Weird story, but I'm excited!( Update 7/5.)

[NightmareWolfie1]

The story starts with an ex of mine. I bought her a rat for our six month anniversary, because she loved mine, and she had ONE of her own. I told her the little guy she had at the time needed a friend. So we checked local rescues and humane societies to no avail. This was in October approximately of 2005. The rat ended up coming from a local petstore, and he was around 3 months old or so. An adorable silvered black berky boy. She named him Tweek. And he ended up living with a rat named Draven that she already had. The one lone boy. They got along fantabulously, but Draven was nearly a year and a half when Tweek moved in, and so Draven passed a couple months later at a bit over two. Tweek wanted nothing to do with other rats, and so he was a loner boy.
Me and my ex ended up breaking up obviously a while later. She took Tweek with her, of course. But she ran into some personal troubles, and so Tweek returned to my home. I had him for nearly six months, but a while ago she decided she wanted him back. Now, I know you're thinking the traveling wasn't great for him, and it probably wasn't, but he never seemed the worse for wear.
Well a couple months ago he got sick, and I helped her out and too him to the vet. Upper respiratory and such, so he was put on meds. Well, now she is moving and she doesn't want to deal with his death, beause she thinks she couldn't handle it. This boy is now nearing three years old. He's slowed down in his old age, but he's still such a sweetie. Neither of us thinks he has much longer, and I'd prefer him to be in my home. He's the ONLY rat in her house, and hasn't been ill or had any problems for a while now, so no QT is needed. Hopefully I'll be going to get him this week and be bringing him back.
I plan on making his last days he best that they can be. Lots of food, fluffy soft blankets and all the toys he wants. He's living in a single level rabbit age right now. It's very large, but he can no longer manage levels the way he could when he was young. He has no interest in hamocks or anything of that sort. So me and his current owner have devised multiple comfy places fr him to sleep that he really enjoys. And in his old age, he's grown rather fond of chocolate chip cookies. I know they're a terrible, sugar laden treat, bt I'm afraid he doesn't have much longer, so I can only indulge him sometimes, right?
This boy is very, veyr special to me. And has always been a  rat 100%. 
So.. onto some pictures of him. Most of these were taken in the last couple months, and he's a bit scruffy in his old age, but a VERY handsome man nonetheless.

Presenting Tweek:





He was younger here.



I'll post more pitures of him once he gets here.

[AneesasMuse]

Tweek is a very handsome manrat, indeed! Not that I have a special affinity towards silvered black berk boys or anything     Give him some lovin' and treats from me and my Poodah Pack!

[JustJenna]

Awww, he's a cutie!  He's a lucky man to have two homes that care about him enough to do what's best for him!    from me & my girls for Tweek!   

[rowan138]

What a lucky boy to have yall to coparent?him.

[RatAttack59]

 
Such a handsome old man!

[NightmareWolfie1]

I got him!
He's here.
He's showing the beginnings of Hind End Degeneration, but he's as active as an old man is to be expected.
He's a bit skinny.
And I'm furious.
His cage was disgusting.
Pine/cedar bedding, no food, just DIRTY.
It had the remnants of scent marking and urine all over the place.
No toys, a dirty old shirt just chillin' in the middle of the cage, covered in urine.
He couldn't access the bedding and just layed on the shirt, so his underside was COATED in urine.
I took him out, and let him have some out time on my bathroom floor, with some toys and a dish of ice water.
I scrubbed down his cage, gave him fresh food and water. A really low hammock, and fresh, clean bedding.
I also gave him some fleece scraps so HE can decide whether he wants to lay on them or not.
I did leave his gross, old hidey hut in there. Because I didn't want him to have total culture shock.
He still remembers me.
The second I opened that filthy cage to pet him, he slambered up the side and onto my chest and immediately started bruxing as I gave him sritches behind the ears.
I know my ex hadn't een home much lately, and that she was having some problems with drugs, and was in and out of the hospital.
But I didn't think his cage would be that bad, or that he'd have no food.
I also never thought she'd put him on bad bedding.
-=sighs=-
But I'm glad to have him back, and he's glad to be in a fresh cage.
I took some pictures of his cage, and him, before and after.
I'll post them later.

[Cigar]

It's great to see a rattie with a happy ending. Big hugs for Tweek from my rattie crew.

[RugRat]

Good for you for helping the poor guy out. He'll have a GREAT rest of his life with you. He's very handsome, by the way 

[NightmareWolfie1]

Well, I went ahead and uploaded the pictures.



His dirty cage. You can see the filth on the litter pan itself and what I meant when I said he could barely access the bedding at all.

If you look closely you can see the urine stains/fresh urine on his tummy, because the shirt was so soaked with urine that it had pretty much nowhere to go.


I soaked his cage in bleach water. And hosed it off thouroughly, and let it dry outside in the sun for a bit.
I know it's sort of bare, but I came home to find him sitting on my kitchen counter. (I had plans to go get him later, but apparently she couldn't wait, and just dropped him off here, so it was short notice)
I'm going to go buy some toys tomorrow. (I have all sorts of things to do today, can't get out of the house. )
Also, I know it isn't the biggest cage, but he's by himself, and he'll be getting TONS of out time now.




Some pictures of the handsome man himself!




Munching away under his new hammy.
He seems to be settling in just fine.

[Violet7560]

Oh man what a difference! How could someone leave a living creature in that kind of filth?! Poor guy but at least now he'll be healthy and happy! He's very handsome!

[nevadamoon]

What a handsome boy!  Sweet looking, too.

I don't think I'd react so calmly if I was in that situation.  It's good that he's not in that filth anymore, and the ex may have a lot going on, but surely your ex could have gotten him to a good place sooner!  No wonder he got sick.  :/

[NightmareWolfie1]

I'm only calm because I'm so resigned.
This s the ex that I have bailed out of numerous situations.
Taken her other animals when she's been in and out of DH, the hospital, behavioral centers, etc.
Given her supplies, bedding, food, etc for Tweek. (I've always tried to take care of him, even from afar.)
I gave her that cage, because she didn't ahve room for a bigger one, and he was in something akin to a five gallon.
I've given her money before because he was sick and needed to go to the vet.
I've given her babyfood/ensure/etc to help him get better and put on weight.
She's moving out of her current house and in with someone who will likely get her into more trouble.
She's rehomed all her animals.
And I will likely never se her again.
So, while I am furious, and want nothing more than to yell, scream, do ANYTHING.
There's nothing I can do.
She hasn't listened before, and she won't now.
I'm just extremely relieved that I have him right now.
And I've promised him that I will do everything in my power for him until he decides to go to the Bridge.
He's a scruffy, dirty little man who has the begining of hind end degeneration. He had some porphryn staining around his nose.
I've went ahead ad started him on meds, because it can't hurt.
I may go ahead and take him to the vet for a checkup just to make sure nothing else is going on.
The bedding in his cage wasn't that dirty (The shirt was.), but it smelled terrible for some reason.
I hate the smell of pine/cedar, too.
I went ahead and treated him for mites because I saw some flakes which may have been mites, but may have been dirt.
But I dunt want to take any chances.
It's just really nice to have him back.

As an afterthought, I dunt think he's gotten attention at all lately. I got him out(I.e. after his ten minute stay in the cage. I can't seem to put him down. ), and he layed in my lap, had a bath, and boggled and bruxxed more furiously than ever. He boggles if you even look at him right. He's so happy to have attention.

[momerath42]

He sounds like such a sweet oldmanrat.  Give him lots of      and      for me!  I know he will just love his time with you until he goes to the bridge.   

[Kimmiekins]

Aww, thank goodness he'll spend the rest of his "golden years" in your care. I guess, from how it sounds, it's good that all her animals have been rehomed. Poor babies.

What a cutie pie, he is! Aw!

(BTW, let me know if we're on for Saturday?)

[NightmareWolfie1]

Below you'll find some recent pictures of Tweek. Actually just from today.
He's doing really good.
For an old man, he can really move. Thought he can't climb anymore.
He also customizes any hamocks or anything in his cage as he can't really climb into them. So, I've put them really low to the cage bottom and he sort of just plops into them.
He's such a sweet guy.
It's hard to imagine life without him before he came to me.
He's getting sort of scraggly in his old age, but I think he's as handsome as ever.

[julztoni97]

Happy to hear he is doing well!  Glad you got him back