29/01/2026
I’m now back (early) from my well-deserved break, and all outstanding queries have been responded to.
That said, I want to address something important.
I’m genuinely upset and disheartened by the number of rude and accusatory messages I received while I was away. It was very clearly stated across my website and social media that I was taking a short break. I also made it clear that subscription customers were not affected, as those orders are prepared in advance and sent as normal. Despite this, I was still called a scammer amongst other things simply for being unavailable during my announced time off - which is unacceptable. I'm allowed time off. I'm allowed to not be accessible 24/7. I'm allowed to have a life outside of my small business.
I’ve also received the usual messages regarding Christmas delivery times. To clarify:
Art commissions have a 4–6 week turnaround during busy periods, which is clearly stated in every product description. I had a huge amount of orders placed mid December. I went above and beyond my standard processing time to complete orders early in an attempt to help as many people as possible in case they were purchased as gifts, but there is never a guarantee of delivery on time during the festive period.
Refund requests based solely on an item not arriving by Christmas will not be accepted when the processing time was clearly communicated at the point of purchase. Please do not be rude to me when it is not my fault you ordered a custom item which can take up to 6 weeks to be dispatched in the middle of December, expecting it to arrive on time for Christmas with postal delays.
Whilst on the subject of delivery:
If an order is marked as delivered, I can see the tracking just as clearly as you can. Please do not attempt to take advantage of a small business by falsely claiming non-delivery. This is exactly why all orders are now sent using tracked postage only. If you genuinely cannot find your order and believe it has been stolen, I always advise to file a police report and get a crime number. Ironically, I never hear back from anyone when I say this. Please do not lie to me.
All orders that were placed after the Christmas period have been created this week, and will be dispatched in a few days time. All of my outstanding orders will then be cleared to zero.
I have, and will continue to, refund people who are rude towards me in relation to the turnaround time for orders. It's very clearly stated on the website. I do not deserve to be spoken to poorly, and it's inevitable that the people who speak to me in such a way will never be pleased, even when they receive their order.
If my taking a short break from my small business is genuinely an inconvenience, I encourage you to take a step back and look at the bigger picture. Your world isn't going to fall apart without a painted canvas by a rat. I don't sell items that are necessary for day to day living - they're not an essential. My mental well-being comes first, alongside my rats welfare, and if that's something you're unhappy with, please don't engage with us.
At the end of the day, I am a human being. I am entitled to take a break. I run Tiny Paws, work night shifts in a demanding job, run two other small businesses, breed rats responsibly, and still try to maintain a healthy personal life with family, friends, and my beloved pets, and recently have been struggling with horrendous insomnia which has impacted my ability to do normal day to day things as I have absolutely zero energy. I am doing my absolute best. Alongside that, the rats have their own health issues from time to time, they don't always want to paint, etc etc.
Last year my business went viral for the third time, and we ended up being on the radio and TV. It was the busiest year we've had orders wise and I truly burnt myself out, so some decent time off was much needed, and I will not be made to feel bad for it.
Thank you to those who are patient, kind, and supportive. You are truly appreciated, and I'm excited for what I have planned for this year of Tiny Paws 🎨
