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R.I.P. Cedric 14.8.2009 - 16.1.2013
Cedric died, with me, at about 9.30 pm last night. His loss is very hard to take, although he was such an old rat and very disabled; hind legs not working, half his tail had died and he was eating only baby food and soy formula with water. Chocolate custard baby food, mostly. I was having to bathe him because he couldn't clean himself and also would walk straight through food if the dish was between him and his destination.
A dying rat is very singleminded. He wants to be held, most of the time, especially towards the end, so one learns to do most things one-handed while clutching a snoozing rat. I was glad to do this as much as I could. He began to go seriously downhill about the time I went on break, so I've been able to spend a lot of time with him over the past few weeks. It's only the past two days I've been at work and he seemed happy to be settled on his blankets with a supply of soy and chocolate custard until I could come back, let the furry locusts (his cagemates) back in with him and resume the attention.
The other rats don't seem worried that he is gone. They take such things more sensibly than humans, knowing that death is part of their lives and then, that Cedric is not here any more.
He was a special rat, the last of the huge rescue some years ago, in the sense that his mother was one of the 50 rats rescued out of the hundreds we were unable to save. I sometimes think that Cedric is an example of how well rats would do if mycoplasmosis was not the scourge of their species. He has had it, yes, but always responded well to treatment and never needed much treatment. Nor did he have any other physical problems until well along in his life. At three years he could still climb ladders. At not much younger than that, he was disciplining little teenaged rats provided to him as his "company" after the last of his agemates passed. Cedric did a great job educating that company! I remember wondering whether he was too old to be subjected to bolshy little rats, but he survived into their young adulthood, unconcerned.
Going to miss you, mate.
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Yes, there is the familiarity of rats losing their hind legs, and losing the ability to clean themselves. Serves as an fine excuse for more rat time - and besides, chocolate custard baby food? Sounds like Cedric didn't so much die but was slowly eased into rat heaven...
Valedictions little fella! You were clearly loved by your human companion, and lived a long and happy life.
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