These were the girls we adopted in August of 2000. Later to be known as "Shaved Paw Girlie" (Snow White, at the vet) and "Cute girlie bun" (Marshmellow, at the vet) each girl had her own personality. Despite being ill-bred petstore rats, both girls were absolutely wonderful and loving. Both girls were extremely smart and were overall, the best girls imaginable.

As with everyone and every pet, our beautiful girls mellowed out as they aged. Shaved Paw Girlie was diagnosed with asthma in July of 2001 but that didn't slow her down often. They both loved to play on the bed or sofa, and absolutely adored their yummy treats.

Shaved Paw Girlie (top) and my Cute girlie bun experienced growing old badly, thanks to their shoddy breeding (PetsMart on 13 Mile in Roseville, Michigan should be put out of business). The last few weeks of her life, Shaved Paw Girlie developed congestive heart failure. During this time, she'd insist on sleeping on one of our shoulders or laps. Even slightly unattended, she'd nap peacefully on the sofa all day. She passed away on 5 February of some sort of stroke or ruptured blood vessel to her lungs. At least we were with her. Cute Girlie Bun first went completely blind in one eye from a cataract, then both eyes. She still got around from memory and smell, and it barely slowed her down at all. She got cancer - not the mammary tumor type, but huge, bad, ulcerated tumors. She hung on for over a month after we thought she would, and finally passed away peacefully on 13 February. It still hurts badly.

Ratty Girl was my second rat, rescued in San Francisco after a crappy life of neglect from her two or three previous owners. Despite this neglect, she was wonderfully sweet, intelligent, and a model "good rat". She'd love to snack on treats in my lap and curl up inside my shirt. Typical of many rats, she developed mammary tumors - twice she had surgery. Her age, however (about 3) worked against her. She finally passed away at the vet on 19 October, 1999. I'll always miss Ratty Girl horribly.

Monchichi was my first rat, purchased from a pet store in San Francisco. Thanks to (imagine this) bad breeding, she never did like to be held or touched. She did, however, love to be talked to and her ears would perk up with this happy look on her face whenever she was talked to. Despite a few instances of naughtyness (like the time she got loose and decided to snack on the wires to my mouse and keyboard) she was still sweet and cute. She passed away in May of 2001, at the age of 2 3/4ths.

Rose was Monchichi's "sister" - I'd bought her as a tiny baby from a pet store that was likely going to sell them for snake food in May of 1999. She was the epitome of unruly. She absolutely loathed being touched, despite all of my efforts from day one. She and Monchichi loved each other a great deal, however and they were both happy together. Like too many domestic rats, however, Rose developed Myco, an infection in the lungs and despite medication, was never back to normal. She passed away in September of 2000.