Waffle was a last minuet adoption. I typically adopt 2 rats, but my husband really wanted the plump rat curled up in the corner of the cage, so we got him too. Waffle was a shy rat, I had doubts that the rates were handled much after birth, so it took a while to socialize him and his brothers to a lesser extent. Waffle did enjoy cuddling, but was sensitive to sounds. One of my cats sneezed and as a result Waffle jumped a full foot out of my lap on to the floor, and ran behind a shelf. While I did get him out, he did scream after the first time I touched him. After that I made special efforts to give him more attention, and while he did enjoy it, he retained some skittish behaviour throughout his life.

Waffle was always a plump rat, even as he aged he did not lose much weight as most eldery rat typically do. He loved Froot Loops and would be the most excited of the 3 rats for them. Aside from enjoying cuddles, Waffle loved belly rubs and rough-play. He loved being flipped on his back and having his belly tickled. On occasion he would lay on his side or stay on his back waiting to be tickled, and if I stopped, he’d run to me for more.

Because of the shy nature of all three rats, Waffle and his brothers did not explore much, even with a new playpen they preferred to huddle in a shelter and loved their cage a little too much. I would often bring them downstairs to play on the couches, but they preferred the cat bet. Waffle however had a curious nature, just enough for him to peek at something new. He really enjoyed watching video games, it is hard to tell if it was the colours or sounds, but he did not behave the same way toward movies. Waffle would peek over the walls of the cat bed and watch a video game being played for 20 minuets at a time.

In mid November Bacon and Toast began to show early signs of rat lice, which came from a contaminated batch of bedding. Waffle did not appear to have any, but I brought all three to the vet to get them weighed and treated. The staff and fellow pet-parents were amused with the names of the rats, and they were then dubbed ‘The Breakfast Bunch’. The rats got a clean bill of health and the lice was gone in a few days.

On the night of Noveber 26th I put the rats in the playpen and to encourage them to explore more, I hid multiple Froot Loops. Waffle being greedy as he is likely ate all of them. The next morning he was laying on the floor of the cage and felt very weak. I he did not seem to be in pain but because of limp and weak he was, I assumed he would be passing soon, so I readied the hospice cage, and I kept him next to me in the cat bed all day giving him pets. Waffle on occasion would boggle, which I found odd. Rats boggle when they are super happy, so I am not sure if he was showing appreciation for the attention he was getting, but it assured me that he wasn’t suffering. The next morning Waffle perked up and was back to normal that evening. I returned him to his brothers and I came to the conclusion that he may have eaten too many Froot Loops and had a sugar hangover or a bad tummy.

On the morning of December 1st Waffle was in the best of spirits. He leapt at the cage entrance and grabbed a piece of cracker that I split between everyone. He ate it and I wen to work. When I came home I found him in his pancake pose on the floor of the cage, but when I looked closer I saw no breathing. I picked him up and I could tell that he passed a few hours ago. It is quite possible that he was really sick but took on a ‘second wave’ of good spirits and then passed on. I wish I knew what happened, but I can only assume that it was something internally. He had no visible health issues on the outside and his breathing was great. I am just glad that he went in peace and gave me a few last days of his company. I could tell he enjoyed it. I will miss you Waffle-Rat. Enjoy playing on the Rainbow Bridge.