Rocky has been gone for a few months now but I've been thinking a lot about him in the last few days. I miss him. And he deserves to be remembered like the other 4 rats we unfortunately lost.

Rocky was from a big rescue of 50 rats that many of us were involved with back in June 2007. He was one of the very first ones I noticed due to the fact that one of his eyes was missing probably from a fight with another rat or an old injury. It always made me smile as he looked as if he was always winking at you. Not that it was a laughing matter but it just gave him a lot of character.

He went to a foster to adopt home but ended up coming back a few months later when the couple split up.

He came back with a head tilt on top of his missing eye. And I decided not to ever move him again, fas he just needed stability and I just couldn't risk that he would get dumped yet again.

In December he came down with respiratory problems, I tried all sorts of different antibiotics and nothing seemed to work. He just got worse and worse.

One night he wouldn't come running for his perogies at night which he just loved so when he wasn't better the next morning, I made the decision to take him in. That was January 3, 2008.

It was a good decision. His passing was unlike any other I've experienced. As soon as the vet sedated him a little bit, he relaxed, he was bruxing and boggling... and then simply went to bed.... peacefully. It looked like he finally was able to relax, fall asleep and was happy.

I am still sad and I miss him.... but at the same time it made me happy because it was so obvious that he was ready.

-- Simone