Fez (March 7, 2011 - January 21, 2012)

Late last month, we said goodbye to one of our pet rats.  Fez was one of the two boys in our litter of twelve.  He was all black except for a large white streak on his belly.  He and his brother Kelso were kept separate from their sisters very early on.  Because of this, the two brothers were very close.  Fez was not very dominant, even though he was bigger than his brother.  His love of food and treats probably contributed a little bit to his size.  Fez loved spending time with us.  He and his brother always looked forward to their evening play time, when they would bounce around on the couch and play with us. Fez was very easy going and loved getting back scratches.  Although he was a little more reserved than Kelso, he loved being with you and was a very social rat. He loved attention and affection, more than the average rat.  One of our favorite memories of Fez highlights his love for affection.

One day I (Joy) was holding Kelso in my arms.  I was scratching his back, and Kelso was holding still (which is unusual for him).  Ben was watching from a distance and we saw Fez walk out of the cage and look up at me petting Kelso.  What we saw in Fez’s eyes/mannerisms could only be described as jealousy.  It was obvious he wanted to be petted.  Next thing we know, Fez jumped over to where I was sitting, and climbed up in my arms.  He then proceeded to climb over Kelso so that he was directly on top of him, strategically placed so that he would get petted instead of Kelso!

About a week before Christmas, Ben noticed that Fez had a small tumor under his arm.  Unfortunately, it grew rapidly, seeming to double in size every week.  We always say that rats get sweeter as they age.  Even in his young age, Fez was about as sweet as they come.  Maybe somehow he knew that his time with us would be short.

We love you Fezzy, and you are missed!

Click here for more pictures of Fez.