Mabel the Gerbil (May 2004 - Sept 2008)

I got these two - Mabel (gray) and Grace (brown) - in May of 04 when my previous gerbil (also named Mabel) had to be put to sleep due to teeth issues.

Grace unexpectedly died in July of 06, so Mabel had to spend her remaining years alone. They are social animals, so I felt bad for her. Luckily it only took a couple weeks for her to forget about her companion (I know this because she was noticeably depressed for a week or so).

Until recently, Mabel had gotten plenty of attention from me to make up for her loneliness. But somehow a rodent loses a priority in life when there's a baby around. She was lucky if I remembered to give her food.

I found her today, and somehow I knew it was coming. But for a gerbil to live almost 4 and a half years, well, that's pretty good.

Rest in Peace.