# Oreo a.k.a. "the Baby"



## Changophant (Mar 30, 2008)

I met Oreo outside my apartment , she was hiding in the bushes !!!

Here is her story.... My little Oreo also known as "the Baby" because i taught her to roll on her back and let me pet her belly, i would call it "playing baby".

So there she was sitting there in the bush, she looked like she would just let me pick her up but i wasnt going to risk it and decided i would just grab her. Well she was a pup then and very fast....i chased her around the apartment complex scaring her half to death and then got her cornered..

scared for her life she bit the crap out of my hand but i would not let go for some reason....my daughter ran and got a box and as i was going in to the apartment (with about 15 kids wanting to see) my girlfriend says "are we going to keep it?"

My plan hadnt gotten that far but that sounded good since i wasnt expecting her to want to have anything to do with a rat.

We let Oreo calm down and then I gave her a peanut butter cookie...imediatly she let me touch and hold her....and never bit anyones hand ever again.

I do not like to cage animals so by the time I found the biggest rat cage i could (ferret cage) she had been roaming the house for a month....and remained free ranging til her final days.

The reason Oreos story is so special is because my daughter had been crying every few days for a month wanting a puppy...we cannot have a dog here so i had to say no....well what about a turtle? ....nope... a fish? nope i would not allow any animal in my home to be locked up unless it was totally nessessary.

Also in our old house we had wild mice...and me and my girlfriend would feed them until one day they all got stuck in a garbage can somehow and i took them to a nearby lake leaving them tons of food, all ten of them.

And finally i am probably one of very few 35 year old men that has stuffed animals that i sleep with...most of which are about the size of a rat....
i would allways tell my girlfriend i would love to have a real animal i could hold in my hand...i was thinking a frog or lizard but i just never thought a rat...

well her comes Oreo into our lives and she was a perfect fit!!

didnt need a cage....she learned to potty in her box within five minutes....fits in my hand and as sweet as a puppy like my daughter wanted.

GOD has revealled himself to me many times throughout my life sometimes as clear as day, and i do not think meeting Oreo was a "coincidence" and was sure GOD had something to do with it...

Oreo was quite the character,, much like me...she was a good girl but didnt like to be told what to do...very smart she would come when she was called, knew how to stay (although didnt always listen) she would stay for a while and then if i turned my head she would bolt off!!! laugh!

We had some rough times she didnt always want to play baby and we had an "ear biting period". 

About a week after she moved in we were hanging out and she climbed up to my ear and nibbled on it (so i thought) until i felt a wet spot on my shirt which was stained with blood...

i let it go figuring it must have been acidentally to hard and no big deal....every week or so it would happen again and again and by the fourth time it was pretty hard and really hurt and i threw Oreo accross the room (into a pile of clothes) and was pissed.

I showed her my ear and said no! over and over and spanked her on the head...she did it a couple more times and i repeated the punishment/training

After that she would reach up very carefully and gently bite/ nibble on my ear, no blood no pain.... i would laugh it tickled so much...about every week or two she would suprise me with an ear nibble in my sleep...watching tv ect.

On Oreo's death bed to sick to walk, right before she died..i cuddled her laying in my bed ...she mustered up the strength to reach up and get my ear one last time...I miss her so much.

she was very funny , she knew what "no" meant ...and there was only one place off limits to her and that was the dinning table ...even after countless timeouts for jumping on the table she would still get ready to jump on it ...and i would yell "no"! she would look at me think for a minute and then jump on it...i gave up after about twenty times and decided to just let her win that one...

she also chewed a few cords...and stopped after being punished ...but a few months later got into a storage closet where there were cords and chewed every one of them to absolute shreds probably thinking i would not see it....i let that one go too.....

I cried every day for a month about her. My grandma just died too and i have not cried once about it. I am in tears again tonight...its not just that she died, its how....

I took her to the vet when she was 1 year just because i heard so much about myco... i took her again at 1 1/2 just for checkup she seemed healthy but i just wanted to be safe...

we also got her a friend cookie so she would live longer...

i figured she would live to 3 or 4 since she was free roaming and get so much exercise and love....

then one day she did not come out to visit me as usual...i went looking for her (because i was worried) and found her to sick to move and bleeding from her vagina....

i called the only vet open and he told me she was going to die...i waited a couple hours and called her regular vet and took her in....she got baytril and steriods and in two days she was back to normal ....

then after one week sick again...i was on forums , rat sites etc to figure out what was wrong....

he vagina was not bleeding anymore but she was not using her back legs...so everyone was saying we cant know for sure but it is probably hind leg paralisis....and the vet gave her steriods for it.

at a vet visit i asked her vet three different times to give her baytril also just to make sure and he wouldnt...why i do not know

then a few days later while i was giving her steriods (force feeding) at home she peed on me alot and never does that.

I immeidiatly called the vet to ask again for the baytril because peeing like that is a sign of infection ....they said they would call back and didnt...the next day i called again...they said they would call right back and once again didnt..... that was on a saturday....on monday i called a different vet and got an appointment for the next day...

.i figured she would be ok for one day since there was no blood or signs other than one time peeing on me (she pees on me all the time like any rat but this was like pee pee all over) 

i had worked all night and was too tired to drive the 3 hours to the rat specialist vet....i figured she would be ok though one more night, i was fucking wrong...

i found her the next morning passed out in the middle of the floor and looked dead, her vagina was bleeding again...i was like hold on sweetheart ...her appointment was in a few hours...

we got to the new vet and he gave he batril antibiotics immediatly and some vitamins etc also a shot of fluids to hydrate her....

Oreo had gone on many adventures with me to the store for walks even restaraunt....she would keep herself hiddin in my sweater nice and safe and peak her head out to look around ....but when we would walk into the front door back home she would jump out back to normal ...she knew where home was....

on the was home from the vets she reached over to go to me and i pulled over and my girlfriend drove while i held Oreo .....we had been in the car three hours and right as we pulled in the driveway she started gasping for air....i figured she would feel better at home and ran super fast to get her inside...i was like Oreo its ok were home...

then i saw she was stil gasping and i told he go ahead and go with GOD sweety....she passed away in my arms moments later....

it was by far the saddest day of my life...i tried desperately to save her...hours on the internet....i dont know how many vet trips....and calls....and i failed....

I have failed my whole life because i didnt give a ****...but even when i tried super hard i still failed ...

i know i didnt know then what i know now...i know its not my fault...i did try but end the end i failed to save one of my best friends ever from a premature death...Oreo was only 2 years old , she tripled in size since we had her so i assume she was about 5 or six weeks old then...and two years when she passed away....

i am so pissed at her old vet about the whole thing ...he did save her once but then failed later...or his office .....sigh...I just miss her and thought i would post to vent tonight and also to honor my friend...

I am not some kind of pathetic spaz with no friends i have lifelong friends that are like my brothers...but Oreo was a special friend to me ...i pray that she is safe and happy and hope that maybe i will see her in heaven some day....

I remember when she first moved in I fell asleep with her while watching tv (which i never do) and woke up hours later with Oreo still right next to me...she was such a good girl....

To anyone wondering about free ranging ...i just catch them doing naughty stuff and show it to them, put their nose in it and say "no" and say nothing else ...i figure it is easier to learn what it means that way...

and then at the same time punish them with putting under the water faucet (just dry off after) ,or time out in a naughty time out box or tapping on head with finger if necessary ... it sounds ugly but hey ..would you rather be spanked and learn the rules or locked in a cage your whole life ..?

I did the same with cookie for chewing carpet and she learned the rules fast ... chew the furniture fine my clothes no problem just no cords or carpet...

just watch out ...check the dishwasher before turning it on...and dont leave the fridge or front door open...etc...

there is nothing like a free ranging rat ....i have one of those crappy days and here comes one of my girls to say hi ...check out whats going on...give me a few kisses and then off to explore some more....an instant smile on my face...

i wake up to kisses on the face and jumping around on my bed...

Rest in peace little miss Oreo...i miss you... 

love, papa Chango


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## Gabrielle B (Jan 16, 2009)

Such a sweet story, she sounded like an amazing rat, with an amazing life, she was lucky to have you  R.I.P Oreo


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## Jerry (Jul 18, 2009)

That bought a tear to my eyes :'(
Such a lovely story.. I also believe that God just knows what we need, and sometimes I feel that he made my animals just for me...
Oreo was so lucky to have met you that day, and she lived a happy safe life, don't feel angry or regretful. Without you she would have never known a gentle touch and human love...
You are a wonderful person.


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## Changophant (Mar 30, 2008)

Thankyou both for your kind words. Oreo really shined for rats, i never would have known how wonderful of animals they are without her. 

Its just sad that they are plagued by diseases like mycoplasm and cancer...probably from all the experiments humans have done to them over the years....and it sucks they dont live longer...all of us rat lovers have to deal with that part...

I just keep seeing the images in my head of her dying and being sick....I am going to make a huge effort to remember the special times I had with her...when i think of her. She was a super girl...

I remember one time I came home and Oreo ran across the floor with a little dress on that my daughter and girlfriend had put on her....she didnt even try to take it off she would just wear it...ohh what a girl

thanks again,
I will try to see the happy stuff and just let go of the things i cant change.


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## Corpseflower (Jun 12, 2009)

I'm sorry for your loss. RIP Oreo. 
It's cool that she was such a good free ranger. Some are, some aren't. I'm sure she had a great life!


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## Changophant (Mar 30, 2008)

I am sure that many rattie owners homes are way too dangerous for little ones to be on the loose all the time... washing machines , foot traffic...bigger pets ect....


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## maddy (Jul 27, 2009)

so sorry for your loss, *human/ratty hugs to u*


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## Itchygirl (Jan 20, 2009)

So gorgeous.Sorry for your loss.
I think rats are very under rated animals and don't get a fair rap.


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