The big guy... Archie has left the building

Shop with us on Ebay
Advertise with us
Fins us on Amazon
The Rat Shack Forum

Help Support The Rat Shack Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.
jorats

jorats

Loving rats since 2002.
Joined
Jul 20, 2007
Messages
45,196
Location
Northeastern Ontario
My wonderful Archie, the most beautiful rat I've ever had. He looked so much like the beautiful Byron, not in colour but his body and face. A true beauty. Archie came to me after another long rat train from New Brunswick. Another great effort by the wonderful people here... First Holly, Nefarous, Godmother all worked together to save Corrie, Nettie and Byron, then 3 litters were born and all needed homes. Quite a few were heading to Ontario, much like what is happening now, but not in such a grand scale. That day, is a day I will never forget. Not only did I pick up my babies (Archie, Fred, Moose, Silas, Bobby Green and my French boys Pascal and Vincent) but I met up with some truly wonderful rescue people: Vanessa, Jane, Colleen, Sarah and Shelagh. It was grand.
Archie was a skittish little guy, never really liked to be touched, in fact wouldn't let me pet him. If I stayed still and quiet, I might get lucky and have an Archie climb up on my leg. He suffered with myco throughout his life, on and off meds... the poor boy new the drill when it came down to take his Baytril, he always took it well.
Archie lived with the big crew, they were the best colony I've ever had and had the workings of a mafia family. Archie was the stash keeper. But often found sleeping around with Mielle. As the colony slowly got older and left for the bridge, it came down to just Archie, his girl Mielle, Pascal and Vincent. Archie was dubbed The Kitten. Living with the old guys, he had unlimited baby cereal and Ensure and he sure loved it... he became as big as a kitten. Just before Mielle passed away, I found The Kitten on his back with a Mielle sleeping on top of him, right on his stomach. I think Archie became very depressed, he lost his Fred and then lost his Mielle. :(
He lost the will to live, to fight through his respiratory illness. I knew he was going. One day, he came to the door of the cage, I thought he was hungry, I offered him his Ensure, didn't even look at it and just came forward into my arms. I picked him up and we cuddled for a long time. I told him he could go... I told him that Mielle would probably be overjoyed to see him.
Again, yesterday, we spent time together, something he would never let me do... I knew it was close. At 10pm, he wouldn't take his meds, he seemed unaware and lethargic. He closed his eyes and left me.
I was hoping that he would make it a little longer, until I got the other NB boys... kinda like having it come full circle.
But he was done... he was ready and I may never will be. Have fun my Kitten. :heart:

Baby Archie:

smArchie1.jpg


Archie and Fred:

smArchieFred3.jpg


Archie_edited-1.jpg


Archie_edited-1-2.jpg


Archie_edited-1.jpg
 
Thank you for sharing such a touching tribute to Archie :heart: .
Such a wonderful life he had with you .....
Archie :heart: and all his brothers and sisters will always be in ours hearts ...

:hugs:

Holly & David (Archie's brother)
 
I am so sad to think that Archie has gone. He was a sweetie :heart:, like all his brothers and sisters. I can imagine that he lost his will to live after Mielle and Fred were gone.

It is interesting that he didn't like to be petted until the end. I keep thinking I've done something wrong, because girls from Corrie & Byron's last litter are not crazy about being picked up. They have always been treated with love and kindness, so I guess it's just their temperament.

Thanks for posting his photos and telling his story. It is almost the end of an era, with only Nic's Holly and Vanessa's boys left from that litter.

Archie was special to you. I'm thinking of you in your sadness. How hard to lose Mielle and Archie so close together. They were both so beautiful. Hugs to you.
 
Godmother, you absolutely did nothing wrong with that litter. What I have noticed, if mom is scared during the raising of the pups, that will transfer over to the kids, no matter how hard you socialize, those babies will remember mom's warnings.
Corrie had a hard beginning and she made her kids over cautious at all times..
 
Yes, dear Corrie became very loving once SQ had won her confidence. But she definitely transmitted a wariness to her kids. When I go to pick up any of her girls, they run as if I were about to slaughter them! It's almost funny, since the worst thing (other than getting spayed) that ever happened to them was pats and kisses.
 
I should add though, Holly and Wendy were/is the friendliest girl(s) ever. If there's a human in the room, they are on top of them. They love to be petted and grabbed and poked and loved. So not all the rats listened to mom. :thumbup:
 
I am so sorry for the loss of such a sweet boy, Archie :heart:

May he play hard at the rainbow bridge.
 
"not all the kids listened to mom". Hmmmm, makes me think that some of the kiddos got mama's skittish temperament and the others got their daddy's laid-back loving temperament.

Archie really did look like his dad! Melissa did too. When I look at the bottom two photos of Archie I see Melissa's sweet face.
 
I am so sorry Archie has left you Jo. I tried to call you today but you weren't home or were you spending time with Archie. Have a wonderful trip to Rainbow Bridge Archie and remember the family you had here on earth.

Ann
 
I'm sorry you've lost your little Kitten Jo. I'm happy for you that he gave you that cuddle time at the end.
If indeed it was his rattie-mom's warnings that made him standoffish then maybe near the end when the curtain between lives began to pull aside he could see her and she told him that you will need his cuddles.
Bye-bye precious little man :kisses:
 
Oh no, I'm so sorry Jo. What a tough, tough time you are having.

All my love and hugs to you and all your babies.
 

Latest posts

Back
Top