# An Emins Pouched Rat Story



## Pouchie

In 2002 Jim Collins bred over 30 Emins Pouched Rats which were the last known to be bred in the UK.

Sadly, the other subspecies, the better known Gambian Pouched Rat, flourished in popularity and Emins faded into obscurity.

I personally believe that Emins Pouched Rats are the more docile and also the more exotic of the two species and to me, make better pets. I believe that the Gambian became more popular simply due to their extra size. They tend to grow a little larger and are stockier, so look bigger than an Emins and most people attracted to Pouched Rats have been initially interested due to their large size.

Emins Pouched Rats now face a plight. They are dwindling in captivity and since they have been banned for years in the USA they have died out there. In Europe, there are very few private keepers, about 2 or 3 breeders and 14 individuals listed with ISIS in about 3 zoo collections, a pair of which produces a pup per annum. Worse, the few Emins that exist in Europe are all thought to be related and most are now offspring of a brother sister mating one litter removed. There is a known unrelated female but she too has now been crossed with this German line meaning the gene pool is very limited indeed. Importation from Africa is all but impossible.

Now, back to the UK.

In 2006 a pair were imported from Germany but sadly landed up in a rat rescue in Dundee probably due to the fact that they were not a breeding pair. It is not uncommon for Pouched Rats to pair up and never mate seeing as they naturally only breed in female dominant pairs. The pair were rescued by a couple from Stafford but sadly, the male died due to a congenital heart defect. The female, Mali, then came to me in the hope she could be paired up with a new companion. Mali never did accept a new mate and lived out her days alone before passing away after a short battle with an aggressive cancer.

February 2008. Simons Rodents imported a number of Emins Pouched Rats, mis-identifying them for Gambians. Kololi came to me and her sister went to live with a female Gambian as a pet and is now believed deceased. Another pair also were sold as pets and have since passed away. Shortly after, two males and a female were also imported (not sure if I am allowed to say by whom!) and again were thought to be Gambians. I was pleased to find that these rats too were Emins and paired one of the males, Dingo, up with Kololi. The other pair, Tai & Samori lived together until very recently but sadly never produced any pups.

Dingo & Kololi however produced a female pup in November 2008 and we were overjoyed to have a confirmed breeding pair. Our joy however was short lived as a day or two after the birth, Dingo passed away from a mystery illness. The pup survived until day 8 and shortly after, our beloved Kololi also suddenly died. Necropy results returned nothing. All they did was confirm that she was in superb health and there was no indicator of cause of death.

Later came Lakota & Fox. This pair are believed to have been imported with Kololi, sold on and later returned to the broker. They turned out to be a pair of females and sadly, Fox was also lost to illness after she went into torpor and could not be revived.
We avoided near disaster later in the year when our only remaining male, Tai, also went into torpor but thankfully made a full recovery.

Lakota was joined by Tai and Samori but the trio produced no known pups despite signs of pregnancy.

2009/2010 

Marie (Ratatouille) imports a young male named Justus representing the German lines and although from a small gene pool, it seemed like the only hope to part with my precious foundation animals and join forces with Marie in the hope that Justus would produce with the girls and Tai, as the only known pure male anywhere, could then be tried with Justus’ daughters in order to widen out the captive gene pool.

I hope our experience of this species gets out there. We take our Emins to educational displays and shows in the vain hope somebody somewhere might know of more individuals that could potentially join our breeding programme. WE ARE DESPERATE for more individuals in order to build a diverse population of this species. I have been hunting for years and trying to breed for years, to no avail. 

However, after all this time, patience has finally paid off. We have some superb news and hope this Emins story will have a happy ending over the course of the next couple of years.

I will hand over to Marie to give the latest news























Thanks for reading : victory:


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## Ratatouille

Pouchie brought Lakota and Samori on Sunday 4th April and I am glad to say that they had both been sucessfully introduced to Justus by Wednesday 7th April 2010. They seemed very happy living as a trio.

On 15th April (Thursday) I witnessed Justus and Lakota mating. And on 30th April, he mated with Samori.

I had worked out that if the first mating had been successful, the babies would have been due around now, so you can imagine my surprise when I heard squeaking on Friday evening 7th May 2010. I thought it was too early, but am now wondering if the gestation period of the Emins is similar to that of Fancy Rats as the pups were born between 22 - 30 days, either after they were first introduced, or after the subsequent mating which I witnesses.

The first sight I got of one of the pups was not very nice, I saw Samori eating it in the litter pan. I was not sure who had given birth at this stage, but knew that I had to do something. So I put my hand in to take Samori out to place her into a spare cage. As she is not used to me, I received a nasty bite, but my first concern was for the babies. The I looked into the nest and saw Lakota lying with two more pups, so my injury had been worth it. These babies were so important and precious, that we have been walking on eggshells since the birth









The morning after the 8th May 2010, there was still squeaking, which was a good sign :2thumb:









We first handled them at 8 days old, as we had to respect Lakota, and give her time to form a bond with the babies. She had already started to form a bond with me before the birth, but I did not want to push it with such a precious litter.:notworthy:









On the 9th day, Lakota came out to freerange for the first time since the birth. She also began to carry the pups around the cage, I saw her trying to pouch one of them in order to carry it, but of course it was too big, so she ended up getting hold of it gently around its body from the back.

Day 10 was rather hair raising, as I woke up to find one of the pups in her potty. My first thought was that it was dead, I was so shocked. Luckily when I picked it up, I realised that it was still warm and breathing. I had not thought of this danger, as there was only a tiny bit of water in the bottom of the bowl, but needless to say, there is now NO water that the pups could find their way into. I quickly made sure that its face was dry and its mouth clear, then placed it back onto Lakota's side (she was feeding her other pup) She seemed a bit surprised, but immediately started to wash it, and then it joined in on the feeding session. I am still not sure if the pup had wandered there by itself, or if Lakota had put it there. The only thing I am sure of, is that I am so fortunate to have gone to look at the right moment. 

I have taken a few more photos, and one of each from beneath, and we are so lucky to have a little girl and a little boy, just what we had been hoping for to continue the breeding programme (not together of course) : victory:


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## amylls

Well done it has taken a long time hope they keep doing well.: victory:
And i know you will want to keep a lot of the little one's but i hope in the future i will get the offer of a little girl to put to my boy :flrt: pleeeaaasssseeee.


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## Loderuna

Huge congrats! I'm so glad your efforts have produced such positive results! :no1::notworthy:

I hope the pups continue to do well!


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## Pouchie

amylls said:


> Well done it has taken a long time hope they keep doing well.: victory:
> And i know you will want to keep a lot of the little one's but i hope in the future i will get the offer of a little girl to put to my boy :flrt: pleeeaaasssseeee.


 
Hi. 

Are you Amy thats got Max? If so, did you ever find out about his parentage for us?


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## Pouchie

Loderuna said:


> Huge congrats! I'm so glad your efforts have produced such positive results! :no1::notworthy:
> 
> I hope the pups continue to do well!


 
Thanks :2thumb:

Marie is doing a superb job :no1:


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## amylls

Pouchie said:


> Hi.
> 
> Are you Amy thats got Max? If so, did you ever find out about his parentage for us?


Yes its me! I didnt find out any more than i already told you back then thats all the info i could get from where i got him.But after some browsing think its very unlikely thats even true.


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## Ratatouille

amylls said:


> Yes its me! I didnt find out any more than i already told you back then thats all the info i could get from where i got him.But after some browsing think its very unlikely thats even true.


pm'd you Amy


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## sizedoesn'tmatter

Congratulations! Keeping everything crossed for the revival of this species in captivity : victory:


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## Pouchie

Thanks Helen. Me too :2thumb::2thumb:


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## x_firefly_x

I think the work you two are doing to try and revive this species is amazing, I really hope it works out for you, personally I I think they are lovely and much prefer the Emins to Gambians  You may have already done this but have you tried speaking to all the vet schools and see if they know of any anywhere?


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## Nicky10

You guys are doing an amazing job. Keep up the good work and hopefully they can increase in number


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## Shell195

What gorgeous babies, Congratulations:no1:


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## Pouchie

Thanks all and thankyou for the suggestion Firefly :2thumb:

We have tried a number of Colleges and private & public Zoos plus checked with the organisation who keep records of where each species are in what numbers. Have also checked with a number of people who were involved with the species years ago but have turned up zippo.

Apart from what we have managed with our remaining 4 Emins so far, the only other active private breeder we know of is in Europe and we are working with them. Sadly though, their male is brother to Justus so both actively breeding males are inbred (sorry to use that horrible word!)

You can see the anguish I have been going through having had 7 to work with and the only combination that worked, died straight after the first birth.

The fact they were banned so long ago in America couple with the fact importation from the wild (Africa) is banned - we really do appear to have to work with what we have got. There HAVE to be more out there somewhere!


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## Rie xx

Isn't justus inbred?????:whistling2:


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## Pouchie

Rie xx said:


> Isn't justus inbred?????:whistling2:





Pouchie said:


> Sadly though, their male is brother to Justus so both actively breeding males are inbred


If you read the thread properly you'll see there is only one 'known' pure male. Tai. 

Its a choice between working with the gene pool we've got in the hope more turn up or quit altogether and forget about keeping Emins in captivity.


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## Ratatouille

Some more pics of the bubs :notworthy:


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## x_firefly_x

Those babies are simply gorgeous!!! :flrt::flrt: I really hope they do well and grow up healthy little ratties 

Just a thought, as odd as this might sound, have you tried youtube? There are a few videos on there of peoples pet emins pouched rats, would it be worth seeing how many people have them and getting in contact with the users that posted the videos to see if they either still have their rats or know anyone that does or can remember where they got theirs from? Probably a long shot I know but thought I'd mention it(sorry if I'm just repeating something you have already tried!)


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## Pouchie

Again, its a cracking idea but all those videos on YT are either mine or ones who were kept as pets in America and have since passed away .

If anyone finds a video of an Emins thats NOT Mali, Dingo, Fox, Tai, Samori, Lakota, Kololi, Justus, Matisse, Stormy or Gambit I'd be grateful for a heads up! :no1:


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## x_firefly_x

Pouchie said:


> Again, its a cracking idea but all those videos on YT are either mine or ones who were kept as pets in America and have since passed away .
> 
> If anyone finds a video of an Emins thats NOT Mali, Dingo, Fox, Tai, Samori, Lakota, Kololi, Justus, Matisse, Stormy or Gambit I'd be grateful for a heads up! :no1:


Thats a shame...I'll keep an eye out for any that aren't those though  And best of luck with the wee babies you have :2thumb:


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## Komodo32

Ladies...After reading this all I can say is....:notworthy:

Keep up the good work!


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## Ratatouille

Just a piccy of the injury I received while rescuing these bubs


















Antibiotics course finishes tomorrow :mf_dribble:


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## Loderuna

OMG -that's a SERIOUS bite!!!! :notworthy: Here's where we get the question: are you committed to your cause or should you just be committed!!! :gasp:


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## Ratatouille

Loderuna said:


> OMG -that's a SERIOUS bite!!!! :notworthy: Here's where we get the question: are you committed to your cause or should you just be committed!!! :gasp:


Perhaps both :lol2:


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## Stacey010884

Wow! That bite looks horrendous! Well done for accepting such a bad bite for this cause! It's really sad to read the struggle to keep this species going in captivity but I'm so glad you're persevering! Congratulations on these two gorgeous little babies! :2thumb:

The "sudden deaths" are really strange though. It's really unfortunate that they were banned in the US as if they weren't there may be some information on that sad and strange occurrence.

Why are they banned in the States?


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## Fixx

Stacey010884 said:


> Wow! That bite looks horrendous! Well done for accepting such a bad bite for this cause! It's really sad to read the struggle to keep this species going in captivity but I'm so glad you're persevering! Congratulations on these two gorgeous little babies! :2thumb:
> 
> The "sudden deaths" are really strange though. It's really unfortunate that they were banned in the US as if they weren't there may be some information on that sad and strange occurrence.
> 
> *Why are they banned in the States?*


Monkeypox.


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## amylls

They are not banned now though,its only import or export of them that banned


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## Stacey010884

Ahhh... that's why there's no ban. If they've died out in the US and you can't import them then there are no resident Emins to ban.

Just looked at Monkeypox on Wiki.... yikes!


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## amylls

Yeah i think someone need to go to africa on a little smuggling holiday :lol2:
They have plenty of them and still sell hundreds every month just as bushmeat!


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## Stacey010884

I saw those markets on TV. It's terrible what you see there! I know they have to eat and I know they have to make a living but so much loss of life, such a huge sacrifice... they shouldn't be on a dinner plate.


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## seska

Wow Emins babies i didn't realise there was more than one owner of them in the UK.

I know i haven't bred or anything so you'll probably tell me to keep my nose out but i've read the info about Apopo's breeding program and they take pregnant females out did you not know she was pregnant to have left her in with the male and other female? What are the signs that they are pregnant? Suppose if its hard to tell then you wouldn't of known

Congratulations and hope they survive this time and hope your wrist heals soon.


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## Ratatouille

We did not think she was due for at least another week, that was IF she was pregnant, so the birth came as a bit of a shock. Believe me, I would have split them had I known. And we have also decided that we will not be keeping trios together in future. The breeder in Germany leaves the father in to help rear the pups.

I thought Apopo bred in trios, and took the females out and put them in the nursery with their babies, and then replace her with another female. I am not sure if they take them out before they give birth or after, I will have to check up on that :2thumb:

Today is day 13 and Kapuki the little girl has started to escape from the nest, much to the annoyance of Lakota :gasp:


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## Ratatouille

Two weeks old yesterday, just putting videos on youtube :2thumb:

















And our other female Samori is also looking very rotund, so we are hoping that she may also be pregnant :whistling2:


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## marthaMoo

They are just perfection!

Many congratulations!!


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## Pouchie

wow!!! The pups are looking adorable and Samori definitely looks heavily pregnant :no1: :notworthy::flrt:


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## Ratatouille

I keep boiling the water and have the towels ready :lol2:
No, seriously, she could be due any time this next week if my calculations are right, based on the gestation period of Lakota. :whistling2:


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## Stacey010884

Lovely pics! Emins colouring is gorgeous!

Beautiful ickle ones and stunning adults! Can't wait for news on Samori and more pics! :2thumb:


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## Ratatouille

Samori is still keeping us guessing :whistling2:

Kapuki was trying to wash herself in Kaz's hand this morning and kept stratching her ear. The ears are due to open any day now, and then we should see their beautiful eyes. They are also starting to mouth us now, so time to start the whistle training : victory:


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## Ratatouille

The little boy Kito trying to wash himself. He is 18 days old today :2thumb:

YouTube - Kito trying to wash himself


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## marthaMoo

:flrt:That is possibly one of the cutest things I have ever seen. 
I am just totally smitten with them all.


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## Ratatouille

His eyes may not be open, but he can certainly open his mouth :lol2:

YouTube - Kito's first apple


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## Ratatouille

Babies will be 4 weeks old tomorrow, and their eyes have just opened :flrt:

YouTube - Baby Emins almost 4 weeks old


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## Shell195

Ratatouille said:


> Babies will be 4 weeks old tomorrow, and their eyes have just opened :flrt:
> 
> YouTube - Baby Emins almost 4 weeks old


 
What gorgeous animals they are, excellent videos. Im totally in love with them:flrt:


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## Ratatouille

Kito and Kapuki have just gone into their own little cage to give mum a rest. Their eyes are now open fully and the are eating, drinking and washing themselves, but will keep a close eye on them and Lakota to see that neither are getting stressed, but it is all looking good at the moment


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## Ratatouille

YouTube - Baby Emins pouched rats play fighting.


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## Stacey010884

The videos are fantastic! They're getting so big! Adorable! Well done with these two, brilliant job! :notworthy:


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## Ratatouille

They have now gone into the cage they will stay in for the next two weeks until Pouchie collects them. They are very good bar chewers already LOL


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## sam gamgee

*Smiley!!!!*

What an interesting and really nice story:notworthy:.......only read the initial post, try to read rest later.


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## Stacey010884

Aww! I'm really hoping that with all your efforts the breeding program will be successful and the numbers gradually increase! Already going in the right direction! :2thumb:


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## Ratatouille

Stacey010884 said:


> Aww! I'm really hoping that with all your efforts the breeding program will be successful and the numbers gradually increase! Already going in the right direction! :2thumb:


Thank you, your well wishes are appreciated :notworthy:


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## Stacey010884

Thank YOU! Sharing the plight of these lovely animals and updating us on the progress you've all been making has been appreciated! :notworthy:

I'll definately be keeping my eye on Emins. If I'm lucky enough I might one day even be able to try and contribute when I have a house and sources abroad to help import new lines. :2thumb:


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## Ratatouille

They look like proper little Emins now, they will be 5 weeks old this Friday :2thumb:

YouTube - Baby Emins eating


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## Stacey010884

GAH! So CUTE!

Emins, I'm coming to get you! Stacey's gonna spirit you away for love and huggles! <3


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## Pouchie

Here are Kito & Kapuki, now with me, ready to be paired with unrelated Emins when mature. They have taken the move really really well and are very settled. Here they are:





































and video of me playfighting with Kito YouTube - Kito & Kapuki the Emins Pouched Rats


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## Pouchie

One of the girls, Samori, also came home to be reunited with my male Tai who she lived with for two years but never bred with. We hope that Samori is pregnant by Marie's male and that she may even breed with Tai now. If not she will be tried with Kito when he is mature.

I filmed Samori's reunion with Tai after her little holiday with Justus and here are some photos of them curled up asleep together again:




























and video: YouTube - Tai & Samori Reunited


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## Ratatouille

Everything has gone so well up to now, lets hope it continues to do so for the future of our beloved Emins :2thumb:


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## Ratatouille

Lakota and Justus are proud parents once again. Lakota started to give birth at about 10am this morning, with Justus sleeping beside her in the nest. He is still in there with his family. I am not sure how many babies she has had, but there are at least two. Now, just hoping that they are as healthy as Kito and Kapuki :2thumb:: victory::no1:


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## Pouchie

This is such good news and even MORE good news - Samori is currently looking like this...


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## Loderuna

Wow! There's no stopping them now!


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## Pouchie

With the help of Justus that is :lol2:

We still don't know what HAS been happening up til now - there is a chance Tai could be sterile or it is possible that Samori could have been destroying litters which seems a strong possibility seeing as Marie caught her starting to eat Lakota's pups. 

Just hope that Samori raises these pups and that Tai is able to pass his genes on in due course.


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## Ratatouille

Justus has not changed personality at all after the birth, he is still the loving rat I have always known and was licking and playing with me this morning. Lakota came out of the nest for her porridge and I saw that there are three babies, so she has had triplets again







Will get photos at the first opportunity. Lakota also got hold of my finger and tried to pull it into the nest. I think she is just being friendly, but our bond needs to be stronger before I chance putting my hand into her nest at such an early stage. Again, I will not be touching the babies until they are a week old. They are too precious to chance her destroying them because of something I have done wrong









So hoping for three more healthy Emins now


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## Ratatouille

Justus is a super dad, got a few pics just now and he can be seen washing the babies while Lakota relaxes :2thumb:


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## Ratatouille

The pups are four days old today, and their squeaks are getting louder and louder. Again Lakota is being a perfect mother, and Justus is a model father. I should be able to handle them in a few days and find out what sex they are :2thumb:


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## Pouchie

keep up the good work :notworthy:


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## Stacey010884

Oh wow! Well done! They're doing brilliantly! Congratulations!! :2thumb:


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## Ratatouille

Gave a clean bed to the little family last night and got a quick look at the babies, am almost certain that we have one boy and two girls :2thumb:


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## Stacey010884

Awww... I can't wait to move out, even though it's looking at least five years away from now, so I can beg you for an Emin! Justus is such a handsome lad and Lakota a pretty girlie. :flrt:


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## Pouchie

I think we may have a nice big healthy population by five years time :no1:

Things are going really well, we may have some more exciting news shortly :whistling2:


I can't believe I struggled for such a long time with NO results. Lost pup, lost breeding pair, other lost adults, phantom pregnancies, failed pregnancies and then Justus & Marie came along :notworthy:
It is exciting to see things looking up for my favourite species on earth ever :2thumb:


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## Ratatouille

It is our pleasure are they are my favourite creature too :2thumb:

Can't believe that they will be a week old tomorrow and it will be time to handle them daily :no1:


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## Pouchie

*cross posting from ekf*

Tragic News.

On Thursday evening Tai fell into torpor. We followed exactly the same measures as before and he started to respond in exactly the same way. He came around slowly with a heatmat and with honey rubbed in his mouth - he was quite responsive by the time I fell asleep. His whiskers were twitching occassionally and his breathing was erratic but deeper. We did not panic and waited for a full recovery. Sadly it never came - Tai passed away during the night.

There is no need to explain how devastating this loss is to me personally having lost a much loved pet of 2 years but also to the species considering that Tai was one of just three known unrelated individuals and never bred.

It hasn't sunk in with me yet but it just feels like another dip on the rollercoaster of working with Emins. 

Each time a new rat has been acquired or a pup born, there has been a huge step backward due to this mystery condition.

_________________________

Yesterday I took Tai's body to Dr Roy Earle of Amicus in Birmingham for a necropsy.

I cannot speak to Roy personally until Tuesday but having had an update from other staff, the results were futile yet again. Roy could see no reason at all for Tai having gone into torpor. He confirmed that Tai had food in his stomach and was in good health. We are deciding whether it is worth sending anything for further histology tests.

The only thing worth mentioning is Tai's age. Roy was unable to estimate his age but we know for sure he was over 3 and feel more likely 6 - 7 years old. His coat was greying and his teeth were in a condition I would expect from an old animal - compared to Mali who we knew to be 4.5 but with no grey fur or sign of aging, it seems likely he was getting on a bit. This might explain why he never bred and why he was unable to recover from torpor this time but it doesn't explain what causes torpor.


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## Loderuna

Sorry to hear your sad news. From the sound of it, old age caught up with him. Let's hope the recent breeding success continues without any more setbacks.


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## Ratatouille

We are devasted to lose Tai, but it seems he was an old man. This still does not make it any easier though.

A few updated photos of the new little lives to try to cheer us up a bit :notworthy:


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## Pouchie

*exciting announcement!!!!!!!!!*

Well!! This is going to be the longest thread in the history of man









The old Emins rollercoaster is back uphill. We are pleased to announce the arrival of a new male on UK soil
















Just one week ago , Foreverhams (







) gave me a tipoff about a male Emins advertised for sale in Germany.

A pet keeper had decided to sell her male for breeding realising how few there were in captivity. Her female had died so she was pleased for Clooney to come to the UK and potential mates.

Marie liased with the courier and seller and arranged for Clooney to be delivered to me for pairing up with Samori and ultimately Kapuki.

I am pleased to say that Clooney , after having been scheduled to arrive at 6pm last night which then turned into midnight, then 2am then finally 6am , arrived safe and sound.

Needless to say I didn't get much sleep so feeling a bit worn out right now but very excited!!!!

He is in Samori's cage (she is in a different room) and getting very excited about her scent! He seemed to settle immediately and travelled incredibly well. Took great interest in Odie (RGS) who is next door to him and the feeling was mutual LOL Was very cute.

Pics to follow very shortly of course.


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## Loderuna

That's great news - congrats on the new arrival and I hope heperforms well :blush:


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## Ratatouille

His full name is George Clooney, so he should be quite a stud :2thumb:


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## Pouchie

Here's Clooney!!!

He likes it on my head LOL - he climbs all over us and has been licking Jay already!


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## Ratatouille

I do not care what you say, but he does remind me of Justus : victory:


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## Ratatouille

All the pups are growing well, and here is a pic of Lakota having a hard time with them :lol2:










and teaching them where the litter tray is:


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## Pouchie

Some good news and some very bitter news.

After trying Samori with Clooney we were very surprised at her reaction to him. She was very frightened even though he showed no interest. he sniffed at her and proceeded to ignore her.

Samori has been very reclusive since she was at Marie's and we feel there is a good chance she isn't well which is why Clooney showed no interest.

It is a desperate decision to have to make but we have decided to retire her. it would mean a lot to the foundation if she went on to breed but the fact is she is at least over 3 years old and could be even more than that. We have had our chance with two different males and feel we now have to call it a day and accept thats another line lost.

Samori's health comes first and we will be taking her for a quick vet checkup as a precaution just to make sure there isnt anything wrong with her.

_______________________________________

On a brighter note, Kapuki was introduced to Clooney and the two hit it off with great success!!

They are currently in a cage together getting on just fine leaving Kito to await the arrival of Isoke toward the end of August.


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## Ratatouille

Hope Samori is just showing her age, but as you say, she must be retired now no matter how much her blood line is needed. Out rats are pets foremost, and the breeding takes second place, even though it is so important for the species.

Go for it Clooney, you have a lovely little lady there in Kapuki :2thumb::no1:


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## lushlily

aww them rats look really cute i have a few rats myself but i were told they are dumbo rats i think im gettin 2 naked females today i wish i cud get some of these lil cuties and breed them to bring up thier numbers thats bad that a breed of rat is faiding away


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## Pouchie

It is sad that breeders have focussed on Gambians and I've been struggling alone on the Emins but they ARE stable in the wild - as far as we know its only the captive population thats thin on the ground and the wild status is ok for now although they are hunted for bushmeat (

Marie & I will in due course get a number of zoo's on board so that will help to secure an insurance population for the wild. 


Also, just to say it isnt just Emins Pouched Rats. Many species get lots of attention from breeders then are dropped en mass when they fall out of popularity. This can result in a species disappearing but thankfully we can usually import more from Europe and get numbers back up again. 

The Short Tailed Opossum is a good example of this. They have received neough attention and now there are very few males to be found in the UK.

Even African Pygmy Dormice all but disappeared not so long back. 

Sorry to go off topic !


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## Pouchie

Here is a Video of the new pair meeting for the first time! YouTube - Clooney and Kapuki Meeting For The First Time.AVI


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## Ratatouille

Awww, how Kapuki has grown :2thumb:

I would also now like to introduce Max, who with the kind consent of Amy (Amylis) will soon be joining in with the breeding program and hopefully become a daddy himself. We are just waiting until we have a suitable female for him : victory:

Max


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## amylls

Thats ma baby x.
Still aint managed to get pics up myself yet! it just dont work for me:blush:


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## Pouchie

Now Kito is alone and awaiting his mate aswell he has got a couple of playmates to keep him company for a few weeks.

YouTube - Kito and pals.AVI


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## Ratatouille

The babies are now 2 weeks old :2thumb:


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## Pouchie

Update:

Wulfred will now be staying with Ratatouille, Isoke comes to me and Ayisha is going to Amy & Max to form another unrelated pair.

Kapuki from the first litter has already started mating with Clooney, the imported male :no1:


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## Ratatouille

Yes Kaz is now bonding with Wulfred, and he will eventually be paired up with a female and we will have 2 breeding pairs here :2thumb:

Here are photos of little Ayisha I took last night for Amy to show to Max :flrt::lol2:

































It is always hard to part with any of the babies, but we know that it is inevitable


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## amylls

Yeah when max wakes up i'll show him the pics an let you know what he says! :lol2:


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## Pouchie

Just a quick reality check. 

Here is a study carried out on Africa's Bushmeat Trade and contained within is a mention of our Emins Pouched Rats, and how hunted they are in certain areas: http://www.4apes.com/bushmeat/report/bushmeat.pdf

Here is the relevant excerpt:

*7.2.6 Local use of specific species*
In Korup, Cameroon, Infield (198 recorded that
the majority of carcasses retained for consumption
were either small, e.g. two-spotted palm civet, or
highly flavoured, eg. pangolin. Muchaal and
Ngandjui (1995) in the Dja region of Cameroon
found that duikers, pigs and porcupines were the ​
species most often sold, while Emin’s rat (_Cricetomys emini_) 

was always consumed. It is of concern that in some areas species that are not 
consumed or sold are still shot, e.g. genets(​_Genneta servalina_) in the Odzala National Park​


(Dethier, 1995b). 

_________________________​ 

Emins are listed as stable with IUCN redlist and were last assessed in 2008 but the justifications are 'presumed' large population and their wide distribution. Plus they occur in protected areas. Lets hope their wild population continues to do well despite the hunting. :2thumb:​


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## Ratatouille

23 days old, eyes have just opened

























Still feeding off mummy :2thumb:


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## Ratatouille

YouTube - Emins babies 23 days old

YouTube - Wulfred and Ayisha.


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## Nix

My gut instinct would be that I would never have thought of keeping an Emins as a pet but this story is making me change my mind! They are looking great, growing like weeds!


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## Ratatouille

Just taken some pics to update the thread:

Wulfred 'Ollie'
This image is reduced by 38%, click it to view full size.


Ayisha
This image is reduced by 38%, click it to view full size.


Isoke - who has decided she wants her own bed








This image is reduced by 38%, click it to view full size.


And these babies are chewers GRRRRRRRRRRRRRR
This image is reduced by 38%, click it to view full size.


Justus









Lakota


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## amylls

I wondered where this thread had gone! 
An nibblers........time to b&q it!:lol2:


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## Ratatouille

amylls said:


> I wondered where this thread had gone!
> An nibblers........time to b&q it!:lol2:


Things have been quiet as I lost Merlin, and still getting over it 

Have you noticed that your little girl is the lazy bones :lol2:


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## amylls

Ratatouille said:


> Things have been quiet as I lost Merlin, and still getting over it
> 
> Have you noticed that your little girl is the lazy bones :lol2:


Its hard sometimes but thats what animals do to us.
Yeah she looks so cute like that:flrt: at least if she is real lazy she wont be much of a nibbler!


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## Kare

Sorry to show my ignorance but what type of pouched rat is used for the Hero Rat mine/TB detection thing?


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## Pouchie

Kare said:


> Sorry to show my ignorance but what type of pouched rat is used for the Hero Rat mine/TB detection thing?


 
Hi, APOPO use Gambian Pouched Rats although some look remarkably like Emins, APOPO maintain that they only use Gambians and every so often collect from the wild to introduce new bloodlines to keep their gene pools diverse.


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## clob91

wow, its amazing what you are doing here.

can't wait to see what happens down the line:flrt::flrt::notworthy:


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## Ratatouille

Just thought I would share this video of the babies having breakfast this morning, and photos of the aftermath LOL

YouTube - Baby Emins breakfast LOL


















And thank you clob91 : victory:


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## clob91

Ratatouille said:


> Just thought I would share this video of the babies having breakfast this morning, and photos of the aftermath LOL
> 
> YouTube - Baby Emins breakfast LOL


looks like they love their food xD


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## Ratatouille

More good news, four young females have arrived on British soil today. One will be paired with Wulfred (Ollie) and one with Kito who is at Caroline's. The other two will await future males being born. Things are looking good again :2thumb:


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## Loderuna

That's fantastic news! :2thumb:


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## Pouchie

GO GO Operation Emini :2thumb::2thumb::2thumb::2thumb:


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## Ratatouille

All four girls are lovely. Ollie now has just one girl in with him. She is the one with the scratch on her back, as last night when I let them all freerange, she kept coming up to us on the bed, and was following me around at one point. Seems she has picked us. Now she is in with Ollie and we are waiting to see if they bond. If they do, then she will be the one to stay here. The trio did not work as the two girls did not seem to like each other, they even started to box each other when they were freeranging last night, so it is probably a dominance issue. She may have been the one who inflicted the wounds on poor 'Scratch' - this is her nickname at present, as none of the girls had been named by the breeder, and the one who stays here will be called 'Kia'

I would like to thank Steve (tarantulabarn) for bringing them over from Hamm for us, and also Shirley and Eddie who offered to do the pick up from Manchester for me as they were coming to see us on Sunday anyway for Kaz's birthday. Thank you everyone!

Now for what you will be waiting for - piccies!!!!


























































































And a little video:

YouTube - Emins girls from Germany


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## Pouchie

Update!

We are now up to 14 individuals.

Marie has two pairs (Justus & Lakota, Ollie & Kia)

I have a pair and a trio (Kito & Mallawi, Clooney, Kapuki & Isoke)
plus older female, Samori.

Amy has a pair (Max & Ayisha)

Steve has a female awaiting mate

and kodakira have just agreed to join us and take a German female awaiting mate so lets hope some males are born soon :2thumb:

Our little breeding programme is showing loads of potential and Marie & I are thrilled with support from Amy, Steve & Neil/Debra which means we don't have the panic of all these special ratties in just two locations - we now have the safety net of 5 locations.

All pairs are currently unrelated so we stand as good a chance as any of building a healthy population :no1:

Now all we have to do is wait for all these girls to mature


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## Shell195

I think I have just fallen in love:flrt::flrt:


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## Ratatouille

Ollie with his new girlfrend Kia :2thumb:


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## Ratatouille

* Some very sad news I'm afraid - one of the girls from Germany 'Frauline' has passed away at Caroline's. She was the one who was very highly strung and we think that the stress of all the travelling and new homes has taken its toll. She stopped eating but was enjoying cuddles off Jay. RIP my sweet girl *


All the three other girls seem fit and well, and are settling into their new homes


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## Heather_8

I was wondering if you are going to be selling any of the babies. If so how much?


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## Pouchie

Hi Heather :welcome:

If all goes well and we can get more of the foundation pairs breeding , the plan is to pair them up and pass them on long term loan to other commited keepers who would like to take part in their breeding programme. 

I should think it will be a long while before they are abundant enough to be sold as pets again like they once were.

Gambian Pouched Rats used to be 'worth' circa £200 but as with all exotic species, their 'value' (cringe) waxes and wains with their popularity. I spent about £350 on one of my Emins, £125 on some others and the rest have been free. Marie has imported from Europe which doesn't really relate to here and we are working with the German breeder so not sure how much they would normally charge if they were to sell one as a pet.

Hope this helps.


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## Ratatouille

Things are not going too well. We lost dear Lakota on 29.03.2012, so now Justus is on his own awaiting the return of Destiny off Steve (tatantulabarn) so that we can have a last attempt at breeding from him. Justus will be four this year.

Justus's son Ollie is with a girl from Germany Kia, and they had their first litter on 31st March 2012. Sadly none of the four babies survived. They are with Adrian, and will be staying with him to see if they will breed again.

So things are getting a bit desperate to say the least :-(


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## Ratatouille

Please could everyone say a prayer today for the safe arrival of Destiny. She is being brought up by a courier, and just been informed that she is not looking too good. She is the last chance for our breeding programme, and such a sweet girl. Justus is here waiting for her


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## PresqueVu

Been following this thread - wishing you all the luck in the world. Hope to hear good news from you : victory:


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## Loderuna

I hope she gets to you ok - got my fingers crossed!


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## Ratatouille

Just had a call off the courier, as he was worried he took Destiny to one of the vet's he uses on the runs. She is a lot better now, but the vet has kept her in on a drip, he thinks it could have been a slight stroke from which he thinks she will make a full recovery. Steve will pick her up and bring her over to us when he gets the ok off the vet maybe in the net day or two  So please keep your fingers crossed for her


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## feorag

How very worrying that must all be for you. I do hope she does make a full recovery.

It seems such a shame that breeding should prove so difficult. :sad:


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## Ratatouille

Still no news, I am so depressed


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## feorag

Oh dear, you must be so worried.


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## Ratatouille

I am


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## Pouchie

clutching at straws here but any more news at all marie? 

Starting to fear the worst


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## Ratatouille

Me too Caz, I just feel like giving up on everything right now


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## feorag

I know what that feels like, but try not to get downhearted.

Try and wait until there is definitely bad news before you start to give up! :sad:


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## Ratatouille

Just been told that she is on the mend, and now awaiting further news.


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## feorag

There you are, you see! :2thumb:

Now you can be optimistic - hopefully!! Certainly about her!


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## Ratatouille

Had a text to say that Destiny is now back with Steve on the van, but it is now showing on the tracking map as being back down in London. He told me that this rat does not travel well, which probably caused the illness in the first place, so why is she still going round the country? 

I just want her here


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## feorag

Oh gosh I hope she's OK. Don't you have a mobile number to contact Steve to ask him when he's delivering her.

Actually surely he should have contacted you to tell you that he had her and when he would be delivering her???


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## Ratatouille

No news, nothing


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## MissLongwhiskers

poor Destiny  I hope she gets to you asap. 
my vet uses a different practice for consults and operations and when one of my fancys goes in for a lump removal, even though the lady who drives the animal ambulance is a wonderful lady and they don't travel more than 20 miles, i still worry myself sick that they are going to find the journey between the vetinary practices stressful. 
hopefully Destiny won't be too stressed out and soon settles down again when she (finally) gets home.
keep us posted - she's such a stunning girl i wouldn't be surprised if the courier had fallen in love with her and wants to keep her for himself..


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## Ratatouille

Just had a message off Tony that Destiny is alive and well, and will be delivered on the May run. I am just so pleased that she is OK. I do not know what has gone wrong with the communication, but at least now I can start to relax. All I can think is that Steve may have been using out old phone number. I gave him the new one in a text, but maybe he did not update it.


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## feorag

So where actually is she?

I hope she's OK - there seems to be so much hingeing on her safety! :sad:


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## Ratatouille

Have been told that she is recovering with Steve.


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## x Sarah x

As much as i like Steve, this isn't the first story i've heard of him failing to keep in contact when an animal has been kept in transit for much longer than it was first said to be... :?

Hope shes ok.x


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## Ratatouille

All this has happened because of our poor mobile reception, and the fact that Steve still had our old landline number. Just hope that now things can settle down, and all this because I asked for prayers for my beautiful sick girl  who is thankfully now well on her way to a full recovery thanks to the treatment she received :2thumb:


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## MissLongwhiskers

hopefully she's being spoiled rotten, snuggled up in a toasty fleece with a rattie sized plate full of yorkshire puddings, roast tatties and peas. lol 
i know what you mean about mobile phone reception - mine's been awful for months too - it's probably because of the bad weather.
i'm so glad that Destiny will be with you soon - i can't wait to see photos


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## feorag

The mobile reception at the wildlife sanctuary where I work is very poor and I can only speak to someone if I walk out into the car park. Within the sanctuary's grounds, in the tearoom and in my boss's house I cannot get a good signal *BUT *I can and do receive texts!!


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## Ratatouille

Sometimes our mobiles do not work at all here, depending on what part of the house we are in. The reason is that the coverage line goes straight through the middle of our home, we were shown a map at a mobile phone shop. 

This coupled with the fact that Steve had not got our new landline number on his phone is the cause of all the problems. 

Everything is sorted now and I would like to *publicly apologise to tarantulabarn *for any ill feeling that has occurred. I would have coped with the whole incident better if I had not already been in a deep depression caused by ATOS :devil:


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