Timmy – September 2008 to July 2, 2010 :’(
Timmy was a Special. Some rats are Specials, some are wonderful in their own right, but there’s not the instant and complete connection you rarely get.
Timmy was a rat my mother and I picked up near where she lived in rural Ontario. He hadn’t been handled for most of his life because he was “too scared”. He also never had a cagemate in that time. I was picking him up for Lyndsy at Henry’s Haven along with 2 other boys in the area. My Mom’s first rescue run, but not the last LOL. She named all 3 boys.
Timmy stayed with me for a week and seemed nervous and unsocialized but I figured with a bit of “work” he would be a nice boy. When Lynds came to get him the following weekend, I had a twinge but knew he was only a temporary foster. :/
Timmy went home with Lyndsy and soon after started biting. He was promptly neutered but it only made him worse until at the end he was launching himself at the side of the cage when she walked by trying to savagely bite her…handling him was almost impossible and Lyndsy was despairing at reaching this unhappy boy. I offered to take him back in and see if I could work with him.
Arlene contacted him in the meanwhile and discovered that Timmy was very upset in having to leave me in the first place and was telling Lyndsy very forcefully (the only way he knew how) that he wanted to go back.
He arrived 2 weeks later, and while everyone was chatting in my livingroom I decided lets get “the bite over with”. I lifted the top off of his cage and he climbed onto my bed, sniffing everything. I gently touched his rump watching for the whirl and puff up of fur, but he did nothing. So I took a deep breath, scooped him up into my arms and he settled sooo fast! He started to brux and boggle as I held him. Lyndsy was sure I was trying to fool her with another rat…hehehe “That’s NOT Timmy!!”
Timmy never even nipped again.
Sadly my too young boy (22 mo) developed a very deep invasive abdominal tumor and once he was in pain, I let him go this morning. I already miss those amazing bright eyes and small upright ears. He is survived by his cagemates, blind old Poppy, very old Moggy, young Isabella and my Lilith.
Pictoral proof of the day a happy Timmy returned.
My comfy happy boy
Joining the girls and happily being squished by Poppy…he smiles
His favourite hiding place…he made quite the mess back there [
Timmy was a Special. Some rats are Specials, some are wonderful in their own right, but there’s not the instant and complete connection you rarely get.
Timmy was a rat my mother and I picked up near where she lived in rural Ontario. He hadn’t been handled for most of his life because he was “too scared”. He also never had a cagemate in that time. I was picking him up for Lyndsy at Henry’s Haven along with 2 other boys in the area. My Mom’s first rescue run, but not the last LOL. She named all 3 boys.
Timmy stayed with me for a week and seemed nervous and unsocialized but I figured with a bit of “work” he would be a nice boy. When Lynds came to get him the following weekend, I had a twinge but knew he was only a temporary foster. :/
Timmy went home with Lyndsy and soon after started biting. He was promptly neutered but it only made him worse until at the end he was launching himself at the side of the cage when she walked by trying to savagely bite her…handling him was almost impossible and Lyndsy was despairing at reaching this unhappy boy. I offered to take him back in and see if I could work with him.
Arlene contacted him in the meanwhile and discovered that Timmy was very upset in having to leave me in the first place and was telling Lyndsy very forcefully (the only way he knew how) that he wanted to go back.
He arrived 2 weeks later, and while everyone was chatting in my livingroom I decided lets get “the bite over with”. I lifted the top off of his cage and he climbed onto my bed, sniffing everything. I gently touched his rump watching for the whirl and puff up of fur, but he did nothing. So I took a deep breath, scooped him up into my arms and he settled sooo fast! He started to brux and boggle as I held him. Lyndsy was sure I was trying to fool her with another rat…hehehe “That’s NOT Timmy!!”
Timmy never even nipped again.
Sadly my too young boy (22 mo) developed a very deep invasive abdominal tumor and once he was in pain, I let him go this morning. I already miss those amazing bright eyes and small upright ears. He is survived by his cagemates, blind old Poppy, very old Moggy, young Isabella and my Lilith.
Pictoral proof of the day a happy Timmy returned.
My comfy happy boy
Joining the girls and happily being squished by Poppy…he smiles
His favourite hiding place…he made quite the mess back there [
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