This is page three of some images and remembrances of our dearly departed past rats which form a brief history of Rodents of Unusual Sweetness. Though they are all dearly missed (except possibly Smapdi), they live on in their memories and in their offspring, many of whom still live with us today.
Dearly Departed Rats in Chronological Order of Their Passing
ROUS Bunny • September 14, 2003 to January 8, 2005
Dearest Bunny left us too young as a result of chronic respiratory problems for the last couple months of her life. She was so much like her grandmother Lilly - queenly, regal, naked as a jay. Her royal presence will be sadly missed around this much lonelier castle.
LSRC Samwise • December 26, 2003 to January 21, 2005
Gentleness was Sam's middle name. This big, handsome fellow had a quiet Texas charm to him and bore everything in his life with gentle grace, even the stroke which left him unsteady and tilting for the last month of his life. Sam's son Orzo is left as a comfort to me as he's quite the echo of his big lovely father.
WWR Gawnzo • April 19, 2002 to January 24, 2005
My darling little hamster butt, Gawnzo the wall walker, El Gawnzo Guapo, stealer of beverages and lord of the desk, I will miss you always and forever. You were one of the great lights of my life and, though your star has dimmed, it will never truly go out in my heart.
Willow • Thanksgiving, 2002 to February 2, 2005
Sweet Willow was reared here as part of a litter I adopted. Though I found her a home as a kitten, she returned to me later in life and spent her last 8 months here. Willow contended with cancer in her last few months. A tumor removal extended her life by several months, but, alas, not forever. She was such a gentle, soft and lovely soul who fit right back in with the gang instantly. I'm very grateful that I could spend her last months with this lovely lady. She will be much missed by me and by her constant cage companion, Graceless.
WWR Yorgi • August, 2002 to February 25, 2005
Yorgi the Yawnmaster was as sweet and clownish a dear black and white boy as I could have ever possibly hoped for. Not a day went by spent with Yorgi that he did not make me laugh. Yorgi made my heart so happy while he was alive and his memory will continue on in the same way. I do not cry for his loss, I laugh at his memory, and I cherish his children.
ROUS Odin • September 2002 to February 26, 2005
My darling rotten old man, eater of shrimp, drinker of wine, hoarder of bones, biter of guests - I loved you more than I can possibly say. You were the tyrant of the living room and I'd never have wanted it any other way. You owned me completely from the minute you came back into my life and I will miss you forever.
CWR Niles • August 2002 to March 5, 2005
Niles was so dear to me. In his final months, he pretty much lived on the sweater that his auntie Zoe gave him for snuggling in. He will be cremated in a piece of the sweater. There's so much I could say about Niles, but really, all I need to say is that I loved him, he loved me and he loved his dear old cagemates, most of whom are also gone now. He was a wonderful boy and will be missed terribly.
CWR Grimace • January 29, 2005 to March 5, 2005
Grim was with us only a few hours before suddenly and unexpectedly dying from the stress of being flown from Boise. Our whole household was so saddened by this lovely light snuffed out so soon. Grim is the tiniest rat angel now. He is photographed with his paler sister Chloe who, thank goodness, is doing just fine here.
WWR Cuban Pete • August 16, 2003 to March 18, 2005
Oh Pete, what can I say about you? You were wonderful and I adored you and my heart is utterly broken since you're gone. I could say more, but I'm crying too much, so that will have to do, my little love.
CWR Sveta • July 4, 2002 to March 24, 2005
Dear old Sveta was rightly born on Independence Day. Fiesty and clever, this wee girl was lovely and inspirational. Her big Bette Davis eyes and satiny fur and spun sugar whiskers charmed everyone who met her. We had so hoped she'd make three, but cancer had other plans for her. Still, she fought it valiantly and lived her life so very fully, which is all I could have ever asked of her.
ROUS Mallomar Parkingmeter • October 16, 2003 to March 27, 2005
Poor Mal left us far too soon due to neurological troubles. He was such a lovely, gentle fellow who loved to nap in his hammock or perfectly curled into a ball on his igloo roof. Our sweet "siamester" now sleeps cuddled with the ratty angels.
RSCL Zamboni • September 15, 2002 to April 6, 2005
Boni, my big squishy love rat, was a sweet, gentle, eternal kitten. His passing has made the ratty world in our home a much sadder place. He does leave behind wonderful kids and grandkids, who have some seriously large footsteps to fill (both literally and figuratively.)
RSCL Absolut aka Ducky • March 14, 2003 to April 7, 2005
Dear Duckus was a shy boy who was awkward and fearful around others of his species, which I can totally relate to myself. Though not a party guy with rats, he was absolutely a doll with people. Duck finally found a buddy he liked in his final months, after I moved old Spooky in with him. Spook won him over with lots of grooming and hammock cuddling. I can honestly say I think Ducky's best days were his last - finally unafraid of other rats and starting to be something approaching laid back. We will miss our old darling Duck Boy.
WWR Farley Mowratt • January 1, 2003 to April 14, 2005
Our dear old gay dad, who we so loved and who loved us and his "wife" Goldberry and adopted sons Fenny and Lobster Johnson so very much in return. Farley was the sweetest, gentlest old soul. There's so much more I could say about him, but words fail me and tears start thinking about him. It's taken me over two weeks to even post his ratty obituary and this poor eulogy will have to do. Farls never needed words to convey how he felt about his human and ratty family and I'm afraid the right words are so hard to find to convey how I felt about him. I loved him, I still love him, and I will miss him now and always.
Goldberry • March ?, 2002 to April 22, 2005
Our tough old lady made it to three years and some change, which is quite an accomplishment for any rat, let alone a feeder bin girlie who lived in the sweatshirt hood of a homeless teen for the first months of her life. Goldberry was a redoubtable rat, with a will of iron but a soft and cuddly side as well. She outlived two husbands, Manny and Farley, the last by just a week, and raised two adorable adopted sons, Fenny and Lobster Johnson. Her third birthday bash will be a fond family memory forever, particularly the gusto with which she consumed her carrot cake and cream cheese frosting! Give 'em hell in heaven, GB!
RSCL Enya • September 15, 2002 to April 30, 2005
Miss Ennypenny had many fans and admirers. Was it her black eyed white beauty? Her amazingly tough spirit that pulled her through two major surgeries and over two and a half years of life? Her hammy ways and constant need to be out and running and exploring? For me, it was all of that and so much more. I had my special girl for only a year as she came to me in middle age, but I loved her so much in that time. She passed the way she'd have wanted - in her sleep surrounded by her girls. Up until a day before she died, she was still making her best effort to truck around the rat room during out time. My beauty, my fighter, my dear little love.
SRR Esther • May 25, 2003 to April 30, 2005
Esther was a big, quiet beauty who left us too soon due to lung problems. She was so dutiful about taking her icky meds without complaint and was a lovely, gentle patient. Though Esther was not about fireworks, she was a gentle, lovely, quiet soul who was kind with her cagemates and had a lovely grace about her. Rest well, little earth angel.
RG Joey • June, 2003 to May 2, 2005
Dear Joey was my first down under. His adorable "six pack abs" belly marking was surpassed in cuteness only by his sweet disposition. Joe Joe never met another rat he didn't like and had a very laid back "g'day" sort of attitude. I wish he'd made it to at least two because I'm greedy and would have loved even more time with him, but I am completely grateful for the time I had with him. His cagemates Dulce and Gordon will miss him even more than I will. Goodnight, my little Aussie man.
CWR Min • December 22, 2002 to May 11, 2005
Lovely lamby Min was such a special, precious girl. She was so soft, so sweet and so darling. Her photo says all you need to know about this dear girl. My downy little chick, I will miss you so.
ROUS Clark • October 16, 2003 to May 14, 2005
Sweet nearly naked double rex Clark was Min's son. Clark, like his brothers, had neurological issues for the last few months of his life. Clark did very well despite being wobbly and having a major head tilt. Clark was always a gentle, thoughtful, mellow fellow, much like his dear mother. We will miss our boy with the fuzzy face and shiny heiny.
CWR Ajali • January 1, 2005 to May 16, 2005
Jali left me far too soon from a massive aneurism. He was such a sweet boy and our time together was just beginning. This darling boy never did a bad thing in his life except to break my heart when he died.
WWR Chicken • April 16, 2003 to May 22, 2005
Chicken, Chicken, Chicken. You were such a little weirdo and I adored you. My little alien bathmat. The first thing you did upon meeting me was to bite me and run in terror. Even to the very end you were not a fan of cuddles, but you did want to rest your head on my hands, which was an amazing intimacy for you, my little loner. Such a paradox, my Chicken - amazingly soft and petable, you never wanted to be touched except on your cheeks and only if you initiated it. We always love the ones who run away the fastest and you were no exception to that rule. Be well and feel safe, wherever you are, my odd little Chickapay.
Hope • May 28, 2003 to June 3, 2005
Sweet Hopeless, my little blue devil. How your sister Graceless and your cagemates and I will miss you. You were so full of life even up to the end when cancer made you so thin. You may have slowed down a little bit, but not much. I cannot imagine you being still - run after the angels, dear little one, and nibble the toes from their socks.
SPR Audrey • September 19, 2003 to June 14, 2005
My soft little blue beauty left me too early to a systemic wasting process we could not stop or identify. Aud was a beautiful mix of salty and sweet - she was sassy yet gentle, wanted always to play yet ran up periodically for a cuddle when out and was always so lovely with the other rats in her cage, especially the young ones. The fact that we couldn't get her to make even two years of age makes me so utterly sad. Aud should have lived forever, but heaven wanted her maybe even more than we did. Run, Audrey, healthy and whole again, like you should always have been.
CWR Dulce de Leche • December, 2002 to June 15, 2005
Dear old Dulce was such a sweet boy, as his name implies. He was the ultimate clown as a kitten and mellowed into a lovely, gentle lap rat as he aged. His cagemate Gordon misses him so much, as do I. His little purple igloo will never be the same, now that it's empty of him. We shall raise a toast to this little fellow who enjoyed the odd nip of red wine. To Dulce, gentle, lovely and kind!
ROUS Satine • April 16, 2003 to June 24, 2005
My little cancan dancing girl Satine was a true beauty inside and out. As fiery as her red coloring suggests, Tine was so active, playful and lovely to the very last. We will miss her gentle mischief so much here.
ZRR Pei Pei • December, 2002 to June 24, 2005
My big, squishy tetherball Pei was such a dear, goofy little companion. Through four surgeries to deal with recurring tumors she was a trouper. The last tumor was just too much for her and she passed in my arms a few hours after surgery. I feel so blessed to have been there with her at the end, which was a gentle and peaceful as any angel like Pei deserved. The staff at the veterinary clinic misses her as much as do I. If ever there was a rat with a whole crowd of people rooting for her, it was Princess Pei Pei. I miss you so much, fluffball.
SPR Mink Floyd • October 27, 2002 to June 29, 2005
MF's photo above pretty much says it all about this little brown clown. My little walleyed bar biter, I love and miss you so. Hopefully they're faster in heaven with the food jar so you don't have to have a little squeaky fit for the angels, dearest goofball.
ALR ROUS Owen • June 2, 2004 to June 30, 2005
Oh Owen, why did you have to leave me so soon? Your heart, which was metaphorically so big and perfect was, unfortunately, not so good in reality. Know that you were loved for a full ratty lifetime in the year you had with me. Your boys and I miss you and love you, angel.
CWR Spooky • September 11, 2002 to July 1, 2005
Oh Spooky. I loved you so much and will always have you in my heart - that's forever, my love, and you can count on that. I have absolutely no regrets about you except that you didn't live forever. I will miss your kisses and your soft beautiful fur, but your perfect soul is always with me even if your body is not. You are beloved always.The Annals of Ratstory, Page 1
The Annals of Ratstory, Page 2