Today i went to a big exhibition with all kinds of animals, from chickens to puppies, parrots, snakes... and that's right. Where's a snake, there's snake food. So there they were, lot's of little baby rats together, all so pretty but looking so sad, their tales so skinny you could see all the bones and their ears showing signs of scabs... and one blue baby even smaller than the others, put apart from them, barely moving. I just had to get him or he'd die there. I was aware that he could die in my hands, but i'd never forgive myself if i wouldn't try, at least.
The man didn't want to sell him, he knew he was too sick. This is the kind of man who only picks those babies to give them to their beloved snakes, but he understood my intentions, and after thinking for a while he picked the baby, made him a litter bed in an open box and offered me the dying rat.
The baby rat couldn't walk or stand, anytime we touched his back he would squick in pain, and sometimes he would shiver and move with convulsions. But he would still move his whiskers when i touched him, smell my fingers, look at me... so that gave me some hope. Me and my fiance, we were only passing by the exhibition, we still hade to make the ride home, three hours away. So before we hit the road again i bought nutricious baby mashed food and a syringe and started feeding the little baby right away, wrapped on a blanket on my lap. He still swallowed some times, but then, suddenly, he just passed away. At first i didn't even notice, he looked just the same pretty small boy. I mean... maybe he did not look pretty. But in my eyes i could see, i can still see, what a pretty boy he could have become.
I was aware, the moment i made the decision to take him, that probably he wouldn't survive. I tried not to bound with him, not to suffer. But i did, the moment he first swalled his food. Hope is a dangerous thing... but what would we do without it?
Please forgive, but what happened today brings me memories...
Some years ago i had a similar situation with a gorgeous stray husky dog. She seemed like she had been poisoned and i spent all afternoon trying to fix her. I did got her to vomit whatever made her sick, but it was already too late. I went to pick water and when i came back, there was people all around her. I called "Lady?" and for the last time, she turned her head and looked me with her blue eyes. She only knew me for some hours, and yet she recognized me and tryed to come to me. She died on my arms and it still makes me cry today, but i'd do it all over again. Having that dog's love, for some hours, was totally worth it ^_^
I'm so sorry for all this. I just felt like i had to share with someone, write for the time being, register this baby blue rat existence somehow.
I'll never forget him and i don't regret what i did, although i know some may disaprove. But it's my life, his life. He had nothing to lose and i won a precious memory. I like to close my eyes and imagine him clean, happy, running and licking my fingers. That made up memory and Lady's blue eyes, those are treasures to me, just enough to make me try again next time.
The man didn't want to sell him, he knew he was too sick. This is the kind of man who only picks those babies to give them to their beloved snakes, but he understood my intentions, and after thinking for a while he picked the baby, made him a litter bed in an open box and offered me the dying rat.
The baby rat couldn't walk or stand, anytime we touched his back he would squick in pain, and sometimes he would shiver and move with convulsions. But he would still move his whiskers when i touched him, smell my fingers, look at me... so that gave me some hope. Me and my fiance, we were only passing by the exhibition, we still hade to make the ride home, three hours away. So before we hit the road again i bought nutricious baby mashed food and a syringe and started feeding the little baby right away, wrapped on a blanket on my lap. He still swallowed some times, but then, suddenly, he just passed away. At first i didn't even notice, he looked just the same pretty small boy. I mean... maybe he did not look pretty. But in my eyes i could see, i can still see, what a pretty boy he could have become.
I was aware, the moment i made the decision to take him, that probably he wouldn't survive. I tried not to bound with him, not to suffer. But i did, the moment he first swalled his food. Hope is a dangerous thing... but what would we do without it?
Please forgive, but what happened today brings me memories...
Some years ago i had a similar situation with a gorgeous stray husky dog. She seemed like she had been poisoned and i spent all afternoon trying to fix her. I did got her to vomit whatever made her sick, but it was already too late. I went to pick water and when i came back, there was people all around her. I called "Lady?" and for the last time, she turned her head and looked me with her blue eyes. She only knew me for some hours, and yet she recognized me and tryed to come to me. She died on my arms and it still makes me cry today, but i'd do it all over again. Having that dog's love, for some hours, was totally worth it ^_^
I'm so sorry for all this. I just felt like i had to share with someone, write for the time being, register this baby blue rat existence somehow.
I'll never forget him and i don't regret what i did, although i know some may disaprove. But it's my life, his life. He had nothing to lose and i won a precious memory. I like to close my eyes and imagine him clean, happy, running and licking my fingers. That made up memory and Lady's blue eyes, those are treasures to me, just enough to make me try again next time.