Serena

Serena - January 2012 to July 22, 2013 :(

Poor Serena was born with issues. Before her birth her mom was tossed out in the snow around Christmas, CCH rescue took the 4 moms in and then discovered they were pregnant. Mid-January Serena was born and her troubles began. She was one of the unlucky ones that had hydrocephalus (or water on the brain) a condition where the cerebrospinal fluid doesn't drain properly and builds up in a poor ratgirl's head causing a dome shaped head and many other symptoms and characteristics. Luckily for Serena she survived unlike a lot of her siblings, and her body developed a way to drain the fluid from around her brain. I knew that hydro rats often need special care and will need an owner watching for possible issues, so I ended up taking her, her sister, mom and another girl in from when CCH finally closed its doors. There was another sister but she died before I could bring them home. Serena was always my favourite, 9 months old, very sweet and very docile unlike her flighty mom. She was definitely "different" but not in a bad way. Two days after she arrived I took a pic of her and realized she had the beginnings of cataracts. Congenital cataracts in both eyes are one of those issues with hydrocephalus. :/



Here she is with her tiny sister Pip



Loving the rubs :)


This little family of mom Maisie (cinnamon), sister Pip (nakie) and Serena were sooo close, never fought and were always sleeping curled up with each other.




Ooh more rubs!



a bit of grooming from Pip



Excited about life...always



Taking her meds like the good girl she was :)



But sadly the cataracts got worse until she was totally blind by about 15 months...she was terrified of other rats now. Even if they gently bumped her she ran to me to "save her". But when it was just her family she would go and explore and be fine.

and then she developed a very nasty and fast growing malignancy on her belly. And she aged. She aged to an old rat in a matter of 2 months. Old rat build, old rat walk and sitting on her butt with her hind feet splayed.


Here she is beside old 3-legged 32 month old Sparrow 2 days ago...Serena looks rougher at 18 months.





I assume the hydrocephalus returned as she started really slowly down, avoiding her own family and tonight she came right to me for kisses and strokes. She lay in my arms quietly for about 30 mins then she started to click and soon after the agonal breathing began and I stroked her until she passed a few minutes later.

My lovely little cuddly lass. This is how I shall always remember her...bright and cheery. :)