Zoe, last of 56

Zoe was the last of 56 rats we had at one time. The 16 rats we have now are all around a year old.

I did a new thing with Zoe. Instead of waiting until she was gasping for breath, or spending the last couple of days of her life trying to get her to eat a drop or two, I took her to be put to sleep as soon as her appetite waned. She was over 3 years old, bony, wheezing and had pale skin. 55+ rat deaths later, I knew her time had come when she did not want her treat or to finish her medicine on the morning of 2/14/12.

She chattered as I said good-bye and I know she understood and was in agreement with my decision.

After a very short period of grief, I was at peace.

The next day, I received a call asking for a temporary spot for Buddy. We would not have had room if it weren't for Zoe's death.