Wanted: New homes for hundreds of N.H. mice and rats. Must love rodents and offer lots of treats. – The Boston Globe

STRATHAM, N.H. — Their names are Carrie, Samantha, Charlotte, and Miranda. No, they aren’t the famous fashionistas on a popular television series — they are four tiny rodents in search of their forever homes.

These four mice were among the more than 800 rodents that were surrendered to the New Hampshire Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals last month in an unprecedented event that has strained the Seacoast shelter.

The shelter is hosting an adoption event this weekend, in the hope of finding homes for the approximately 250 rodents that remain in its care. The typical adoption fee will be waived during the event, and the shelter is giving out rodent starter kits to families who take some home, including a tank, bedding, and other essentials.

“They’re a less common pet, and so they’re going to be hard to place, which is why we want to do this weekend promotion to really draw some attention,” said Sheila Ryan, the director of development and marketing for the NHSPCA.

In the month since the rodents arrived, the organization has leapt into action to care for the tiny creatures, which it has identified as a mix of fancy mice and African soft-furred rats. They are bred as pets, different from species like field mice that are found in the wild.

“They are friendly, sweet, and curious. They are highly social and prefer to live in groups or pairs,” said Lisa Dennison, executive director of the NHSPCA in a statement. “It’s so much fun to just watch them play on their wheels or with their toys, or just burrowing or eating a sweet treat.”

Ryan said there are 142 mice and 93 rats available for adoption this weekend.

All of the 800 rodents came from one Seacoast home, where shelter staff said they were allowed to reproduce in an uncontrolled manner. After arriving at the NHSPCA, the rodents were separated by sex. The females were placed on a pregnancy watch before they could be adopted. Meanwhile, some of the males have been neutered.

“Male mice don’t like to cohabitate with each other, but they are social,” said Ryan. “They would like to be with their girlfriends, but we don’t want more babies, so neutering the males allows us to send them home with the females.”

About 300 rodents have been transferred to other humane organizations around New England, according to the NHSPCA, while 117 rodents have already been adopted, and more than 100 have been euthanized due to illness or physical conditions. Ryan said some females remain on pregnancy watch and have not yet been cleared for adoption.

While some commentators on social media were quick to suggest that the rodents could be easily transformed into snake food, NHSPCA staff bristled at the suggestion, which runs counter to their vision statement of providing “A safe and loving home for every animal.” Ryan pointed out that these are companion animals meant to be pets, not pet food.

They’ve found other ways to tame the chaos of receiving 800 rodents. On Thursday, several people were hard at work doing a deep clean with the rodents that are ready for adoption. Four spaces in the shelter have been converted into rodent lodging, full of beady little eyes and scampering.

Every single rodent now has a name of its own, and the rodents that live together are often named according to a theme such as cereal, sports, or candy.

Ryan said staff members are logging long hours, staying up past midnight or coming in on their day off to care for the rodents, who need to be evaluated, named, and logged in a database that tracks their outcome. But she noted that the shelter has received less donations than they typically do for such an unusual rescue.

“In some ways it’s been crippling,” Ryan said. “In other ways, it’s been really a labor of love.”

The adoption center is open from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. every day except Wednesday. The adoption event runs from Friday through Sunday.

Amanda Gokee can be reached at amanda.gokee@globe.com. Follow her @amanda_gokee. Steven Porter can be reached at steven.porter@globe.com. Follow him @reporterporter.