# saying goodbye to babydoll



## twitch (Jan 4, 2007)

Babydoll was a pet store rat that was never supposed to come home to us. we were out shopping for new toys to fill the new cage expansion but of course i had to see the ratties... well there was babydoll all alone in her showcase. the locks really suck and i opened it up and picked her up. she immediately started kissing! i held her to my chest and she burrowed in my arms. i never put her down after that. we looked for toys and went to the register with her still in my arms. i could have had a free rat as the cash lady asked how old our rat was, and look how cute she is. she thought we had brought her in the store with us. sometimes i'm a bit too honest and i explained and paid for and they got me a little box to put her in on the trip home.

when ink came home to us about a month later babydoll and her at first had a royal hate on for each other. babydoll would pin ink as soon as look at her. i honestly don't know how they became friends but one day i go to give everyone their breakfast and there is ink and babydoll poking their heads out of their remodeled hammock! there was never a tiff since and instead they became partners in crime harrassing everyone else and finding mischief during out and giving mom and dad heart attacks when we couldn't find them where we thought they were. every time babydoll was just behind us watching as we ripped the furniture apart trying to find her, i swear she was laughing!

a few months ago we started to have problems with recurring abcesses. she was a trooper though and put up with each flushing with the minimal protests. recently the abcesses had not been going completely away and they were returning faster faster and faster and growing faster. so we took her into the vet. it was determined that the cause of the abcesses was a mammary tumor. the vet felt around and determined it was free floating with no attachments and so given her age (14 months) and what she felt was optimistic that this was going to be a fairly simple proceedure and we scheduled her in for the following week, may 20, for her tumor removal. 

once in there they realized it was more complicated then what they originally thought and the operation ended up taking 45 minutes. it was a success though and the tumor was removed without further complications. babydoll was right on track for a rodent in recovery and i was getting regular updates on her progress. everything was going just fine and we prepared for her to come home and be sookied as she recovered. then i got another phone call, babydoll was regressing. her eyes were glazing and the nurse could count the heart beats. she was rushed home but didn't make it back alive. 

it was a shock. everything was going just fine and then she was gone. it was not until now that i was able to bring myself to go through her pictures for this post. she was not supposed to be leaving us this soon. she was far too young. but i think i can now say goodbye to her and to share her story here. 

our beautiful babydoll


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## Kristinee (Jun 17, 2007)

i'm so sorry for your loss. the sudden losses can be the worst. i share your grief. *hugs*


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## phaidraft (Apr 9, 2008)

What a beautiful girl, I am so sorry.


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## Gobo (Mar 6, 2008)

i am so sorry twitch. im glad you are able to share her story with us here


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## crapola (Feb 12, 2007)

i'm so sorry for your loss  she sure was gorgeous!!


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