# Never had a chance...



## Punk-Kay

Well I was at work and someone brought a random tiny pet carrier to just outside the doors in the rain...Must have been ages since it was noticed...Opened it up and these two huge rats were in there...When I say huge I mean ridiculously fat! Lars was about half a foot wide. I ended up bring them home with me as I had a spare rat cage. Noticed they had funny breathing, took them to the vets, they had lung disease due to being kept in sawdust and in a tiny cage...But we decided to see if we could help it along so they were at the vets every week, getting better and better. Named them Lars and Tim. Such sweet boys! Went from being shy quiet things to very cheeky lads! They had lost so much weight and got so much better, then all of a sudden bam...In 3 days they went downhill...Took them to the vets and decided they were in a lot of pain and I didn't want them to suffer anymore so I had to have them put to sleep...One of the hardest decisions I have had to make. I also had to hold Lars as he was being wriggly, then he curled up into my neck but it didn't work! Little bugger was that much of a fighter that it had no effect on him! But decided that putting them under anasthetic would be easier and doing it that way. Just a shame it came to this. They never had a chance! My poor boys! Not sure how to put pics on here yet but just so ya have some kind of idea, Lars was a grey hooded and Tim was black hooded....


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## lilspaz68

email me the pics and i'll post them for you
[email protected]

OR you can read the post I put up already on another forum...it was here, I just cannot find it..
http://www.jorats.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=36&t=1284

I am soo sorry for your losses, all that weight must've weakened them over time. I have an extremely fat girl I just took in from a rescue, and I worry about the bulk she lugs around as well.


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## Punk-Kay

Thanks an email is on the way  Tis horrible when ya take on an animal when it is in a bad way isn't it ?? Managed to get the weight off them it just did a lot of damage but they were happy rats and I know I gave them a good life while they were with me  Must be hard seeing your lady with all the weight..Looks so wrong! It did with Lars and Tim anyway... Lets hope your lady has a bit more luck then my boys!


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## lilspaz68

They were beautiful boys, you did an amazing job with them!!

Tim









Lars









Fare thee well Boys.


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## Punk-Kay

Thank you for putting these on here doll  Bless my little Lars and Tim !


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## junior_j

So sweet , i am really sorry you had to make such a choice , i myself had been there and had to put 3 sweets girls to sleep ,well the vet did..

They had been neglected and lasted with me for 4 months until one developed a tumour , the other got phnumonia and the other would of apparently pined to death , i never cried so hard in all my life..
Jess x


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## Punk-Kay

Tis horrible...Sounds like your situation was really similar....I cried me eyes out aswelll...Sorry about your 3 ladies


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## phaidraft

I am so sorry for your losses.  They had a good home with you, at least.


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## Punk-Kay

That's what I keep telling myself...Was up at me mums earlier (I buried them in her garden as I'm in a rented house), and went to see them...Bought them some more flowers....


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## Skitza

aww! so sorry for your loss!


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## mishasmom

I am so sorry for your loss. I lost 2 of my rescue boys last Thursday. You gave them a better life than they had before.


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## Punk-Kay

Aye that's what helped me get through it all. Just a shame I didn't get them initially as they would have been spoilt! But least they were spoilt rotten while with us  Horrible when ya lose a rescue aint it. Cause if ya had them all along they wouldnt have been like that  poo!


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## mishasmom

Yes it does suck when you lose any rat, so I went today to the same resuce group the boys came from and rescued a 6 month old Siamese. She is very shy her name at the shelter was Geisheha, I may or may not keep the name. I will have to see what her personality is like after a few days. I may be losing one of my girls. She is rallying right now, but it could be the rally before she dies also. I am checking out another vet who actually will see rats.


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## Punk-Kay

O no....Really hard to lose rats but knowing they have had a happy life does help a bit. I didn't realise it was so hard to find vets who don't see rats. I don't think it's that common in the UK as I have been to a few vets who have all been happy to see my babies. Stuck with one vets now though as one of them is a rodent expert and really knows her stuff  I hope ya little rat lady manages to pull through


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## mishasmom

Yeah, many vets around here claim to be exotic vets until you call them for an appointment. The vet I plan on seeing is about a 40-45 minute drive but apparently she has people that come from another state for care so that is good. They also run an emergency vet clinic at the same location after hours. Reg office visit $48 and after hours $78, but it will be worth it if I can keep my kids well.
Take care


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## Meliss

so sorry I had to make two decisions concerning my babies Darla and Tara we put them to sleep and I miss them like crazy.


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## Punk-Kay

Tis a horrible decision to make but it's better then letting them suffer...Least they have happy lives with us ratty fanatics 

Glad ya have found a decent vet mishasmom, that is insanely expensive! Every vet I have been to it is normally more expensive the bigger the animal so ratty care tends to be quite cheap.


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## sarahisgett

Sorry for your loss. Atleast they knew what life was all about with you.


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## mishasmom

Thanks Punk-Kay unfortunetly Spazy passed away today. We never made it back to the vet.


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## Meliss

so sorry - i am sorry for your loss.


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## RatInAHat

This reminds me of my first 2 rats out of my 7 that died. The first was Ivory, he was the timid type and was the first to catch an ear infectoin. Because of that, I think the youngest of the 3 brothers Zero cought the ear infection from him. Zero was always the caring type... he was brining food to his dieing brother and even after Ivory died, Zero would still try to comfort his dead body. How this reminds me of these 2 rats? Well Zero was also a fighter. At the last days he kept looking as if he died literally he didn't move for a few seconds and looked stiff but after a few moments he'd shake alittle and come back to life!!! He did this couple times but the next morning i woke up and he still did it a few more times but after that, he gave out his last fight but coulden't come back to life that time. Yes a fighter he was... a caring brother that I will always remember. All of my rats when almost dead always seemed to do this to. They'ed look dead and then comeback to life and somehow live through the night or school day untill I comeback to see them one last time then... they go in their eternal sleep.

Yea you gave them a good life. The reason they died in the 3 days might of also been they just wanted to see someone love them before they can pass and you gave them love so they finally accepted death.

As for me. I don't even think of putting my rats to sleep. First of all you have to pay just to kill them that sounds ridicoulous. Second I'm one to believe in heaven and putting them to sleep is basically killing them which in gods book and the laws book with humans is considered murder. Third I do not choose when they die, they theyrselves chose to die after one last time of knowing of my pressence.

I have only 1 rat survivor now. So far he has not chosen to die for a very long time. One day he will though... and that one day I shall be with him...


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## Stace87

RatInAHat said:


> This reminds me of my first 2 rats out of my 7 that died. The first was Ivory, he was the timid type and was the first to catch an ear infectoin. Because of that, I think the youngest of the 3 brothers Zero cought the ear infection from him. At the last days he kept looking as if he died literally he didn't move for a few seconds and looked stiff but after a few moments he'd shake alittle and come back to life!!! He did this couple times but the next morning i woke up and he still did it a few more times but after that, he gave out his last fight but coulden't come back to life that time. Yes a fighter he was... a caring brother that I will always remember. All of my rats when almost dead always seemed to do this to. They'ed look dead and then comeback to life and somehow live through the night or school day untill I comeback to see them one last time then... they go in their eternal sleep.
> 
> As for me. I don't even think of putting my rats to sleep. First of all you have to pay just to kill them that sounds ridicoulous. Second I'm one to believe in heaven and putting them to sleep is basically killing them which in gods book and the laws book with humans is considered murder. Third I do not choose when they die, they theyrselves chose to die after one last time of knowing of my pressence.
> 
> I have only 1 rat survivor now. So far he has not chosen to die for a very long time. One day he will though... and that one day I shall be with him...


The ear infection would not have been passed on. Ear infections are not contagious. When your rats were ill, did you never take them to the vet for a diagnosis? Also to get medication if it was needed. 

As for having to pay to have animals put to sleep, they deserve to not suffer. No animal should be left in pain and suffering when treatment is available to possibly improve their quality of life. I have saw the photos in your gallery and your surviving rat needs to see a vet, there is no way he is comfortable at all.


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