Mae

Mae - July 10, 2010 to July 5, 2012

Mae is my first halfie girl to go. These poor rats were born due to a wild male rat coming in and impregnating some of my females during Out time. I asked my vet to euthanize the litter once they were born (in foster) but he refused as they were healthy and able and that is his moral line...which I can understand but I now had a halfie litter in foster that I didn't get my hands on for weeks, by then it was "too late". With a skittish mom these girls were difficult to say the least. They never trusted humans unlike the 2 other boys, who had a very relaxed and gentle mom...they were actually neutered and even though they are sickly they are still happy and content with their girls.

The halfie girls on the other hand...most were terrified of humans, and some bit savagely, unfortunately the only way to tell them apart was berky belly markings for 5 of them (2 had white markings that came up their sides so they were more obvious). Cleaning their cage was a very difficult proposition, changing hammocks meant I bled, and often in several places, while also trying to prevent the girls from getting out of their FN. Mae actually got out once and decided being a "Wild Rat" was more her thing. She lived free for 2 weeks before I finally caught her in the havahart traps I had bought. She was not a pleased girl and for quite a while was one of those with their fur puffed up and trying their dangedest to eat my flesh LOL

but then my Mae developed her first mammary tumour...at about 12 months of age. This didn't bode well for this poor crew of skittish girls. :( It grew slowly, never bothering her, and then she developed another one...on the same side. She amazed me as up to today she was able to get around wherever she wanted, into the hammock, up the ladder to the shelf, inside the tube I had up there for her, cuddling with at least one sister. But then a harder one grew on her opposite shoulder, and this morning when I found yet another tumour on her neck, I said enough was enough. She was 2 years old, her tumours were easily 2/3's of her body, and even though she was dealing very well, I couldn't stand it anymore. So I loaded up my "little" girl with Rescue Remedy (thank you so much Petunia and Jennifervb!!!!) and she did surprisingly well. She was grooming and bright-eyed in her carrier just fine until I tried to stroke her head goodbye. She ended up such a sweet girl...if only I had gotten my hands on them sooner :'(

Baby Mae
Her belly marking...







Mae deciding MIA is the way to go...I often saw her, and could hand feed her carefully (she was always looking for a chomp) but never could get my hands on her.



Poor Mae



She's ONE of these girls LOLOL



Goodbye sweetie.