The Rats Series 3: Claude's Rules 1/10/08?-28.9.10

Claude lived life on his own terms. He was surrendered to PRRR at about 8 months old, having lost his brother in circumstances that were never clearly explained. He had wounds on his neck which turned out to be self-inflicted and loads of attitude! I won him over, but for a full year he refused to have anything to do with the other rats who lived here, even baby rats. Adult males are usually very good with little rats, better than females. After all, this could be their baby, they don't know, so they take care of him as if he was. Not Claude. Claude even terrorised a visiting pet rabbit, chivvying him along like a sheepdog.

When the weather got very cold a few months ago, Claude decided the other rats were all right after all and he moved into the big cage with its live-in heaters. He continued very affectionate and would find me on the couch to be cuddled. The last chance I had to do this was Friday night when he let me know he wasn't feeling well at all. It was unfortunately not something the vet could help with, not this time, though the surgery knew Claude pretty well by now.

I found him dead when I got home from work yesterday. It appeared as though he had had a heart attack, quite sudden as he was still in a laid-back "grooming position." He was in a hammock on the lower level of the cage, by himself. On his own terms.