"Other"

On the main TAS website, you have three options when you search the available animals: Dog, Cat and Other.
The task of labelling the animals beyond cats and dogs is always difficult. I call them "small animals", much of TAS groups them as "small mammals and birds", the Toronto Humane Society labels them as "Special Species". I often think that rabbits should be their own category, since they far exceed every other kind of small animal we receive, but they just means everybody else is still 'Other'.

This past week, we've gotten a bunch of surrenders that really fall into the 'Other' category. No matter who's labelling them, birds are always separated. They are, after all, wildly different than everybody else. Three of these flying reptiles came to the Room last week:

These guys went a little bezerk when they arrived at the shelter, because prior to their arrival, they'd never been caged before. This made them a little difficult to catch, but I much prefer that to the opposite. Usually when we get birds (especially budgies), they've never been let out of a cage. Birds need freedom. I'm glad these guys have had it so far, and I hope they continue to get it in their new home.

That's Rowan on the left, and Ashby on the right, and the third one is named Willow. Unfortunately for them, their owner passed away, leaving them homeless. Considering the usual state of the birds we get, these guys are quite healthy, happy and obviously love being together. They aren't very social with humans, but they just need a little work.

A couple of days later, we got this odd couple:

 These two were surrendered for some unknown reason, and they are the most unlikely-looking pair. Banksy, on the left, is an adorable dumbo Berkshire girl, while Doby on the right is a hairless rat. This is the first time in my three years at the shelter that we've gotten a hairless rat. I have to say, I'm not a big fan of  hairless animals and I don't find Doby particularly, um, attractive.

"But I'm so cuuuuute.....in a creepy way."
Yeah, she kind of gives me the shivers. But she also turned out to be totally sweet and affectionate, and the more outgoing one in the two. She totally won me over. That'll teach me to judge a book by it's cover.

And of course, we have the usual hamster contingency. Triscuit and Soda were two of the hamsters left in the Walmart parking lot, and they've just returned to the shelter from foster care. I'm glad to say neither of them had pups, so they are now available as a pair.

I'm glad to say that the guinea pigs left in the Coffee Time (Espresso, Mocha and Latte) have found their forever home, as has Aurora the Rex and two of the other Walmart hamsters, Cracker and Biscuit. Knock on wood, but we've managed to maintain a manageable level of small animals for over a week!