I received this wonderful gift, from my awesome friend,  Skrinkles of MiLayna (me!), in my Giraffe Kigurumi, which is the one I wear most often, holding my beautiful, pet rat, Ruby, whom I had to have put to sleep, 3 years ago, to the day, today, the 4th of February. My husband had left me, and Ruby had lost her sister, Pixie Lee, to a Pituitary Tumor, one week before he left me. And then, when he left me, while I was at Church, at a Council meeting, after the service, he cleaned out all of his stuff, including his dirty laundry from the hamper. He took Ruby's other sister, Clover Sue, right out of the cage, when he left, in the middle of Winter! Rats, pet rats, especially, are very sensitive to extreme temperature changes... but he took her, and stuck her in the smallest cage we had at the time, and took her away, leaving Ruby, as the last of our original 8. I had 4 more babies, that she could snuggle with, but she didn't grow up with them... I could tell that Ruby was bereft... she lost 2 of her sisters, and her "daddy" in 2 weeks! And then I started to pack my belongings, because I knew that I couldn't afford to live there on my own. Finally, the Saturday after he left, Ruby had a stroke, and fell down the ramp, to the lowest level of the cage... I was supposed to be having Spinal Cord Surgery, on 2/5/13, and I knew I would be in a Rehab facility, to help me get stronger, after my 5th Spinal Cord Surgery, and this would be the one that would make me walk again, after 3 years of non-weight baring, on my left foot/leg, due to RSD/CRPS (Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy/Complex Regional Pain Syndrome). But I wouldn't be home to take care of Ruby. And medical facilities tend to frown on Rats, in their buildings... My husband decided he didn't want to have to care for a paralyzed spouse, if something went wrong, with the surgery. So he left, a week before my surgery. Coward...

Anyway, back to my Sweet, and Loving Ruby Lue She had her stroke, on February 2nd, 2013, after a bunch of my friends came to my aid, and helped me move all my belongings to my mother's house, where I would be staying until I could find a home of my own. I think Ruby saw everything going, and I honestly think that she thought she was going to lose me too. My Dear, Sweet Angel... after she had her stroke, I took her to bed with me, fully expecting to find her dead, in the morning. I laid her on my chest, and there she laid, all night long, periodically bruxing (a rat's equivalent to a cat purring, when they are happy), when I would gently stroke her very thin fur on her body, or rub her dear, little ears. She was always such a happy girl! And she went everywhere with me! I took her to Church, to the store, to my therapy appointments, on trips to the park, on days out, with my friends, if I took a nap, on a warm Spring day, with the Slider open, she would be with me, curled up in my pocket... Anywhere I went, Ruby went too! So, Ruby went to bed with me, that night, and I barely slept, because I thought I would lose her by morning. But when I woke up, she looked at me, and yawned, and pulled herself toward my face, to give me kisses! I cried tears of joy! So, all day, while I was packing, I kept her in "The Ruby Bag"(a black fanny pack, that I carried her everywhere in), and she was so happy! She just bruxed all day long, and everyone, who was helping me pack the rest of my stuff, kept petting her, and telling her how happy they were, that she was still with us! And then I went to bed with her again, thinking I would lose her again, because she still wasn't moving well, due to the stroke. But she bruxed, and I went to sleep, and when I woke up, she was next to me, on the mattress. I was so worried, but when I touched her, she was warm, and she shifted, so she could look at me. It was now the 4th of February (2013), and the day before I was scheduled to have my surgery. I knew that she would never survive, if I let someone else take care of her. She would think that I had abandoned her, too. So I made the appointment, with our Vet, to have her put to sleep. My mom, my best friend, my sis, Robin, and my nephew, Dwayne, all went with me. I passed her around the car, on our way there, and everyone gave her love, and said their goodbyes the her. We went in, and they let us have plenty of time with her, before they gave her the injection. My mom went out, and my sis and nephew went out, and then, it was just my best friend, Chris, and me, in there with Ruby. The Vet came in, and gave her the injection, and Ruby started to panic. She looked at me, as if to say, "Mommy?! What's happening?!" I told her that it was alright, and that I would be ok. But she was fighting the medicine! She didn't want to leave me! It was so heartbreaking! I held her close to my face, and whispered in her ear, that she could go to sleep, and when she woke up, she would be with her sisters, and I named them all off. I was crying, and she kissed my cheeks, to lick the tears away. I told her that we would be together again, one day, and I told her, if she could, to come and find me again... it was probably one of the most heartbreaking days in my life! But she finally settled down, when I started to sing to her, and then finally, she let go of life, here with me. It has been exactly 3 years, since that day, and there is not one day, that goes by, that I don't miss her. She was more than a pet rat, to me... she was my Daughter. She was my Baby! She was my Angel. I still love her with all my heart! She was the most precious gift I had ever been given, to care for. I had her privately cremated, and I left her there, so that they could take care of that. We all piled into the car, and half an hour later, my surgeon called me, to let me know that he had to postpone my surgery, for 2 weeks, due to my insurance causing problems... I told everyone in the car, to close their ears, and I cursed a blue streak, and I screamed at the top of my lungs, and I punched my steering wheel. I could have brought her back, from that stroke, in that amount of time, I could have rehabilitated her, and she could have lived longer! But, no... the call came in too late... My Angel was already gone, and with her sisters... my Ruby... my Daughter... my Love...

MiLayna & Ruby ©

This artwork was commissioned for me, by my dear friend  Skrinkles

Artwork ©  Hallimmar