Sirus - December 2011 - Nov. 8, 2014
Sirus and my life briefly touched in September 2013, but of course I didn't realize it was him. At that point he was just a picture in an email from someone asking for help in Stratford. Unfortunately my inn was full at the time and I was only able to find a humane society who agreed to take him and 20 others in. They had a reputation for being a good shelter and rehoming rats easily. Jenny, the wonderful person that she is, offered to do the transport to the far away shelter for these 21 rats, and when she met Sirus and his brothers, all older at this age (almost 2) she said she almost brought them home. LOL
Then a woman in Midland contacted Victoria, who put her in touch with me. At first she was asking for advice but the whole sad story came out. She had agreed to take in cats and rabbits from a humane society to foster and adopt out at her pet supply store in Midland, but they sent her 4 rats, hamsters, some rabbits and no cats LOL. She saw Sirus's leg, twisted, swollen and bleeding and was told it was bumblefoot and not to worry about it. It turned out to be a recently badly broken hock that ended up healing and being completely rigid. This sweet woman did the very best she could for him but he ended up developing bumblefoot from pressure on the poor leg.
Sadly one boy had a bad tumour, the other boy was very sick and 2 were fine. Not getting any help from the shelter except "keep them comfortable until they die", this lovely woman started reaching out to rat people, and ended up talking to me. She sent me pics, told me where they were from and once I saw the pics, especially of the blazed boys I started digging through my emails...and found Sirus, formerly Butterscotch, and the other 3 boys.
The sick boy was in terrible shape, and luckily I was going up to my mom's that long weekend, and arranged to meet her in Barrie to get the boys. Sadly the sickest boy passed in Sandy's arms the night before. I ended up with 3 lovely older boys, all with issues.
Eating treats with his brother Nacho
Always watching over his brothers
Poor Sirus's foot, was quite a mess...and it took some time before I figured out the cure and got it under control.
By May 19th though it was finally improving, although the hock was fused and would never be normal, the bumble was drying out and shrinking
and finally by May 15th, it ended up staying like this.
Sirus was the independent sort, pat me only when I want, then I trundle off to do my own thing.
He loved to lie in front of the Hamilton Animal Control girls cage, who HATED other rats, and they would scream and screech and try to get to him, and fight amongst themselves. He would just lie there out of reach, all smug and happy. LOL Funny boy!
AFter we lost his brothers one by one, with lovely Buddy being only last month, I tried him with old lumpy Elise...who was 37 months old. At first he ignored her, then tolerated her but finally he ended up letting her in the hammock and into his heart.
I noticed my feisty, disabled old man was slowing down over the last couple of days. This morning I woke up at 5:30 and saw him stretched out flat in the bottom of his cage, and thought he was gone. Reached in and found him still alert, but cool. I pulled him out and settled him beside me, where we talked, and cuddled until he finally left an hour and a half later.
Yesterday morning.
Sirus and my life briefly touched in September 2013, but of course I didn't realize it was him. At that point he was just a picture in an email from someone asking for help in Stratford. Unfortunately my inn was full at the time and I was only able to find a humane society who agreed to take him and 20 others in. They had a reputation for being a good shelter and rehoming rats easily. Jenny, the wonderful person that she is, offered to do the transport to the far away shelter for these 21 rats, and when she met Sirus and his brothers, all older at this age (almost 2) she said she almost brought them home. LOL
Then a woman in Midland contacted Victoria, who put her in touch with me. At first she was asking for advice but the whole sad story came out. She had agreed to take in cats and rabbits from a humane society to foster and adopt out at her pet supply store in Midland, but they sent her 4 rats, hamsters, some rabbits and no cats LOL. She saw Sirus's leg, twisted, swollen and bleeding and was told it was bumblefoot and not to worry about it. It turned out to be a recently badly broken hock that ended up healing and being completely rigid. This sweet woman did the very best she could for him but he ended up developing bumblefoot from pressure on the poor leg.
Sadly one boy had a bad tumour, the other boy was very sick and 2 were fine. Not getting any help from the shelter except "keep them comfortable until they die", this lovely woman started reaching out to rat people, and ended up talking to me. She sent me pics, told me where they were from and once I saw the pics, especially of the blazed boys I started digging through my emails...and found Sirus, formerly Butterscotch, and the other 3 boys.
The sick boy was in terrible shape, and luckily I was going up to my mom's that long weekend, and arranged to meet her in Barrie to get the boys. Sadly the sickest boy passed in Sandy's arms the night before. I ended up with 3 lovely older boys, all with issues.
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Eating treats with his brother Nacho
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Always watching over his brothers
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Poor Sirus's foot, was quite a mess...and it took some time before I figured out the cure and got it under control.
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By May 19th though it was finally improving, although the hock was fused and would never be normal, the bumble was drying out and shrinking
and finally by May 15th, it ended up staying like this.
| This image has been resized. Click this bar to view the full image. The original image is sized 640x476. |
Sirus was the independent sort, pat me only when I want, then I trundle off to do my own thing.
He loved to lie in front of the Hamilton Animal Control girls cage, who HATED other rats, and they would scream and screech and try to get to him, and fight amongst themselves. He would just lie there out of reach, all smug and happy. LOL Funny boy!
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AFter we lost his brothers one by one, with lovely Buddy being only last month, I tried him with old lumpy Elise...who was 37 months old. At first he ignored her, then tolerated her but finally he ended up letting her in the hammock and into his heart.
| This image has been resized. Click this bar to view the full image. The original image is sized 640x455. |
I noticed my feisty, disabled old man was slowing down over the last couple of days. This morning I woke up at 5:30 and saw him stretched out flat in the bottom of his cage, and thought he was gone. Reached in and found him still alert, but cool. I pulled him out and settled him beside me, where we talked, and cuddled until he finally left an hour and a half later.
Yesterday morning.
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