# Amelia, Farewell Sweet Princess



## Rat Daddy (Sep 25, 2011)

Amelia changed a few weeks ago, she started coming out for affection and attention... she was never a snuggler or a cuddler and preferred to lead a rather solitary life since Fuzzy Rat passed away. So last Friday when she clung on to me for dear life, I was surprised... she wouldn't let go and clung to the bars as best she could when I tried to put her into her cage, then I realized she was in congestive heart failure and trying to cling on and get to us was killing her.

We spent the six days from Friday through Tuesday at 9:05PM attached to one another, as she went from episode to episode with quiet special times in between... it seems strange not to have her on my desk next to me or in my lap now. Lonely and sad...

Amelia was Fuzzy Rats hand picked friend. We first saw her in a feeder bin at the local pet shop, but she had been separated from the common feeder rats and was with a nursing rat in a cage of her own with her brother. Both were spectacular three week old high whites. Both were already adopted by an employee. I tried to adopt her, but employees get priority.

Seven months later the employee who adopted her offered her to us. It seems she just had too many animals and no one had time for, or interest in Amelia.

Amelia never should have wound up in a feeder bin, she was clearly a culled breeder rat, likely part of a high white litter gone bad and dumped before megacolon took her out too, and going to a home where she wasn't loved for 7 months was life's second cruelty... 

I was very apprehensive about adopting a 7 month old rat that was most likely screwed up already, but we met with her owners after the pet shop closed at 10:00 PM. Naturally we brought Fuzzy Rat along. Fuzzy Rat walked down my arm, sniffed the otherwise terrified Amelia and walked back up my arm and gave me two kissies on the cheek. This was Fuzzy Rat's way of saying "yes, please and thank you". Amelia was still beautiful and my daughter wanted her too, I caved and we brought her home that night. 

Immersion ran through 5:00 AM the next morning with Fuzzy Rat taking part, it was very playful. It was rather funny, after only a few minutes of ceremonial boxing Fuzzy Rat showed Amelia a broadside view, Amelia tapped Fuzzy Rat with one paw and Fuzzy Rat rolled over onto her back like a tipped cow. Amelia groomed Fuzzy Rat's belly and they were fast friends for life. It was a special relationship, Amelia stole food and hoarded it in piles and Fuzzy Rat found and ate it. Whenever Amelia got upset, Fuzzy Rat would roll over and get groomed. Amelia literally became Fuzzy Rat's pet rat. Poor thing, Fuzzy Rat outsmarted her at every turn... still the bond of love was genuine.

But Amelia was screwed up by month's of neglect and possibly abuse, she sat on my desk like a flower pot for weeks and didn't even know her name, she had mites and didn't start exploring until superstorm Sandy took out our power for three weeks. In the darkness she started to explore and stole a whole bag of Halloween snickers one by one, that have yet to turn up. Some day we'll likely throw out a piece of furniture with a chewy nougat center or at least stuffed with candy wrappers.

Amelia was smart, the only rat we ever had that figured out how to open the cage door and to learn that food hid in packaging that didn't smell like food. Amelia would steal wrapped and sealed food, our other rats only go after food they can smell. 

Amelia pretty much washed out of the shoulder rat program, she couldn't deal with the great outdoors or crowded places. She was fine for walks or at the safe site as long as she was being held or carried or there wasn't too much going on around us, but she would easily panic. She did go out with us and was OK up to a point, but it was always a case of stress limiting her fun. 

Still, when Fuzzy Rat became debilitated with mammary tumors, Amelia took good care of her, cleaning her tail and preening her. I believe that the excellent care Amelia gave Fuzzy Rat helped her hang on as long as she did. Amelia was actually a very sweet rat and a great friend.

After Fuzzy Rat passed away Amelia went into seclusion, mostly disappearing for days at a time, showing up only to eat drink and use the cage as a bathroom. She also had a mammary tumor that was slowly growing larger.

We tried to get her out more with us and even gave her the opportunity to be our family rat. We tried taking her with us when we went out, but that only made things worse. 

We adopted Max two weeks after Fuzzy Rat passed away and Amelia got to fade into the shadows for the most part where she seemed most comfortable. She was raised on human neglect and she didn't really expect or seem to want much human attention until her health started failing. After trying to kill each other, Amelia and Max developed a rather cordial relationship. Max is a spoiled brat, a rat from humble roots that's earned her status, very self assured and brassy. Amelia was more of the princess fallen from grace, well mannered and demure (for a rat).

I was laying on the floor next to Amelia exhausted after six days of caring for her 'round the clock, giving her her favorite foods and water to keep her going, she was just recovering from a half hour episode and I was trying to keep her calm when she suddenly forced herself up on me... I felt her stop gasping... and she went quiet and soft, I called my daughter who was finally taking a minute to do her homework... and Amelia was gone... 

Yesterday Amelia was laid to rest next to Fuzzy Rat, she was frail and old looking, she had a single huge tumor, her fur was thin and her face was gaunt... 

Amelia was born to be a princess, a spectacular high white rat with a thick rex coat and black eyes that flashed red. She should have been raised in a loving forever home with the best of care and constant affection. She should have lived in a cage fit to be called a nation, with toys and lots of human and rat friends around her all of the time. She was sweet and delicate in her sensibilities... I think Fuzzy Rat recognized these qualities in her right away. 

The last 6 days we spent together proved how much Amelia loved us and reminded us of how much we loved her, but being second best rat to the truly amazing Fuzzy Rat and to Max really shouldn't have been her fate... Even though we gave her the best life we could, and love her with every last shard of our hearts, and were rewarded by her love in return, I could have wished for her an even better life...

If there is kindness in the universe, she is with her best friend Fuzzy Rat again. I've got to assume that Fuzzy Rat has made a place for herself beyond the rainbow bridge with our fierce and loyal part-wild girl Fluffy at her side and they will finally see that Amelia gets the care and comfortable life as a princess she deserves. Even if it's only a fanciful daydream on my part... 


*Amelia*

February 2012 to March 25, 2014









_*VITA BREVIS, SED AMOR SEMPER EST

*_​


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## Roonel (Jan 27, 2014)

Sorry to hear about your loss! She sounds like a lovely rat who will be sorely missed. Do you plan to get another rattie to keep Max company?


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## Rat Daddy (Sep 25, 2011)

Yes, I've already posted the vacancy in our hearts to the Adoption section. Amelia was too old to be much of a friend to Max. Amelia tried to kill Max when she was a pup and Max never completely forgave her for it. And Max has a very moody personality despite being remarkably competent in other ways. I suppose the right rat will be able to work things out with Max and Max is tolerant of other rats on her terms... Maybe the right friend, one who can roughhouse will do her good emotionally, or a new young rat might clash with one or some of Max's multiple personalities... There's just no way to tell. 

But there's a rat in desperate need of a forever home out there and we have room in our cage and in our hearts. Dealing with Max is just one of the challenges a new rat will just have to overcome.


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## DustyRat (Jul 9, 2012)

So sorry to hear that RD


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## pip367622 (Feb 24, 2014)

Reading your post made me tear up, and mist over, eing new to "the ratty family" of 7 weeks nearly, boys now nearly 14 weeks old, I cannot imagine, them not being here, their curious little faces and definate kisses noises and little squeaks from one of our boys, the other not vocal at all, I would hate not to have them around, our sons aged 8 and 15 are totally besotted, as too is my husband, who was humouring us a bit when we bought them, now he sits there at 4am chatting with "our furry boys" and has breakfast on early shift. By day 1, they had us....long may that feeling last. 

Good luck with finding a friend for Max, and so sorry to read your news. 
Pip xx


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## RexRat (Nov 29, 2013)

I'm so sorry for your loss. Rest in Peace, Amelia.


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## Hey-Fay (Jul 8, 2013)

I'm sorry that she passed; but like you said, she's with Fuzzy Rat and Fluffy now. You'll see her again someday, over the rainbow bridge.


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## cagedbirdsinging (May 28, 2012)

The end of an era... play hard with Fuzzy Rat at the bridge, Amelia!


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## evander (Jun 30, 2013)

I am so sorry for your loss - she sounded pretty special.

I wish you all the best of luck finding a great match for Max!


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## Rat Daddy (Sep 25, 2011)

You're right Cagedbirdsinging,

It's the end of an era... The feeder bins from which Fuzzy Rat and Amelia and Max came are empty; after decades of being the largest pet shop in NJ the store from whence all of our rats came is closing... The owner's retiring and it will all be gone soon. I don't even have a source of pet supplies now... 

One of the employees is trying to move the rat business into his home and do feeder rat deliveries...

Now I've got to get in touch with "Yum Yum Eat Em Up Pet Foods" for another rat... Starting to sound absurd yet?

With both Max, Amelia and Fuzzy Rat coming from the same feeder bin my poor 8 year old daughter want's another rat just like them and to her, the "source of shoulder rats" is gone too... 

Somehow... I started out to buy a simple little pet for my daughter, it all looked so easy back then.... $2.49... and it's all become such long strange trip...


I'd like to say, I know how Max has been affected by Amelia's passing, but we haven't seen her much this week... Since Max was a baby she's defended her solitude. She comes out to play and be played with then like flipping a light switch she flips you the tail and she's gone for another half day or day. I have to admit we've raised her since she was two weeks old and don't know her very well. It's like having two rats in one... one is playful and likes to explore and meet new people, the other is shy and solitary and down right reclusive. And it's like flipping a switch. Amelia pretty much kept to herself and didn't deal with Max's moods, she was old sick and tired. If she happened to be having a good day and Max was up and about they followed each other around for a while, sometimes they even groomed each other, I think towards the end they may have even shared each other's secret nests as they would sometimes turn up from the same direction, but who knows how Max will react to a young active friendly rat?

In any event I hear Max waking up... it's been a long time and I should see how she's doing... gotta go.


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## Ratbag (Nov 30, 2013)

I am so sorry for the loss of your beautiful Amelia. You gave her the life she deserved.


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## Leraine (Feb 21, 2014)

I'm so sorry for your loss, Rat Daddy. I am glad that you were able to spend the last few days with her, as exhausting as it sounds. Thanks to you, she finally got the companionship and care she deserved, and I'm sure that she is grateful for the love and joy that you gave her.


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## portkeytonowhere (Dec 24, 2007)

Im so sorry for your loss she was a beautiful rat. I remember my boy Da Vinci passing away and all he wanted to do was be with me. Im glad you were there for Amelia and Im sure she was glad you were there for her. 

Sent from Petguide.com Free App


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