Had to euthanize my buddy tonight... :'(

[Lingling]

As if my midterms and insomnia haven't been stressful enough this week, tonight I was called home to find Ling-Ling in a pool of blood, limbs dangling, unable to walk at all. He had somehow found a way down from his free range and walked across the rat's cage... the rat got him through the bars. He never has wandered before this week, and even so, I though I'd covered all my bases to keep him safe. On my rush home from school, I called every vet in the area and finally found one that could take him immediately. He was still conscious when I got home, so I scooped the poor guy up and ran out the door with mapquest directions in hand, knowing that even if he made it to the vet, there would probably be little they could do, except help him pass quickly and with less pain.
One of his legs was severed, another would have to be amputated, and he had broken bones in another. He had some serious fight left in him, but the vet said that even with successful surgeries and intense antibiotics, he would only be left with two legs if he made it out alive. Trying to save him would have been cruel, so I spent $100 to euthanize my buddy. So I'll be going out tomorrow morning to burry him...

I feel absolutely horrible. I thought I'd covered all my bases with the "cham-proofing", but apparently not well enough.

 

[yokman]

Sorry for your loss. Godspeed Ling-Ling

 

[Samcham1]

Sorry for your loss. I'm sure you did what you could to keep him safe, sometimes things just happen.

 

[lilwish]

I am so sorry! I forreal got tears in my eyes reading this so sad! At least he got to see you before he passed and you were able to help him not suffer! Sorry things do happen its not your fault!!

 

[ferretinmyshoes]

That's awful, so sorry for your loss.

 

[Echoezra]

I'm so sorry.

 

[MINItron]

I'm so sorry for your loss. It is always hard to lose a cherished pet in this manner.

Sit Tibi Terra Levis Ling-Ling, may the earth rest lightly upon you.

 

[Vegas Chad]

That’s a shame that food ate your pet. =(

 

[Lingling]

I just hope he wasn't suffering too long...
As much as he hated my guts, I sure loved that little guy. I've been bawlin' for hours, and my eyes burn like hell.

For anyone who free ranges, expect that your cham can get ANYWHERE... this is the last thing I would have expected. I know this makes me look pretty ignorant and careless, but I really felt that he was safe.

I'm so upset over how his life ended, but I do think that he had a pretty happy existence. He had his own little jungle (which took up half my bedroom...), got lots of time outside during the summer, and LOVED his hornworms! He hated being in his cage, so I'm glad he got his freedom... sad it ended like this though.

 

[Elizadolots]

How awful. I'm so sorry.

 

[pssh]

I'm very sorry for your loss!

If/when you try again, setting up a ground barrier would be a good idea.

 

[Lingling]

Setting up a ground barrier in this case is pretty impossible... his free range was all hanging from the ceiling/on top of my bookshelves. As the plants started growing, and hanging lower, I think he found a way to reach the the window sill, and then somehow got down from there. He was getting so big...

If I do try again (in time, I might... for now I've still got my panther), then I'll be getting a cage for the occasions no one is in the house to keep an eye on out, and the rat would NEVER be in the same room again, whether I'm around or not. There will absolutely be changes if I try again...

It's not easy to study for midterms after a night like this.... I'm used to having him sleeping up above me during my late night study sessions... :'(

 

[pssh]

i'm sorry. Perhaps you should constrict the area a little. Maybe your panther would like the FR. While it's not the same, it can be comforting to have another animal you love with you.

Don't study too hard.

 

[Lingling]

Don't study too hard.

When it comes to biology, there's no such thing as studying too hard

 

[PrettyInInk87]

I'm really sorry about your little guy. Thank you for posting as this will make other more aware of the danger, anything can happen.

 

[javsto]

im sorry....but if you let your pet free range with other "deadlier" pets in the area, its tantamount to letting him swim in a pool of pirahnas, or letting him share a cage with a boa. Free ranging is nice idea, its something i would love to acheive but i have two small dogs who, whenever i let them outside in them outside always make a bee-line for the oak in my backyard only because they know that the squirrels live there and always try their hardest to catch and maul them. Thats the only reason why I would never let my cham free range anywhere in my house.
Maybe you should have put the rat cage in another room away from his free range area....did you try to calculate how much time it took you to drive home pick him/her up and drive to the vet to be put down, plus the time it took from the initial assault, the ripping and tearing of his legs and broken bones. thats alot of time to sufffer, the agony. was it hissing or making some sort of vocalization of pain? The only thing i can say is take more time later and think things through.

 

[jojackson]

Sledgehammer to crack a peanut Javsto. Ill bet Lingling feels so much better now!

subtlety
1. the state or quality of being subtle; delicacy
2. a fine distinction or the ability to make such a distinction
3. something subtle

My sympathy Lingling.

 

[pinocchiosmommy]

I'm so sorry for your loss. It doesn't matter how hard you try to protect something, things happen that you can imagine. Not everyone can see into the future.

 

[Hugh Wahl]

Sorry to hear, you did the right thing though

 

[Aminah Undone]

I am very sorry for your loss of LingLing, but you should know that his life was not wasted and you were not at fault. Your story definitely enlightened me to another possible threat to the new Cham in my life ..I also have bRats.

I hope your heart heals soon.. and good luck on your mid-terms



*totally agree with the sledgehammer comment ..geez*