A Memorial
Died: Winter 2003
Cameron was the most incrediable personality I have ever known. Here is her story.
In fall of 2000, I had just lost my second rat (the standoffish Bridget) and I was ready for a new rat. I went to the local petstore that sometimes carried failr fancy rats. To my dismay, there was only one tank of rats this week--and all of them plain old black bershires. Bridget was black, and I didn't want to get a rat that looked like her. But I glanced in the cage anyways. There was a pile of panicked rats frozen at the back of the cage. And one lone black baby rat, peering at me through the cage. I asked to look at her and she climbed right up my arm and settled on my shoulder--totally bold. So I got her.
Cameron quickly learned her name. She was extremely affectionate and would jump into your hand when you called her. She was usually too busy to cuddle, but she would always come when summoned. She was the smartest rat I've ever known...she was VERY clever. She could memorize the layout of any room in just a couple minutes. She could recognize doors, and knew how they opened. And Cameron was very ambitous. She destroyed as much property as 15 other rats put together. He nests were massive. He stashes were immense. She spent all day plotting her escape from the cage. When she was out of the cage, she plotted on how to leave the apartment or get in a closed room. Cameron hated to be prevented from conquering any new territory. She was extremely stuboorn and industrious.
Cameron lived alone for the first year of her life and never quite understood her fellow rats. When we introduced two "toddler" rats to her she froze in fear when they crawled on her and squeaked. Then, she saw them as objects and would carry them to her stash when they bothered her too much. The only time Cameron ever acted hesitant was in social interactions with other rats.
Cameron was so bold she was foolhardy..