Every once in a while an animal comes along that truly touches the deepest and warmest part of our hearts. For me, that animal was a little Rat named Oscar. I have owned several rat before Oscar, each meaning a lot to me. Each one was special. But, there was something about Oscar that was truly unique, truly special. So unique and special that I can even describe it.
Oscar was a birthday gift from an ex, although I picked him out. It was almost the end of April 2005 and I can remember walking by him at the pet store. He stood up everytime I walked passed. He was alone in his little glass box. But, then I leaned down and got a good look at him, and I instantly knew he was the one that I was going to take home. Something about him stood out. I don't know how old he was, but I knew he was JUST old enough to leave his mother. So he was a baby, my baby. I never would have guessed he would become what he did. His name didn't come right to me, it took a few days. Oscar, seemed to stick out and I think he liked it just as much as I did.
He was never a shy rat. He opened up and trusted me before he even left the pet store. Although was shy around others at first. He was such a engergetic little bugger too. Always running around. Always trying to find his way to the floor of our house. If it weren't for so many places where he could get lost and never seen again, I would have let him run freely. My 2 dogs and 3 cats were afraid of him. It was funny to watch another animal approach him. Such caution and hesitation.
Oscar would occaionally come for car rides, then I lost my car and that ended that for a long time. He used to go everywhere with me. Tim Hortons, Blockbuster, the grocery store. But then my life started getting busy for a while and I couldnt' spend as much time with him as I should have. But there was always someone at home who would take him out and play with him. And Oscar was always full of rat kisses for Daddy. He never bit anyone or attacked anyone. Although you could tell his was getting angry if you tried taking his food. He'd fight with you but he'd never hurt you in any way.
Oscar had a couple nicknames. One was Tank Rat, and the other Poofy Rat.
We called him Tank Rat because when he was younger he would always poke his head out the top of his house. He even slept like that a lot. It always looked like he was trying to drive a tank or something. Hence, Tank Rat.
I started calling him Poofy Rat about a month and a half ago when he got sick. He got a respitory infection. Anyways, his hari would always stand on end making him look "poofy", and hence Poofy Rat.
Eventually Oscar became sick with a severe respitory infection during Christmas 2007. I thought he was going to die that Christmas break. Then I vowed that would not die alone in his cage but in my loving arms so he could feel comforted and loved. I was able to get him some Dioxycillin and Baylin to treat it. It worked really well. Within a few days he was back to his normal self. Sadly, he would suffer from Congestive Heart Failure a month later.
This past Tuesday night (January 22,2008) I noticed he was breathing really heavy. And it often looked like he was choking and gasping for air. I knew that night that he was going to die in the next couple days. I was so heartbroken, but I didn't want to admit it to myself. Then on Wednesday morning I took him out and noticed his breathing had gotten worse. Every breath he took looked like he was choking and gasping for air. That's when I knew that day would be his last. I notcied his feet and tail were starting to turn blue. Then I knew he wasn't getting air and his blood wasn't circulating his body.
I was outside my bedroom door with Oscar in my arms. He started to kick, almost like he was trying to lunge forward. Then he gripped my finger tips with his little front paws, took one last big deep breath, before his little rat heart could no longer beat to the beat of Oscar. He lay in my arms for a good while. I continued to pet him, trying to get him to wake up. Even though I knew he had passed, I didn't want to believe it. The almost 3 years I had him had gone by to fast, in a blink of an eye he was a baby all grown up and gone before I knew it. It's hard to cry writing this thinking about him. But I know he's not suffering anymore. I know he loved me, and I know the he knew I loved him back just the same. I'm happy he died in my arms and not alone in his cage. But what hurts the most is that I'll never get anymore little rat kisses from my baby Oscar... But I'll always carry him with me in my memories. I'll never forget him. And I'll always cherish our time together.
Know that Daddy loves you very much, and know that Daddy knows you love him very much from where ever you are!
Goodbye Oscar.
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