# hello and goodbye sweet-ums



## twitch (Jan 4, 2007)

today i woke up to find my new baby rat, Sweet-ums, dead in her nursey, her sister, Peaches, grooming her like mad. i didn't even have her a full 2 weeks. but in that time i really got to know her. she was very sweet but we could already see the trouble she was brewing, we were sure she was going to be another Ink. she LOVED her people and everyone was her people. 

she was small though, probably no more then 3-4 weeks when i got her from the store. and even though i knew i was not going to keep her as she was a going to be a christmas gift for a friend, losing her now hurts. i thought that i was going to be saying goodbye to old stewie or maybe my old lady violet who are both starting to show their age before anyone else, let alone someone i barely got to say hi to. 

there were bad circumstances that i just didn't think about that brought on her death. we've being having problems with the apartment being heated too high. the last couple nights we've been having trouble sleeping in our own beds with the windows open. last night not only was it warm out but it was still heated to much. Sweet-ums and her sister peaches, being too small to fit in a cage was in one of my tank nurseries. its on it's side to encouge better air flow but its still going to get hotter then a cage. and i just didn't think about it. sweet-ums being the youngest and smallest just could not handle the heat. it wasn't scorching but it was warmer in there and for her small body it was too much. 

she's in a small king cole tea box now, waitng for the cremation service people to call and the box is still huge for her. i talked to the landlord imediately and he's trying to find out what the problem was. he had set the thermostat only to 14 degrees but is unsure if the store owner (the one who has the control of the heat) touched it or if something is wrong with the thermostat. he seemed apologetic adn i'm sure he feels bad for one of my rats to die this way. i'm sure he'll figure out what happened and correct it imediately. 

so this is both hello and goodbye to sweet-ums, the friendly bouncing baby that should not have left so soon. she will be missed.


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## Forensic (Apr 12, 2007)

I'm so sorry Twitch. She sounded like a loveable little thing.


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## twitch (Jan 4, 2007)

she really was, she didn't have much time to do it but she wormed into more then just my heart. 

i don't have many pictures of her and most of the ones that i do have aren't very good. so i picked the two best ones. in both she is with her "sister" who as you can see is at least a couple weeks older then sweet-ums. sweet-ums is the dark one. 








she was so small that both of them could fit comfortably in my hand. 








here's a bit clearer a picture of her.


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## madeittothemoon (Nov 1, 2007)

She was adorable... I'm so sorry for your loss.


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## crapola (Feb 12, 2007)

i'm so sorry for your loss


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## ratsrule4 (Dec 10, 2007)

oh i'm sorry!! thats so sad... *hugs*


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## twitch (Jan 4, 2007)

i took her body to be cremated today. the lady that runs the place decided not to charge me for it this time. i don't think it will take very long and the urn is going to be massive for her little body, but its the last thing i can do for her. she will have her place of honor among the other lost babes on the mantle piece. i hope she gets a pretty urn to reflect her personality.


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## Poppyseed (Feb 1, 2007)

Oh my. It's so hard when they go so young. She had a wonderful time with you I'm sure, although short. Sorry for your loss ):


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## Squeak (Sep 4, 2007)

I am so sorry for the loss of Sweet-ums.

I hope things aren't too sad for you and Peaches at the moment.


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## twitch (Jan 4, 2007)

peaches is young has rebounded from the loss of sweet-ums very quickly. she is now with the big girls and boys and causing trouble for everyone. she'll cuddle with bribery and eyes and chase ink around the cage playing tag. i think ink likes having someone as hyper as herself to play with now too. 

as for me, i feel bad that i lost her so young and to my own stupidity but its hard to dwell on it for long when i have 13 other rats begging for my attention and love, they certainly don't blame me for the loss of sweet-ums.


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## Emster (Dec 9, 2007)

I'm sorry to hear about Sweet-Ums. Some things just aren't meant to be. At least you have your other ratties to keep you occupied.

I'm dreading the day when I lose one of my babies.


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## Squeak (Sep 4, 2007)

That's good that Peaches has recovered the loss quickly. It sounds like she's really handling it well, and having fun with her play mates.


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## Iloveratz500 (Jan 21, 2008)

It must have been really hard....so sorry for your loss. She was adorable......I am sorry again for your cute ratlet to go to the other side of the bridge, she must have had a wonderful yet short life.


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