Norbert

Norbert the Niagara Nakie - Sept. 2011 to April 6, 2013 :'(

Barely 19 months old, but born (and bred!) with one of the worst immune systems possible. My Niagara Nakies are my wonderful problem children and I love them all, but Norbert had a big chunk of my heart. He ranked right up there with Hope and Eli, if you remember those incredible rats of mine, so this loss is going to bring me low. The practical, pragmatic side will not happen, I will be a little girl losing her first rat all over again.

Norbert, affectionately called Norby, was opinionated, frightened of other rats, and once he decided I was HIS, he hated to share and would have temper tantrums. Eventually he figured out that him sharing me was something that made me happy and I am sure he grumbled about it but acquiesced to my wishes.

Baby Norbert. So tiny and adorable. Supposedly 3 months but hmmmm...yeah. :roll: Offered up for free from the breeder with his 2 brothers because they were blind from birth. I got them home, got them to the vet and they had carefresh stuck in their eyes from probably when they opened them at 2 weeks of age :( I ended up taking in the 3 boys plus their tiny sister and a tilty girl...the breeder didn't "do vet" :(



But born with a wonky eye, it looked deformed to me and caused him (and all my Niagara Nakies) issues all his life. These rats were prone to getting debris stuck in their eyes and having to be gassed down and it removed at the vets. This was just the start of their issues.







His bigger brothers terrorized him, and instilled in him a fear of other rats. He was neutered so he could live with a female but once he got bigger the fear turned into "get them before they get you" and introductions became bloody.

Isn't he scary?


He loooved to play


Growing up


All grown up. He became the biggest of all the boys LOL


His first and only cagemate, motherly old Shimei...I was hoping she would teach him rats weren't all out to get him, but after she left us (too soon) he refused to accept another. This is when he turned to me. We already loved each other but it became much more intense after Shimei was gone.



Norby joined the Old Ones on the bed, a constantly changing group, and learned to tolerate them. He slept ON me every night...we got into our habits (I am an insanely light sleeper) and I shift a lot. He learned that I would shift but hold him until we re-settled in our new position, he would just stay quiet, cuddle down again and we would snooze off. His favorite place was when I slept on my back or was watching TV...I would cuddle my hand around him, or he would sleep with his head resting on my hand...he loved to make sure he was touching me somehow. When I was sleeping on my side he would drape himself over my side and sleep. He would toddle off and then come back, push under the blankets climb up on my side, shove my shirt out of the way to bare skin (he often had cold cold feet!) and then sleep. LOL Bed time was a very comforting thing for both of us. :D


We had some strange ups and down, with pustules forming above his eyes, etc...but for the most part we were content....UNTIL the virus hit and our lives changed forever. I almost lost Norby suddenly one friday night. I woke up to him restless, and then heard this horrible cry. That's when I really woke up and saw he was labouring to breathe! I got him through that night and he recovered, but his lungs were shot after that. During this time the Nakies took turns getting sick, then relapsing, then getting better, then relapsing. It was exhausting. The other thing I noticed was that after this attack, Norby's jaw seemed to be displaced and his lower mandible was pushed off to the left. It finally seeemed to resolve so I didn't think much of it. Norbert only had the one really bad attack until last week...then things turned really bad. He recovered slowly and painfully, but then again Thursday night and last night...this morning, yet another attack and this one did it. I was emailing my vet with Norby's history so I could drop him off at the vet's on Monday morning for a full workup...I couldn't shake the impression something was choking him...but when I saw the way he was breathing, I just discarded the email, went to him and held him for a few moments til he was gone.

My wonderful wonderful little Man...you left a huge hole in my heart but I am glad you are suffering no more.