Today, when I came home from school, I went to go move one of the rats and her kittens into a larger cage, when I noticed something in a neighboring birthing cage. A little weanling had managed to get his foot (at the ankle) stuck between the bars of the door hinges. There was blood on the surrounding bars, and his mom was standing over him. It was obvious she was trying to help him out, as she was investigating his foot and was generally comforting him. Freeing him was simple, I just had to open the door. The entire time the little guy didn't make a peep, and even tried crawling away after I had freed him, but his foot would not move. I picked him up and took him inside to clean the wound and asses the situation. His foot, from the ankle down, was purple, cold, and unresponsive. The rat was still very active, but it was clear his foot wasn't going to wake up. The ankle itself was constricted, bloody, and broken. I did my best to clean it, but what else could I do? I couldn't take it to the vet, I had to leave for work soon, and he was more than likely too small for surgery (opened his eyes about three days ago.) I couldn't put him back in with his mom and littermates, his foot would probably have gotten caught in something, or he could have been bullied to death. The only thing I could think to do... was feed him off. I did. I cried so hard though, I just felt terrible. My mom says I did the right thing, as he was probably in a lot of pain, but... part of me can't help but feel that I could have saved him. It doesn't help that I didn't have any dry ice or CO2 to euthanize him myself. I just feel awful.