Sweetie Pie Rat

11/98 - 1/20/00

I don't think anyone was more surprised than me when Sweetie died. She was relatively young, and bursting with energy. Maybe she would have preferred to die young, so she wouldn't have to grow old and tired. I always tell people that they can never take enough pictures while their rats are alive, and for once I should have listened to myself. Below are all the pictures I have of Sweetie. She may look exactly like every other hooded rat out there, but she was so much more...

A friend of my sister's gave Sweetie to us because she was moving to a pet-free apartment. Although Sweetie eventually wound up living in the Monster (right) nothing would have given her enough room to run off all her energy. I would sometimes let her run around my bedroom, but I paid a price for that. Recently we've had some work done on our house, and I had to move everything out of my room. I discovered, among other things, chewed computer cords and an UNOPENED (by me) box of yogurt drops, chewed through and empty.

Shortly after we got her, we discovered a growing tumor under her left arm. Since the girl who gave us Sweetie wanted nothing to do with her, we decided at that time that Sweetie was really our rat. We had the tumor removed, and I think she enjoyed it, because of the increased number of yogurt drops she was recieving.

Sweetie's "owwie" healed with time, and she was still her rambunctious self. A few months later, another tumor was developing under Sweetie's left arm. It was the same size, in the same spot. We were planning on having it removed again (and tested this time for cancer). We never got to, however. One night I was sitting in my room doing my homework, and little did I know I had left my door ajar. If I didn't shut it all the way, Sweetie would nudge it open and run free around our basement. I did NOT know she had learned how to climb stairs, and didn't find out until my sister accidentaly stepped on Sweetie when coming down the stairs. It could have happened to anyone, there was no way my sister was to know Sweetie was on the stairs, but I think it broke Sweetie's spine. About a half hour later, Sweetie died in my sister's arms.

Like I said, maybe Sweetie would have wanted to die young, while she was having fun. Unfortunately, they only way for me to learn to ALWAYS make sure my door is closed was the death of a pet. I won't make the same mistake again, but it's too late now. Technically Sweetie was my sister's rat, and though she feels terrible about Sweetie's death, I'll always feel like Sweetie was a part of my personal rat family.

If you have any questions or comments, feel free to e-mail me, and remember...be incredibly careful if you let a rat or other small animal run free. ALWAYS supervise them, and double triple check for small holes or other escape routes.

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A friend of my sister's gave Sweetie to us because she was moving to a pet-free apartment. Although Sweetie eventually wound up living in the Monster (right) nothing would have given her enough room to run off all her energy. I would sometimes let her run around my bedroom, but I paid a price for that. Recently we've had some work done on our house, and I had to move everything out of my room. I discovered, among other things, chewed computer cords and an UNOPENED (by me) box of yogurt drops, chewed through and empty.
	Shortly after we got her, we discovered a growing tumor under her left arm. Since the girl who gave us Sweetie wanted nothing to do with her, we decided at that time that Sweetie was really our rat. We had the tumor removed, and I think she enjoyed it, because of the increased number of yogurt drops she was recieving.
Sweetie's "owwie" healed with time, and she was still her rambunctious self. A few months later, another tumor was developing under Sweetie's left arm. It was the same size, in the same spot. We were planning on having it removed again (and tested this time for cancer). We never got to, however. One night I was sitting in my room doing my homework, and little did I know I had left my door ajar. If I didn't shut it all the way, Sweetie would nudge it open and run free around our basement. I did NOT know she had learned how to climb stairs, and didn't find out until my sister accidentaly stepped on Sweetie when coming down the stairs. It could have happened to anyone, there was no way my sister was to know Sweetie was on the stairs, but I think it broke Sweetie's spine. About a half hour later, Sweetie died in my sister's arms.