Goodbye to Boots and Socks

Boots and Socks have continued to grow and grow. I guess I never expected rats to get so big and fat. I am known only to them as the food lady. They see me and they immediately start to jump at the lid to the aquaruim. What does she have for us today? They even make squeeky noises at me. They have lived off of cookies, muffins, cereal, boring dog food, miniture marshmallows, and there most favorite, biscuits. Of course there is always that extra something or other that I might try and throw in there cage, like pizza crust. I have even made them toast. They have not disappointed me in liking almost anything. But (there is always a but to any situation), I have discovered that I am allergic to them. If I hold them I brake out in welps and itch terribly. If I breathe of them too much I start to wheeze and cough. And I can feel my throat tighten up very quickly. A situation indeed. So I exist only as the food lady, no petting, no holding, just dump the food in and go. No problem cleaning the cage though. As long as I don't hold them I am okay. How sad of an existance for Boots and Socks. Eat, sleep, run on the wheel, and get a drink. I need to do something and the only thing to do is to find a new home for them. How hard is this going to be?

I start in my own back yard.

"Jeremy, do you want some pet rats?"

Jinny says, "No Jeremy. Don't even think of it."

"Shawn, how about you?"

"No", from both him and Chrissie.

"Timmy?"

"No."

So much for my own back yard. I was chatting one night with my friend Debbie. I asked her to ask her son if he knew of anyone who wanted pet rats. She said, "No! He isn't having any @#^%( *&%^%#@)( pet rats". That response didn't surprise me. I expected it. But tell him to ask around. I guess I will try at work. I tried to single out people I knew that had kids. You would not believe the responses I got.

"You have what?"

"Rats," I say.

"You mean you have them as pets?"

"Yes."

"You mean you hold them and stuff like that?"

"Well, you see that is the problem, I am allergic to them so I can't hold them and pet them. I need someone to take them who will give them some attention."

They aren't listening to me. They are still stuck on the idea that I have pet rats!

"Your kidding me right?"

"No, I am serious."

"I have a whole new impression of you, Sheila. I never thought of you as having RATS for a pet."

I became rat fink, and rat girl. And no one wanted any pet rats. They just shook their heads and laughed at me. I got a lot of interesting suggestions. Set them loose, give them to your cats, let the dogs play with them. Take them back to the pet store. Come on, I saved them from being snake food, how could I do that? A snake owner would take one look at how fat and healthy they were and they would be history in the belly of a hungry snake. Besides, no matter what anyone says they are fat cute guys. Scot told me I would be stuck with them forever and I was beginning to believe him. But I would not give up my quest.

Along came Tara. A new girl at work. She has four kids. And it never occured to me to ask her. Four kids is enough to feed. One morning we somehow got on the subject of pets. I mentioned that I was still trying to find a new home for my pet rats. Tara said, "Friday is my sons birthday and I would love to take them". Then Yolanda said, "I didn't know you were trying to get rid of your rats. I would have taken them for my son". Where was she the whole time I was interviewing people? There we sat, three women discussing how neat rats were for pets. Can you believe this? I knew that they would be taken care of now. But I was also worried that four young children might be dangerous for Boots and Socks. But I think I have no other choice then to do this. I couldn't wait to tell Scot that my situation has been solved.

Friday morning was a little hard for me. I got the aquarium and sat it on the bar. It was a heavy load (especially since Boots is so chunky). I drank some coffee as I watched them looking around at what was happening to them. I gave them each a marshmallow bunny and they happily munched them. I loaded up the remaining cedar chips and cheerios I had for them and filled a zip lock with some boring dog food. At least they would be good to go for awhile. The cats snooped around the aquaruim at them and they looked at each other. Sniffing each other through the glass as best they could. I got the camera out and snapped some pictures (I know, I know, I am nuts!). I told them they were in for a new adventure. I hoped they were ready for it. Scot got up and he too said his goodbye's and he loaded them in behind the seats of the truck. They were scared and huddled together in the corner. Poor little guys.

As I was driving down the highway I started to cough. I couldn't breathe very well and couldn't get much air. The rats, I thought. They are going to kill me yet. I rolled down the windows and turned the heat on full blast. I was still coughing and wheezing and was feeling light headed from all the air I was not getting. I couldn't get to work soon enough to get out of that truck. When Tara showed up (I was still wheezing) and I asked, "Are you still going to take the rats?" She said, "Oh yes". Whew, good thing too. I didn't think I could drive back home with them in the truck. I told her about my trip to town and she said, "Let's take them out of your truck now so it can air out before you have to get in it again". Good idea! So we transfered the fat boys to her car. She said, "Oh my goodness, Ihave never seen rats so fat in all my life!" I tried to tell her. It's one of those things you have to see to believe.

I told her they were almost two years old, and again she was surprised. "How long do rats live?", she asked. I told her I had no idea and I guess we would find out soon enough. I explained all the things they liked to eat, I hoped she was listening. She took them home on her lunch break and said the two youngest ones who aren't in school were excited about them. The other two would see them later that day. I felt sad to give them away. But it was necessary. The kids won't be able to go into my sewing room to see how fat they have gotten since the last time they seen them. It was always a family joke around here. "Geez mom, what are you feeding them?" I would tell them to save two biscuits at supper time for the rats. I guess now they can all fight over those two biscuits that won't be left over. There is a big empty space in my sewing room now. I guess a nice plant would be better for the air in there then poor Boots and Socks.