About a week ago, I was stopped by a girl on my street to ask me if I'd take her two rats.
I vaguely know her, because I've seen her when Im out on my walks with Dresden; she always wants to come see him, and she lives literally a stone's throw from me.
And recently, I went back to her garden with the dog, because she wanted to give him some treats. At that time, I noticed how untidy her garden was, dog poo everywhere, broken glass, general mess. The men she lived with began telling me how they want a 'dobe/rottie/GSD' puppy, the typical kind of 'want that breed to look tough' kind of guys.

Anyway, she knew from Jon that I took in rats, so she asked me if I'd have her two.

When I went to her house to pick them up, what I found was not good.
The house can only be compared to one of the houses of an animal hoarder show. The conditions were filthy, unlike anything I've ever seen.
There were two tiny kittens laying amongst the debris and various adult cats around. The kittens were riddled with parasites, and seemed lethargic. There was barely a patch of floor that was visible under the trash and clutter.
The litter tray in the corner was crusted with crap. Mould was growing on old food, the whole place was shocking.

The rats were kept in tiny hamster cages, with no huts, bedding or toys. One per cage, one boy and one girl. The girl has a mammary lump, and they're both your typical flabby, dry coated, mite-y rescue rats, but nothing awful.

As I was walking out with the rats, she said 'do you want a cat?'
I have two cats, so I said no. She said her cats didn't get on with this cat, so she was keeping him locked in her toilet. When she brought him out, I saw this gorgeous, purring, affectionate cat who was clearly so happy to be free from his prison. She said 'he still has his bits' in a way that suggested that would be a bonus to me, as if I'd breed from him or something.
When she put him back in that tiny room, it upset me. I went home, but couldn't forget about him.
Jon and I talked, and said we'd take him, even if only temporarily until we found him somewhere, anything to get him out of there.

We picked him up today.
The first thing I did was flea treat him. He also has ear mites, probably worms, and needs to be neutered, so yay vets bills :(
But he's wonderfully affectionate and cuddly. He gets on brilliantly with our cats, has lived with a dog before so should accept Dresden, and eats like a horse.

He has some staining on his coat from living in those conditions, and needs a brush, but he seems otherwise ok.

https://www.facebook.com/media/set/.....p;l=a0fcfb829f

The girl told me today that she is also getting rid of her dog, that her previous dog died of parvo, that one of her past rats killed the other, and that her year old puppy still isn't housebroken, so she just 'rubs her nose in it' when she sees her do it :/
She has also had some children taken away from her.
I could say more but.....I don't need to. You get the idea.

Im hoping in a few weeks when he's back to good health, I can post some improved pics of him!