Information

Frannie has a minion!

Mary the Cerberus

Frannie

The

Common Experiment #1347
Owner: CatCreature

Age: 2 years, 7 months, 3 weeks

Born: July 28th, 2023

Adopted: 2 years, 7 months, 3 weeks ago

Adopted: July 28th, 2023

Statistics

Level: 1
Strength: 10
Defense: 12
Speed: 10
Health: 14
HP: 10/14
Intelligence: 0
Books Read: 0
Food Eaten: 0
Job: Unemployed

Frannie is named for a baby rat who had a sad ending, yet was so close to being okay. A few years ago, rats showed up in our backyard. (Shown in the collage above!) I feel like most people would have been horrified or disgusted...but I was exactly the opposite. I was -thrilled!- I LOVED watching them! I'd been leaving peanuts for the squirrels and jays, and that's what they were eating, as well as the dry food meant for the nearby feral cat colony. (They came by occasionally at night) But a couple of rats were taking the food, and storing it in a large stone waterfall our landlords had built. It was all stone and dirt, and apparently they'd made a little home there. I found the entrance and, despite knowing I probably shouldn't, I couldn't resist leaving them a few extra gifts of food. It was fun to leave different things on their 'doorstep', sit nearby, and watch for when their head popped out. They were always so confused about the gifts, and after a moment of making sure it was safe, they'd take it inside to store it. So cute!

They weren't really a concern regarding them coming into the house, because they were content in their own home they'd made and had access to plenty of food and water. They had no need to intrude on our house. So I was able to just sit at the window and watch them hop around the yard, gathering peanuts, and it was too cute. It got cuter, and more concerning at the same time, when the babies showed up. At first I saw one, barely with any fur and the eyes still shut, had fallen from a different entrance. Just as I was wondering what to do, it crawled into a crevice and was back safely inside. Some time later, the babies grew, and I got to see some of the cutest activity ever. There were a small handful of baby rats that liked to come to the entrance of their den, and they would just PLAY. They frolicked and chased each other around, up, down, in, out, all over the den entrance, and they just looked as though they were the image of pure joy. They were so sweet, innocent and happy, and I just adored them.

But things eventually got...much worse. One of the feral cats came around during the day, saw this, and attacked. Mom heard a rodent screaming, and went outside in a rush. She shouted at the cat to startle them, and it worked...they dropped the baby rat and jumped onto the fence. Mom was able to pick up the rat, taking a little bite from it in the process, and rushed it inside. She brought it to me while she tried to figure out what to do. I held her...this was the one I would later call Frannie. (We were jokingly naming all the other rats with 'Fran' names...the father, for example, was Francois.) As I held her, I felt her heart absolutely hammering. But she was quite still. I tried to hide her in my hands so she couldn't see me, and would maybe feel more safe, while still leaving an opening so she didn't feel trapped. But within a minute....she was gone. I was so crushed. I even checked her body for signs of injury from the cat...there was nothing. No blood, I felt no scrapes or scratches on her body...I think the sheer fear alone is what took her. Her little heart couldn't take it.

Shortly after, the other rats started to slowly, quietly, vanish. They knew it wasn't safe. I don't know if any other rodents were killed, but there was no more playing, no more food taking, nothing. I saw a big rat leaving the den one day, and I kind of just assumed the remaining ones just up and left. And that was the end of it.

~

But I always remember them. I loved them, and I wish we could have done more to help Frannie. The poor thing had gone through something so scary, and she was -so close- to making it...if her heart had held on, I think she would have been okay. I always remember her and her beautiful family.

There are other rodents that tend to cross my mind these days too. I rescued a little mouse I called Dunkin from my cat, after the mouse got into the house. He was okay, but escaped very quickly after. Then there's Swaddle, a mouse we found in our garage that had been swaddled and snugly in one of the blankets out there. She also hurriedly escaped upon being discovered. Then there's the baby mouse (who I personally called Arrietty) who I found in our kitchen, weak enough that I was able to catch her in a jar and move her to a temporary enclosure my mom made. After she had some food and water and recovered for a few days, she was okay to go back outside.

There was also a curious rat in a garage at another house...it was quite cute, because it almost seemed like she was just as curious to see me as I was to see her. Every time I snuck out to the garage to see if I could find her, she'd appear, and seemed curious about me too. Then we'd be startled at the sight of each other and both flee. xDD She was also captured and released outside. There were also lots of rodents stealing dry cat food at a different house, and they'd crawl up our grill. Luckily they didn't seem to be living inside it, but I remember seeing them using it to get up and down to where the food was.

All in all...I've had several encounters with rodents over the years. While I don't ever try to touch them or tame them, I love watching them, and if it's a special occurrence (like when they were content and comfy in their waterfall den, and not looking to invade our house) I like to leave them treats. Rodents are adorable to me, even rats, and they're so smart and fun to observe. So this Subeta pet is a memory of all the rodents I've met over the years and loved...but named for Frannie in particular, as the one I very nearly was able to save, but couldn't. She was a sweet little thing and deserved a better chance at life. A longer existence and memory. So, that's the name I chose for this pet. But she's so many more than just one rat.

Pet Treasure

Pet Friends

Nadra
Take care, little foster!

Nyota
Good luck, foster pet!

Crizzil
Another foster out in the world!

Roxane Roses
We're rooting for you, foster!