Rutabaga and Diego - Rutabaga is the smaller one..JPG)
I've finally uploaded the pictures of Rutabaga (I still have to take pictures of Parsnip...) just in time to tell you of her sad passing. That is right - one week after re-catching her she has died. She looked like she was having a little hard time adjusting to life back in her cage, but overall seemed to be okay and it looked like everything might be alright. Emmuska was certainly warming to the two smaller rats, enjoying them (oftentimes much to my surprise and apprehension). One day in the middle of the week I go downstairs to see that Emmuska is holding both Rutabaga and Parsnip. I almost peed my pants, worried that Rutabaga would run away and we'd have to catch her again. As I was putting her in her cage she made a run for it, but thankfully ran into a corner that only allowed her to escape into my hands and then into the cage. Well we'd had a couple of moments like that this week, including going downstairs to find both of the small rats completely soaked. Apparently Emmuska had decided to give them baths (I don't know how she did it unscathed...she must be part rat-charmer). After each incident I told her how important it was to leave the rats in the cage unless I was there to watch. Well today while I was at a meeting she decided to hold the rats. I come home to find that one of the little ones is dead, turns out to be Rutabaga. Emmuska had decided to get them out and hold them, a little too tightly (she didn't want them to run away I'm assuming or she just doesn't know). Parsnip survived the love but Rutabaga didn't. Truth be told I don't think that Rutabaga was kind of on the edge anyway from what she had been through in the last couple of weeks and it was just the last straw for her. I don't know if Emmuska completely understands what happened and the implication of her actions, though she was quite sad at one point so I hope on some level it is getting through to her. I'm hoping that this time she will heed the admonition to leave the rats in their cage unless I'm there watching.
In any case here's to Rutabaga
3 comments:
How sad for Emmuska! We I was three, Julie and I threw a baby chick and a baby duck we had gotten for Easter down out stairs to see if they could fly, and they both ended up dying because of it. Obviously, I still remember. LOL I'm not scarred, and hopefully she won't be either :D good luck with your other two pets
To Rutabaga--the best scavenger on our basement floor. A good rat, she will be sorely missed. But we know there's a place for her in heaven :)
This is very sad but I agree it does not really end. I actually like that thought.
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