Panya

In April, rescued Panya from someone on Craigslist who could no longer keep her because she was moving. If someone didn't want her, she was just going to release her into the wild.

I adopted her and her cage mate Mocha. Panya became a free range rat. She did not live in the confines of a cage and wandered the apartment freely. For the most part she would stay out of trouble and not destroy things, except the random article of clothing I carelessly left on the floor.

It did not take to long for her to bond to me and she was never far away. She loved to cuddle and would sit on your shoulder while watching TV and be content for hours. When she wanted your attention, she would climb up your leg and make her way up to your shoulder where she'd sit and want to be petted. She always knew when it was time for dinner and would attempt to steal your food if you let her. When it was time for sleep, she'd climb up onto the bed and rest on the pillow if she wasn't already there.

She passed away December 6th from a long battle of heart disease. It has been a rough 10 days and sometimes I still forget she is not here. I'll wake up at night thinking she is still laying on my pillow, or I will think I feel her snuggling up against me.

I loved that rat so much. Funny how such a small creature can leave such a large imprint on our hearts. I'll always miss her.