He had heart disease that must have surfaced while he was under anesthesia. Dr.t prescribed Lasix for him, and either it was too late to begin the treatment or it just didn't help...we lost Buddy in less than 12 hours from his first dose. I really wish we could have helped him. I was positive he would recover and feel great not long after his surgery. My mind and heart was not ready to loose him. I miss him.
Pablo the guinea pig was adopted. He has a wonderful home now. He is loved and gets a lot of cuddle time. Pablo arrived with Pedro the guinea pig, and unfortunately , I had to separate the boys. Pedro was getting very dominant and chasing Pablo around. I didn't realize that Pedro had nipped Pablo a couple times. Pablo's new Dad says the nip areas do look well healed, and Pablo should be fine. I hate to think of another piggie in distress or pain.
We do have a new arrival. His name is Earl , and he is a red eared slider turtle. He was found outside and brought to us by a concerned person that was unable to keep him. So far, he has been very active and has a healthy appetite. We will have him checked by the vet before he is adoptable.
Florence the angora rabbit is now in foster care along with Sofia and Marylin. Florence had 6 babies. Sadly the runt of the litter, named Cinnamon by foster Mom and Dad, didn't make it :( All her other babies are strong and growing by leaps and bounds.

Update on Buddy

Buddy isn't doing well. I thought for sure he would feel so much better without the damaged eye. But, he isn't eating or drinking at all. He turns away from his favorite veggies now :( I have been giving him critical care and sub Q fluids. He is also getting Metacam daily for pain. Our vet did say this was an extremely painful surgery, he could still be uncomfortable and in pain from the surgery. It is very sad to see him unable to get comfortable, he twitches and changes postition. I am calling the vet first thing tomorrow morning for advice. He may want to see Buddy, if so, I am taking the first available appointment. All I want is for him to start eating and drinking , and move about his cage like he is feeling good.

Lucy and Linus, Lovebird and Buddy

Please send Buddy the guinea pig good thoughts, his eye removal surgery is tomorrow.
Lucy and Linus the chinchillas were adopted yesterday. Their new family loves all types of animals and even bought them a great new cage. They updated this morning that the pair are already begging for treats and are doing very well for their first day home.
We took in a lovebird today that was found outside, lost and alone. He has been quite the vocal and noisy little guy tonight. I have named him Chip. I am not certain that he is a boy, I am just automatically saying "he" without any proof of gender.
Also, yesterday, 2 of the Angora bunnies went to the vet to be groomed by the vet techs. They look amazing and much cleaner :) Three of the Angora girls are ready to be fostered and we have lovingly named them Marylin, Sofia and Florence.
Pictured above are Lucy and Linus. We are so happy they have found their forever home. They were waiting to be adopted since January.

Please help Buddy

Buddy came to us as an unwanted guinea pig with his best friend and cage mate, Baby, the male guinea pig. Buddy has a ruptured eye! He will be having eye removal surgery on Thursday morning. He is now on metacam and Baytril. We are asking for help with funds for Buddy's surgery. We do not know how this happened to Buddy. Thankfully his spirits and appetite have still been well. We are hoping for a successful surgery and a speedy recovery for Buddy.
Thank you to all the wonderful people who wish to donate.
I would post a picture of the eye, but if anyone is like me, I am squeamish about grotesque eye pictures. Just watching over Buddy's injury makes me horrified and I feel so bad for him. Honestly , I haven't taken a picture of it. I do plan on taking post surgery pictures if anyone wants proof of Buddy's plight and surgery. I think he will actually look better after the surgery.
If anyone would like to donate , please send a check payable to Ray and/or Rachel Murphy, to the address - 4 Wellworth Place, Cheektowaga, NY 14225. You can write a note at the bottom or in the envelope that the funds are for Buddy. Once we are incorporated we will be able to cash checks made out to the Rescue's name and we will also have a paypal account for the Rescue. We plan on being incorporated very soon, we just hired a lawyer and the process is underway. We also will be changing the rescue's name to Small pets-Big Hearts right after the incorporation.
Thank you everyone ! I will update on Buddy's condition
The picture is Buddy's good side.

The Angora Bunnies

Here are a few pictures of the angora bunnies we took in from the HUGE seizure in New Brunswick Canada. So far, they have needed treatment for fur and ear mites and also Coccidia. And worse of all, they did not have the males separated from females. There were many more females than males, so we received all females. They will also be on pregnancy watch.
Thank you to everyone who has donated on their behalf. They will also be getting shaved. Their fur is dirty and smells awful! Angoras should never be bathed because they take way too long to dry and do not fry properly. Instead the nice vet techs at Seneca Animal Hospital will be shaving them for us. All the dirty smelly fur will be gone, so they can grow in new fur, for a new and better life :)

A Plea for Katarina

Katarina is a pink eyed, white, Russian dwarf hamster. She arrived at the rescue with a missing eye. She lost her eye from another hamster that had beat her up :( She has been well healed and okay for many months now. Just recently, her only eye has become cloudy and bulging a little. She just saw the vet yesterday and she has a cataract in that eye! She still has some vision out of the eye, but it will deteriorate and she will become blind in the near future. Poor Katarina doesn't have any luck with her eyes and vision. There isn't any treatment available for hamsters for cataracts. There is for dogs and cats , but not a small hamster.
Katarina isn't a friendly hamster at all. She will bite. (I pick her up and move her by scooping her up inside of a dish) But, can you blame her? We would love Katarina to get adopted and finally have a permanent loving home. She was special needs before, now she is greatly special needs. We will include her cage with adoption. She is very familiar with those surroundings. Does anyone have it in there hearts to take in a hamster that will be blind and isn't friendly?

The Mice

Yesteday, I took the 3 mice ; Stampy, Mars and Shaft; off of Petfinder.com. They have become senior mice. They arrived at the rescue at the end of June last year. They were not baby mice then. Mice normally only have a lifespan of 1 to 1 and half years. We have decided to retire them from adoption and let them live in comfort at the rescue. Moving to a new home may not in their best interest right now. Shaft is showing worrisome signs of rapid breathing, I will call the vet in the morning to get him an appointment as soon as possible. I fear their age may already be catching up to them.

Good Bye Motorman

We lost our beloved cat , Motorman, to cancer. He was the very first cat I adopted, 15 years ago. He layed with me every day, slept with me, greeted me at the door, etc. Loosing him has hit me hard and I miss him greatly. I know Ray does too. There is an emptiness in our hearts and in our house.

Please Help Us With Angora Rabbits

Would anyone like to foster an Angora rabbit or two for us ? ( the rescue) An SPCA in Canada siezed over 160 angora rabbits , and now they need help and somewhere to go. People will be taking them across the border to take them to rescues throughout the NorthEast US that are able to help. We can only help if we find foster families for some of the bunnies. Please contact me if you wish to help. rachel@lifelongtails.org rachel(at)smallpets-bighearts(dot)org
If you know someone that may want to adopt or foster an angora bunny, plese contact me about it, or have the person contact me.
If you are able to foster one of them, it makes a HUGE difference to that one bunny. And to us :)

Name Change, Coco and Adoptions

Curtis the rabbit was adopted yesterday. Marlin, Napoleon, Baron and Wallace the rats were adopted together. We are very happy that they have found forever homes.
Coco the guinea pig went to the vet today. She has been itchy and her skin has been flaky. She has Seborrhea and a skin infection. She will be on antibiotics for 3 weeks and will need baths twice a week. She will not be adoptable again until after her treatment. We hope she starts to feel better soon, the itchiness was getting uncomfortable for her.
We will be chaning the name of the rescue. We are saddened that it has to happen , but we want everyone to be aware of it. We hope we do not lose any supporters and friends during the transition. We will be changing Life Long Tails small pet rescue to Small Pets-Big Hearts.

Updates!

We have some of the baby rats on Petfinder.com already, for adoption.
Black Pearl the male guinea pig has been adopted :)
Tommy the guinea pig has arrived back because he wasn't a good match for the guinea pig he was adopted for. Tommy was behaving a bit too dominantly. He already has someone that may be adopting him soon.
The hamsters with the skin issues were positive for Sarcoptic mange at the vet. We are still battling the mange. They are getting Revolution and Ivermectin shots. There is small improvement , but they still have a lot of recovery to go. I feel bad for the little guys. With the treatment, they will soon be mange-free and not have irritated skin, and we are hoping their fur grows back.
Right now, we are very full within our household and in foster homes. We have been turning away surrenders. Until we received one call about a hamster that has lost all feeling in his back end and has been dragging himself. I am well aware that this doesn't usually happen unless a fall or trauma happens. I cannot say for sure how he became paralyzed. The person also told us that he is being housed in the garage! We said, "yes", definitely we will take him in and help him. He NEEDS help. unfortunately she was unable to bring us or have us come get him right away. The injured little guy should be arriving within the next few days. Then he can get the special care and medical care he needs. He will also be in the house , with family , where he belongs.
Pictured above is Black Pearl

Thank you and babies!

Thank you to Martha for your generous donation towards the little ones. your gift will help the spays and neuters we have coming up. On Monday, Arnold the rat is getting neutered , Diva, Miss.Fancy Pants and Tippy the rabbits are getting spayed. We will be getting Ohana the rabbit spayed and Hudson the rabbit neutered within the next couple of weeks.
Thank you to Jen who provided a loving foster home to Glamour the rabbit. She has decided to adopt her as well :) She also brought cereal and guinea pig food for everyone. Thank you!
The baby rats are now 2 weeks old, and their eyes are almost open. There are many different colors and even 3 dumbo ones. I plan on getting pictures soon. They are still staying in the nest and Momma rat is protective of them. I will need to come up with many names, even for Momma.

Adoptions

Over the week, Wario the rabbit, Damien and Gizmo the chinchillas and Glamour the rabbit, have been adopted!! :) All these little ones were in foster care. Thank you foster parents for all your help! We couldn't do this without you.

Isabelle's baby

Isabelle is a female guinea pig that was surrendered with a male guinea pig , they were together in the same cage. It was unfortunate that Isabelle was already pregnant before we separated the male in a different living space. Isabelle delivered 2 babies on March 20th, 2010. Both babies were doing well, until yesterday, I discovered one had a rectal prolapse! I rushed the little guy to the vet, and Dr.T went to work on him immediately. After about 15 minutes Dr.T came out to tell me bad news. Part of the little guy's colon had already become diseased. He said we could amputate the diseased section, but that would leave him with very little colon. Then he would have had uncontrollable diarrhea for the rest of his life. The only humane and kind thing to do for the little one was to let him go, and not wake him up from the sedative. He was so very young :(
Isabelle's remaining baby is running laps the cage right now, and Isabelle seems in good spirits too.

The Hamster Family

I know these pictures are very disturbing and incredibly sad. I want to show everyone how these poor hamsters were treated ( and left untreated) and were then abandoned. These are the hamsters that were left alone in a classroom after the teacher "finished." They were not abandoned for very long before maintenance and other teachers found them. It is very apparent that they have been in the state they are in for quite some time. They all have some degree of fur loss and scabby , irritated skin. They are seeing the vet tomorrow.
We hope to give them relief of their skin issues very soon and quickly. Then they should start to look and feel better.

Daisy and Tessa

On April 1st, Daisy the guinea pig went home :) She is such a special guinea pig, she was born blind and deaf. Then yesterday, April 2nd, Tessa the female dwarf hamster was adopted.
We also took in 5 dwarf hamsters that were abandoned, they were formerly classroom pets. The majority of them have fur loss, one barely has any fur at all. I will get an appointment for them as soon as possible. Figure out why they are bald and treat it. They were living on Pine bedding which is bad for hamsters and any small pet. They could be highly allergic to it and the balding is from living on it for quite a while. They are now on Carefresh bedding and fleece. I will have our vet look them over and then we have a better answer as to why these poor babies look so badly. I will also take some pics, even though it is so sad to see. I will keep everyone updated on them and we also need to come up with names for them.

Help

I really do not like asking for help with funds, I feel as if we are begging. But I know that if we do not write or ask for help, people will not know the little ones are in need.
We have some spays and neuters coming up and, also , more than likely, another ferret adrenal surgery. On April 12th we have 3 rabbits getting spayed. We are getting Diva, Miss. Fancy Pants and Tippy the rabbits spayed. That will cost about $300. Also on April 12th, Arnold the rat is getting neutered. That will be close to another $80. Arnold came back after being adopted. He started showing severe signs of cage aggression. We are getting him neutered to help calm his cage aggression, then he will be moving to a foster home. Today we took in a male ferret, who is already diagnosed with adrenal disease. The best and most permanent course of treatment for adrenal disease is to have the adrenal tumor surgically removed. Shots and implants only take away the symptoms, while the tumor remains and grows. We always go for the best treatment for the ferret to help them have a long and happy life ahead. The adrenal surgery can cost anywhere from $200 to $300. I do hate throwing costs out there and "begging" for hep with money. I just want to show everyone what we are up against in the month of April. So far, vet costs are going to be high. That is what brings me to asking for help. We are not incorporated yet, any checks need to be filled out to Ray and/or Rachel Murphy. We do not have a bank account for the rescue yet. Therefore we cannot cash any checks made out to Life Long Tails. Donations can be sent to - 4 Wellworth place , Cheektowaga , NY 14225.

Last month we took in the 21 rats. 2 males have been adopted and 4 males are now in foster care. Over the weekend, one of the females had 14 babies! She didn't even show signs of being pregnant , she was as slim as can be. She must have been with a male right before she was transported to us. This bring up our numbers , A lot! We would appreciate any help as far as bedding (carefresh or aspen), food, toys . The rats also love cereal and tofu. We would also love any treats for the rescues in the form of fresh vegetables and fruits (just no iceberg lettuce or celery please) .
Thank you for chipping in with funds or donating supplies and/or food. It means a lot to us and the little ones.
If I have not sent out a thank you to someone who has donated or gotten back to anyone who has called or e-mailed, please sit tight. It has been extremely busy this month ( March) . We will get to everyone. Thank you for being patient.

Nizzle

I know I haven't posted in a while. I do need to catch up on the many adoptions , surrenders and even birth of babies.
What I want to write about first in this entry is about Nizzle the ferret. I am not sure if everyone remembers the female ferret, Nizzle, that arrived with adrenal disease. She had a tumor on her right adrenal gland. We fund raised for her , and many wonderful people contributed for her surgery. She went in for surgery to have that tumor removed. But sadly, what was found was grave. The tumor was incredibly large and could not be removed. Also given the size of the tumor and how quickly it grew, Dr.T was certain it was cancerous. Just this weekend , Nizzle fell very ill. She was rushed to All Creatures Animal Hospital, because Dr.T wasn't in on Saturday. A large tumor was found on her stomach, her cancer had spread. Nizzle passed away on Sunday :( Her foster Mom misses her so much. Loosing such a special companion is very difficult.
I want to thank everyone who donated and chipped in for Nizzle's surgery. I truly wish the outcome would have been much better for her. If only the entire tumor could have been removed. She did enjoy a few more months of love and comfort with her foster Mom.

Snake Food on Craiglist!

I was just informed about a posting on Craiglist. I read it over and will post it here as a warning. This is the post-
"I know most of you have an issue with the fact that snakes are creatures too and all creatures need to eat something but such is life. I will take your unwanted precious little rats for a low price but will use them as feeders. C'mon people you have to know that that's where they're going anyway. If you truely don't want that to happen then make sure your rats don't breed or keep them all yourself. Otherwise they will end up in the hands of a snake owner. Yes I know you get attached or whatever but they're nuisance rodents who breed rapidly and in great numbers anyway, nobody wants these things as pets anymore. So if you're irresponsible enough to allow your rats to breed then you don't want all the babies then suck it up and let them go as feeders, it's what's happening anyway..."

To anyone who is re homing their mice, rats, guinea pigs, even rabbits! Please, never give them as " free to a good home" Always attach a rehoming fee. At least this person was honest as to where the rats are going (although I still shudder) most people will lie and say that are going to be loved pets to the owner's face, then once they get the pet home they turn around and feed them to a snake they have. I urge everyone to ask for references, vet references and proof of an adequite cage set up at home. Ask for past history with that type of pet and see what their knowledge is for care on that pet as well. If the person gets defensive or refuses to answer questions or provide proof of a home for the pet or references. Then that person was probably dishonest.
I do understand that snakes need to eat. There is always the option of frozen/ thawed food. I know some snakes are picky. But taking someone's beloved pet that they are looking for a caring home for and doing the unspeakable...ugh!
I just wanted to get this out there to anyone who may be looking for a loving home for their little one(s) on Craiglist. Be very very careful!

Milton and Cleo Neutered and Daisy

On Monday, the two male rats Milton and Cleo were neutered by Dr.Tomaschke. We are hoping this helps their adoptabilty. They can now live with female rats without any consequences.
We have also placed Daisy the guinea pig back up for adoption. Enough time has gone by where we know for certain now that she isn't pregnant. She is a wonderful lethal guinea pig. She is blind and deaf, but very capable of a normal guinea pig life. She is missing an incisor tooth , but despite this her front teeth have maintained a proper length since we have had her with us. She doesn't have any other teeth issues. She is now ready for someone to bring her home and love her unconditionally.
pictured above is Daisy.

Guinea Pig Adoptions :)

What a wondeful weekend we had. 5 guinea pigs went to their forever homes. Inca, Maxwell, Tommy, Buddy and Baby now have a loving home and family.
Pictured Top to bottom is - Buddy, baby, Tommy, Maxwell, Inca

Rats!!!!!

Life Long Tails small pet rescue just took in 16 male rats and 5 female rats. They are rats that were used to educate animal husbandry to students. Now they are retired from their purpose and are looking for forever loving homes.
Since this is a large number of rats, we are desperately seeking donations. Donations of funds and supplies. We can use aspen bedding and Carefresh bedding for them. Any rat approved foods, treats and toys. They love cereals, fruits and vegetables.
Of course we would love anyone who would like to adopt one, two or three :)
There are regular eared ones and dumbo eared. There are blue colored ones, white with black eyes , white with red eyes, there are dark black and browns. Quite the mix of lovely , squishy ( cuddly) rats.
They were all born on January 15th 2010.
Thank you everyone
www.lifelongtails.org
rachel@lifelongtails.org

The Loss of Sara

On Monday, March 1st, Sara the rabbit went to the vet for her spay surgery. She went into Cardiac arrest halfway through the surgery and was lost. Dr.Tomaschke, the Seneca Animal Hospital staff and everyone at Life Long Tails Small Pets-Big Hearts is mourning the loss of Sara.

Alexa and Twix

Yesterday, Friday the 26th, Alexa the guinea pig was adopted. Alexa was transported to Life Long Tails Small Pets-Big Hearts with the help of our volunteer, Kitty. She spent over 4 hours of her day picking up Selena and Alexa from someone that didn't want them anymore. Alexa now has a permanent home with a family that will always love her.
We also have a new arrival , a male guinea pig named Twix. He is an adorable boy that is all different shades of brown. He is short haired, but has some loose long hairs on his bottom area. I will trim them a bit shorter because they tend to get a bit soiled with urine. He has been a little scared, he isn't used to the new place and everything around him. Despite being scared , he has still been a nice piggy.
pictured above is Alexa.