# A new flower on the rainbow bridge..



## Kinsey (Jun 14, 2009)

I just put my baby girl, Rosebud, to sleep. She had a Zymbal's Gland tumor, and her eye on that side died as the tumor grew.

RIP my sweet darling, the boys miss you so much already, and so do I. Everyone who met you loved you.

Here is a picture of my girl in better times-


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## BigBen (Nov 22, 2011)

I'm so sorry. I was hoping against hope that she'd pull through, somehow.


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## 1a1a (May 6, 2011)

A sad time, RIP Rosebud.


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## Howl (Oct 26, 2011)

Im so sorry, Kinsey. She's a beautiful girl, and was very lucky to have you as an owner after being rescued. <3


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## Kinsey (Jun 14, 2009)

Thank you guys. <3

It's been a painful time for me, being without my little girl.

I also want to share something I thought was very sweet, but which wrenched my heart more. I brought Rosebud's body home with me afterwards to show the boys, so they would not wonder where she had gone, or wait for her in confusion. That isn't fair to them. I put her in the cage, and left them to say goodbye in peace. All three of my boys ran over to her, and started grooming her, like she would suddenly wake up. I swear my oldest boy just shrank when he saw her. 

It was heartbreaking, but also very sweet. Her last few days were filled with an incredible amount of love from all three of them. They carefully groomed inside her infected ear (canal was crushed by tumor, yeast grew in it. I cleaned it twice a day), washed around her dead eye, cleaned the tumor itself, and curled up beside her to warm her. The devotion I saw from them was amazing. They helped me as I nursed her, and I thank them for that, because when I could not be with her, they were. The last five days of her life were spent with me. I didn't go to school, and I rarely left home or put her in her cage. When I slept late, I would get up in the morning and bring her to my bed before I went back to sleep. Her last morning, I woke up with her curled up under my chin sound asleep.

Before we left for the vet I gave her a bunch of ice cream, and she wolfed it down. She was bouncy and happy up until the end and when they put the mask over her face, she reached for me, then closed her good eye and went to sleep. She understood why, I think, and when we were waiting in the vet's office she seemed subdued and kept licking at my hands and looking up at me. She has never been a licker and I have no explanation as to why she started then- I can only guess that she knew how utterly shredded I was, although she did not know why, and wanted to help me. 

I'll never forget her grabby little hands reaching for me, and the look on her face every time I showed up with a new type of mushy food for her to eat. Even though she could not eat solids anymore, she made a glorious attempt at a brownie her last day. I think she may have even eaten some of it. She loved her mommy, and she showed it.

I drew a picture, maybe I will color it at some point.-


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## krys (Dec 4, 2011)

Kinsey, that's some really touching story.

They say that rats are tribal, and as long as they recognize other rats (or humans) as part of their tribe, they would care and show compassion. But whatever the rational reasons are, it's very sweet...


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## Kinsey (Jun 14, 2009)

I think they are, for sure. They try to take care of me, and they care for eachother. They groom me and cuddle next to me, and when I'm sad they are always hanging on the bars wanting to be let out. They are very sensitive, compassionate little creatures.


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## Tibbs87 (Dec 25, 2011)

I know how you feel. I lost my Dexter recently. It sounds like you gave her all the love she could ever want in her last few days. Any rat would be lucky to have you! All the best to you during this difficult time.


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