[mipsyxmarla]

i checked in on my rats this morning, and found my lil girl Mipsy dead. i can't think of any reason why she died, either. they had water, food (well, treats in their little hiding spots), but they're cage wasn't exactly clean. i had been meaning to clean it, but i don't think it affected her dying. she wasn't sneezing or having any sign of a respiratory disease (neither was marla), so i don't think she died of a respiratory disease. does anybody have any idea why you think she died, i am very curious. my dad commented that marla was a bit 'pudgyer' than mipsy (it's true, marla's my pudgy), and he wondered if that was a factor, but i don't think so.
marla seems to be fine, but i can tell she's thinking of her sis. i have transported her to her other cage at my mom's house (instead of usually leaving her in her huge cage at my dad's house), so she could be with me at all times. i've been wondering, should i get another rat? i can't decide if i should or not, because i am sometimes busy and don't spend all my time with my rats. how soon or how long should i wait, if i should get a rat? i'm worried if i get another too soon, they won't get along fine, but it's just a thought.

oh my, i feel like i'm writing a story here. well, mipsy wasn't too old (only about 13months, i think), so i don't think age was a factor. mipsy was my favorite (shh! don't tell marla!) of the two, to tell you the truth. mipsy enjoyed riding my shoulder (like marla), but she liked to climb up and down the stairs, a little trick i taught her that marla refused to do. she would crawl all over me, always messing with my hair. marla's a little pudgy (she's fun to poke! ^^), but if you weren't careful and stuck your finger at her, she'd bite it (she's drawn blood several times.), but i try to warn her before she bites.
aww, the two girls loved to wrestle and cuddle, it was so cute. it just broke my heart when i found her dead this morning!
well, she's over the rainbow bridge now, and she'll get to meet my other past pets that will accept her presence with kindness. Whiskey, my diabetic cat i lost December 13 '04, Andrew, my shetland sheepdog i lost April 11 '07, and my rats Mama, Zee, and Weak Eye i lost several years ago. may you rest in peace, and have eternal happiness.

sorry for writing too much, i'm an author-to-be, and i love writing. ^^

 

[ambernd]

awww she was soooo cute!!! and i absolutly LOVE that picture!!! I'm really sorry about your loss... she was a cutie!

 

[fallinstar]

aww such a cutie im so sorry 4 ur loss

 

[twitch]

i'm sorry for your loss but don't feel bad about writing so much. its nice to hear about marla and mipsy.

i've had a rat and have heard of a few that are just found dead one day without previous signs of illness. without a necropsy you'll never know for sure but it could have been any number of things. an anerusym in the brain, heart or other vitally important organ can cause almost instant death and if it happened even in just a major vein or artry she could have bleed out internally within minutes. she could have also had internal tumors that ruptured or pressed against the wrong thing. if it was against the lungs, heart or brain it would probably have been noticed but if it was against the liver or kidneys you may have missed the symptoms as they can be very subtle there. so you can see, like i said before, it could have been any number of things.

as for getting marla a new friend i think that would be a good idea. you'll need quarantine for 3 weeks anyway so that will give marla time to grieve on her own. but its really up to you. do you want to continue keeping rats or are you done with them for now after marla passes. you also have to realistically look at the time you have available for them. it doesn't have to be every waking momment and don't feel too bad if some days all you have time for is a few sctritches inside the cage on your way out the door. eeryone has days like that. though it is preferred to have at least one hour a day for each rat its not always feasible. but you'll know what is right for yourself and your rats.

whatever you decide please let us know in the end.