Where to start? You can always tell the members with the larger colonies because they also have the most losses every year.
Here it goes...
Timmy - the absolute sweetest rat on the planet. Timmy came to me with an extreme inner ear infection and three cagemates from Hamilton Animal Control in August 2005. He was probably about six months old. I treated his infection, but he always seemed to be suffering with some brain damage. Timmy was the gentlest rat ever and the rat that I used to introduce my three year old nephew to rats. I could always trust his reaction to being handled and never had any fear that he would lash out in fear towards Michael. Timmy was such a treasure, I used to carry him around in the pocket of my favourite hoodie. I still wear it today and think of him when I put my hands in the front pouch and feel the holes that he managed to chew in it.
Nicky came to me along with Timmy in a group of four boys from Hamilton Animal Control in August 2005. He was probably about six months old at the time. He was a darling rat but would sometimes pick on Timmy because Timmy was a bit 'different'.
Timmy, Nicky and Sammy in their hammock...
Ratty was an old boy, around two years, who was living in a home where he was very neglected. I found him on a Craigslist ad and drove out to Oakville to pick him up in early December 2006. He was already in the advanced stages of respiratory disease and was as skinny as can be. I did medicate him but all it did was extend his life for a little while longer. He moved in with Horus who was also very old and in the same condition of respiratory disease and they absolutely adored each other. It was the first time in Ratty's life that he had anything to do with a rat buddy. He was able to stick with me through the holidays, but not long after he passed away. His previous owner sucks so badly and I will think of how much so every Christmas because of Ratty.
My darling Horus came to me with his brother/cagemate, Phoenix, from the THS in March 2006. Both were older, full grown, and suffering with the absolute worst case of lice that I have ever seen in my life. They were also suffering with respiratory disease. Never in my life have I seen two rats more bonded than Horus and Phoenix, they loved each other so very much. When Horus was introduced to Ratty, he adored him too and made up for all the time when Ratty never had a companion. Horus didn't like to be handled very much but he was an extremely sweet and darling rat, especially to his cagemates.
My favourite picture of Horus and Phoenix...
My sweet peacekeeper, Oliver, came to me with his brother Remy in April of 2005 from Small Victories in Montreal. They were very young but already extremely friendly and loved to bathe you in kisses. Both Remy and Oliver were so very healthy throughout their lives (Remy is still with me) until the very end when Oliver seemed to completely fall apart overnight. It seemed as if he had suffered from a stroke and lost all control of his movements. I tried what I could but he passed away only a couple of days after the first symptoms of a problem. Remy was always alpha in that cage and was hard on young Sebastian and John Paul. Oliver would rush over and put himself between Remy and the youngsters until Remy gave up and left them alone. He was one of the most kind and darling rats ever.
My marshmallow angel, Jasper. What can I say? Jasper came to me so petrified and antisocial that I never thought I would get him to turn around because he was pretty much full grown and had been in the shelter for his whole life. He was adopted back in January 2006 from the THS by me after he had already been returned for biting a family. I knew I had to try to help him out. After a great effort, and being neutered, he became the most darling little polar bear ever. He was so very sweet to the east coast boys when they were introduced, I never feared that he would do them any harm. They would gang up on him mercilessly and ride on his back like a bucking bronco and he would just let them get away with everything. I struggled with respiratory issues with him all his life but eventually lost the fight. I miss my Jasper so very much.
During his first introduction to his little boys...
I remember seeing Neil on the OSPCA website back in May 2006, he was listed as being three years old and actually looked like he could be that senior. After calling them and asking about him, I was told that he had been put in quarantine for three weeks because he had bitten a member of the public in the shelter. I was very concerned that he would not get another chance and he would be destroyed, although the staff told me it was the childs fault for sticking their fingers in the cage when it specifically said not to. The day he came out of quarantine, I went and picked him up. He was in pretty bad shape, full grown but not anywhere near three, and had come to the shelter in a cruelty case with a handful of mice (not living together). Neil bit me very badly a couple of times but calmed down almost immediately after he was neutered. Shortly after that I adopted Milo from a person who was rehoming him and introduced them when Milo was old enough. They were instant friends and always loved each other very much. Neil would let Milo abuse him with no complaints.
Neil and Milo first introductions...
Sebastian and his brother John Paul came to me under the very worst of circumstances back in December 2005. A woman was working at a roadside zoo type thing and come across a shed of rats that had been feed for the animals but had been left to die over the winter months. Sara (the woman who found them) did her best to get as many as she could out of there and my two boys were two of them. They were both fairly healthy throughout their lives but did suffer very serious conditions as they got on. Sebastian had a horrible throat tumour successfully removed, and later John Paul developed a horrible facial abscess. Sebastian did recover fully from his tumour, but more must have been going on because I lost him fairly suddenly a few months later. John Paul was treated for his abscess and some other health issues, but he never recovered and passed away shortly after becoming ill.
Last, but never least, my little beastie Abu-boo. Abu-boo was the last boy of five that I had adopted from a woman back in June 2005. He was about six months old at the time. Abu-boo was extremely aggressive towards other rats and did a fair amount of damage to them, and to me as well. Even after neutering him he ripped Blazers shoulder open one night (a $400 trip to the emergency vets on a weekend to get stitched up) and was the only rat ever that I have removed from a colony for aggression. For months after his neuter he would still be out for blood when being introduced to other rats, even though I tried every combo I had in the house, so for the most part he lived alone. Finally, when he was a little old boy, he had calmed down enough to live his remaining few months with Neil, Milo, Lenny and George. He was always a very small boy and lost weight gradually with age and was probably very thankful for chubby young cagemates in fleece hammocks.
Some people already know about most of my babies that passed, but others may not, so I am posting them all here.
