Pain in the Mousey House

[Mousey Girl]

I didn't post this sooner because every time I started I would cry. Friday night I noticed that our younger rat, Twitch (not the one with the seizures) wasn't feeling good. She wanted to be held and petted, her fur was sticking out. By Saturday she seemed to have improved, but still under the weather. Sunday she was hopping around, but by Sunday night she was lethargic. Around 11pm I heard something strange in the cage. She was gasping for breath and there was what appeared to be blod & stomach acid coming from her mouth. I grabbed a towel and held her. I woke up Nickolas so he could say goodbye before she died. By 11:30 it was over. She died in my hands. It is still hard, she was such a loving and funny rat. She brought great joy to us with her antics. I haven't yet cleaned out her stash under the couch. Nickolas is still grieving, this was his first real pet to have lost.

It was harder because she was our healthy Roaming Rodent. I have been braced for Sniff's end, but not hers. I am sure she got into something she shouldn't have during her travels.

It seems sudden, but I have found a pet store in Tulare that raises their own rats. I asked Nickolas if he was ready for another (or 2) little girl. We are going to head there tomorrow when he gets out of school (he is begging me to let him stay home and go in the morning).

My eyes hurt from crying, I don't know if it is all because of her or that I also needed an outlet for tears.