Rat Roadhouse

Shortly after the death of Rocky, a friend and my then husband got me a pet rat. They pulled him out of a bin where he was destined to be sold as food. They bought a tank and all. They brought him home to me to ease my burden. I refused to look at him. They placed him on me, and he quickly stole my heart. A few moments later I asked him what I should name him. . . he responded by peeing in my hand. I went through a few urine related names and when I said Puddles he stood up. Puddles was the first in a long line of rats that would line my walls. A hooded rat, with a big heart. By far he was the most intelligent of them. He would sneak out of his cage and taunt the cats (who by then knew they weren't to even address his prescence) and hide until I called him.

He was the only rat that I ever had to take to the vet. One day I noticed his head cocked to the side in an odd manner. The next day his eye appeared to be bulging. I went back to the pet store where they told me he had an ear infection and told me where a vet was who would treat him. Now to this day I remember the looks on the faces of those owners sitting in the waiting room to see a woman walk in with a rat perched on her shoulder. In a small town in NC rats are things rarely seen except in fields or traps. Before long everyone in the waiting room wanted to know where they could purchase one.

One day while in a nearby town to hit a "real mall" we noticed their rats. . . I found one that was called a Rex Rat. I fell in love. We brought him home. When asked his name, he nipped me. Nips was another of my loves.

Now most all my rats lived good long lives. Puddles even had a girlfriend for a long time. (Granted I waitied until she was old enough to not bear his children.) When I moved back to home out of state I found good homes to place the majority. It killed me to do it, but I had a 2 rat limit at my mother's home.

Puddles and Nips were about 2 1/2 and 2 years old. I rented a moving truck like most people. On July 2nd, 1998 we set off. A few hours down the road I noticed my cats having a hard time. I stopped and pulled over to check on all my animals. My ferrets were pretty sick. Worse both of my rats were dead. I was heartbroken. I was about three and half months pregnant as well. It did not take us long to figure out that the there was carbon monoxide poisioning occuring. My two beloved rats had saved the lives of my family. Being a holiday weekend we could not get a replacement truck, and were stuck driving only short periods of time. A one day trip took 3-4 days. (I can't remember exactly due to how sick I was.) I will always remember how Puddles & Nips gave their lives to save mine and my then unborn daughter.

This site is dedicated to the memory of George, Rocky, Puddles & Nips.