Meet Ophelia & Cybele (new nakie, new eye issues)

It started off as a sleepy Shelagh in Chat on my own forum, one of our Montreal members came in and asked for my opinion on a rat's eyes. *Yawn* okay. Pics put up...Oh dear. :-\

A little nakie with what looks like ruptured eyes, possibly both. So I ask more. She was dumped in a box with her friend and 3 big boys. The SPCA took them in, and they go right into the Small Animal rescue that is part but not part of the SPCA (my friend volunteers there). The rescue get an initial vet visit and meds provided by the SPCA and then after that they are on their own. ALL the rats were sick (there was actually 7) and the poor rescue didn't have the funds at the time for these sick rats (having spent it on expensive treatments and surgeries recently on a Chinchilla and 2 rabbits), so the rats were slated for euthanasia. Sleepy Shelagh ended up takign in the 2 girls. The other 2 girls (tilty and URI) were also on the block, so my wonderful friend agreed to have them added to the transport for my other friend/foster. The boys were now safe, and could be medicated for their URI's.

THEN since we were organizing a transport from Montreal to Toronto, we added in 4 more rats that I will foster for a week. I am inculding them in this thread since they are darlings!

But my ladies...I named the black girl Ophelia, and my nakie love Cybele...both are older, Cybele has had a lot of issues, and a persistent and worsening UTI which is now scaring me. She's been on baytril and doxy for 1.5 weeks at my Montreal friends but the UTI developed there and is worsening daily.

this is one of her SPCA pics



We drove out to meet the transport yesterday, and finally got the rats home, their quick photoshoot (especially for the fosters who had anxious mom's waiting to see them!).

and now my lovelies.

Ophelia...the Protector of her cagemate. She gave me a hard nip to tell me to watch my step. She's a runner, so eventually she will like me because I let her run to her heart's content Ophelia found the floor very quickly




Cybele. She reminds me sooo much of Eli, with the head shape, the body shape, and the demeanour. She's amazing. She just was on a 7 hour trip and she explores...

Cybele's list of original woes - pneumonia, infected eye sockets, systemic infection from that (her body smelt infected everywhere), and bumblefoot. Now we still have infected smell in her eyes, sneezing (which I *think* is drainage) but she has a UTI that developed while on baytril/doxy and is worsening. She has an appointment on Monday morning with my vet.

Stopping to sneeze, then she rubs her poor eyes



Off exploring




Then a final addendum. I got everyone settled in, but took out Ophelia and Cybele again for some baby cereal. Ophelia hit the floor but came back to visit...the baby cereal.


She's on preggy watch, since they were dumped in a box with 3 males. Her initial weight this morning is 348 grams.

Cybele wandered around, gently bumping into things...and then went for a nap in the Fish


I was tired after the driving, and dozed off on the bed with her, but I woke up to a warm little body climbing up the pillow and then curling up in the crook of my neck beside my cheek. Ahhhhhh. I have missed a rat sleeping on my neck since Hope and Eli passed on. We slept like that for another hour