Bareback
Rex Coat
Dumbo Ears
I had a very favorite rattie named Coughy Beaner. I called him "Beaner Boy" for short. He passed away on July 2, 2007 the same day Sterling was born. I believe that Sterling is Beaner reincarnated, lol. :>) He is just like him. Licky and squishy and monkeyminded.
He is very loving and cuddly. He's very affectionate and loves to give kisses and lick my fingers and hands. He loves to have his back scratched and after I'm done he grooms my fingers in appreciation.
He's very smart. He knows his name and comes leaping and bouncing when you call him. He knows how to beg for food and loves to lick treats off your fingers. He also knows the phrase "Climb inside my shirt." When I say this he will hop inside the layers of my shirt. I always wear two to three layers of clothing for my ratties to hide in. He will snuggle inside the top layer of my clothes upon request. He is so cool! I adore this guy.
I will be breeding Sterling this summer (08). I'm picking out just the right female for him. I haven't decided yet, but she has to be just as friendly as he is. I can hardly wait to have his kids around. I hope they are all like him!!!
Sterling does not live in a cage. He lives on a shelf in my hobby room. The shelve is two and a half feet long, a foot wide and a foot and a half tall. It is four feet off the ground. He could have free run of this massive room but is content to just stay on his shelve and wait for me to give him a free ride everywhere. He's very smart, lol.
Each morning I go to his shelf where he is waiting for me to come and take him for a ride on my shoulder. He loves decaffinated coffee with a little sugar free vanilla creamer in it and has his own little coffee cup made out of a Coke cap. We sit on the couch in the livingroom and have coffee together every morning. His favorite treats are Wheatables multigrain crackers. His gives my fingers and hands a bath and I scratch his back in return, reaching all the places he can't reach. :>) We share a very close and loving bond like nothing I've ever experienced before.
My favorite rattie of all time is Sweetheart. It's possible he may take that top spot in my heart before he leaves planet earth. Sterling is very friendly and warms up to everyone. Giving each human friend their share of affectionate grooming and kisses. I'm really lucky to have such a nice rattie.
I called my Mom and put her on speaker phone. She got to say her goodbyes to her "Grandson." We both sang, "You Are My Sunshine" to him as he took his final breath. That was a song I sang to him each and everyday, because he brought so much sunshine into my life.
The end came quickly and he did not suffer for that I was very grateful. I can't even describe the emptiness inside of me. Some minutes I'm ok and others something will remind me of him and I'll break down crying.
My husband just went into town to get lunch we have a coupon for Burgerking. I told him to get my Whopper without tomato as I always gave my tomato to Sterling...just memories like that flood in and I know they will for a long time.
I know this spring when we go to the property for the first time, to the popup camper where Sterling and I camped for three seasons and he won't be there that will be hard to take.
I had planned this third birthday party for him that would have been held on July 2 at the popup and now it won't happen. I really thought he could hold on and make it to his third birthday. I know he lived passed the average and I was totally blessed to have him as long as I did.
I think the thing I need to do is to try and love another rattie. Start to form a bond with another to ease my pain. There is a new young rattie of mine, his name is Coppertop. He's a mink variegated. He was born 11/2/09. He is exhibiting similar traits to Sterling. He loves licking coffee off my fingers and is very affectionate and kissy. I think if I seperate him out by himself and start spending a lot of one on one attention with him I might be able to bring out the same affectionate traits that Sterling had. I have him out right now holding him and it's easing my pain. I think the key to getting past death is to shower your love again to someone new, someone else who needs you like the one before needed you.
Update: 12/02/09 Today is Sterling's 85th birthday (that's 2.5 years in ratties years)! Congratulations my sweet guy! I'm so glad you are still with me. Yesterday he gave me quite a scare. I had to rush him into emergency! He was gasping for air. He had pneumonia! He's on Baytril and Doxycycline. He will be on meds the rest of his life just to keep the myco at bay. Thank you Dr. Reabe for saving my sweet boys life!
Update: 11/14/09 Sterling is getting to be an old guy in rattie terms, but he is still doing really good in my opinion. He has something known as spinal nerve root degeneration (SNRD). He has lost the ability to lift up his back hind legs when he walks, therefore he drags them behind him and uses his front legs to move forward. This old age problem does not hurt him or hinder him at all.
I've started him on a B complex vitamin drop supplement that is especially high in B12. This therapy has returned some movement in his left hind leg and it is my hope it will restore functioning in both legs or at least slow down the progression of this disease and keep it from getting worse. It is uncertain what causes our pet rats to not be able to get enough B12 as they get older, but this therapy has been known to help them recover functioning.
I put a couple of drops of this this complex on a piece of bread twice a day. It's berry flavored and he seems to enjoy it very much.
Update:11/10/09 Sterling gave me a scare a while back. I thought he'd gone deaf. He wasn't responding when I called his name. But I used a cue tip swab and rubbing alcohol and gently cleared his ears out of wax build up and now he can hear me again. I didn't know this type of thing could happen with ratties like they do people. If you suspect your rattie is going deaf you might try this process to see if this is all it is.
Update: 06/23/09 Sterling made it through surgery with flying colors. He is resting now. It was just a cyst! He won the hearts of all the techs and office help. He gave kisses to everyone! My ratties have helped a couple people over come their fear of rats! Yeah! One for our side!
Sterling is going back out camping with me. This is his third season at our campsite and I'm hoping for a fourth and fifth one too! He loves it out there so much.
Update 06/09/09: Sterling has developed a tumor or cyst under his right arm pit. It has grown very slowly and appears to be fluid filled like a cyst. It doesn't feel like a lump like a tumor would. Either way he is scheduled for surgery to have it removed on June 23rd 2009. His second birthday is coming soon and I want to keep him healthy so he'll reach his 3rd one. I've given Dr. Reabe Debbie Ducommun's Rat Health Care booklet and gave one to the office staff too to help educate everyone at East Bay Animal Hospital about proper health procedures for pet rats. To secure Sterling comes through his surgery with flying colors!
Update: 07/02/08 Today is Sterling's first birthday. His health is great and he is so licky and loving today.
I gave him favorite treats and later today I'll take him for a walk with me outside so he can see things he's never seen before. I want his birthday to be a special day, one that he'll always remember. I took his picture today and will post it later. He is such a ham.
As of 01/30/08 His health is excellent. Nothing to report at this time.
01/13/10 2:42PM: Sterling died today. I've created a special tribute page for Sterling. I've posted the last video taken of him as a tribute to what a loving pet he was. This page also shows him in his casket which might be confusing or depressing to children under the age of 14. Please do not click on this link if you are under the age of 14 as it's meant for mature eyes. I don't want to depress anyone.