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[Update] RIP Coffee 10/26/13 and Spaz 10/28/13 the rats
12 years ago
My hooded rat Coffee just passed away. I've had her for a few years now and she was always a sweet heart of a rat. I honestly don't know what happen to her...she seemed fine the other day and when I went to the cage to say goodnight she was laying still at the bottom of the cage with Spaz (her cage mate) licking the top of her head as if trying to wake her up. Coffee was laying on her side at the bottom of the cage, eyes mostly closed and her tongue sticking out the side of her mouth. I didn't see any wounds, her teeth were ok (bottom teeth were a little long). I really hope the dog food didn't hurt her, they seemed to like it more then the actual rat food. I put the pellet/cube type food in there and they barely ever touched them but they eat the dog food pretty eagerly and I've been giving it to them for at least a year now.
Spaz has some sores/dry skin or something on her...I'm not sure what they are. We had a flea infestation a while back but she didn't seem aggressive to Coffee so I don't think she hurt her. Just to add to the night, Spaz just bit me on the toe pretty hard and then nipped my finger...I AM NOT NOMS!
Now I have to try and figure out if I want to get another large female rat to try and put in with Spaz, or leave her by herself
[UPDATE]
Spaz has passed away some time today. I'm not sure what exactly caused her death, I fear she had mites and she scratched herself but I don't know if these caused her death or if it was age. Spaz was a sweet rat with a great personality and she will be missed. Valentine my male rat seems to be fine (he lives in his own cage). I will clean out and sanitize the cage in fear that something inside the cage caused the deaths but I even use the better bedding (non woodchips)
Spaz has some sores/dry skin or something on her...I'm not sure what they are. We had a flea infestation a while back but she didn't seem aggressive to Coffee so I don't think she hurt her. Just to add to the night, Spaz just bit me on the toe pretty hard and then nipped my finger...I AM NOT NOMS!
Now I have to try and figure out if I want to get another large female rat to try and put in with Spaz, or leave her by herself
[UPDATE]
Spaz has passed away some time today. I'm not sure what exactly caused her death, I fear she had mites and she scratched herself but I don't know if these caused her death or if it was age. Spaz was a sweet rat with a great personality and she will be missed. Valentine my male rat seems to be fine (he lives in his own cage). I will clean out and sanitize the cage in fear that something inside the cage caused the deaths but I even use the better bedding (non woodchips)
I would recomment getting another one in a few days, if you still want to have rodents that is. I'm sure it'll be better for Spaz, rats are very social animals.
The dog food didn't hurt Coffee - look at the ingredients - it's all stuff that Coffee would happily eat anyway.
Lifespan for a rat is only 2-3 years, 5 if you're lucky, so it sounds like old age was the culprit - that and her friend wouldn't be licking her like that if she was sick or poisoned - rats will shy away from and even bury a rat (kick wood pulp and other stuff on top of the corpse) if if it dies of unnatural causes.
As for getting a friend for Spaz, if she lived with Coffee for a long time then yeah, you probably should - rats are social animals so unless you handle her a lot then she'll get neurotic or even die if she doesn't have a friend since she's used to having company.
Too many sad feels, time to get back to work.