Fat Rat Central’s Memorial

I work at a zoo in Texas and was asked to shadow one of the reptile keepers one day last month.  He, along with the rest of the keepers, took me to a reptile expo about an hour away.  While I don’t mind snakes (or the fact that they DO eat rats,) I couldn’t help but feel bad as I surveyed the buckets of rats with the mere dog food they survived on.  I asked the man behind the counter which size could survive without their mother, and he pointed me to the right bin.  Every rat in the bin was white with red eyes - except one.  As I picked up the black and white hooded rat, I was amused that the pattern of his fur made a black #1 on his back.  I couldn’t bear to see him fed to a snake…I paid $1.40 and took my rat home.

Thomas, the zookeeper, was concerned that he was too young to be sold as a pet, and even told me not to get too attached in case he didn’t make it.  I couldn’t help it, though.  Before I knew it, he had a big cage, exercise wheel, and even wood chews shaped like baby blocks.  Everyone loved him - he quickly won over every person he met - all 3 of my roommates, my boyfriend and his roommate, and even my sister, who swore she would never fall in love with any “rat.”

He refused to drink out of his water bottle, so every day 3 times a day I filled up a 2-liter bottle’s old Diet Coke cap, or he would lick water off of my fingers.  He loved to be held, and would often curl up and go to sleep in whoever’s hand was available.  He liked to be warm, and slept on my chest or in the top of my shirt often.

I noticed he was breathing heavily since the day that I got him, but didn’t think much of it. I cut up fruits and vegetables for him daily to supplement his rat food. He even braved a couple of car rides home to Houston to meet new friends. It did seem to stress him out, however, so when I made plans to go to Austin for two days the following weekend, I asked my roommates to take care of his water and play with him, and left him in capable hands.

Upon my return from Austin, I found Burbank lying flat on his stomach in the corner of his cage with his back legs splayed out behind him and his eyes wide open. I could tell from the second I saw him that he was gone.  After looking online, I think he probably passed from mycoplasmosis, a disorder of the lungs that causes labored breathing, lots of sneezing, and little drinking.  I cried for hours, thinking I could have done something better, and feeling awful that he had passed while I was out of town.  I put him in a shoebox, and my wonderful boyfriend buried him in some Japanese tea gardens by a waterfall next to the zoo where I took him home.

Miss you, little friend. Everyone does.

I got Daxie in May 2007 when I was going thorough some hard times and loneliness.  He kept me company and always put a smile on my face.  I love him with all my heart.  We only had a year and 2 months together and in that time I got 3 other rats, but Daxie was my favorite.  I spoiled him alot.  I always let him have cheese and fruit and he brought so much joy into my life.  I got a kitten a couple months ago and being curious as they are, he tried to put his nose in Daxie’s cage and also bat at him with his paws.  Daxie never backed down!  He nipped right back until my kitten learned not to mess with him.  Daxie was a tough little rat with quite an attitude.  And I loved every minute of having him in my life.  He crossed the rainbow brige on July 9th, 2008.  I miss him so much but I know he is with his “little brother” Benji who crossed just a few months ago and also with my rabbit Rocky who crossed last year.  I MISS YOU DAXIE!!!!!

Hassel I miss you already. I will miss you glancing down at me from the top of your cage,wondering what we are wondering.I will miss you tugging and sniffing my ear while sitting on my shoulder. I will miss watching you eat ,while watching me .I promise I will take care of your brother. Only one and a half yrs. I love you Hassel , the big dope on the couch, I will look for YOU at Rainbow Bridge. 4-13-08

Lilah oh sweet Jane how I miss you. Lilah was my first rat ever. I bought her with her sister Rosie on March 15 2006. I had no idea rats would have turned out to be the perfect pet, but my Jane showed me this. I stood by her through thick and thin. My father originally hated her, but she worked her magic on him. When my cat Blackie dies of kidney failure at the age of 5 I went into a state of depression. Jane pulled me through though. When I would cry she would tooth munch in my ear and the world seemed a little more sunnier. I knew Lilah’s time on Earth was going to be relatively short, so I wanted her to experience everything. I would take her outside to experience nature. I mad her and my other rats dinner every night. Oh how she would fret when her noodle was shorter than Rosies. My sweet Jane developed her first tumor right after her first birthday. I immediately had it removed. She later developed two more tumors. When I thought it was over, she began holding her head sideways. I was terrified her sister Rosie had exhibited symptoms just like this before she died. I again brought her to the vet, and was told that she was going to die. I broke down in front of the vet with my baby in my arms. I asked is their anything that I can do, she said “no”. I then remembered that steroids can sometimes shrink the tumor, thus giving her more time. While on the steroid she grew three more tumors. After the initial diagnosis in November she beat their statistics and lived another 3 months. Lilah loved me to the end because she died snuggled against me. The last person she saw was me. My Jane cost $3.29 at the pet store. I know now that you can not put a price on love. I love you Lilah sweet Jane. I will miss you until we can reunite in Heaven someday.

Henry was a blue self standard dumbo buck.

On the evening of March 8, 2008 when I went to feed the boys before I went to bed, like I do every day, I found Henry laying next to the hideaway hut, when I went to move him out of the cage he was so cold and stiff, his eyes peacefully closed. This hit me so hard, so unexpected. To this day I still think I’m going to see him in the cage when I go to talk to Griffin.

Henry was one of the sweetest, cutest, nicest and most charming rats I’ve ever had the privelage to own and know. I know he has crossed the rainbow bridge and is now running and playing with all the ratties I’ve lost before him, Oreo, Houdidni, Carman and Pikki-Bikki. I know when the time is right, hopefully many years from now we will all meet again.

Last Saturday (March 22, 2008), I brought home the newest member of my “Rat Pack” another dumbo, but this time white with a black head and a white horizontal stripe down his face and a black spot on his back. His name still has not come to me.

I hope Henry is smiling down knowing that another nice rat has gotten a forever home.

It was one procedure too many for poor Monty who did not pull through after his latest trip to see the vet, although at least the vet allowed him to come home so he could die in our arms in familiar surroundings.

He has gone over the rainbow bridge now to join his brother Jack.

We will miss him. Sleep well little one

Mummy and Daddy xxxx

Our wonderful little girl, Pika, gently passed on last night. She was in my mom’s hands, and right after my mom gave her some kisses she just slipped away. She had been sick for a while, and as much as it has broken my heart, I am so glad that she is finally at peace. She and her sister, Boo, were my first ever rats, and this is the first time that I have had to say goodbye. She was a wonderful, beautiful little rat, always so full of life and love. She could climb anything you put in front of her, and would jump great distances for pure sport. She loved bobbing for peas and exploring the world around her, but in her older age Pika was content to sit on our laps and groom our fingernails. Yes, her little rat hands were so darn cute while she took one finger at a time and gave us little kisses. She was amazing, and I will never forget her. She will be oh so dearly missed by her family and her sister, but one day we will meet again in a better place. I love you Pika.

I go to a career center….and i’m in vet science….and we have 7 pet ratties!! 1 baby boy…..and 6 females…..2 of the females are my favorite!!!! 1 especially!!! Lilo is a dumbo female rat not even 1 yr old yet….shes all white with about 2-4 black patches on her back! soooo cute!!!! but yesterday i was cleaning their cages and i saw something red!?!….i was shocked and concerned….i showed my teacher and she said it looked it a protruded rectum….she took it to the vet….and it was a “prolonged rectum”….i think thats what she said…but anyway she said she has to be put down…that was yesterday…..i’m not sure when its gonna happen though….i’ll post when it happens!!!

Lola was my first rat, I got her about two and a half years ago, as soon as I held her in my hands, and she was calm as a cucumber I knew she was the one for me. As I driving home excited to make friends with my new rat, I was trying to come up with a name for her, just as I was about to give up, Lola by the Kinks came on, and that was that, Lola would be her name, Beans or beanies came afterwards, it just popped out of my mouth and I thought it was cute so it stuck. Lola was the best rat anybody could ask for, sweet, curious, and cuddly. I even eventually trained her to give me kisses when asked. She was also a huge dork, Lola loved to jump onto things, especially plastic bags, the look in her eyes was priceless, they looked up at me as to say, “let’s do that again, ” and surely enough when I’d put her on my shoulders, she would repeat the crazy jumping onto the bags. A year after I got Lola, I found another rat, who I couldn’t leave, so I got her, knowing it be trouble introducing the two, I had fears that something would go wrong, a few tiffs here and there, Lola and Ella eventually became friends, however as natural to anybody living with a room mate they had their share of fights.. Sadly Lola passed away on March 10th, almost two months since the passing of my cat. She had been struggling with her back legs for almost half a year, she was always a tough butt, never giving up, and she was like that till her last breath…. A sadness fills me whenever i look at her cage and i don’t see her jump up to greet me, i have Ella still, but i can tell she misses Lola just as much as i do, i wish i could just get her to understand that everything is fine, and that she still has me, but i can’t to the point where she would understand….

I love you Lola beans, and hopefully your with Lucky and I will see you both again someday.

Skittles was my first real pet. I had had fish, milipedes, and a terantula, but Skittles was my best little friend.

Skittles was my little baby and I miss her already. She was my little siemese dumpling and I’ll never forget the love she gave me.