Little Rat Blessings

My family loves rats. That's just how we are.

Scott and Emma are especially fond of our pet rats. We currently have three pet fancy rats in our home: Cinnamon, Cocoa, and Checkers. They are all getting a little old in rat years, so Brad and I have been preparing the kids for the possibility of rat funerals in the near future. Both children love the rats, but Scott especially takes death hard, so when our little Cocoa began showing signs of nearing the end of her life, Scott was heartbroken.

Scott began monitoring Cocoa's health frequently when we noticed her health declining. He tried giving her the most comfort as possible but despite Scott's efforts, little Cocoa continued to slide downhill. Right before Scott and Emma left to Eagle Mountain to spend Easter with their mother, Cocoa had pretty much hit rock bottom. She was eating less, she was extremely weak, she was unable to grasp things with her paws, she couldn't keep her balance, and her feet were constantly bleeding due to her biting them for unknown reasons. We separated her from the other rats and put her in a smaller cage to keep her safe and comfortable. I was prepared to take her to a vet to get her put to sleep if need be.

Scott and Emma left for Eagle Mountain on Wednesday afternoon and I was left alone to tend to the rats for the next five days. I had pretty much given up hope on poor little Cocoa, because being around rats and other small animals for so long, I knew that the chances of her recovering were slim to none, mainly due to her age. Scott called me several times while he was gone to get updated news on Cocoa. I remained as honest as possible, and told Scott to be prepared if Cocoa passed away while he was gone.

I continued trying to feed Cocoa soft foods by hand and giving her water, even though she seemed so close to death. I checked her regularly. On Easter Sunday, I went to see her as usual but was greeted by an unusual sight. Little Cocoa was standing on her hind legs looking at me with big black eyes, eager for food and water. I opened the cage and she climbed out as if nothing were wrong. I picked her up and immediately noticed that her feet had completely healed from her bites. I stuck her on top of the cage to see if she would fall over (as she had done before), but surprisingly she stayed perfectly still and looked at me as if to say, "Okay, what now?" I put her in the cage with the other rats and gave her a tomato slice. She grabbed the tomato out of my hand and began biting into it furiously as if she were starving. Cinnamon, the dominant rat, came to check out the tomato, but Cocoa harshly turned her back on Cinnamon and continued to bite into her dinner. She seemed perfectly normal and healthy.

Cocoa's health improvement may seem little in the large scheme of things, but it was a blessing that meant a lot to Scott and Emma. They were thrilled to have little Cocoa alive and well when they returned home on Monday evening. Not only had their precious little friend survived the weekend they were gone, but she had recovered as well. They value her life and the joy she brings to our family even more.