Hidalgo

Hidalgo
December 2004 to March 2007 (Click on Image for bigger version)

On March 17th at about 1 AM, Hidalgo passed away. For those who don't know, Hidalgo was a black and white pet rat that I adopted with his brother Gesundheit from our friends, Jane and Sheryl (and Ruthie and Caleb). From the very start he showed that he was an animal with outstanding courage, unafraid to love or explore his world. While his brother was known for his love of food, Hidalgo was known for his athletic climbing and jumping ability and his love of exploring new places. It didn't matter if it was a new person, place, or thing, he wanted to run all over it and sniff every nook and cranny. He was even known to touch noses with the cats that lived in the same house, confident that they would adore him as did every other person who handled him. Such was the confidence of Hidalgo.

After his first year with Michal and I, he developed the ability to chatter and communicate with us as we would with him. He would do his best to imitate the behaviors we made with him in his effort to express his excitement or desires. Often, when we had been gone for a while, he would leap onto the side of his cage, suspending himself off the ground and chattering away to us to express his desire to be greeted properly.

Michal and I were not alone in our love for him. Jan, Michal's mom (whom we were living with at the time), had developed a close and loving relationship with him. She would often take him on her shoulder to watch a movie, surf the internet, or even water the lawn. Jan had even taken him with her in the car as a companion on her errands! Hidalgo loved to have Jan introduce him to the Hebrew students she would teach from home. Most of her students are around the age of 11 and 12, and they delighted in his friendly, explorative nature. No matter how many times his tail was yanked, his fur ruffled, or his body squeezed, he never attempted to bite anyone. He usually expressed his displeasure with a few drops of pee or a loud "squeeee" if he was handled too roughly.

When the time came for Michal and I to leave for Israel, it became apparent that we could not separate Hidalgo and his brother from Grandma Jan. Their bond with her was as strong, if not stronger than their connection to either Michal or I. So with a luxury four-story cage and a handful of handmade toys we left Hidalgo and his brother with Jan.

Well-educated in animals, I knew the reality of little Hidalgo's lifespan, and that I would most likely not see him alive again. With that in mind, I said my goodbyes to him when I left for Israel, knowing he could be in no better hands in his final days. When the time came, Jan's close bond with him told her his end was near. She took him with her to the living room where she reclined with him resting on her bosom. There he passed away gently, warmed by her chest and comforted by the sound of her heartbeat. I could not ask for a better end for anyone.

I would like to ask anyone who had a good memory of him to please leave a comment and tell us how you remembered him. Below are some pictures and a poem that I wrote in his memory.

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Hidalgo

Snow-white stalks on coal-colored field; his whiskers twitch with every sniff.
Small pink hands grasp the food offered and an excited “thank you” chatters back.
The world is so large and there is so much to see; I’m sorry, but I can’t let you just hold me!
I jump an impossible jump and the world is mine!!! To sniff all new scents is so divine.
Down a shelf I clamber and under a couch I scoot, what new treasures can I find?
A find! A find! A stale french fry is all MINE!
A momentary pause to enjoy the simple things.
I am a rat and I am wise, for I have learned the lessons you humans wish to surmise.
To never let pass the opportunity
To always sniff the passing rose
And, all the world for that matter.

Hidalgo getting his favorite food, Peanuts!

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Hidalgo (left) and his brother Gesundheit(right) with Jan.

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