RIP Dangerous Beans
Jun. 19th, 2013 04:45 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
soc_puppet[Content Note: Animal death, rat picture]
I said good-bye to Dangerous Beans today. His quality of life had been on the decline, so I'm not terribly surprised, but I'm always sad to lose a companion. Phineas and Ferb are still with me and seem to be doing well, all things considered.
Beans was a surrender at the local PetCo; I picked him up because half of my previous young pair had died (the two I had gotten as companions for my previous "lone rat", who had himself died not long after meeting them), and rats are happier and healthier living in groups of at least two. Since he was available for adoption and my surviving youngster was, I estimated, still probably young enough not to be seen as much of a threat by him, I decided to take him home. I'd been wanting a pink-eyed white for a while, for the sole purpose of naming him after the Pratchett character.
He and the newly renamed Amazing Maurice got along about as well as could be expected; Beans ended up outliving his younger companion, and co-habitating with my next pair of boys, Phineas and Ferb. He made it through the basement flood, but was starting to lose mobility in his rear legs (not uncommon for older rats). With my room dry again and newly floored, I decided to move him and his cagemates back out of the travel cage to the larger cage they'd been inhabiting prior to the flood; it had more room for him to get around on the ground floor, and the food and water would be more easily accessible. Sadly, he didn't make it more than a week in his new-old accommodations. I made what I thought was the best decision, but in retrospect, the change may have been too much for him.
I love you, my darling Dangerous Beans, even if no one at the pet stores ever knew where I got your name. I'll miss you, my precious food-oriented PEW. I hope the Bone Rat takes you someplace dark and quiet and warm, with lots of treats and cardboard to chew on and some friends to cuddle with. Maybe someday I'll see you again, over the rainbow bridge.
Rest in peace, Dangerous Beans.
*goes to cuddle Phineas and Ferb*
I said good-bye to Dangerous Beans today. His quality of life had been on the decline, so I'm not terribly surprised, but I'm always sad to lose a companion. Phineas and Ferb are still with me and seem to be doing well, all things considered.
Beans was a surrender at the local PetCo; I picked him up because half of my previous young pair had died (the two I had gotten as companions for my previous "lone rat", who had himself died not long after meeting them), and rats are happier and healthier living in groups of at least two. Since he was available for adoption and my surviving youngster was, I estimated, still probably young enough not to be seen as much of a threat by him, I decided to take him home. I'd been wanting a pink-eyed white for a while, for the sole purpose of naming him after the Pratchett character.
He and the newly renamed Amazing Maurice got along about as well as could be expected; Beans ended up outliving his younger companion, and co-habitating with my next pair of boys, Phineas and Ferb. He made it through the basement flood, but was starting to lose mobility in his rear legs (not uncommon for older rats). With my room dry again and newly floored, I decided to move him and his cagemates back out of the travel cage to the larger cage they'd been inhabiting prior to the flood; it had more room for him to get around on the ground floor, and the food and water would be more easily accessible. Sadly, he didn't make it more than a week in his new-old accommodations. I made what I thought was the best decision, but in retrospect, the change may have been too much for him.
I love you, my darling Dangerous Beans, even if no one at the pet stores ever knew where I got your name. I'll miss you, my precious food-oriented PEW. I hope the Bone Rat takes you someplace dark and quiet and warm, with lots of treats and cardboard to chew on and some friends to cuddle with. Maybe someday I'll see you again, over the rainbow bridge.
Rest in peace, Dangerous Beans.
*goes to cuddle Phineas and Ferb*
no subject
Date: 2013-06-19 10:33 pm (UTC)*offers hugs and cardboard for the other ratties*
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Date: 2013-06-19 11:52 pm (UTC)*gives them a tissue box and watches them tear it apart and cuddle in it*
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Date: 2013-06-20 02:26 pm (UTC)I once had a trio of rats and they are amazing little companions. It's so sad they are short lived.
no subject
Date: 2013-06-21 12:30 am (UTC)They're wonderful; longer lives is about the only thing that could make them better, IMO.
So Sorry
Date: 2013-06-20 07:13 pm (UTC)There's some very high-grade adorable on display in these pics. It sounds like he was quite a guy, and he had a most excellent name.
All good wishes to you and the rest of your multi-legged family.
P.S.: I came here from Shakesville, and I couldn't help but offer condolences.
Re: So Sorry
Date: 2013-06-21 12:35 am (UTC)Fun story time: Thanksgiving 2011, I believe, we had a whole turkey for the first time in several years. (Our family is generally not fond of turkey and we'd been going with ham.) My aunt took most of the bones with her to make soup from, but I snatched the two drumstick bones for Beans and Maurice; poultry bones are a great treat for rats, since they can't choke on the shards and are great for wearing down teeth. I presented them each with their own bone, but Maurice was more interested in paying attention to me and possibly getting out of the cage. While he was sniffing my hand and attempting to crawl out, Beans, who had already stashed his own bone, snuck up and snatched Maurice's bone and dragged it away for himself. Imagine for a moment a rat attempting to make off with a bone nearly the size of himself, down two shelves to the bottom floor of the cage, while the rat for whom the bone was originally for completely ignored it. I still laugh over it.
Re PS: I thought you might have been, since I only posted one pic here but three there. Thank you for stopping by and for your condolences.
Re: So Sorry
Date: 2013-06-22 12:03 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2013-06-21 02:42 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2013-06-23 11:30 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2013-06-23 11:50 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2013-06-23 11:30 pm (UTC)