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RIP Blind Mag

Posted by Werewolf, Baby! at 9/2/2010 4:14:06 PM

A little over a year ago, Katie brought a little barely weaned baby rat over to our Memorial Day Barbecue. It didn't have any eyes, so we were all kinds of fascinated. My cousin took a shine to her and almost took her home. But she wasn't allowed to, because I'd already decided that she was mine.

I bought her a cage, I bought her toys, a wheel, everything. I hated rats. Not in the "EEK a rat!" kind of way, but because I'd tried to bond with rats in the past and even though they were young, they wanted nothing to do with me. So I stopped trying and stopped liking them, and you know, considered them nothing more than snake food. I felt silly collecting things for a rat. The vet said that she was - his words, not mine - "retarded" and that she probably wouldn't make it very far.

I called her Blind Mag, but mostly Mag or Mag-Mag. She was black-hooded, and looked so weird with no eyes. But after a few months, the rats at the pet store looked weird because they HAD eyes. She was loving, no biting, hilarious with her antics, loved pizza crusts, crackers, you name it...

But last night she started having seizures at about 2:30 in the morning. By 3:00 we were on our way to the vet, having to pull over every few miles to make sure she was still breathing. When we got to the vet, she was having another seizure, and her blood glucose level was so low it wouldn't register. Her heart went back into a regular rhythm after she received valium, but it had a prevelant murmeur. She had feeling in her back legs, but nothing in the front. Her prognosis was none to poor, so we did the only humane thing and let her go peacefully instead of dying of a seizure in the middle of the night..

Nothing beats the mixture of grief and weirdness while you stand there, sobbing at 4:00 in the morning, for a rat, while you own several dozen snakes, and pay for her ashes and an urn nicer than the one your cat has. It was quite surreal.

But she will be missed. I kept saying she was my favorite pet, and it turns out I meant it. I haven't been this broken up since my bunny died a few years ago. I don't think I'll ever have another rat. I can't believe how short their lifespans are.

Little weanling, awwww:

Investigating the baby rack beneath her. In two seconds she decided it was boring and begged for food.

And my favorite picture of us together, even though I'm all red, blah. But she looks cute and that's the important part.

No more rats for me, Mag, you ruined an entire species for me by being the best, hands down.

Comments:

View Oldest First

gfx,	Posted At: 9/2/2010 6:17:47 PM
	They are amazing friends. Sorry you lost your neat girl, they definitely don't live long enough.

shellboa,	Posted At: 9/2/2010 6:34:09 PM
	Rats have great personality and there are times I wish my snakes ate something else. I'm sorry you lost your friend and with her, all interest in the species.

Werewolf, Baby! ,	Posted At: 9/2/2010 7:09:50 PM
	Thanks guys. I didn't lose interest in the species, I can play with friends' rats, I just don't think I could have another one, personally. The short lifespan is too hard for me to handle. I'm just glad I didn't find her dead, that she went peacefully at the vet's office.

Squenchy,	Posted At: 9/2/2010 8:38:37 PM
	Sorry for your loss. I keep a pair as pets, and they are hilarious. So much personality.

Emily ,	Posted At: 9/2/2010 9:46:30 PM
	So sorry for your loss. :( I had a pet rat once...when she had to be put down it was absolutely heartbreaking. Doesn't matter the type of critter, just that you had a bond with her. You gave her a chance at life when many other people (or hell, nature for that matter) wouldn't have.

Allen S,	Posted At: 9/3/2010 3:43:20 PM
	I'm sorry its always sucks losing a pet of any kind!

Tasia Larsen,	Posted At: 9/3/2010 4:49:35 PM
	sorry for your loss... she sounds amazing. I have a rat too that I would be pretty broken up if I lost him. But all others don't compare. may she rest in piece. :)

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