The Rat Diaries is currently on hiatus. November 6, 2014

I’m going to take a break from The Rat Diaries while I recover from the recent loss of my pets. This includes my YouTube channel. I’ll be back someday, though I’m not sure when. It could be a few weeks, or several months. But I’ll be back. After all, I have a ton of videos needing to be finished. I want to thank you all for your support these past two years. I enjoy reading every comment I receive, and I’m so excited each time I get a new follower or subscriber. I look forward to sharing my future animal adventures with you.

Until next time,
Anna

Button

Once again, I am not sure how to begin. In fact, I don’t even know what happened today. My brain hasn’t processed that there is an empty cage sitting upstairs in my room.

The ever-tiny, always-hyper, little miss Button was put to sleep this afternoon (November 5). She had grown, against the odds, to be two years, six months, and twenty-two days old. But her tumor had gotten too large.

Button Had a Bow November 5, 2014

Yesterday (November 3) while playing with Button, I took one of the ribbons I used to drag around for the rats to chase and tied it in a bow. Then I tried to get it to stay on Button’s head…

Button’s Wig October 29, 2014

One thing I’ve learned about Button over the past two years is she is very particular about how her home is decorated. When the girls were younger, every time I finished cleaning the cage Button would spend a good fifteen minutes making a mess of things until all was just as she wanted.

Bunny October 25, 2014

How can I even start? I am all out of words. When I got my baby ratties two years ago, I never imagined that making the final decision and saying goodbye to them would be so impossible.

My dear, sweet, loving Bunny was put to sleep this evening (October 24). She was two years, six months, and ten days old. She had cancer and just wasn’t herself.

Results of Vet Visit October 23, 2014

The vet visit went very well. I think the vet may still have some things to learn about rats, but I was very pleased with how caring and professional she and her assistant were toward the rats.

First Vet Visit Tomorrow October 22, 2014

So this is a bit of good news and bad news. Good news is, my parents are finally letting me take Bunny and Button to the vet for an exam. Bad news is, Bunny is very, very sick.

Bunny and Button’s Half-Birthday October 14, 2014

The rats are two-and-a-half years old now!

Sleeping Rats October 5, 2014

Yesterday after playing with Bunny and Button and putting them back in their cage, I sat down to watch them for a bit. They nibbled on some food and did a little home redecorating before settling into opposite corners of the cage’s bottom level for a nap. They were so adorable as they slept that I couldn’t help but snap a couple pictures of them.

An Update on the Rats, the Blog, and My YouTube Videos October 1, 2014

Hi all. I wanted to post a general update so you all have an idea of what’s been going on and what to expect in the next few months.

Firstly, some sad news. The rats are almost two and a half years old – which equals about seventy years in rat years. They are slowing down and showing other usual signs of old age, one being, especially for females, the development of tumors. It is very common for unspayed rats to develop mammary tumors as they get older. Sadly, my little Button is one of those many unlucky rats. As a teenager, I did not have the money to spay Bunny and Button, and I do not have the money to have Button’s tumor removed now. Plus, the rats are so old that any surgical procedure could be detrimental to their health and well-being. Button’s tumor will continue to grow, and when it’s time I will have to have her euthanized. Bunny has also recently developed a tumor. I’m not sure what kind it is exactly, but I am assuming her situation will be similar to Button’s.
I will include a picture of each rat at the bottom of this post in the hopes that it may somehow help another rat owner or better the rat community in the future. The pictures may be upsetting to more sensitive readers.