The Rats of Something Random

Duchess Ellarone von Catherine

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Vital Stats

Sex: Female

Date of Birth: Approx. 9th February 2005

Date of Death: 3rd January 2007.

Nicknames: Ella, Ellie, Ellapie, Bug, Ellaby, Elsy, Ell, Sweet Pea.

Origin of Name: 'Ellarone' was a name I used in a story, for a princess. 'Catherine' after my darling best friend, Cat.

Description: Ella was a nearly perfectly marked mink berkshire, with the silkiest fur imaginable.

Origin: One of my close friends was getting a new dog from the Somersby RSPCA. The day they went to get it (April 10th, 2005), I went with them. They were doing paperwork, and I was wandering around. And I found two cages full of rats, rescued from somewhere. One had a whole pile of boys in it, the other had three little girls, two PEWs and a tiny little mink. The PEWs weren't too friendly, and they beat up on their mink cagemate horribly. I picked up the little mink and she cuddled straight into me. I knew I had to have her.

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Bio

Ella was an angel. She was Miss Perfect. She took after her father -a big, squishy, gentle, darling of a boy, who I would have taken home if it weren't for the fact I didn't have a spare cage for a boy. She was an utter darling. I was continually stunned by what a lady she was. She was dainty, she cleaned her tail, she was gentle. She was remarkably tolerant of her younger cagemate, Sabayon. And she had the softest, silkiest fur I've ever found in a rat.

Ella is, to date, the only one of my rodents I've ever seen clean her tail. She always smelt like sherbet and she had the personality to match -sweet all over. She was an avid explorer of facial orifices, but she was delicate about it. I fell asleep several times during free-range time, only to be woken by a snuffling whiskered face in my ear, or by the light touch of little paws on my lips. She's also the only rat who's managed to look graceful and dignified after falling out of her hammock. She always conveyed so much emotion with those soulful black eyes.

Ella passed away on the 3rd of January, 2007. She was just short of her 2nd birthday. She had a tumour in her abdomen. By the time she showed signs of it, it was too late to do anything about it. The surgery would have been more than her little body could handle. She died in her sleep.

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Tales

Little Miss Perfect
How can this rat be so perfect? She grooms herself so carefully, even down to her tail. She smells wonderfully like sherbert, even when I know Sabayon has scent marked her head. She's so gentle about taking treats, she never grabs. She has so much good she completely balances out Sabayon's bad. A rat like this can't be possible!

Beginnings
I find myself wondering how anyone could have abandoned a rat like Ella. She must have come from a breeder originally. A rat with such beautiful silky fur and perfect markings surely couldn't be an accident. Oh well... Someone else's loss is my gain.