Neville & Alison (QLD)

It was about 9 pm when I got the call about Neville and his brother Louis. He had arrived at the rescue, dying from malnutrition and suffocating from an untreated respiratory infection. The prognosis was grim, we weren’t sure he would make the night, but as always we had to try. Neville and Louis entered my care that night in a critical care foster arrangement and treatment began. I remember celebrating the day he reached 88 grams – even that was a frighteningly low weight for a rat his age. I remember celebrating the day he could manage a full 20min session in the nebuliser. I remember his transition from a rat who was very likely to die, to a rat who was fighting, to a rat who was thriving. I remember taking them back to the rescue so that they could find their forever family, our foster period over, and Neville’s recovery complete. I remember crying with joy when they found their family. I am crying as I remember it now. Neville was the little rat that could and his journey has been my motivation for all my critical care fostering since. Because of him, I know what’s possible.

Alison’s nominated rescue organisation is Rachie’s Ratirement Home.

Previous

Next

Pin It on Pinterest

Share This