Pet Forum / Mammals / Rats / October 2005

Hello all, it's been several months since I last posted, what with the move
and start of school. I'm starting to catch up on the posts. I'm so sorry to
hear of all your losses while I was away. My own loss is what made me come
back now; Frodo leap to the Rainbow Bridge this morning around 12:15 am. He
had been doing wonderful since his allergic reaction to the lice treatment
earlier this year. I am so thankful for all the suggestions and tips you
offered then. Just about a week ago I noticed his breathing looked quicker
and more labored then normal. I chalked it up to old age, he was just a
couple months away from the big 2.

He was eating, drinking and having bm's just and much as ever, but
yesterday, I noticed he was lunging and then resting, to get around. When I
woke up I noticed a funny smell in my room, even my sis commented on it when
she came in. I had a feeling it meant the Frodo would be leaving very soon.
As I think of it, he had been walking flat footed and dragging his tail just
the day before. He kept leaping on to the cage sides and hanging like a
monkey so much so I thought he might fall and get injured, so I took him out
and sat with him on the floor. He kept hopping around and I figured he had
lost his fine motor skills. My sis said take him to the vet on Monday, and
brushed it off when I said I hoped he'd make it to Monday.  We had to go out
last night and got home around 10:30pm. Around midnight, I went into my room
and Frodo was in the cuddle cup at the top of the cage. I decided to give
him some applesauce on a spoon. As soon as it got near, he lunged at it,
grabbed it with both hands and stuck his little face in it until it was
almost all gone:) I closed the cage door to get ready for bed, but he
suddenly leaped off the balcony onto the side of cage. He was dangling so
much I quickly took him out.

After trying to keep him from hopping around my shoulders (he had no balance
or grip at this point) I ended up laying on the floor of my room with him.
About 15 minutes later, one of his nails got snagged on the rug as he tried
to move, so I laid him on his side. A few seconds later he stopped
breathing, his whole body shook and then he was gone. He was 1 yr. 9mo. I
can only wish all ratties could go so quickly and peacefully. My sis was so
shocked when I went to tell her then, she had had no idea how fast it could
happen, she kept saying how she thought I was kidding when I said he may not
make it to Monday. Frodo's so happy now though; he's playing with Samwise
and meeting so many other ratties*^_^*  Thanks to everybody for helping me
out when things were bad, and I hope I can make my presence known more here
with good news from now on.

I finally updated my webshots! Pippin is so big  now, much bigger than Frodo
ever was;) http://community.webshots.com/user/akashafive I vow to get some
really current pics up soon, and I will try to get some good ones of the
girls out of the cage. They're almost 1yr. 11mo.'s now!

Thanks for reading,
-Lauren*^_^*

Arwen, Eowyn, Merry, Pippin
Rainbow Bridge: Samwise, Frodo