# A strange feeling.



## ZedFontaine (Apr 29, 2012)

So, I have/had two rats, Pinky and Tricia. They are/were 2 years and 5 months old. Sadly this week, I had to put Pinky to sleep. She had a tumor in her stomach the size of a golf ball. I cried. Like a baby. I was hurt, I was angry for not being there for her more. I was lost.

Now with Tricia, I am having an issue. Mainly. Since Pinky passed, I have been noticing my lack of attention to my rats, It's sick, and I am so ashamed. I planned an event this weekend and I went to it with the knowledge that Tricia also had a tumor, but I am "guessing" it was benign due to the fact I have seen it for a few weeks, but seeing as Tricia is obese I figured it was body fat.. So I ensured she was going to live and went along with my plans, leave for 24 hours. 

I come back home, she's fine, and I have one missed call from my friend, he wanted to know WHY I did not stay home for Tricia. Honestly, I didn't know. I wanted to distract myself from the pain I had from loosing Pinky. 

Then he said something that really hit me. "I don't think you love your rats, I just think you need them to love you." It's true too. I don't. or didn't...

But after thinking, and some kindly advice, I want to make Tricia's last moments the moments she will remember most in rat heaven. 

Issue: I dont know how. She sleeps all the time, if I want to grab her she runs away, she is nesting where Pinky used to sleep. So she's very territorial. I want her to be happy.

So, if you can find it in your harts to help me make a dying rat happy, Please, Help.

-Zed


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## 1a1a (May 6, 2011)

What does she do in her free range time/moments of wakefulness?

Does she like to be held?

The first thing you can do is offer her more treats. What does she like to eat? If she's losing interest in solid food, I can almost guarantee you she'll enjoy Ensure (although maybe only in small amounts if she is overweight).

I have a very old lady rat called Paris who likes Ensure, does not like to be held (so I don't hold her), but does absolutely love more than anything else in the whole world (as far as I can tell) to burrow deep into a random blanket that ended up on the sofa in the lounge. So, I give her free range time, and she spends most of it curled up in that blanket like a little embryo.

Every one of those feelings you mention feeling after putting Pinky to sleep, I felt them two when I had to put Nicky (Paris' cage mate) to sleep. Nicky had severely advanced pneumonia to the point of being too weak to move and my most immediate regret was not realising she was getting sick quicker and possibly trying to save her. The grief from losing that rat hit me like a ton of bricks (look up my first ever post if you want to read the aftermath). Still we learn from these experiences, to be better rat keepers. I'm glad you're going to be a companion for Tricia now. If you never loved your rats before, it doesn't matter because they had each other. If you're going to step up now that Tricia is alone, that's good


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## Arashi (Feb 4, 2012)

Be happy around her. Give her some of her favorite foods maybe? But when with her, be positive so she'll pick up on that energy


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## lilspaz68 (Feb 24, 2007)

When you say "grab" that might be why she doesn't like to be held. I have taken in old scared dying rats and had them bruxxing and happy in their last few hours or days...

Look at her, see what she wants. Does she still love food? Then give her some yummy treats and make special little meals for her (i like to make up a veggie slurry with a food processor, cook up some oatmeal and add that and soy milk or Ensure), Does she like patting but not holding? Try that in her cage. Is she not able to scratch her itchy bits being an older girl with a tumour? Ears can be rubbed, cheeks, shoulders and backs of necks can be gently scratched and she might really appreciate that. See if you can gently pick her up, pull her into your body so she's all supported and then put her in your lap. Try the 2 handed body stroke, gently one hand over the other, stroke from her head to her rump...rats often relax when you do this. Let HER tell you what she likes and doesn't.


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## ZedFontaine (Apr 29, 2012)

Wow, Thank you all. When it was time to put Tricia down, she was a fighter. She fought for life. still tear jerks me to this day how defiant she was. Maybe that was what her character is. Stubborn. I burried them both next to each other in a huge park. Both with a lotus pedal. Now that I have three more rats, I am going to care for them as much as I can.

Again, Thank you!


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