My Rat Maxx

by KI’m er
(Okc ok)

There’s a rat in the whitehouse

I am a teacher living in Oklahoma. In 2012 I had just lost my potbellied pig and was at pets mart and saw a lonely looking fancy rat in an aquarium while people were talking about buying him for snake food. I have always been terrified of rats and mice but this time it was different.

I bought the little fancy rat and we had a bond. He traveled with me everywhere I went. He was in my classroom. I even took him to the groomer! Everybody loved Maxx. I fed Maxx small bites of what I ate. Maxx became obese. He was like a ball. I felt guilty and stopped giving him junk. He didn’t like rat food or veggies much.

I took Maxx to be groomed about 3 months ago. The groomer found a small marble sized lump. Maxx was nearing 3 so I figured his time was short. The following month he was eating, drinking, wanting to be held but the tumor was the size of a golf ball. The vet said it was likely cancer. I decided I would keep him as long as he wasn’t in pain. His tumor grew quickly and he had a hard time getting around. I took him back to the vet and asked if I should put him down because waiting for him to die on his own could be letting him live in pain
. The vet said it was more humane to put him down. It broke my heart!!! Maxx was my baby that had been with me for 3 years. I was absolutely devastated! Maxx was so important to me. It has been 5 weeks now. I adopted two young rat girls. They can never take Maxx’s place, but they are special. I will never forget Maxx. I miss him still.

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