# How picky, donations wise, should a rescue be? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [December 6, 2015, 10:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-picky-donations-wise-should-a-rescue-be/739653 "2015-12-06T22:25:45Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Brodi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/cc9497/32.png) [@Brodi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Brodi)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2015, 10:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-picky-donations-wise-should-a-rescue-be/739653/1 "2015-12-06T22:25:45Z")
I was looking into a rat rescue and saw this: > [@](#): > > Rat Basics: > Rat/ferret cages (powder-coated, small bar spacing preferred, aka Martin’s Cages) > Large Martin’s Playpen > Bathroom rugs from Walmart ($9.99 each) > Bedding & litter (paper-based, aspen, pelleted - no pine or cedar shavings please) > Food - CTRR rats eat primarily Harlan Teklad/Native Earth lab blocks and Oxbow Regal Rat, supplemented with various fresh foods > Rat/Bird/Cat Toys/Cage Accessories (store bought or homemade) > Litter pans > Large wheels (Stealth Wheels, Silent Spinners, etc.) > Hammocks of any kind > Green Mush or similar supplements/probiotics Should a rescue specify brand/make of what it wants? Or should they say “cage of A X B X C length,” “food with/without (insert ingredient)”, etc.? ---
**Author:** ![Ethilrist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ethilrist/32/4604_2.png) [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2015, 10:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-picky-donations-wise-should-a-rescue-be/739653/2 "2015-12-06T22:39:46Z")
Whoa, whoa, whoa. Rat Rescue? ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2015, 10:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-picky-donations-wise-should-a-rescue-be/739653/3 "2015-12-06T22:47:06Z")
Rats need heroes, too. ---
**Author:** ![dropzone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dropzone/32/7515_2.png) [@dropzone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dropzone)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2015, 10:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-picky-donations-wise-should-a-rescue-be/739653/4 "2015-12-06T22:55:00Z")
A lotta landlords object when you bring your own. They think they should have a monopoly on supply. As for the question in the OP, I think they are giving examples so the rats go to good homes with humans who will treat the adorable creatures well and not feed them to their boas, not because they are getting a kickback from Walmart. Like rats but allergic to rodents. And one would last about a minute with the Little Girls on the prowl. ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2015, 11:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-picky-donations-wise-should-a-rescue-be/739653/5 "2015-12-06T23:17:20Z")
It sounds to me like they’re just trying to help people out. I’m sure they get tons of calls from people asking about rats (and all the other animals) and one of the first questions is ‘what do I need’/“Oh a bathroom mat? like what kind?” This way there’s a just a check list right there. As for brand specifications, again, I don’t think that’s a requirement as much as it a suggestion from someone that has a lot of experience and knows what works, what doesn’t and what’s not worth spending your money on. If you show up to pick up the rat with an off brand cage that the rat can’t get out of and a bathmat from Bed Bath and Beyond, you’re not going to get turned away. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2015, 11:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-picky-donations-wise-should-a-rescue-be/739653/6 "2015-12-06T23:54:02Z")
Ruh-roh. Rat Rescue! I wouldn’t want any of my donations going to Rat Rescue. I think… ---
**Author:** ![thelurkinghorror](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7c8e57/32.png) [@thelurkinghorror](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thelurkinghorror)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2015, 12:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-picky-donations-wise-should-a-rescue-be/739653/7 "2015-12-07T00:19:21Z")
Wait are they soliciting donations, as I assumed, or telling people what to buy, as others have? Assuming the former: I’d imagine they do this because people use the service to drop off their broken and rusted crap, and they have limited space to store all of it, or limited time to get rid of it. Or some well meaning person buys a “designer” product that is not meant for actual use, or food that is fancy but not nutritional. Looking at the specifics: [ol] [li]The bar material is constructed to avoid trapping of feet or injuries. They know that that brand fits their criterion, but specified a preference, not a need.[/li][li]Strong-scented bedding can cause sneezing. Rat sneezes are adorable, but something that they want to avoid.[/li][li]They don’t want loud-ass creaky wheels. I’ve had a few rats over the years though and they don’t really care for wheels unlike hamsters, and outgrow most of them.[/li][/ol] I’ve seen some very specific lists like this, and I agree that they worst are obnoxious, but I have no problem with this one as it looks like they have a decent justification. And “hammocks”? Are bath mats to collect spillage? Wouldn’t a cat litter mat work better and be less likely to get chewed up? ---
**Author:** ![even\_sven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/dfb087/32.png) [@even\_sven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/even_sven)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2015, 1:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-picky-donations-wise-should-a-rescue-be/739653/8 "2015-12-07T01:54:20Z")
Would you rather they get a bunch of stuff that doesn’t suit their needs and end up throwing it out? A rescue should be as picky as makes sense to them. If they are too open, they are likely to end up with a lot of garbage they can’t use that costs them time and money to deal with. If they are too picky, they won’t get as many donations. It probably doesn’t take a ton of trial and error to figure out the sweet spot. When donating, I think it’s important to keep in mind that the goal of donating isn’t to get a warm fuzzy feeling as efficiently as possible. It’s to serve the recipient’s needs. Sure, it may feel a bit off-putting to get a specific wish list. But if it’s what they need, it’s what they need, and that’s what is important. ---
**Author:** ![boffking](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/858c86/32.png) [@boffking](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/boffking)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2015, 3:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-picky-donations-wise-should-a-rescue-be/739653/9 "2015-12-07T03:02:37Z")
Asking for specific brands makes it sound like an advertisement for those products instead of a charity request. ---
**Author:** ![dropzone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dropzone/32/7515_2.png) [@dropzone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dropzone)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2015, 3:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-picky-donations-wise-should-a-rescue-be/739653/10 "2015-12-07T03:22:59Z")
Be glad you’re not getting a rescue dog or you might have to fence your yard. ---
**Author:** ![tomndebb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b9e5f3/32.png) [@tomndebb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tomndebb)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2015, 3:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-picky-donations-wise-should-a-rescue-be/739653/11 "2015-12-07T03:31:09Z")
Off to IMHO. ---
**Author:** ![tomndebb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b9e5f3/32.png) [@tomndebb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tomndebb)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2015, 3:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-picky-donations-wise-should-a-rescue-be/739653/12 "2015-12-07T03:38:07Z")
> [@Brodi](#): > > I was looking into a rat rescue and saw this: > . . . > Should a rescue specify brand/make of what it wants? Or should they say “cage of A X B X C length,” “food with/without (insert ingredient)”, etc.? If they have already set up a room for the rats that will be passing through, it could be a hassle to simply accept a quantity of assorted odd pieces that would not fit their current layout. Asking for stuff that matches makes sense in reducing waste (and hurt feelings). Specifying food brands means that they can dish out measured amounts without having to re-calculate the amounts for protein, roughage, etc. each time they get a new donation. If they are rude to people who offer non-matching items, then they are out of line. Specifying their needs, up front, simply makes sense. ---
**Author:** ![Rigamarole](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/77aa72/32.png) [@Rigamarole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rigamarole)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2015, 4:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-picky-donations-wise-should-a-rescue-be/739653/13 "2015-12-07T04:16:37Z")
> [@Ethilrist](#): > > Whoa, whoa, whoa. > > Rat Rescue? Yeah, what the hell is a rat rescue? ---
**Author:** ![thelurkinghorror](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7c8e57/32.png) [@thelurkinghorror](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thelurkinghorror)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2015, 4:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-picky-donations-wise-should-a-rescue-be/739653/14 "2015-12-07T04:49:41Z")
> [@Rigamarole](#): > > Yeah, what the hell is a rat rescue? When a mommy rat loves a daddy rat… ---
**Author:** ![gigi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a587f6/32.png) [@gigi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gigi)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2015, 4:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-picky-donations-wise-should-a-rescue-be/739653/15 "2015-12-07T04:55:38Z")
> [@Rigamarole](#): > > Yeah, what the hell is a rat rescue? Like any pet rescue, when someone can’t keep their pet rat for any reason. There’s a rescue for everything! ---
**Author:** ![tomndebb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b9e5f3/32.png) [@tomndebb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tomndebb)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2015, 5:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-picky-donations-wise-should-a-rescue-be/739653/16 "2015-12-07T05:01:18Z")
> [@Rigamarole](#): > > Yeah, what the hell is a rat rescue? There are “rescues” associated with most pets. They are generally individuals or groups to whom a person who needs to abandon a pet can donate that pet while the group seeks out a new owner. Sometimes municipalities will employ them in place of no-kill pet shelters. There are rescue groups for dogs or cats, (or specific breeds), and for reptiles, rodents, rabbits, etc. Pick an animal, (not a dodo or a Siberian tiger), and drop “[animal] rescue” into Google and you should get a number of hits. [reptile rescue](https://www.google.com/search?q=reptile+rescue&oq=reptile+rescue&aqs=chrome..69i57.7086j0j7&sourceid=chrome&es_sm=122&ie=UTF-8) [boxer rescue](https://www.google.com/search?q=reptile+rescue&oq=reptile+rescue&aqs=chrome..69i57.7086j0j7&sourceid=chrome&es_sm=122&ie=UTF-8#safe=off&q=boxer+rescue) [horse rescue](https://www.google.com/search?q=reptile+rescue&oq=reptile+rescue&aqs=chrome..69i57.7086j0j7&sourceid=chrome&es_sm=122&ie=UTF-8#safe=off&q=horse+rescue) [parakeet rescue](https://www.google.com/search?q=reptile+rescue&oq=reptile+rescue&aqs=chrome..69i57.7086j0j7&sourceid=chrome&es_sm=122&ie=UTF-8#safe=off&q=parakeet+rescue) [rat rescue](https://www.google.com/search?q=reptile+rescue&oq=reptile+rescue&aqs=chrome..69i57.7086j0j7&sourceid=chrome&es_sm=122&ie=UTF-8#safe=off&q=rat+rescue) ---
**Author:** ![Rigamarole](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/77aa72/32.png) [@Rigamarole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rigamarole)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2015, 11:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-picky-donations-wise-should-a-rescue-be/739653/17 "2015-12-07T11:44:05Z")
Well, I thought normal animal “rescues” (i.e. dogs/cat shelters) actually went out and caught strays, or at least took in strays that are picked up by animal control. When I read “rat rescue” I got a mental image of people diving in dumpsters to “rescue” disease-ridden rats. Just seems like a weird thing to do for something generally considered a pest animal. But I guess some people do keep them as pets, and that makes sense. Now I wonder if there’s a “cockroach rescue” out there. ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2015, 11:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-picky-donations-wise-should-a-rescue-be/739653/18 "2015-12-07T11:52:33Z")
> [@Rigamarole](#): > > Now I wonder if there’s a “cockroach rescue” out there. If there’s a nuclear war, they’ll be rescuing us! ---
**Author:** ![TruCelt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/trucelt/32/523_2.png) [@TruCelt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TruCelt)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2015, 12:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-picky-donations-wise-should-a-rescue-be/739653/19 "2015-12-07T12:45:37Z")
If you’e never had a pet rat, you can’t imagine how difficult they are to contain. They are smart, to the point of innovative, and incredibly determined. They can hurt themselves in their efforts to explore. A brand that is known to be safe and escape-proof is one to standardize on. Cages that are the same brand can sometimes stack together, and space is the most precious resource for most rescue organizations. Also, availability of replacement parts is a big issue. If you’ve already got extra doors and pans for one brand, you don’t want a bunch of money wasted on other brands for which parts won’t be available a year from now. The same money goes decades further this way. Pet food is a tricky purchase. There is very little regulation, and most pet owners do not do the research to find out what is really best for their pets. These folks have done the research, and know what is best for these animals. Remember this is a rescue, so the animals are coming in unhealthy and possibly malnourished. They need high quality food and supplements with a known nutritional profile so they can bring the animals back up to snuff without having to dig through the ingredients list on a new product, and then try to find specific supplements to fill in any nutritional gaps it might leave. tl:dr - They have good reasons for making those recommendations. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2015, 3:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-picky-donations-wise-should-a-rescue-be/739653/20 "2015-12-07T15:45:58Z")
> [@Bryan\_Ekers](#): > > If there’s a nuclear war, they’ll be \*\*rescuing \*\*us! Bolding mine. You misspelled “eating” there. 🙂 [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-picky-donations-wise-should-a-rescue-be/739653.md?page=2)