I just found my wonderful little man stretched out peacefully on a shelf. He was 2 years and 5 months old. He was the first Cariad Rat, and it feels like a huge piece of me is missing right now.

Harry really should never have been alive, and it was a miracle that he survived as a baby. His mum Bethan had a horrendous labour to mostly dead kittens, and was too poorly through blood loss to take an interest in the 4 live, but poorly little scraps she produced. Luckily, Estelle's blue doe Kerry had given birth to a litter of 9 that morning, so I raced over to Weston Super Mare with a fleecy pouch containing the 3 survivors. Sadly, only Harry lasted the night, the other two were just too weak. I gave him his name later that week, as he was quite simply, The Boy Who Lived. :*)


He grew into an irrepressible kitten...much to the annoyance of his sensible blue foster siblings. He came home to me at 6 weeks old along with his foster brother Seamus, and the pair were inseperable, if completely different in character. Harry was continually in your face, demanding attention and cuddles with his pleading eyes, while Shay was quiet and shy, but very sweet. He had the most fabulous temperament, was the definitive people rat, and everyone fell in love with him. He'd lick to death anyone who met him, and would come running back to the door if you tried to put him back!!

Harry also had the privilege of siring my first Cariad Burmese litter, with Asbru Ffion, and also sired two litters for Julie Oliver at Valhalla Stud. I suspect the UK is full of Harry descendents by now..and he lived to see his great grandchildren being born :*) All of my Cariad Burmese have Harry in their pedigree, and I'm so proud of him for starting such a wonderful line. They all have his fantastic personality, so he'll always live on as long as there are Cariad Burmese line snugglebums about :*)

Harry had been starting to look his age in the past month, and was running out to the bars less and less, preferring to snooze in the igloo with his friends. He'd become especially quiet in the past week since losing his friend Seamus, although his younger cagemates Dafydd and Llewellyn kept him company in the OAP igloo.

Today, he had decided to go. I found him this evening lying peacefully on a shelf....it's the way he'd have wanted it.

I'll miss you, special little boy...go and find your foster brother, who has probably been wondering where you were all week!!

Night Night Harry, you were such a perfect rat, the original Cariad Burmese, and I loved you so much..