# I'll miss you Remy...



## VeeVeeLa (Dec 24, 2014)

Remy passed away this morning. He turned 2 years old on October 22nd.I got him in January of 2014. I remember the breeder I got him from said he was really tempted to keep him because he was the sweetest boy he's had. He was already about a couple months old when I got him so he was already kind of big. The breeder said he was the last one in the litter when I went to pick him up.When I held him the first time, he just snuggled in my arms and stayed still while I talked to the breeder. I could tell he really was sweet, even if I hadn't had much contact with rats before then. I was still a little nervous about bringing him home. I didn't know what to expect, but I was prepared. I did a lot of research before hand, read this forum, and bought the best cage and food I could that was recommended.When we got home, I let him get used to the cage the first day. He was pretty nervous too. He just sat in the bottoms corner of the cage and hid himself. I let him do that and just talked to him to let him get used to me and my voice. Eventually, I got him out and let him play on my bed with me. First thing he did was climb on my shoulder and took a looooong nap. Or just sat there, I don't know for sure, but he stayed there for a while. I think it was like thirty minutes later that he finally wanted down. I had his bed and a few toys out on my bed plus a towel in case he wanted to use the bathroom. He explored and looked around for a good minute before climbing into his bed and laying down. He looked so cute! I wish I took a picture...He also took a nap on the towel.I eventually got his half brother (from the same breeder. I believe he said they have the same fathers) Link. Link was MUCH smaller. He was 4 weeks old when I got him. When I introduced them, they got along pretty much immediately. Link was always climbing under Remy and snuggling with him. Remy was always careful with Link, except when he got older because then they would have scuffles. I would sometimes suddenly be awoken at night by high pitched squeaks because one of them bit down too hard, and I would always yell "HEY! That's enough!" And then they would be quiet for a while before they started picking on each other again. They were best friends.A funny story: Last Halloween, we thought it would be a good idea to dress their cage up for Halloween and have the kids take a look at them. We made a costume for their cage (they were a haunted house) and we took them outside for the day. They both enjoyed that.It was a couple months ago that I discovered a small squishy thing on Remy. Due to my intense research before hand, I already knew what it was and would turn into. A tumor. It grew really big in like a month or two. It didn't really affect him then, he just waddled more. It didn't hurt him. But then this past weekend he started deteriorating. He started getting skinny and he just got weaker and weaker. Then in the last 24 hours, he wouldn't drink anything even though he had been drinking half the bottle before (because of the tumor I presume) and would eat anything either. I cleaned the cage extra spotless just for him so he would be comfortable and I cut up carrots for him and Link to eat, but he wouldn't take them. He just wanted to be held. That's all. Every time I put him back in the cage, he got really upset and tried to crawl out back to me. He even chewed on the bars, which he had never done before. I held him for as long as I could. I snuggled with him on my bed until he got wanderlust and tried to escape. When I went to bed, he got even more upset and wouldn't sit still, so I gave him a shirt of mine with my scent on it. I thought he would like that. Then I went to bed.I woke up this morning...and he had passed away. I had woken up before in the middle of the night and saw him, still wanting to be held. I couldn't because I had to go to sleep, but I still pet him and told him to go to sleep. I should have held him though. I regret that. He was also cold, and I feel guilty. I should have held him.I'm really gonna miss him. He was the sweetest rat ever and I'm so glad he was my first one.


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## Andromeda (Apr 28, 2016)

I'm so sorry for your loss.  Remy sounds like such a great rattie. If it's any comfort, just know that you clearly gave him an awesome life, and he loved you very very much.


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## VeeVeeLa (Dec 24, 2014)

Thank you. I tried my best to make him comfortable, but I feel like I could have done more. Also, I'm sorry about the formatting. It doesn't work that well on mobile, hah.


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## Andromeda (Apr 28, 2016)

You'll always feel like you could have done more. When you really love something or someone, you'll always want to do more for them than you can. You didn't do anything wrong though, and you treated him far better than I'm sure hundreds of people would have.


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## Gribouilli (Dec 25, 2015)

You did your best, there's nothing else you could have done with the info you had at the time. I'm sorry about your loss.


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## VeeVeeLa (Dec 24, 2014)

@Andromeda Thank you. That means a lot, and you're right. This happens every time I have a pet die, I always feel like I could have done more. I always find fault in what I did even when I know I did my best. I just wish I had held him when I had my chance, but I honestly had no idea he would pass so quickly.

Thank you Gribouilli.


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## Fidget (Apr 16, 2014)

I know this is a late reply, but your story about Remy made me smile and broke my heart simultaneously. He obviously loved you to pieces, and you gave him comfort and love during his last days (and, obviously, for his whole life). You were a good parent to him. <3

RIP Remy. You were loved, though I don't have to tell you that. :3


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## VeeVeeLa (Dec 24, 2014)

Fidget said:


> I know this is a late reply, but your story about Remy made me smile and broke my heart simultaneously. He obviously loved you to pieces, and you gave him comfort and love during his last days (and, obviously, for his whole life). You were a good parent to him. <3
> 
> RIP Remy. You were loved, though I don't have to tell you that. :3


Thank you. I appreciate that a lot. I loved him (still love him) a lot. He died and I wrote this weeks ago and I still cry over his pictures. He was very special.


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