The first time I met Frosty, I pulled him out of the airline crate in my living room. I noticed his little feet were so cold. He sat in my hand and looked up at me. It was at that very moment that Frosty and I understood each other and something told me that he was a very special rat. . I was so worried when I went to get him that he would be frozen or who knows. It was scary because it was so cold outside. As he sat there in my hand looking at me I could swear that he grinned at me. (wasn't the last time I could swear he was grinning either) Since, he his feet were so cold and I was so worried that he would be frozen by the time he got here I named him Frosty. He was a great rat. He cage trained himself and slept with my husband and I. As you can see in the pictures he was always stealing my Mt. Dew. (rats cannot burp so this was very bad) I worried all day the day these pictures were taken that my little Frosty would blow up!!! Everything turned out fine for him though. He did not even seem to have a belly ache from this. Frosty also liked to steal cigarette butts. He would snatch them and hide them behind the couch cushions. We always knew when he had done it because he would start spazing out and running like a wild rat all over the house. (nicotine is a ratty no no also) It wasn't like we intentionally let him do these things. I was forever catching him with things. He would look up at me as he does in the picture over to the side of this paragraph. How could I be mad at a face like that for long? He basically was allowed to run free much of the time as he always went back to his cage to go to the potty. The day that he died he was sitting in my windowsill watching the children playing outside. When they would run across the yard his head would follow them. They would run back and his head would move back. As usual, Frosty tired of that and decided that the blinds might make a nice treat for himself. :-)
Late thursday/early friday morning I went to check on all the rats before I turned in for the night. Frosty had been added to the general population only 2-3 days before this. I found him in the bottom of the big cage. He had apparently tried climbing up the side of this huge 4 and a half foot cage that we have. He fell and landed just the right way on a small wood block in the bottom. It appears that he did not suffer and that death was instant. I have not cried that hard or that much in years. This rat was like my best friend who knew when I needed to be left alone, or cheered up or how to just sit in my lap and snuggle.
We only had Frosty for a short time. I am so grateful that we were able to keep him even if our time together was cut short.. I won't ever forget him, or his silly antics.. He had a way of making me laugh even on my worst days. I looked forward to waking up in the morning just so I could get him out and he could *help me feed all the rats. He rode everywhere with me on my shoulder. He was just the greatest rat.
Fortunately, he left behind a litter of 10 with AZR Smoochies. I watch these guys everyday for some sign of my Frosty in them. I wish I could keep them all just because they are his babies. Many of them will go to new homes. I have made a promise to myself and to my little buddie that is over the rainbow bridge that I will find the most friendly and loving homes for his babies as possible. I hope that some breeders come forward and take some of them. Frosty was the best rat. :-) A special thank you to Cathi of Cathis' Critters for giving us the chance to own the little guy. Our deepest apologies go out to her as I am sure she hoped Frosty would be with us much longer than he was.
We kept Gracie, she has Frostys pride!!! I see a part of him in all his children which makes me smile. I know that I will never meet another Frosty though.
two frosty sons that we kept. They both have his snuggly personality. Willy is the one in front and Bliz is the spotted one in the back.