Nell

Nell - July 19, 2010 to May 20, 2013

Nell is the last of my halfies...the most fearful and bitey one of the group lasts the longest...figures eh? All that feisty spirit carried her frail body a long way past her sisters, but she made new friends in the end and even grew to "love" me as much as her nature would allow.

Baby Nell with fellow rescuer Graham. He was helping me hold, photograph and name the girls.



After this pic and even with intense socializing these little gals wanted nothing to do with me, so she became "one of the halfies" until I was able to hold them again...took a long time before I wasn't dripping blood trying to handle them. They WERE a challenge to care for. :cheeky: At the time I named them I had drawn their bellies and markings on a page, and used it as a legend to figure out who was who LOL

I am sure this wary face who had developed a new use for ramp covers was Nell, as it gave me a nasty bite after the pic LOLOL



August 25, 2012, the only pic I got of her as she was panic-stricken, so I just took one pic and put her back in her cage.



The last 2 halfies, Jenny and Nell on Feb, 10th, 2013. Nell took a lot of comfort from her much braver (and sweeter sister). At this point Nell's tumour on her side had just started to grow.





Then we lost Jenny...poor timid Nell was alone in a world she found terrifying. I was sooo worried about her. I put her on the bed to meet the current bedrats (Perses and Nala) and she slowly came around. Nell would avoid all of us for the most part...although she became very curious about me and would drag (full HED and a large tumour on her side) herself near me and stare at me with those big round worried eyes. As long as I didn't try to touch her she would relax, and then sit and boggle. If I tried to touch her she would slither off under a pillow. LOL She cried when touched, that distressed whispery cry they make "Pleeease, pleeease don't kill me!". After awhile the crying became part of her routine. When she finally let me rub her ears, she would be smooshing up her face, her little useless leg twitching and she would still be crying. A rat bumped into her and she cried...it was just Nell. :heart: She went from hard nipping me to occasional nips "Wake up! Time for my breakfast!". She was a very imperious little lady. LOL







When I was on the computer, she was always on the end of the bed as close as she could get, watching me, curious...and sometimes she would let me touch her.



She met Malcolm who was 3 times her weight, and soundly beat him down...she had the big fat boy on his back crying....boy did he respect her after that. She would allow him to sleep with her at times but mostly she slept on her own or cuddled near my side. She became very sweet at the end and ended up really loving gentle Nala.

For all her feisty ways and the mayhem she caused, she went in her sleep, very quietly. She was a bit slow that morning, and I locked them all in the bed cage so I could run some nasty rats, and when I opened the door, she continued to sleep...Nala and Malcolm came out, and Nell slept one. She must've slipped away soon after that.

Silly silly Nell, disabled, tiny, and still feisty as anything...she wouldn't actually try this with the rats, but she would teach that door who was boss!!! Link is to her last video :)

http://i61.photobucket.com/albums/h75/rattiluv/Mod%20bRATS/apr9sillyNell.mp4