Godmanchester's Wood Green mass rat rehoming plea after 219 arrive

The charity said rats made very good pets and were generally easy to rehome

An animal rescue charity suddenly found itself with 219 rats to re-home after a family in Oxfordshire "became overwhelmed" by their rapidly increasing pet population.

Wood Green Animal Charity took the rats to its Cambridgeshire base. Some were passed to other shelters but it still has 140 in need of new homes.

As reported in the Cambridge News they are all "healthy and very friendly".

Before they arrived, the shelter had just one rat looking for a new home.

Now it has 141.

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A spokeswoman told the BBC the family in Oxfordshire started out with just a few rats, but "they were both boys and girls - and stuff happens".

The rats are living in large cages complete with hammocks

They are said to be very friendly and healthy

The charity wrote on its website: "We have a higher than normal number of rats currently living at the Godmanchester centre. We have males and females of varying ages, all very friendly and lots of different colours."

The rats range in age from babies to adults

However, the massive brood did not show many signs of in-breeding and were very used to being handled, she said.

'Lap rats'

The rats are being housed in large "explorer cages" and have been provided with hammocks, wheels, ropes and other "enrichment" toys.

They range from about eight weeks of age to adults.

A number have been fostered out because of a lack of space at the charity's headquarters, while others are on "pregnancy-watch - just in case".

Rats were generally very popular pets and easy to rehome, the spokeswoman said, being "quite happy to sit on your lap while you do your homework".