sigh

[ratcreature]

Leo is taking the loss of his brother really hard. As you may or may not remember Leo has been sick with antibiotics-resistant myco for some time, but in the past has rallied (with the help of prednisone injections to suppress the inflammation when the myco has been especially bad and other stuff to help his immune system), because he had a really strong will to live and fight. My vet has been making worried and dire predictions since April when the last antibiotics option failed and there was one bad scare where I was close to putting him down because his breathing was so bad, but Leo defied all expectations and now reached the respectable age of two years and two months. But since his brother died and he's been alone, he seems to have given up. His breathing isn't significantly worse, but his appetite has been poor, even though I tried giving him the tastiest things (cooked rice, eggs, Nutri-Cal...) so he lost weight last week (even though just prior his Noah's death he even gained a little, because then he loved eating all the treats I made in hopes to help Noah keep up *his* weight), and he's coming out of the cage less and less. I'm home with him a lot, and tried to engage with him, but he's not very keen on cuddling with me to make up for his lost brother's company. Apparently I'm a poor rat substitute. :(

If I wasn't so clearly remembering the socialization disaster I had with a middle aged rat and babies when Ben broke Gonzo's neck even after things seemed to go well initially with the closely supervised introduction, I'd have tried to maybe get a second group around the one year mark, so I wouldn't have just a single remaining rat.

Comments

[rosaw]

I am so sorry. {{{{hugs}}}} You're in my thoughts.

[ratcreature]

Thanks.

[gnatkip]

I'm sorry to hear that. Especially with this timing.

[ratcreature]

Thank you.

[lilacsigil]

Poor little guy. Love to him and you.

[ratcreature]

Thanks.