# Persephone



## PurpleGirl (Oct 12, 2012)

My beautiful girl Persephone went to sleep today at the vets while I stroked her and said goodbye. She's had quite a few health issues in her life and over the last couple of months, I believe she developed a pituitary tumor. She lost weight, developed two small mammary tumors and over the past two weeks had begun twitching in an unnatural way (like a mild spasm that caused her to straighten her front legs suddenly, clasping one paw up in a fist and drawing her head back.) These twitches started to happen daily, several times in the space of minutes. Since there is very little vets in the UK will do for rats besides prescribing enrofloxacin, I knew her vet visit would be her last; irritatingly, the vet was a bit clueless, I knew more about the condition than he did and he had to leave the room to ask another vet's opinion because he wasn't experienced with rats. He wanted to send me away with her and just 'keep an eye on her', which I had been doing for a fortnight - a.k.a, he didn't know what to say. My partner and I had come to the decision that since a pituitary tumor is inoperable and she'd had such a hard time health-wise already in her life despite trying to be so strong, we didn't want to subject her to increasingly worse spasms which the vet agreed would probably kill her quite unpleasantly. So, the vet gave her the jag, she continued to try to climb on me and get away from the vet for a couple of minutes (she didn't seem to like him), then she slowed down and lay on the towel, letting me pet her while she began to fade. It was so hard to see her go but I couldn't bear to let her progress to a violent seizure; it was especially hard since our young boy Eramus so recently passed away suddenly from a seizure. Persephone's passing wasn't as quick as previous rats I'd had euthanised but she was calm and I told her I loved her while kissing her lovely little face. She'll be very much missed in our house, she was a wonderful rat, a loving and spirited character; she came to us with her now-deceased cagemate Sheeva, I don't know what kind of home she had but they were very timid and a bit snappy, she was constantly on edge; after Sheeva died, she changed overnight and became affectionate and never snapped again. I'll really miss the way she used to leap over to land on me from wherever she was if she wanted a cuddle, she only ever jumped to me and it made me feel like she'd chosen me as her special person; she was a real mummy's girl and very special.














Images taken by my fiancé.


----------



## cladcat6 (Feb 3, 2008)

So sorry for your loss,you was really brave to put her to sleep.


----------



## PurpleGirl (Oct 12, 2012)

Thank you.


----------



## Poodlepalooza (Aug 9, 2012)

I'm very sorry for your loss. :-(


----------



## CapnKennedy (Sep 30, 2012)

It's never easy to lose a loved critter. But she went painlessly before that tumor would cause too much pain and the spasms got worse and she got to be close to her mum in her final moments. It's still heart breaking though. I'm sorry for the loss, she really was a lovely little rat. Sounded real sweet too. </3


----------



## Rodents=Love256 (Aug 26, 2012)

She was a beautiful girl. And you gave her a good life, and a better end than she wouldve had if you hadnt taken her to the vet. May she rest in peace.


----------



## PurpleGirl (Oct 12, 2012)

Thank you very much guys, your comments made me feel a lot better; my partner and I really miss seeing her come running up the cage to see us, she always took treats so gently as well, never snatched. All rats are special in their own little ways, the others are still being very cuddly with us and giving lots of kisses; we'd had her the longest out of our brood. <3


----------



## Muttlycrew (Dec 21, 2012)

Oh I'm so sorry.... Losing a pet is always so painful.. You absolutely did right by her, though, by putting her down. It's a hard decision, but it was for the better.. 
RIP Persephone.


----------



## PurpleGirl (Oct 12, 2012)

Thanks


----------

