Malcolm 2

Malcolm 2 - October 2010 to June 6, 2013

Malcolm started his journey with me when he and his siblings were picked up by Jenny, and brought to me. They were an oops litter of a former member or our forum, but she said her husband didn't like the rats and was threatening to toss these babies (8) and the 2 young moms out in the snow. So my wonderful friend made another long transport to pick up these fortunate rats and bring them here, Even better she fell in love with the 2 white boys who ended up going home with her and the last 2 I sent home to my brother who wanted to have boy rats this time around.

Baby Malcolm, always curious, and happy and a bit of a clown.




After they went home, every time I went home to visit I saw the boys and they always remembered me! When I would call their name, they would come running more than they would with anyone else :)

I got some pics of them all grown up...Malcolm was still a friendly, bossy clown :D They also got very big. LOL





With his brother Jeremy. Malcolm was always the one crawling all over you, asking for attention, while shy Jeremy hung back.



So life went on, until my birthday in January this year. I went up to see the family and my mom told me that Mal had been acting off for awhile but we assumed it was age, as he was 25 months old and big and fat. When I got up there, I watched him and realized he had PT and he was suddenly declining. I did what I could for him, sryinge fed him, etc, but we decided I would take him home and try to see if I could save him. He was a very sad limp boy when I got him home on Sunday night. He got an injection of dex and then we waited.



The dex kicked in a little and he was able to drink, and try to eat and wobble around after some of my oldies

Old Oscar and Malcolm use each other to lean on to eat puffs LOL



I got him into my vet and got our prescription of bromocriptine and this is when things really took off :D

The little monkey man was able to eat properly again, climb, explore. Yay!!



But unfortunately he decided he didn't like my other rats anymore...silly opinionated Mal.
I am the King of this Bed!



Lucky Malcolm went home to his brother who was very happy to have his brother back and life went on very happily for a few more months.

One weekend my mom asked me to take in Jeremy and have him put to sleep. They had discovered their rural dog vet refused to treat rats and wouldn't euthanize Jeremy (these boys had been insanely healthy all their lives), so my brother dropped off both old boys on April 29th. Sadly even though we really hoped we could have surgery to save Jeremy, his massive neck tumour was too invasive and he had to be pts instead. So poor Malcolm, who was old, but relatively healthy stayed with me.

He was very unsure of himself at first, and I worried about my bigger than life clown boy after we lost his brother.



But soon he bounced back and became Mr. Opinionated all over again. He liked some rats, hated others and there was often no rhyme or reason to it. And luckily he would change his mind in times...sometimes LOL

The boy loved to be comfortable and this often meant lying on his back trying to groom while I tried desperately NOT to poke that big expanse of belly LOL






Cleaning the pudge


Taking care of sick wee Nala, after he decided he loved her rather than hated her


Happily being subjugated by little Yara...this girl was allowed to do anything to him!


Oooh rub the belly!


Sleeping cuddled up with tilty girl Bree. *heart*



On his last night...I knew he was getting quieter, not moving around as much with his HED, not eating as much, but then he would perk up and I would stop worrying again.

Dinner Mal??


After about 10 mins of being all excited, he gave me this look..."Where the *** is dinner??!"



I found Malcolm gone in his sleep when I got home from work the next day.


And how I will always remember Malcolm my clown