Your Pet Loss Stories

'Percy'

by Erin
(Vancouver )

I decided to get my first pair of rats from a rescue. I had done much research about them and loved them as animals very much. Online I found my two boys, Percy and Yukon at a rescue and adopted them at 3 months old.

Percy got along with everyone from the start and groomed me the night I brought him home. Yukon was very reliant of Percy as they wee brothers and Percy looked out for Yukon like a good brother. Percy always smelled so sweet and jumped at the chance to see me. He was a beige bareback with the tiniest star on his head. He was a big chubby boy that felt like no other to hold.

Anyway I'm finished rambling on about my special little baby... He got cataracts when he was about 1.5 yrs. One morning I came and shook their food bag but he didn't get up. He was lying on his wicker hut. I thought he was just being lazy so I picked him up and tickled him and set him on my lap. He started to walk funny and drag his feet splayed behind him. I remember saying "Percy don't do this to me" I ran him down to my Dad and by then I was crying my guts out.

I sat with him on my lap on our porch watching the sun rise in my school uniform at 6:00am. I kissed his head and stroked him until he started thrashing and then was still. He eyes looked funny and glazed over. We buried him and every night I cry for him it's been over a month now. I can't help but feeling that his death was my fault and that he didn't get enough exercise to the point that I went into a frenzy trying to get a taller cage.

His brother was depressed and slowed down siggnificantly. I now have a new rat that I got way too early for me because Yukon needed a new friend to look out for him. The new rat was terribly neglected by his past owner and he too lost his friend.

I love you Percy. I am sorry. The new rats name is Lennie and he and Yukon are now a bonded pair. But I know that he isn't really gone and that he will always be with me.