| PHOEBE May 2001-19 May 2003 |
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| I had decided that Wilma needed a friend, but hadn't gone to the pet shop with any intention of buying a rat that day. However, when I looked into the rat display, there was this lonely little pixie-faced doe looking up at me. She was an adorable wee agouti berkshire, and I knew as soon as I held her that she had to come home with me. I could not leave her all alone at the shop like that. I called her Phoebe. The initial introduction did not go well. There was much rolling around and pulling-out of hair (mainly Phoebe's). I e-mailed the rat information group at Yahoo! and got an answer within 24 hours. Following the instructions of an experienced rat breeder, I did the next introductions in the bathtub (neutral territory) and after a week I was confident enough to purchase a new cage (see Housing and Bedding). The introductions continued in this cage, and after another week I decorated it using ideas from The Dapper Rat. The day I put them in together, it was as if they were from the same litter. They were so cute togther. Phoebe still tries to wind Wilma up occasionally - and usually gets pinned to the floor for her troubles, but it's all in good fun! 19/05/03 Phoebe lived happily with Wilma, and then Sarah and Lara, and finally the four baby girls. For a while I had all of them in the same cage. Sadly, a few months after her best friend Wilma passed away, I realised she was also having trouble with her front paws, like Lara had. Although we gave her antibiotics and anti-inflammatories, and she seemed to be doing well, she went downhill very rapidly one day while I was at work. She began choking on the fluid from her lungs - her whole front was wet with drool, and she was limp and puffed up. I took her to the vets and had her released from her suffering. She is buried right beside Wilma at the Garden of Remembrance. I know they are happy to be together again. Home |