Worth Is Helped to the Bridge

Sadly I went in this morning to check on Worth, the last of the 4 baby boys in Vermin Village, he has needed extra help for some time now and it looks as if he finally was ready to go. He was helped to the bridge today at 12:30pm. He and his brothers were pretty spunky. They were the boys that gave me the idea of putting 2 cages together to make a bigger cage. They had 10 levels of fun. They used to take bits of paper and haul it around the cage and set them down and lay on it. Here is them with a paper plate. It was so cute. He was preceeded in death by his 3 brothers, Mosco, Baxter, and Rico. I have missed the group immensly and I know I'll miss Worth.

Have fun with your brothers little Worth!

Mosco Exits to the Bridge

Mosco was one of the original ratties adopted into Vermin Village. He would have been 2 in July of 2009. He was preceded in death by his brothers Rico and Baxter. He is survived by his brother Worth. He survived the illness that swept through Vermin Village in the Spring of 2008. He and his brother could be found cuddling together in their hammock or igloo. He was in the picture featured in Veggie vs. Rattie. which was actually about the Corvallis Crew, but the picture was so adorable, I had to include it in the story. The calm after the storm.

Rest in peace little one. You will be missed. My giant floppy rattie boy.

Owen, Rico and Knack

Owen came with his cage mate Luke from a family in SE Portland. He was an older gentleman, but still young at heart. He passed away due to complications of respiratory illness. It came on suddenly. I did their morning feed and check and that night when I went in to play with them...I could hear him gasping. I grabbed him and ran him into the bathroom and turned on the steam. I gave him some medicine to start him off. He passed in the wee hours of the morning of April 21st, 2008, just under the age of 2. I don't have pictures of him. He was a black and white rattie with a super personality. He loved his hammock and stashing his blocks for the day he might not get any. He is survived by his cage mate Luke. Luke is battling his illness. Until tonight, I thought I would not lose any more to this...cautiously optimistic.



Rico was one of 4 brothers, Rico, Baxter, Worth and Mosco. He was a gregarious rat and loved his hammock, good food and his brothers. They would all sleep in a pile on a paper plate when they had one. The little bums would drag pieces of newspapers around to lay on the cage and plop themselves anywhere. Now his brothers are left to plop on their own. He too passed from complications of respiratory illness. He passed, Wednesday, April 23, 2008. He was 8 months old. He was originally adopted from a woman in Clackamas that adopted 2 female rats from OHS and both delivered litters. She brought the female babies back to OHS for them to find homes. The boys, she worked on finding homes, and I adopted the 4.


Knack. I love all my ratties, but sometimes one just really tugs you. Knick and Knack were the second pair of brothers I adopted from the Oregon Humane Society. These were my husband's babies. They were the youngest rats adopted, maybe 6 weeks old. (I've since adopted younger ones.) But they were like little peas in a pod and they continued that way this entire time. A few weeks ago I introduced Knick and Knack to Tank and Remi because they seemed to get along ok. I'm glad I did so Knick will NOT be alone. I found Knack this morning at about 3am. He had passed. He was about 11 months old. Like all the others I wrapped him in his hammock and placed him in a container awaiting my next trip to take them for cremation. Like all the others I cried.

I am really kind of numb as I write this. I lost three loving babies and I know this isn't over. My last trip to the grocery store, I purchased the containers I store them in until they are taken to be cremated. Precious is still really battling and the fact that Knack actually did not appear ill makes me concerned that others may be sicker than they appear.

As for the rest of the babies, I'm giving them lysine and their antibiotics. Tomorrow I intend to make as many medicine boxes as I can this week. These will be used to plop them in to take their medicine. I'd much rather give them their medicine in their food rather than in a syringe. I'll have to see how it goes. Right now I give the lysine in a 3 oz paper cup. They seem to enjoy that.

Anyway, I have more to tell about yesterday, but I'm so upset and too tired now and this is not the time for me to explain how everything is going to work.

Three of the angels have returned to heaven, I know more will be coming soon. My heart is still open, but this has been very hard.
A saddened Rat Slave

Sadness and Sickness Sweeps Vermin Village

I'm so upset. Respiratory illness is sweeping through Vermin Village. I stopped using CareFresh, too dusty. I switched to Aspen. Also too dusty. So now I'm switching to kiln dried pine (yes I know) litter made by ABM. The Rat Guide lists it as an acceptable bedding and I have to do something. So we are trying that.

All of the fur kids are on lysine and antibiotics. It is a very long time. I noticed early on that Rico had BUGS ON HIM. What the hell? So despite the warnings, I had to treat everyone with Revolution. You aren't supposed to treat sick kids but they are NOT candidates for a bath AND the bugs work against them too.

Owen, one of the older boys adopted from a family in SE Portland, passed away around 2am Monday, April 21st. I was up all night with him, my rat Rico, and Precious. Rico and Precious continued to remain in the bathroom with humidifier and steam treatments as well as their other medication. Rico was also really bad. He passed away around 3am today, April 24th. He was not even a year old. I will write about both of them on another post as all of the babies deserve their own memorial on the blog. I just have to think of what to say since I've lost 2 and have the potential to lose a lot more, so close together.

Precious is still fighting. She is just a year old, hairless little girl. I hope she was caught early enough.

Others that have been sneezing and the ones they are caged with (so every rat in the room) is on lysine and antibiotics. I'll give them all lysine the rest of their lives and antibiotics twice a day for 6 weeks, which means I'm very busy.

I did get two boys, Mr. Beans and Boo from CL. They were offered as pets or snake food and after hemming and hawing due to the illness, I went and got them. I'll make a separate entry for that experience later. Right now I've got to go and medicate and clean a cage or two before I go to work.