September 15, 2007 - February 18, 2009
Bella was really too young (about 1.5 years) to leave us, but so it goes. She was clearly suffering from some sort of neurological condition, though it did not appear to be the traditional pituitary tumor. (I do not know why end up with mysteriously neurologically diseased rats, but I am not such a fan of this cosmic arrangement.) She began having seizures last May, but they occurred once a month, if that (that we witnessed). With no real purchase on the underlying cause, the vet gave us anti-seizure meds, but told us not to administer them unless the problem worsened. I warned my dad about this, as my parents watched Bella and Toni while we were in Paris, but he saw no seizures at all. When we got home it was decided that since Portia had passed, B & T would be staying with my parents to keep Maria company. A few months passed without incident, but whatever it was came back with a vengeance in the past month. My dad told me that he'd seen the seizures and they were increasing in frequency. He had to put her in a small, separate cage to prevent her from falling from shelves and she was very anxious/fearful and nippy. When I was there one night, I saw her seize four times (which is as many times as I'd ever seen it happen before). They started her on the meds the next day. The meds were definitely helping her: She calmed down, was friendlier, and was seizing less often, so she returned to the big cage with her sister and Maria. But then she just went. There was no warning-she was running around, perfectly fine, just a few hours before my dad found her. I guess, whatever this was, at least she did not suffer at the end.
When I went to adopt Toni, I picked Bella out from among her sisters (Toni was the only hooded rat in a see of Himalayans). Although she seemed to take to me, she always kept the skittishness I remember from the whole brood that day. Still, she was a funny mix of activity-I've never seen a ratling dangle acrobatically from the ceiling of her cage-and sloth-she was always curled up napping or bruxing somewhere, while Toni still explored. Bella was also quite the eater, definitely the largest rat I've ever owned (though Toni is also pretty big, so part of it is probably genetic). I'm pretty sure that munching carrots in the orange crinkly tube was her very favorite activity. Then again, she was also the bravest in exploring the living room floor and I hear she pioneered the windowsill in my former bedroom at my parents' place.
I am sorry you weren't with me at the end, Belka. I missed you while we were living apart and I surely miss your dirty lil' nose now.
