I will never think of Pop Tart boxes the same way again after Bandit wore one like he owned it. Matt thought the hole he had cut in the box wasn't big enough for his massive frame, but Bandit proved him wrong.
Bandit joined
Fuzzy the hairless rat at the Rainbow Bridge this morning after battling a lengthy illness for more than three weeks. I applaud his tenacity and I'm glad that he was able to stick around until I returned from Montana (which I take a break in the ongoing trip recap to write this tribute to him).
Bandit was, by far, the largest rat I've ever owned, having tipped the scales at over 1.5 lbs. in his prime. He was also one of my first Rex Dumbo rats. Bandit often thought he was smaller than he was and that lent to quite a few absurd moments. In the short year he was with us, he definitely developed a reputation for being the cute, chubby troublemaker.
When we first brought him, Clyde, and Cooper home, they were all the same size. That changed very quickly. He earned the name "Bandit" because of the markings on his face and that he was the first to escape from the cage and run around the apartment.
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| Bandit denies any wrongdoing. Or he's plotting another escape. I can't tell which. |
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| He did make it difficult to retrieve him at times, especially when he snuck under the dresser and huddled in a corner. He had to be coaxed out with a treat. |
Other than his personality and desire to escape when he could (which he did often), his huge Dumbo ears were his most distinct feature.
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| Mmm...peanut. |
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| Why are you taking pictures of me? This pretzel is good. |
Bandit would make car rides between Columbus and Cleveland very entertaining. He and his brothers were very experienced commuters when transporting them between me in Cleveland and Matt in Columbus was a common routine.
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| Are we there yet? I have to pee. Oh wait, I have the cage to do that. |
But most of all, Bandit loved boxes and places to hide. He slept in a ferret bed at times and enjoyed lounging around a lot.
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| Five-star accommodations in Eau de Kleenex Box. |
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| Bandit contemplates the meaning of life. Or what he'll nibble on next. |
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| "I think Christine said she had yogurt drops." |
Sweet potato sticks and rice puffs were a couple of his favorite treats. There were times he devoured these huge pieces in one sitting.
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| "Mine!!!" |
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| Big brother Bandit made sure everyone knew their place. Am I right, Cooper? |
After all that, he's finally free from suffering...rest easy, big boy. I'll see you and Fuzzy at the Rainbow Bridge. Sleep tight. Head tuck!
