Often, rats that come into the NZRR are not suitable for re-homing, due to special care requirements. These rats can be given ‘Sanctuary Rat Status’, as decided by the NZRR board.

A rat can become a sanctuary rat for a number of reasons, including longterm health issues that need monitering, aggression problems with other rats or people, old age, or even simply that the rat has been with the rescue for such a long time that it has become settled, and we feel that it would be unfair to rehome it at such a late stage. Other sanctuary rats may have nothing wrong with their health or temperament, but have passed through the rescue more than once. In these cases, it is often kinder to have the rat become a Sanctuary Rat, rather than putting s/he up for adoption again.

Sanctuary Rats are looked after and cared for as we would our own rats, reflecting the level of care they require. They recieve plenty of love and attention, with all their needs and social requirements catered for. They are placed with a foster centre in most cases, where they can settle in long term without having to be shifted to another care giver.

The NZRR aims to have all Sanctuary Rats individually sponsered at $15 per month. This is to help cover day to day costs such as food, bedding, and vet care. If you would like to sponser a Sanctuary Rat, you can find out more about this by viewing ‘Donate’ and then ‘Sponsership’ on the NZRR homepage.