# Breathe easy B. Tween "Tween"



## twitch (Jan 4, 2007)

a couple days ago Tween died in her sleep. she was just shy of two years but has been fighting pnuemonia for nearly 8 weeks now. the last week she was unresponsive to all medications. she was still happy when she was in the big cage with everyone and so when i realized there was really nothing more that can be done for her that was where i left her, where she would be most happy instead of the hospital/nursery cage. she was still able to manuvour around even on the day she died.

in life she was everyone's grandma. she babied the babies (even when they grew to be bigger then her after turning 5 months) and was the calming voice for her sister Bee. Twix "Twix" who was her exact opposite with noobs. Tween and her sister stopped growing at 5 months and so were always the smallest rats in my cage. Tween had the softest fur i have ever felt like that on a fluffy baby bunny. she was quiet in her manner but adored by all the other rats. everyone turned to her for comfort after twix or iedani or even violet would sit on them (often even those three were seen cuddling with her). she was there for spider when Spider was sick and dieing. she was there for big fat stewy when twix was picking on him. there for Smeag when she took on someone not in the mood for her. she was there for lydia even when she was so tired of it all that she hadn't eaten for the last four days. when lydia came she somehow found the energy to eat again and when lydia died the next day she was there for rosie in her greif. 

the last few days it was seldom i ever saw tween not cuddled up with someone. she was never alone in the cage. most often she was with rosie at her side and bribery under chin in the chin-flower but it was sweetipie that was curled up to her when she was dead in the chin-flower that morning. 

we knew she was fading and was not going to be with us much longer but that sparkle that made her so dear and so loving never left her eyes. despite her trouble breathing she would still climb the side of the cage to say hi and stretch her neck for some chin rubs. she would still scamper for those real strawberries and look at you in disgust if you gave her something "strawberry-flavored" even if it was a yogie. she may not have been able to breathe well, every breath a struggle for her, but she did not let that stop her from being her and she was happy right until the end. 

it seems that the cage is getting on without her fairly well. 

Tween's body was cold in the morning but sweetipie was still there with her. she's been a bit more sooky, looking for pats and cuddles more often then before but she seems ok. 

Bribery has become an even bigger sook, shoving his head in my hand for pats even more then used to, but other then that still ok. 

poor rosie seems to have slowed down quite a bit though. she was a little sluggish after her sister died but with Tween's attentions was getting back up to speed. she's eating treats slowly and half-heartedly again. i see her slowly wandering the cage now and curled with stewart or bribery the most. though i did see her curled in the chin-flower with twix for the first day after. 

the first day after was the only reprieve that twix has given the others too. she is back to bullying in full gear now. she's picking on rosie the most but has dragged stewart out of the chin-flower twice and knocked him out of the hut (toppling the hut at the same time) once. she's chased smeag all over the cage a couple times and had wimpy bribery crying and squeaking just by looking at him. then she'll cuddle up to them 20 minutes later. 

the rest haven't seemed to have changed any after Tween's passing. so with a cage of 11, the cage does seem to getting along fairly well with the exception of rosie's saddness and twix's anger. i'm sure they are all grieving in their own ways. twix and tween have been with me the longest of everyone i have now and were a big part of the colonly. twix may be the queen since kakushi's passing but that was only because tween never wanted it. she was a kind and gentle soul and she will be greatly missed by all that are left to remember her. 

(pictures to come later)


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## Starshine (Mar 31, 2008)

That was a very touching story i am so sorry for your loss. And im sure she is happy in Rainbow bridge. My thoughts and prayers go out to you and all your lovely ratties. You are a great rattie mommie.


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## crapola (Feb 12, 2007)

i'm so sorry for your loss


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## ladada2001 (Sep 23, 2007)

I'm sorry for the loss. We knew it was coming though, but it would've been nice to see it come out better than this. My many condolences.


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## twitch (Jan 4, 2007)

thank you everyone for your warm wishes and condolances. twix has lightened up on her bullying and rosie seems to be brightening up nicely. we're still working on her weight problem but she is starting to gain again now. sweetipie and bribery have gone back to their normal levels of sookiness. it seems everything is starting to settle out once again. no one has taken over tween's position of grandma though and i'm beginning to wonder if anyone will. there is no one rat that they all go to when they are upset and no one is stopping twix from her bullying, but her bullying seems to be getting less anyway now. there is certainly a hole left by tween but everyone is adjusting to it seemingly well. 

we are still waiting on the crematorium to get back to us to pick up tween's and lydia's bodies. i picked out a nice urn for tween, still on the look out for one for lydia, but nothing seems to fit right for her yet.


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