Genetics to knowledge: Aa Dd rbrb (possibly carrying Mink, Siamese, Chocolate and Ruby Eye)

I'm heartbroken to be saying goodbye to yet another little friend so soon after the last :( It's not been a good time for us with rats at the moment :*(

Poor Arty had been suffering from a facial abscess for a while. We'd battled with it, and thought we were going to lose him a couple of times, only for him to perk right up, and the abscess go right down, and everything look like it was getting better - then literally overnight it started to attack his eye socket, and he was left with a gigantic bulge on the side of his head. He could no longer eat or drink properly and it was leaving his eye badly damaged looking and very sore... so we decided to call it a day.

I was gutted taking him to the vet today to say goodbye, not least for his cagemate Zabba who's going to be hard work to get in with other boys I feel (because I have none at a suitable age really). I know he misses him, he came to the vet with us to say goodbye and keep Arty company, and he was ever so stressed and miserable when he was there :(

Arty was a funny little soul - friendly, and incredibly licky, when he was out of his cage, but not a big fan of being picked up - rather a grouch about it in fact. Never in an aggressive way, just always made you feel bad for disturbing him - but when he was out, he did wonderful eeper feet, and could lick for Ireland! :) He was a darling rat, very sweet natured, and great with his cagemates, most of the time.

I will miss him a great deal, as will Zabba - but we're glad he made it to a reasonable age :*) Run free beautiful old man, run free...

Canned Heat - Going Up The Country:

I'm going up the country, babe don't you wanna go
I'm going up the country, babe don't you wanna go
I'm going to some place where I've never been before

I'm going, I'm going where the water tastes like wine
Well I'm going where the water tastes like wine
We can jump in the water, stay drunk all the time

I'm gonna leave this city, got to get away
I'm gonna leave this city, got to get away
All this fussing and fighting, man, you know I sure can't stay

Now baby, pack your leaving trunk, you know we've got to leave today
Just exactly where we're going I cannot say, but We might even leave the USA
'Cause there's a brand new game that I want to play

No use of you running, or screaming and crying
'Cause you've got a home as long as I've got mine

xx

 

Pedigree