RIP Pooh - June 2008 - 5/26/10

Pooh, one of our 3 lab boys, passed away naturally last night. He was almost 2 years old and was with us for almost 9 months. He, and his 2 brothers, had been transported to Rebecca in IN for sanctuary care and now we say good bye to Pooh.

Pooh is definitely what I would call a bit squishy rat. he loved his hammock, but in his later months, he did not have the energy to climb into it. He was used for research in an opium study, but was part of the control group, so he and his brothers were not exposed it the actual drugs.

Pooh, along with his brothers Eeyore and Tigger, was a Zucker rat, so he was prone to obesity and his life expectancy was 1.5 to 2 years. THey did have issues settling into the rescue setting, however once they were taken off of the soy, they did all show an improvement. All of them lost some weight after the switch, which was good because they were all seriously overweight when they came to us. However Pooh was hit the hardest with the weightloss because he was the fattest of the group.

Pooh, like his name sake, was a big lover and had no  issues with humans. He loved sweets, as I am sure you can imagine, but also grew to love his mix as well. Unfortunately, due to his overweight state, Pooh was also starting to develop bumblefoot, even though he had not been in a wire cage for about a year. Those big guys were spoiled in their time here at Social Rats, in both facilities, getting very large cages because of their large size.

Pooh, We will miss you but we know we will see you again when we cross the bridge. I know you will find some good friends there and your brothers will be joining you soon, no doubt. Take care and you will hold a special place in our hearts forever.


Tami
Social Rats Adoption and Rescue