# A Bittersweet Rescue Story – Baby Junebug



## lilspaz68 (Feb 24, 2007)

Ad - _Hey so my rats had babies just over a month ago, I've already sold most of them but there's one little girl who needs a home. She has what looks like a tumor on her side and I don't know how long she'll last but she needs a loving, caring home for whatever little time she may have left. I already have 3 rats so I can't give her the attention she needs to look after her. Completely free, I just want her to find a loving home and not be used for snake or any other animal food

She's a hooded rat with a large black spot on her back, loves hiding in sleeves and very sweet and docile._

The first problem is that she’s in a city about 5 hours from me with no real way to get her to me in Toronto. But luckily last weekend we had a transport coming from Montreal to Oshawa and we had located people to pick up the baby, foster the baby and then drive out to meet the Transport on the major highway so she could go on the Train to me. Well that failed when the owner didn’t respond.

The next weekend, there was another ad up for a different rat…

_RAT for FREE! ( Take at own risk please )

Hi there if you are reading this i would like to give my rat away (Derp)
because she had attacked my mom & i can no longer handle this rat.
She is really aggressive & i don't think anyone would be able to take care of her unless she is used as a feeder. I dont want to do this but i really have no choice, if i had sold her to a family with children she will bite.
If you think you can maybe tame her then by all means please contact me if not take her as a feeder if you are willing to use or take her at risk please TEXT me. Thanks!
She is black & white if you would like a picture once again please contact me thanks!_

Now what happy home would take this girl in with this type of ad?? I knew her fate and said I would take her in if we could sort out another transport. So Holly in the maritimes took it apon herself to contact a rideshare who agreed to bring the rat with him. Ratmando went and picked her up on Wednesday night…the “vicious rat” was a tiny baby…cute, scared and obviously not a Biter.  Her original name was Derp, but my foster renamed her May. 

The next day the sick baby owner emailed saying she had found a home that would take baby to the vet. We all were trying to figure out which of the Ottawa people was taking her in, found out, and then they as I already had a transport coming asked if she could come to me as well. Of course!
So my foster Anita rushed out again and got the lumpy baby. She called her June, and I decided she looked just like a Junebug  She was “off”, lumpy, had a damaged/injured eye and had some really scary moments where we thought we would lose her. May and she met and it was Love.  Two scared babies had a friend, and May became more outgoing and June had someone to cuddle with again. 

The transport went off with a little hitch. I had to meet them at the far end of the city, in front of a cinema at a mall…I thought I could stand inside but I couldn’t so I had to stand in the rain…for 40 mins, peering at grey vans and license plates while water dripped down my forehead and down the back of my neck LOL. The guy was late but I finally got my baby girls at about 11 pm and then started the long trek home on public transit. 

When I got home I realized the lumps really did seem like tumours and she really was off in her mannerisms and even how she looked, a domed/rounded head, a wobbliness, etc.

We went to bed and the next day I got some pics. Later on I even introduced them to a young rescue litter I have here and their mom…it went great!

Meet May and June…










May is gorgeous and figuring out quickly with big bright eyes that her life has changed for the good 










Here you can see the big lump on Junebug’s side…now just imagine that it’s completely round and how far it goes into her body.  She will be seeing my vet for a drop-off appointment on Monday. I am expecting the worst and hoping for the best. My gut is telling me these are inoperable and that I won’t be able to do much for this sweet sweet baby girl. So expect a lot of pics of her and her friends because I don’t know how long she will be with us.


















Here you see a 2[SUP]nd[/SUP] lump on her chest, with a slice above it. You can move the skin around and see the rounded red tumour underneath, it almost looks like a ruptured tumour. It’s very bizarre.


















She has issues eating, so I am watching that, although I did catch her eating lab blocks last night (WOOT!), she has funny little mannerisms that remind me of neuro issues, her lungs sound good, there’s no smell of infection (I think the eye is a newer injury) but she’s sooo happy, and she bobbles along exploring, and then her nose goes in the air at all the new smells :











































and after all that excitement she has to have a nap…she really sleeps hard, and I keep checking her breathing LOL

Sleeping with May keeping watch over her









**Stretch**









Out cold again…


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## glider11 (Sep 7, 2011)

Aww they look like sweet little girls! I will be sending good thoughts their way! Keep us updated on how they're doing!


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## 1a1a (May 6, 2011)

What a sweet pair, lucky rats


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## Jaguar (Nov 15, 2009)

Ohh, they are so sweet! I am crossing my fingers for June. You are amazing for everything you do for these ratties


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## ILoveMyMonsters (May 25, 2012)

Keeping June in my prayers! They are both just darling! I wanted a baby female (I've had males for the last few years) so badly but I didn't have the funds to get a little girl spayed and I didn't want more little Albans running around!







So I ended up with Axl instead. Keep us updated on June!


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## Raturday (May 26, 2012)

It amazes me how people don't understand the difference between biting (drawing blood) and nibbling with rats.

Hope June's okay!


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## Ratlovercolorado (May 31, 2012)

This is the same sort of thing my beloved Lyndon B (bb) had. It is not uncommon in females, as they get into rattie menopause.
There was no vet that could help, by the time we knew she wasn't PG (the tumor flared up, then down for a few months) But she lived for almost a year with the growing tumor. Her quality of life was good, and she was well loved and cuddled much. She passed in my arms on Thanksgiving day.


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## ruffles (May 13, 2012)

Oh, they are just the cutest little darlings! Sending many good thoughts in your way for Junebug's appointment. I hope it goes okay! And my, little May is adorable too, can I just say. She looks real vicious, like an alligator. Maybe get her a spiked collar.


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## Nauseum (Mar 3, 2012)

What a couple of cuties! Hoping that things go well with June. Either way her life is so much more improved!


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## lilspaz68 (Feb 24, 2007)

OK I am home now and can answer questions and even think about things again.

My vet called me with the results. First thing he checked was the name of the pathologist and we lucked out and got the best one there. This woman really knows her stuff.

Sadly its not good stuff.

Spindle Cell Sarcoma possibly Fibroma or highly differentiated fibrosarcoma.

In layman terms, a malignant tumour that spreads and probably already has.

With links for the more curious...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spindle_cell_sarcoma

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fibrosarcoma

With this type of tumour, her being a baby and having the hydrocephalus, her chances of surviving the surgery are very very poor. Junebug Junebug is happy right now and will now be on palliative care for the rest of her short life. My guess is 2-4 weeks are left of it.


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## Raturday (May 26, 2012)

Poor June. At least she has a wonderful home and will be super comfortable before she passes.


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## lilspaz68 (Feb 24, 2007)

Raturday said:


> Poor June. At least she has a wonderful home and will be super comfortable before she passes.


We will try our best.

Tonight I cleaned cages and ran ratters and finally I was able to take Junebug and May out 

Tonight was the discovery of gerber puffs...May gently takes them from my fingers then runs, but Junebug was having trouble, so I dipped it in water and held it for her 

OMGZ this is good mom!!!










The only problem is that my finger often or not would get the hard nip, not the food so I started handing them over, and then I started taking pics of her eating routine...hehe

friends




























I can do this!!





































She looks so proud of herself doesn't she?


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## Nauseum (Mar 3, 2012)

Oh my goodness! What a cutie! She definitely looks like she is proud of herself!


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## kriminologie (Mar 16, 2012)

I always want the "damaged" pets. If I were picking out a rat, June is no doubt who I'd go for. Thankfully she's got a great home for her last few weeks.


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## CarrieD (Nov 20, 2011)

She's a doll, thanks for the update.


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## ilovemyfatcat (Apr 14, 2012)

Aww! It was SO nice of you to take her in, it's so good that Junebug will spend the last remaining weeks of her life in a good, loving home. I will keep Junebug in my prayers! Remember, take lots of pictures and make the rest of her life the best she's ever had. She's very adorable, I still can't believe there's good people like you taking in sick animals. There is definitely not a lot of people like that! Wish Junebug the best for me and make sure to give her extra cuddles while she's still here! I'd love it if you kept us updated on how she's doing


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## Lioness (Nov 11, 2011)

She is lovely, and so brave. You are good for taking her in. Keep us updated. ♥


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