Let's hear it for the rat-boys

(Cecil, left, and Roman, right)

My love affair with rats began in my 7th grade science classroom. My teacher, Mrs. Broyles, had two rats named Patches (a girl) and Justin (a boy). She bred them, and that's how I got my first rat, Toby. I've since loved rats, but didn't have any more pet rats until 2006. My desire for pet rats as an adult started on a whim. I scoured craigslist.com and found two boys that interested me. I named them Roman and Cecil. It was love at first sight.

Cecil, born in August 2005, was about a year old when I got him, and Roman, born in February 2006, was six months old. Rats only live to be 2-3 years, but Cecil was a charming boy and he needed a good home and I was more than happy to take the boys in.

Roman, the first day I met him (August 2006).

Since he was six months older, Cecil was the dominant male. I used to watch their cage like a television set; Roman would grab a bite of food and begin to eat it. Cecil would snatch the food from Roman's paws. Roman would look sad and then get more food while Cecil scarfed down the food he just grabbed. Cecil would then grab the next piece of food from Roman. Roman couldn't eat a thing without it getting stolen, and Cecil wouldn't eat anything he didn't steal. Sad, but funny.

Cecil had chronic respiratory problems, even when I first got him. He was always wheezing and coughing.

Cecil, December 2007

He was a dumbo rat, which means he had a genetic mutation that causes big ears low on the sides of his head. Sooooo cute.

He liked to run around the living room and chase my cat, Cleo. He also liked bananas and peanuts. On the morning of January 16, 2008, I found Cecil cold and limp on the floor of his cage. He was still breathing, but barely. I had him euthanized immediately.

Roman was the sweet boy. He was a blue berkshire rat, with adorable pink ears, feet, and nose. He was the more laid-back of the two. He preferred snuggling to exploring, and would fall asleep on me while I watched TV. My wonderful veterinarian told me that Roman was the most laid-back rat he'd ever met. Coming from an exotic pet specialist, that's saying a lot. Roman was a good match with Cecil, because he never fought.

When he was 15 months old, he had a bad ear infection which led to a permanent head tilt as seen here:


The head tilt led to a lot of confusion in my poor little boy. He often thought he was upside down, and he would flip over when it wasn't necessary. He always looked like he was asking a question. He still loved climbing up into his hammock, though.

I had Roman euthanized on April 23, 2008 after he'd felt cold to the touch for three days. He was responsive, but just barely. He couldn't reach his water bottle, and I saw him fall over backwards while sitting on his haunches. I didn't want to do it, but I didn't want him to suffer. I didn't want to find him like I found Cecil.

Roman, April 2008

He slept in my bed his last few nights. I slept with him nuzzled in my shirt to keep him warm. He didn't move much during the night, and he didn't chew anything up. All he did was sleep, cuddle, and give me little kisses. He didn't even do that much on his last day. He was just lying quietly.



I miss them both dearly, and they will never be replaced. They made my life much nicer for the short time they were with me. I love them both so much.

Cuddlebugs circa September 2006.

Rest in peace, Roman and Cecil.

Love, Zoe

Odd

The past 24 hours of my life have been weird enough to warrant a blog entry.

One of my old college friends is in town visiting. I hadn't seen her in over six years. We decided to have a movie night. First we watched the perennial bad-movie favorite, Troll 2. I'll probably write more about Troll 2 later, as it is a very weird but very important part of my life. We also watched Gozu, which left a bad taste in my mouth. It was Japanese and billed as a horror movie, and though it was horrific, it was clearly not horror. It was a gangster movie with lot of lactation. Like, a lot. And weird genitalia. And...a soup ladle used in a way I don't care to write about. It was disturbing and gross. And I like wacky disturbing Japanese horror movies. I found my mind wandering through most of Gozu because I've had trouble focusing lately. That's a different story, though.

It snowed in Seattle today. It's the end of March. It's spring! I've lived here 12 years, and never seen it snow this time of year. The snow makes the next part of my weird day even weirder.

I have a cute little pet rat named Roman. He's my baby. Look at him. Isn't he cute?


Unfortunately, Roman (like many rats his age) is very prone to skin problems including abscesses. Because of this, I've been spending a lot of time at the vet's office lately. He also has chronic respiratory problems (specifically mycoplasmosis, which is a common ailment among geriatric rats). Roman has been on several antibiotics and I've had to have his abscesses lanced and flushed twice now. I was on my way to the vet today, when I had a coffee craving. I was early, so I thought I'd hit the nearest espresso stand.

Believe it or not, it took me a while to find an espresso stand. Usually in Seattle, you can't even spit without hitting a barista, so why on earth could I not find an espresso stand today? I drove for several minutes up a major stretch in North Seattle, until I finally came across a drive-through espresso stand. Excellent. The sign said "Chicka Latte" and the logo was a '50s-style pinup girl.

I pulled up in my car, and the barista was leaning against the window while wearing a naughty soldier girl outfit and thigh-high fishnet stockings. It was essentially skanky lingerie. Do I need to remind you that it was snowing? The other barista was wearing a halter-top/camisole type thing and a very short pleated skirt. I think she was supposed to be a schoolgirl.

I was a little thrown off by this. I just wanted coffee. I'm not offended by girls dressed in lingerie, but I want to be prepared to be around the scantily clad. I think that the store logo should have been more provocative in order to foreshadow things to come. I kept staring straight ahead because I felt like it was rude of me to look directly at them. This espresso stand is in the parking lot of an auto supply store. Very strange. I got my drink, handed over my money while looking at the girls as little as possible. I hope they make good tips, but it seems like they'd make more money at Hooters. Also, I think Hooters is less degrading than being forced to dress up like a naughty schoolgirl at work. Not much less degrading, but a little!

So, gangster movie with lactation, rat abscesses, random springtime snow, and nearly naked baristas. Um, yeah.

~Zoe Doom