Tsuri - a 2-ounce wonder

About an hour ago, Tsuri was euthanized. She developed a respiratory infection - remember I said she was wheezing?? Well it turned out to be something called mycoplasmosis: something rats are born with but doesn't show up until middle age or later - by the time the symptoms show up the decline is fast. Her breathing was labored, it took all her strength just to inhale. I heard the vet talking about quality of life - but I knew before she came in that this was it. Something about the cold light of day in that examining room made me realize that it wasn't fair to ask Tsuri to go through more of this. The folks at the Vet College Teaching Hospital were absolutely marvelous. They treated her - and me - with the utmost respect and compassion. They let me grieve and they gave her body back to me in a little box with a little blankie over it - said I could keep it.

So I brought her home and put her in the cage with Ceçania, her cage-mate. Ania, in true rat fashion, scratched at Tsuri's ears, washed her face, shook her shoulders to try to wake her up - and then walked away. I reached inside the cage and removed the little body, and put it back in the box in which I brought it home. We'll have a burial for her later... in the same spot in the flower garden where we've buried all the critters that have made their way through our menagerie of a household.

It's amazing how much one little rattie can worm her way into my heart. She's out of distress now - and in the last 6 weeks she has taught me more about the Christian life than I've heard in many sermons.

I could say more but I think I'll go hug my kids now.