Huron was one of the sick boys from the Rats Town Rattery rescue on June 2, 2010. He never got better…he was always sick since he arrived. He also became very hormonal, and aggressive but even my vet wouldn’t put him under anesthesia for a much-needed neuter. We tried so many treatments to improve his URI so that he could be neutered and none worked. He was chronically ill and very aggressive to other rats and to me, so our relationship was hands-off for the most part LOLOL. I hated Huron being alone, so finally when all my remaining RTR boys became older and less able to fight and posture (HED has a way of humbling aggressive boys), I introduced him back in with his brothers and new family. He was very happy.
He started off in the Cozy Boat upstairs but finally his HED relegated him to the bottom of the FN, and he was very content sleeping with Finley and Boris, my trio of lovely black RTR boys in the low hung double decker. Last week we lost Finley then Boris a day apart and poor Huron was alone in his double decker, so I pulled him out and he became a Bed Rat…Rhesus was not impressed but grudgingly allowed another rat to share His Bed and His Mom. Huron adored the change, and the rat that formerly would try to get his teeth in any bit of exposed flesh, became the sweetest thing, loving scratches, and would even happily lie on his back, with this Ahhhh expression on his face while I gently scratched his belly. His lungs were very congested so I was hoping he would hold off until the nebulizer (and the much talked about hypertonic saline treatments) arrived. Something needed to break up that congestion in his lungs, even though he was on zithro/baytril, getting steam treatments and I would do coupage on him to help loosen things up. He was acting stronger and stronger which gave me hope. I had gotten the email on Friday that my order for the nebulizer was processing, and I was waiting desperately for the email that it had been shipped which of course never came! Last night I found a notice from UPS that my package was waiting at the UPS store and I could pick it up tomorrow…YAY!!! Huron was having a wee bit of problems with his lungs so I gave him some dex to open things up a bit before bed.
This morning I woke up at 5 am knowing something was wrong. I couldn’t find Huron on the bed, and got up to find him. He was trying to shove himself in a shoe on the floor and when I picked him up I knew something was really wrong. My big muscular fellow was limp. I took him back and lay down with him on my chest, and realized my Huron had had a stroke. He continued to have little seizures off and on while I stroked him and told him I loved him, and to go be with his brothers that he missed. He finally left me at 6:34 am. The Last RTR boy is gone, and I am not sure how I feel about it. These rats were my “Why BYB’s are Bad” best examples…they went through insane amounts of things…most were aggressive, strokes, heart issues, ear polyps, respiratory issues were very common, skin issues I had never seen before, UTI’s, inner ear infections, tumours galore (mammary, external malignancies, internal masses), HED all of them (unless they died young), eye issues, seizures, etc.
One day the name RTR won’t ring any more bells for people, but I will never ever forget them. I met some amazing rats through this terrible situation (Eli for one)…some just took their time coming into their sweet selves like Huron. Fly free boys…it was an education and an honour being a part of your lives.
I was unable to get a pic of the boys cage because it was a homemade pine box with chicken wire, about the size of a FN one unit, but with no shelves, on pine, no food, and the water bottle empty and on its side. The boys were practically walking on each others backs, they all reeked, were filthy, a lot were sick and some were injured.
This is the girl’s cage that we took from them, there was 19 girls in this cage, just to give you an idea of the conditions.
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Typical Huron
Bring those fingers closer little girl!
When he first moved into the Lilith/Oldie cage, his eyes were bright and wide-open. I was worried how he would interact with my feisty 3-legged girl Inca. Those 2 were the ones I worried about.
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Strangely enough, they got along get almost from the beginning.
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Then when Huron became a Bed Rat his transformation was complete. The boy I normally would have to watch very carefully, loved to cuddle up to my face, get scratches, lick instead of bite…it was a good ending for the RTR clan. They broke my heart over and over, but they also put it back together again.
Ohhh the scratches
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and the cuddles
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