My living space has always been filled with a menagerie of critters since I was very young. I had your standard cats and dogs, but at different times I've also kept rabbits, hamsters, guinea pigs, mice, fish, bugs, tadpoles, frogs, toads, salamanders, snakes, and rats.
Rats are still considered unconventional pets by some, and feared by others. It's interesting to me how some people think hamsters are adorable, but find rats disgusting. Is it the long scaly tail? Their (wrongful) association with disease? Stigmas aside, the truth is rats make wonderful pets, and there are even dedicated rat shows the same way there are dog and cat shows - they have quite a following.
They're also a lot like us. They're omnivorous so they can share in almost any food we eat (even small amounts of chocolate). They need the company of other rats to thrive and will sleep together and groom each other in a social hierarchy that's fascinating to watch.
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| They're also adorable. |
My boyfriend Jordan hasn't had many pets in his life, mainly due to allergies and asthma. When I moved in with him he came to terms with the fact he would be living with a cat when we move back to MN - I'm pretty sure I can't live long without one, and I left my kitty Willow back in MN with my parents temporarily. He decided it was a good time to get back on his medication.
I moved in with Jordan during April 2013, and while I had my snakes (they're a pet for a different blog entry) and a beta fish, I was feeling a void that needed to be filled by something cute and fuzzy. I brought up the idea of a small animal pet and suggested we get a couple rats. I was mildly surprised when he said yes. He didn't know then what an impact these little critters can have, but he does now.
I looked up a local breeder and soon we were the proud owners of two baby dumbo rats. Jordan named his blue and white variegated "Sassy," and I named my black Berkshire "Raven." The term "dumbo" refers to their lower, larger ears - a genetic trait some pet rats carry.
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| See? Adorable! |
We bonded deeply with the rats, but Jordan especially so since this was the first time in a long while he had a pet he could call his own. We were also battling depression, and the love exchanged between rat and human was a rare thing that could dissolve the worst of bad days.
However, it wasn't long before we noticed there was something different about Sassy. She seemed like she was developing more slowly. Raven would bound and hop and run, and Sassy would slowly walk or crawl, always a couple steps behind. As she got older her conditioned worsened, and soon she wasn't able to walk straight. She acted as though she were drunk, falling forward or to the side while trying to walk the line. Still, she was able to function normally otherwise, and we affectionately nicknamed her "Wobbles."
We weren't sure what was causing her condition. The breeder offered that since she had a cold when she was a baby, she may have never fully recovered from an ear infection, and that could be causing the wobble. When one of her eyes began to bulge however, we figured the likely culprit was a pituitary tumor.
Months passed and there seemed to be no change for better or worse. Sassy wobbled about and doted on Raven. Since Raven was stronger and faster, she quickly established herself as queen of the cage and would steal food from her handicapped sister. Sassy never seemed to mind.
One day in PetCo, Jordan and I came across a deal we couldn't pass up - a rat manor cage, usually running near $100, was on sale for $20. This was a high quality cage with a full metal bottom, and it was staring at us for a fraction of what even a used one would cost. We took the upgrade home, and the rats loved it.
Of course with more space, it wasn't long before we decided to add to our rat family. We picked out two new female rat babies from a different local breeder and named them Misty and Poe.
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| More adorable! |
I kick myself for not doing a longer quarantine period. After introductions were made and all four rats were in the rat manor, everyone came down with the sniffles. Respiratory infections in rats are very common and most rats carry the virus, with flare ups happening from time to time. Everyone got over the illness, but it left Sassy with a severely bulging eye that had begun to bleed. She showed signs of pain - swaying and staring at a corner of the cage, away from other rats. We brought her to a vet who confirmed our suspicions - a brain tumor was the likely culprit. During the examination her eye started bleeding again, and we talked about putting her down.
Having very little money at the time (barely enough for the vet visit), Jordan had researched humane at-home euthanasia methods and felt confident in his ability to provide a comfortable passing if it ever became necessary. We brought her home, and we were so glad we did.
After the vet visit, Sassy showed remarkable signs of improvement. Her eye shrunk down to half its normal size and the tissue looked healthy. She no longer showed signs of pain and began sleeping with the other rats again. I was in awe. What an incredible, inspiring creature she was!
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| Jordan and Sassy |
Another few months went by without incident. As Poe got bigger, she started squabbling with Raven for dominance. Misty and Sassy were always sweet.
About a month ago Sassy developed another respiratory infection and we treated her with antibiotics, which we mixed into a tasty food that she would readily lick off of a spoon. It seemed like the illness had run its course, but soon it was back with a vengeance and we continued treatment. She was very thin, and her good eye had started to bulge. I knew what was coming.
Last week her breathing had become more labored. On Friday she was barely able to lick the spoon to take her medicine. She wanted nothing more than to be held, and Jordan and I took turns letting her sleep in our arms. When we tried to place her in the cage, she used every bit of her strength to scramble back to the cage door and into our hands again.
At close to 2 AM, I placed her into one of her favorite boxes in the cage, and whispered goodbye. She never left the box.
It was a sad morning, though we were also relieved. Sassy was no longer struggling. Jordan and I discussed what to do with her body. We decided months earlier that we would not be feeding any of our pet rats to the snakes. I suggested burying her somewhere around the apartment complex, maybe in between some plants that aren't likely to be landscaped any time soon. He favored the idea of burying her in a pot as he'd read about on some FB rat groups, and after some thought I agreed.
I've wanted to start an outdoor potted garden for a while in preparation for this whole homesteading idea (have to start somewhere, right?). We decided a rosemary bush would be fitting, and I picked up a couple strawberry plants as well.
After the burial Jordan lit a candle and we said a few words. Later we made a little tombstone and placed it in front of the rosemary. Jordan originally wrote the letters in Sharpie, and then I went over them with white acrylic paint. After spraying the stone with a matte finishing spray, the letters turned purple.
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| Sassy Plant |
Sassy will continue to live on as this rosemary grows. It's a fitting, poetic statement about the cycle of death and rebirth, and we will likely continue this tradition as we face the inevitable pet deaths to come (that's the biggest drawback to rats - even the healthiest rarely live past age three).
Sassy's death allowed for the beginning of my homesteading project, and everything we use this rosemary for in the future will have Sassy's memory attached.
Thanks, little girl. You were a wonderful wobbly rat, and I'll miss you.
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