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My friend of another species
Oct. 8th, 2014 10:31 pmIn early May of 2013, four rats came into my care. They had been surrendered to Perth Rat Rescue after their owner left her parents' home, abandoning them. They were then looked after, loosely speaking, by her mother, who didn't know anything about rats and didn't like them. At one point they were left outside during a rainstorm and their cage became soaked. I was originally fostering them but I'm notoriously bad at giving rats back when I do that and it didn't take long before I had decided to keep them.
This picture shows the young and suave Gil in his first couple of weeks here.
They had all been named after characters in the TV show Friends which I've never watched. I changed two of the names but decided that Joey and Ben (adapted to Benny) were ok. The others became Nigel and Gil, who's the main subject of this story. Benny was 10 months old, a teenager, and the other three about 15 months, young adult. Joey was quite unwell and the others also needed a course of antibiotics. Poor Joey never really was a well rat and my notes throughout his life concern various medications the vet tried on him, but the others quickly gained strength.
Gil became one of the most personable and affectionate rats I've ever known. At some point, I'm not sure exactly when, he began trekking over to my chair whenever given free time, to settle down under my dressing gown. It would have been when he reached middle age or so and started snoozing through his free time. He was the boss rat, though not a very aggressive one, and did the sorting out if anyone needed to be corrected. Apart from that first treatment, I think he only needed the antibiotics one other time before this last illness, which is pretty good. He outlived all of his brothers.
Gil chilling out on my chair to watch television. A popular pastime for the middle-aged pet rat.
My popularity declined after I introduced this to Gil.
Gil was euthanased at Subi Vets on Tuesday morning, after several weeks of declining health. I'd gotten dispensation from work to be late in order to attend to this. I miss him incredibly, as our bond was very close, but that was why I didn't want him to be in any more pain. He was approximately two years and eight months old, which is not bad for a ratty lifespan.
This picture shows the young and suave Gil in his first couple of weeks here.
They had all been named after characters in the TV show Friends which I've never watched. I changed two of the names but decided that Joey and Ben (adapted to Benny) were ok. The others became Nigel and Gil, who's the main subject of this story. Benny was 10 months old, a teenager, and the other three about 15 months, young adult. Joey was quite unwell and the others also needed a course of antibiotics. Poor Joey never really was a well rat and my notes throughout his life concern various medications the vet tried on him, but the others quickly gained strength.
Gil became one of the most personable and affectionate rats I've ever known. At some point, I'm not sure exactly when, he began trekking over to my chair whenever given free time, to settle down under my dressing gown. It would have been when he reached middle age or so and started snoozing through his free time. He was the boss rat, though not a very aggressive one, and did the sorting out if anyone needed to be corrected. Apart from that first treatment, I think he only needed the antibiotics one other time before this last illness, which is pretty good. He outlived all of his brothers.
Gil chilling out on my chair to watch television. A popular pastime for the middle-aged pet rat.
My popularity declined after I introduced this to Gil.
Gil was euthanased at Subi Vets on Tuesday morning, after several weeks of declining health. I'd gotten dispensation from work to be late in order to attend to this. I miss him incredibly, as our bond was very close, but that was why I didn't want him to be in any more pain. He was approximately two years and eight months old, which is not bad for a ratty lifespan.