Horror!

What do you think when you see the little face up there? Do you think, "Eww, a rat!"? Do you think, "Gee, Lauren sure is obsessed with her little rodent."? Perhaps, "Aww, Benci!"

I can guess what you almost certainly don't think. I would bet hundreds of forints (HUNDREDS!!) that you don't think. "Oh my goodness, a rat! What a mysterious, rare, and exotic animal!" Unless, of course, you are a veterinarian. In which case, come to my flat. Please.

It turns out that in Hungary rats are considered to be exotic pets. Which means that when you come home and find your little darling baby with a red crust all around her eye, steadily leaking blood from her eye and sneezing, and you call a vet to try to make an emergency appointment, you are told over and over again that that vet doesn't see rats. Nevermind the fact that it is Sunday. No vet will see you and your incredibly exotic pet.

Happily, it turns out that my precious ratty is most likely not dying rapidly of horrible eye cancer. It turns out that when rats are stressed or have a cold, they cry. And it turns out further that rat tears are blood red.

That's right. Bencelita is actually a Bond villain, crying tears of blood.

Why it's only one eye remains a mystery. I'll be trying again tomorrow when more offices are open to find someone to look at her.