As an animal ranger and college lecturer with over 25 years’ experience, I’ve worked with a huge range of species – zoo animals, horses, dogs, research animals, and many hand-reared youngsters along the way. Animals constantly amaze me, and this story about a tiny rat called Starboard is one I now use regularly in my teaching and outreach.

As part of my work as an animal club ranger, I keep a small collection of animals for education. Among them are three female micro rats – Starboard, Port and Keel – sisters, around five months old. Micro rats are like normal rats, just much smaller, about the size of a large mouse and unbelievably cute. Rats are intelligent, curious, affectionate animals and are fantastic pets, even for children. On ranger visits they are always popular and help challenge the negative image rats often have.

This is the Story of Starboard - A story of Resilience

Towards the end of November, while I was handling the girls and giving them treats, Starboard was on the lower level of their enclosure. In a split second, my cat Winnie pounced and grabbed her through the cage. The scream Starboard made will stay with me forever. I managed to wrestle her free and shut the cat out and initially thought she was okay. Sadly, when I examined her properly, I found her skin had been torn open from under her ear, along her side and under her foreleg, exposing muscle and bone. She was also limping.

I knew the injury was far beyond my ability to treat. I rushed her to Vets One in Crimplesham, where the team were incredibly kind and supportive. After surgery to suture the wound, X-rays showed a dislocated hip and fractures to the tibia and fibula in her leg. We discussed her welfare carefully – if there was a chance without her suffering, we would try.

Incredible Vets & Recovery

Laura and her team achieved something remarkable. They fashioned a tiny anaesthetic mask, reset her hip, straightened her leg and applied a cast. Laura later told me she had never performed a procedure like this on such a small animal. Starboard recovered quickly from the anaesthetic, though the hip was a concern as repeated dislocation would have caused pain and limited mobility.

Over the following weeks, we restricted her movement and returned to the vets frequently as she kept chewing her cast off. Eventually, we decided to leave it off to avoid repeated sedation. The skin wound healed rapidly, the hip stayed in place, and she began using the leg more each day. Her limp gradually reduced, and she soon returned to full activity with her sisters.

Today, Starboard has a small scar and her leg hasn’t healed perfectly straight, but she moves confidently with no limp. She is friendly, curious, and completely unphased by her ordeal – a powerful reminder of animals’ resilience.

Important Take Aways

I feel that Starboards story illustrates why experience, empathy, and ethical decision-making matter so much in animal care and highlights just some of the situations that animal carers may encounter. Some important areas that can be taken from this include:

  • Maintaining professionalism under emotional pressure. Even in shock and guilt, welfare should be prioritised over personal feelings, which is never easy and speaks volumes about integrity as an animal carer. The welfare and well-being of the animal is the most important consideration, despite how you may feel, the animals needs must be prioritised.
  • The veterinary skill and teamwork involved. What Laura and the team achieved with such a tiny patient is extraordinary and described without exaggeration — it was honest and earned and shows how different people work together for animal welfare.
  • Starboard herself. Her resilience, adaptability, and confidence afterwards perfectly reinforces wider messages: animals are individuals, not disposable or “lesser” because of their size or species. All animals matter.
  • The educational value. Using her story to challenge perceptions of rats and reinforce duty of care is powerful. Stories like this change minds far more effectively than facts alone. Whilst very difficult to experience, we can use these stories to teach and inspire future animal rangers and those wanting to pursue a career in animal care.

Final Thoughts and Useful Links

I am endlessly grateful to Laura and the team at Vets One for giving Starboard a second chance. Her story is a sobering reminder that all animals matter, no matter how small or misunderstood. As animal carers, we have a duty of care to every animal we keep or work with – even if they are “just a rat”.

Animals will always surprise you, and you never know what you may encounter!

If you are interested in anatomy and physiology, or animal science in general for schools/GCSE, check out these links:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/topics/zcyycdm – Key Stage 1

https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/topics/z6882hv – Key Stage 2

https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/subjects/z4882hv – Key Stage 3

Also, check out the Animal Club welfare section on our website