# Goodbye, sweet Petunia.



## Minky (Apr 4, 2013)

I found Petunia at the Tampa Bay SPCA. She had been among 114 rats confiscated from an animal hoarder who was raising rats for snake food and to sell at the flea market. The report said there were 15-20 rats crowded into small glass aquariums, living on "2 inches of feces and body parts". The vet tech at the shelter told me some of them arrived dead or missing fingers and toes. Petunia had some scars on her tail. It's hard to imagine her early life, living in conditions like that. I imagine she gave birth a lot, or perhaps went without food for awhile, because her fur was patchy and her body was frail and delicate. 

At the shelter she had been living in a small and stinky glass aquarium with Baby Rat. She was hand shy, slow moving and "ugly", but I took her home with Baby because I couldn't bear to leave her behind in the shelter. But I knew there was something about her. And after I got her home, discovered what that was. Also, I realized she was quite beautiful. 

It didn't take her long to associate me with good things, and within a week she was brave enough to climb on me. She was always my favorite of the SPCA rescues because she was the least tame, so I spent extra attention on her. I also knew she wouldn't live for long. Although she got around fine, she had a frail quality to her, and I watched her gradually lose weight and begin to sleep a lot. 

She passed away today after recovering somewhat from a URI. Her symptoms had improved, but I think her body just couldn't hold up any longer. I have no idea how old she was, but she seemed quite senior. 

She used to love to explore my desktop, or tunnel under the comforter on my bed. She loved trying new foods, and she had this little thing she did when she was eating something really delicious, a way of settling in with the food before she began, like a cartoon mouse before he takes a big bite of delicious cheese. 

I know that Petunia genuinely liked me. She would brusk abundantly after I washed and dried her face with a cotton pad. In the days before her death, she went to the trouble to crawl onto me so she could snuggle up with her head on my arm. She did this over and over. 

Last night, after she had already stopped eating, she sat on top of her bedroom box and just bruxed for no reason. I'd like to think she knew the end was near, and she just wanted to bask in the joy of her surroundings. She spent her final hour piled up asleep with her 3 cagemates, and I was with her when she passed. Petunia was loved very much, and I will miss her dearly.


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## EJW323 (Jun 18, 2013)

She's such a beautiful girl, I'm so sorry for your loss.  Just be glad she had such a great life with you.


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## evander (Jun 30, 2013)

I am so, so sorry for your loss. 

It sounds like you gave her a wonderful life!!


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## Minky (Apr 4, 2013)

Thanks for the comments, it means a lot to me. 

The grief feels enormous this morning. I have to find a place to bury her and I really don't want to put her in the ground. It's so hard to say goodbye. My other rats are really laid back and not particularly social today, I have to wonder if they're experiencing her loss as well.


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## Rumy91989 (Dec 31, 2012)

I'm so sorry for your loss, but I am glad she had you for the time she had left. She is such a lovely girl.


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## Minky (Apr 4, 2013)

Thanks, Rumy. Yeah, she was so beautiful. Even in her old age, she was adorable. Everyone said so. I only had her for 3 months but it feels like much longer. In that time she was treated like a queen. I think she knew it, too. She wasn't much of a kisser but I'll never forget the time she licked my hand after I cleaned her face - THAT meant so much to me. I miss her terribly.


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## PurpleGirl (Oct 12, 2012)

Stories like this break my heart, it physically makes my stomach churn and my heart ache to think of such sweet animals (or any animal) having to live in such squalid conditions as Petunia did for so long, I hope the person responsible got one **** of a fine to pay, since unfortunately they probably won't face any other punishment. I'm so glad that Petunia got a nice home with you for the time she had, any time at all to feel loved and be treated with dignity is wonderful for animals like her. You're a lovely person to have taken her in and showed her how she should have lived all along. She was so pretty!


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## Minky (Apr 4, 2013)

Thank you for the kind words, PurpleGirl. It means a lot to me. 

Actually, the hoarders did go to jail! Among over 300 animals living in squalor at their house, they also had a 1 year old child whom relatives had taken away while the hoarders were sleeping (the relatives left a note which the hoarders failed to notice). When they woke up, they couldn't find their child, so they called the police. The police arrived to find the couple intoxicated and living in the conditions described above - they were arrested and taken to jail and charged with animal cruelty and child abuse.

All 300 animals went to the Tampa Bay SPCA. They still have rats waiting to be adopted. If I had unlimited time and resources I'd probably drive up there again and adopt another one.


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## PurpleGirl (Oct 12, 2012)

Oh my gosh, what a terrible shame for all those other animals and that poor child! I'm glad those people are actually serving jail time, it infuriates me how people who abuse animals seem to get off very leniently. The animals will hopefully all find a nice home and I'm sure the little kid will be far better off with his other relatives. Disgraceful people. I know how you feel, if I had the resources I'd probably have a big roomful of cages and free-roaming space, to help make animals like Petunia happy for the rest of their lives.


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## Minky (Apr 4, 2013)

A lot of the animals have been adopted, because the story was all over the news. The exotics like the hedgehogs went first, but when I was at the shelter in April they still had rats, mice, bunnies and finches from the hoarder. At least they're getting their most basic needs met now, but it's still a far cry from what they deserve. 

I'm trying to figure out why I became so attached to Petunia. My remaining rats are great - they are from the same rescue, but I don't feel the same way about them. I think every once in awhile an animal comes along that is just special, you bond with them and they bond with you. Petunia was only with me for 3 months but it feels like much longer. I'm still angry at the world that she's gone. I don't know what made her so great, she just *was*. She seemed to have an extra level of depth and wisdom, and she taught me that no matter what horrors you have lived through, happiness, peace and contentment can still be had. 

Sometimes she didn't want to be petted, but instead of running away she would just put her paw on my hand, as if to say, "Let's just rest awhile". Then she would relax with her paws resting on my hand, or she'd rest her head on my hand, and look at me with her almond shaped eyes, full of happiness and love. On her last day she struggled to crawl into my arms, and she pretty much collapsed there, hugging my arm with her tiny paw. I wish I could have held her forever. 

I felt honored that she chose to spend some of her last moments with me, and I felt like a failure as a caretaker for not being able to reverse her age and illness so that her happy life - which had been such a long time coming - could go on and on. I'm not sure why I feel so strongly about this one rat. I remember how cautious she was when I found her in the shelter, and how she blossomed with me. 

On her last day she sat atop her nest box brusking when she had no good reason to do so. She had already stopped eating and she would no longer take her meds, but yet she sat up there just experiencing pleasure and enjoying her life up to its final hours. Petunia was wise - she knew how to be happy.


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## Minky (Apr 4, 2013)

A lot of the animals have been adopted, because the story was all over the news. The exotics like the hedgehogs went first, but when I was at the shelter in April they still had rats, mice, bunnies and finches from the hoarder. At least they're getting their most basic needs met now, but it's still a far cry from what they deserve. <br>
<br>
I'm trying to figure out why I became so attached to Petunia. My remaining rats are great - they are from the same rescue, but I don't feel the same way about them. I think every once in awhile an animal comes along that is just special, you bond with them and they bond with you. Petunia was only with me for 3 months but it feels like much longer. I'm still angry at the world that she's gone. I don't know what made her so great, she just *was*. She seemed to have an extra level of depth and wisdom, and she taught me that no matter what horrors you have lived through, happiness, peace and contentment can still be had. <br><br>Sometimes she didn't want to be petted, but instead of running away she would just put her paw on my hand, as if to say, "Let's just rest awhile". Then she would relax with her paws resting on my hand, or she'd rest her head on my hand, and look at me with her almond shaped eyes, full of happiness and love. On her last day she struggled to crawl into my arms, and she pretty much collapsed there, hugging my arm with her tiny paw. I wish I could have held her forever. <br><br>I felt honored that she chose to spend some of her last moments with me, and I felt like a failure as a caretaker for not being able to reverse her age and illness so that her happy life - which had been such a long time coming - could go on and on. I'm not sure why I feel so strongly about this one rat. I remember how cautious she was when I found her in the shelter, and how she blossomed with me. <br><br>On her last day she sat atop her nest box brusking when she had no good reason to do so. She had already stopped eating and she would no longer take her meds, but yet she sat up there just experiencing pleasure and enjoying her life up to its final hours. Petunia was wise - she knew how to be happy.<br>                                                                                                        <img style="margin: 1px;" src="http://www.ratforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=58345&stc=1" attachmentid="58345" alt="" id="vbattach_58345" class="previewthumb">


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## PurpleGirl (Oct 12, 2012)

Petunia was a heart rat, clearly. It's so sweet that she chose to chill out and enjoy her last moments, I bet she really was basking in the nice life she'd been lucky enough to be given.


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## Minky (Apr 4, 2013)

It really seemed that way, like she was just appreciating it all. 

I had some prints made from my favorite pictures of her. I put one on my dresser next to a memorial candle, and I have the other one right in front of my keyboard, so I can see Petunia's sweet face as I work. Getting photos of her has helped me tremendously - this is the first morning that I'm not crying my eyes out. It helps a lot to have a tangible reminder. I feel like I can relax and concentrate again, and now I have some energy to focus on my suriving rats.


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