Animals

Hi everyone, I'm the OP. I can't believe after all these years I finally got an FML published! I agree with all the comments that this is incredibly sad - for almost a week afterwards I was having flashbacks about the terrible sounds and the sight of blood and hair in the heater. The second the heater started shaking I knew what had happened and tried to turn it off right away. The squeaking stopped once I turned it off, but then I could hear frantic scratching which started to become slower and slower as the minutes passed. I still feel sick thinking about it :( My lovely and brave colleague came to help me (I live in China and we are all provided flats in the same building). He took apart the heater, got the rat out (he was wedged between the fan and the top of the unit), and cleaned everything for me. Unfortunately the rat was still alive when we got him out, so my very brave colleague took him outside and ended his suffering because there was no way he could be saved (and there aren't animal hospitals in China, at least in our area). As for getting a new heater, like I said I live in China, and the owner of the university I work at is really cheap. So I'm working on it, but don't see them shelling out the money for a new heater unfortunately.

I have no clue what happened, she was so young and one day she just stopped doing cat things. None of the vets we went to could find anything. At least she passed in her sleep while somewhere she loved.

Hey everyone! Here's a bit more explanation. Brodie, my little guy, is 13 years old. He's always been anxious but as he gets older it's gotten worse. His body is in great condition but his mind is definitely starting to go. I take him out in the evenings for a long walk to let him get his exercise and also to let him check on his favourite spots in the neighbourhood. In addition to the xanax, he's on an anti-nauseant. I also restrict food about two hours before bedtime, and water half an hour before. He fixates on drinking and can make himself sick that way. Restricting prevents some issues. He lives with my mom, and I usually dont live here, but I'm between apartments and taking care of Brodie while mom is in Australia. Her being away is definitely amping his anxiety. My solution right now is to sleep in my bed until 6 am, when he gets anxious, and then we both go downstairs and I sleep another couple hours on the couch while he naps near the door. It's uncomfortable but that way he settles, and considering he's this old I don't mind indulging him. I'm taking him back to the vet today to talk about more treatment options or adjusting his dose. Sorry for the novel, and thanks everyone for the suggestions!