[mink]

My one rat Mika (avatar pic) is almost 2 1/2 years old. A while ago she got a tumor and the vet easily removed it. A few months ago Mika began looking a little lumpy on her underside. The vet said she is cancerous and developed more tumors. He said theres nothing we could do except to wait until the day when she can not get around well or seems in pain. Mika has not let this slow her down one bit. She still even yesterday was zooming up her ramp even though I stopped putting food in the bowl up there but instead put it in the bottom level to make it easier on her. I still give her plenty of attention and love.

This morning she seemed alright, a lil sleepy, just being lazy. I stroked her and moved her food bowl closer to where she was just in case. I went to a job interview / orientation, I got the job yay.

When I got home just a bit ago Mika was laying stretched out on her side which is different for her. I reached into her cage to stroke her and try to maybe get a rise out of her, and she whipped around and chomped my finger vice-grip style! I stood there for a minute with her latched onto me, very stunned and wondering how to get her off. Luckily wiggling my finger a bit got her to let go and she laid back down.

Wow. Mika has never bit ever. She has hardly ever even used her teeth to affection-groom people. She would always just smother you in kisses, always happy and joyful.

Maybe it is 'her time'. Maybe she is slowly slipping away and has just lost her mind?

It is bittersweet since one can be glad that her condition will not worsen and she will not have known any dibilitation or hardship from her tumors. It is very saddening because I will be losing a great and much loved fur-baby. I just wish I could hold and comfort her but that is obviously a dangerous idea at this point.

Its just so bittersweet.

 

[Forensic]

She may be sleeping different due to pain and touching her may have hurt her. Unless she has a brain tumor I doubt she's lost her mind. Poor baby.

 

[savveth]

Im sorry about Mika. =(

 

[Poppyseed]

I'm so sorry. It does sound like it's time. Perhaps pain killers so you can have a few more hours of snuggle time, or even a day before you put her to sleep?

 

[mink]

Mika has passed, she passed not long after biting me. I suppose I was an unwanted annoyance in her final throws. I loved her so much and I know she loved me but I do feel scorned, like she cursed me with her last breath by biting me as she did. She seemed fine just last night, besides being a lil lumpy. Since she had cancer, I knew this day was not far, its a dreaded thing to wake every day thinking "is today the day?" and trying to evaluate her able-ness and contentment in life. I was relieved every morning to see her sitting there, blinking at me. I feel a sadness much like a depression sweeping over me, not quite the sobbing wreck as when a more unexpected passing has occurred.

I remember my Maxine passing away, she had bounced back from pneumonia but alla sudden she was drifting away one afternoon. I was able to stroke her and whisper sweet words for a bit then I was called on for some reason - some little chore my father requested and when I returned she had passed. I wish for those moments with Mika, I suppose I will have to do with being happy of the extra attention and extra little treats I afforded her before today.

I hope that one day these last couple of months with Mika declining in health and her only one negative action towards me will not be the forefront of the memories. I wish to remember her as a sleek slim gorgeous happy and playful little one that she was. Shes with her 'sister' Naru now, they went so hand-in-hand, that even weeks after Naru had passed I would unconsciously think "1 for Mika, 1 for Naru".

I won't ramble on any longer as this is beginning to seem like it belongs in the Rainbow Bridge area.

 

[JennieLove]

Im sorry for your loss.

 

[Inesita]

I'm so sorry for your loss.

 

[ratastic]

I'm sorry about Mika's passing. Don't like the bite taint your memories of her. It was probably an involuntary action and she let go when she realized what she did. When my bird Bob died, I was there as she passed. She was always loving, but at the end it was like she didn't even know what was going on around her.

 

[mink]

Ty everyone ^^. With much fuss and labor we buried her just a bit ago on my fiance's parents property where his old cat and rats and a couple of my rats are buried.

 

[camel24j]

i am so sorry for your loss.

i had a hedgehog who was the sweetest thing the only time she would bite was if she had baby's she never put her spines up and was very affectionate well she got really sick i picked her up and took her to the vets well there she bite me we did an ultra sound and from what the vet could see it looked like something that could be fixed well he opened her up to find 2 different cancers and 2 sis ts so we decided to put her down and i know the only reason she bite me was becuse she was in pain i never held it against her and i still miss her.