Dahlia and Lilac were listed on craigslist, with a post declaring the owner ?need[ed] them gone ASAP.? Dahlia came with a large mammary tumor on her upper chest. She urgently needed surgery before the mass impaired her mobility or worse. She was picked up by one of our team members on Sunday, delivered to another team member on Tuesday, seen by our exotics vet on Wednesday, and had surgery to remove the mass on Thursday. Within the span of just five days, her life was turned completely around and a literal weight has been lifted. She healed faster than any rat we?ve ever seen, and in late January she was spayed. She is incredibly active and social. She loves adventure and climbing any human who will let her. In June 2024 she had an emergency mass removal after an aggressive new tumor appeared on her neck. The pathologist determined the mass to be a spindle cell sarcoma. Sarcomas are notoriously difficult to remove completely, but luckily there has been no sign of regrowth in the weeks since her surgery. She is still her happy and healthy self!

Lilac came along for the ride as the bonded sister of Dahlia. She was sweet and cuddly, with a mischievous streak. She shamelessly tried to crawl inside our mouths given any opportunity. She was our little spoon brawler ? she would rip a spoon out of your hand with incredible strength. She was spayed along with her sister, Dahlia, in January, where they also removed a small mammary mass that was forming. Shortly after her surgery, another mass appeared, and more concerningly, she began to lose her enthusiasm for life. Soon, the telltale signs of a pituitary tumor appeared. She began treatment immediately, but sadly, she did not respond as well as we hoped. We were able to give her a few comfortable weeks with us and her sister, Dahlia, and when we could no longer do that, we stayed by her side while she passed away peacefully.