Rattie update

Bear and I may just have had enough of vet visits. We thought this a month ago, but what else can you do when your little loves get sick and you don't know what to do? Kimi the brave was going downhill day before yesterday, and breathing with difficulty and, what was more telling, he was stroppy and upset, shoving things away and pushing us away which is completely unlike him. So we brought him at night to the emergency vet hospital, where he had to stay overnight, alone! Sitting by himself in an oxygen tank, trying to breathe and getting injected with diuretics every hour or so. Not to mention the shocking amount we were quoted for his care by the vet on duty. Thank goodness Bear is solvent.

Anyway, we were sick with worry, not only for his health but also for leaving him alone, so we got up at 5am and went and got him. Luckily, he was feeling better, not back to normal by any stretch of imagination, but calmer, and we took him home with new meds and instructions. Sigh! Unfortunately, heart failure is progressive and sooner or later, we are going to have to make a very hard decision.

Thank goodness Linus is stable and doing well enough... although I know enough now to add 'for now', and is happy about taking his meds (in ice cream!) and calmly accepts help with grooming, and will usually reciprocate by cleaning my fingers for me. What a sweetie! :)

Kimi was still doing alright today, although he was deeply suspicious when I had him sitting on his back, because that's how I had to give him his meds orally last time, and I had to hold him firmly to dose him, and he didn't like it at all - can't blame the poor guy. After just gently brushing him a bit and making soothing noises, he decided no nasty syringes were going to make an appearance and agreed to be helped with grooming... that is, until I tried to clean his ear out with a bit of tissue - he has a small infection in his left ear, which we were treating with eardrops. Kimi stopped what he was doing, grabbed the tissue, and gave it a good hard look and sniff before deciding it really wasn't a dropper full of icky wet stuff, and then let me get on with it.

Sigh! :)

Last night, Bear and I had to give Kimi 3 different kinds of meds, one of which he has decided not to take anymore, so we had to be cunning, and we also had to give Linus his antibiotics and put ointment on his feet for his pressure sores and do the daily clean out of their cage (what with Kimi on diuretics and all..) and help them both with grooming, and then give Monty and Alfie the last of their meds for parasites and give them a run around in the living room, then clean out their cage a bit And then make them all dinner.

We decided that when the last of these boys left us, we'd have a break.

The thing is though, ratties are just So Full of personality and charm, and they like living with you, and show it. They also show that they like you and trust you and will play silly games with you, are affectionate (when in the right mood), are mischievous and cunning, love good food as much as we do, like being comfortable, understand some of our words and phrases, and when they're happy, they do this bouncing hoppy hoppy thing when they run. The sight, smell, and warmth of them always gladdens the heart. And what is love if not pain and sacrifice anyway? Except perhaps pain and sacrifice willingly endured.

Not without complaints, but nonetheless.

:P