Rainbow Bridge

Childhood Rats

My ratties that are no longer with us. They may have passed from this world, but they are still in my heart.

The Rainbow Bridge

Just this side of heaven is a place called Rainbow Bridge.
When an animal dies that has been especially close to someone here, that pet goes to Rainbow Bridge. There are meadows and hills for all of our special friends so they can run and play together. There is plenty of food, water and sunshine, and our friends are warm and comfortable.
All the animals who had been ill and old are restored to health and vigor. Those who were hurt or maimed are made whole and strong again, just as we remember them in our dreams of days and times gone by. The animals are happy and content, except for one small thing; they each miss someone very special to them, who had to be left behind.
They all run and play together, but the day comes when one suddenly stops and looks into the distance. His bright eyes are intent. His eager body quivers. Suddenly he begins to run from the group, flying over the green grass, his legs carrying him faster and faster.
You have been spotted, and when you and your special friend finally meet, you cling together in joyous reunion, never to be parted again. The happy kisses rain upon your face; your hands again caress the beloved head, and you look once more into the trusting eyes of your pet, so long gone from your life but never absent from your heart. Then you cross Rainbow Bridge together....
Author unknown...

No picture currently	Jenny NARR: None - rescue/pet only Color:Black and White Ears: Standard Coat: Standard Markings: Hooded D.O.B. 4/1997 D.O.D. 10/1998 Cause of Death: "Age related problems" (?) Breeding Status: Pet Only, Never Bred Show Results: Not Shown Notes: Jenny was my brother's rat who lived with us when I was in highschool. She was a very gentle and friendly girl, who was very laid back and content to cuddle with people. At this point in our rat experience, hitting 12 months was a big milestone, so when she died at almost 18 months of old she was one of the older rats we had ever had, and we assumed that her slow down was age related. Its likely that she had some respiratory problems as well.
No picture currently	Kitty NARR: None - rescue/pet only Color:Beige and White Ears: Standard Coat: Standard Markings: Hooded D.O.B. 12/1996 D.O.D. 1/1998 Cause of Death: Upper respiratory complications Breeding Status: Pet Only, Never Bred Show Results: Not Shown Notes: Kitty was a playful girl who I had back in highschool. She loved to run in her wheel and come out and play with anyone who visited. She was sweet and inquisitive and always looking for attention!
No picture currently	Billy NARR: None - rescue/pet only Color:Black and White Ears: Standard Coat: Standard Markings: Hooded D.O.B. 8/1995 D.O.D. 11/1996 Cause of Death: "Age related problems" (?) Breeding Status: Pet Only, Never Bred Show Results: Not Shown Notes: My brother's 3rd rat, Billy was the first male rat we had. He stayed fairly small for a male, but had that laid back personality, and enjoyed just sitting in our laps while we worked on homework or watched TV.
No picture currently	Raindrop NARR: None - rescue/pet only Color:Beige and White Ears: Standard Coat: Standard Markings: Hooded D.O.B. 8/1996 D.O.D. 11/1996 Cause of Death: Fall in cage Breeding Status: Pet Only, Never Bred Show Results: Not Shown Notes: Raindrop was only with me for a short time, but she was a sweet little girl. She was always climbing and loved her ferret sized wheel in her 20g high aquarium...I suspect that she slipped while climbing the outside of her wheel (as she often did), and didn't manage to correct her fall soon enough - she was found dead in her cage and her neck seemed crooked. :( Poor sweet little girl, she had a short life, but was well loved.
No picture currently	Snowflake NARR: None - rescue/pet only Color:Beige and White Ears: Standard Coat: Standard Markings: Hooded D.O.B. 3/1995 D.O.D. 6/1996 Cause of Death: Respiratory complications. Breeding Status: Pet Only, Never Bred Show Results: Not Shown Notes: The first rat that was completely mine, this one came from a litter a friend of ours bred. She was a sweet girl who loved to explore and hang out on shoulders. She was our first rat who took to a wheel, and we had to hunt around to find a wheel big enough for her as she rapidly outgrew the commonly available hamster wheels! She was an active little explorer, who could push several volumes of encyclopedias off her cage when she decided it was time to come out and say hi!
No picture currently	Albert NARR: None - rescue/pet only Color:Pink Eyed White Ears: Standard Coat: Standard Markings: None D.O.B. 10/1994 D.O.D. 6/1995 Cause of Death: Unknown Breeding Status: Pet Only, Never Bred Show Results: Not Shown Notes: Albert was an inquisitive girl who was active and always interested in what was going on around her. She was my brother's second rat, and our first experience with a rat from a pet store. Unfortunately, some unknown happened later in her life, and her personality suddenly flipped, making her aggressively attack any fingers she saw. She would still happily hang out on arms, but regularly drew blood on hands in her cage to say hi, clean, change her food, etc. She died a couple months later.
	Willy NARR: None - rescue/pet only Color:Black and White Ears: Standard Coat: Standard Markings: Hooded D.O.B. 7/1993 D.O.D. 8/1994 Cause of Death: Cancer (?) Breeding Status: Pet Only, Never Bred Show Results: Not Shown Notes: The first rat we ever had, she was given to my brother for his birthday by a friend who was breeding pet rats. She sparked my interest in rats. She was very social, and always wanted to be with humans. She escaped shortly after we got her, and my mom came home to find her missing from her cage. In a panic she started calling her name, and Willy immediately came running out and sat up at her feet looking for attention! She also REGULARLY broke out of her aquarium and would make her way down the stairs in search of people - climbing into our dad's lap while he worked on the computer, or onto the couch with us - she never was 'lost' she always ran to the first person she saw! She developed a large tumor when she was just over 1 year old, and our parents took her to the vet. They said she appeared in good health and that it was likely benign, but a week later she died in our hands, presumably from something related to the tumor. She was a sweet girl and will always be remembered as the first rat we ever interacted with!