Valedictions Ragamuffin

[tcpip]

Thanatos has visited again, making it three posts in a row I've had to refer to his work. Last night I had a few post work drinks with Andrzej, an old friend whom I hadn't had much of for the better part of ten years. On the way to The King of Tonga we stopped over at my place and of course the opportunity arose to meet the rabbits and rats.

Except Ragamuffin seemed to be in a very deep sleep indeed.



Ragamuffin and Scoundrel were 'rescue rats' that caseopaya and I picked up over a year ago. Muffin was in a bit of a rough state; he had a mite infestation which had caused the loss of the tips of his ears, and his skin was quite scaly; he was also terribly nervous. We applied the necessary spray, brushed him regularly and after a while he started he turned quite friendly; and quite large - at one point he weighed in at over 600g, resulting in a fairly strict diet of fruit and vegetables.

He hadn't been terribly active recently with his strength declining somewhat and requiring some anti-arthritis injections, although I must say I thought he still had at least quite a few months in him; so it's all a bit of a surprise. I'll remember this little guy for his extremely gentle demeanor and socialbility. Sleep soundly my little friend.

Comments

[tcpip.livejournal.com]

Now I have an image of a chubby beagle flying to the heavens using its ears :)

That's a good innings for the poodle! Are they are particularly long-lived breed?

[forwrathandruin.livejournal.com]

I don't know. The lifespans of dogs mystify me, to be honest. I know that the general rule is that the more extreme the dog's size, small or large, the shorter their lifespan. Rachel (the poodle) was looooong-loved. By her end she looked like an old lady - her hair grew out in a once-a-week-perm shaped poof, and she moved on wobbly legs and glared around at stuff with beady eyes. But she had vigor, and didn't ever seem disoriented or distressed.