January 2003 - 21 January 2005

Winter and her sister Cotton came to live here when they were 10 months old. Their owner had taken them to the vet to be put to sleep, saying that they were "nippy". Fortunately, the vet spoke to another of his clients who had pet rats, and she rescued them, but couldn't keep them, and they came here instead.

Winter and Cotton were a little nervous when they first arrived, but they soon settled and neither of them ever showed the least inclination to nip or bite. They lived happily with the other "monster girls": Imp, Sprite, Gremlin and Demon. Cotton's sister Winter died from a pituitary tumour in December 2004. Around the same time, Cotton had to have surgery to remove her uterus because of multiple tumours which were making her bleed. In spite of this, the tumours spread and she began to bleed again, then she developed severe respiratory problems when tumours also spread to her lungs. She had to be put to sleep when her condition deteriorated. She was a brave little rat and always affectionate, even after she became very ill.