Lilspaz Rat Hospice: Dixon

Dixon - Dec. 25, 2013 to Sept. 9, 2016

Dixon was from a group of rats formerly owned by a member Janine of Ratshack. She had bought them from Atlantis Rattery unknowing of the whole breeder/petstore vs. rescue situation at the time. They were a bit skittish but fine, and then the hormones kicked in. Janine and I were in discussions of how to get some or all of her boys neutered, when she stopped messaging me. Next thing I know I find she has given the 6 boys to Jazzed Up Rattery. Long story short I ended up taking in 4 of them and got all but one neutered. Templeton was never well enough to go through the surgery. Dixon was a raging hormone, not really a rat...he was fast and savage and kind of scary. It took him a long time to calm down and have a girlfriend. Then Dixon starting losing fur over his hindquarters and belly, so I assumed his cagemate was barbering him. I ended up moving him in with a different harem and reunited him with his brother Jack. He was a very happy boy but still scuttled when I would try to pat him :P Dixon was slowly starting to warm up to me, I moved the whole group in with their other brother Milo and they were really bonded. Dixon had a small but nasty tumor growing behind his foreleg but no respiratory issues and his health besides aging, was decent so I was surprised to find him gone and Milo lying near his body. Poor old Dixon...I wish I had gotten in the cuddles but he preferred I not so I didn't.