I am finding having rats in the house as pets is becoming a
very traumatic experience. They die a
lot!
As regular readers know, my son loves his pet rats and often
has up to four of them at a time. They
have a large cage to roam around in, and he gives them lots of care and
affection (rats are very social creatures).
Each rat has its own personality and even though I don’t
have day-to-day care of them (and can never give them cuddles!), I still get
attached to each one.
Domestic rats only live around two years, but this year we
seem to have lost a lot of them. One of
my favourites was a small black rat named Rattle – named because of the
different colour at the end of his tail, much like a rattle snake.
We were down to two rats – Rattle and Spike – when both
became sick with some mysterious illness (it happens in rats sometimes). Rattle never survived and I was surprised how
upset I was.
I was thinking that perhaps I need to learn how to step back
from loving pets (cats included), but then I remembered that life needs to have
love in it. The price we pay might be
grief, but feeling and expressing love and receiving it in return is really
what life is all about.
 |
| Rattle in one of his cheeky moments |
Spike is now alone – never good for a rat – but son has been
offered the adoption of two 13-month old rats and has accepted the offer.
Son will remain on the list for two new babies when next a
litter comes available with his breeder.
Life is enriched with fur-ever luv 😊
Margaret.
A hard choice... to love, knowing it can bring pain? Or to choose not to love, because of this....
ReplyDeleteYou have made your choice, wise it seems.
🍁🎃🍁
Rats are so much associated with disease, crop damage and other sinister connotations that I am sure it is difficult for the average person to accept them as pets, but it's no different from a hamster or a guinea pig, is it? And yes, grief is part of life. If we all dealt with permanent satisfaction we would be a much changed species.
ReplyDeleteRattle was a cutie! With an open heart you will become attached to any animals I suspect.
ReplyDeleteI think it's a blessing to love creatures others might not find so lovable. A special gift not shared by all. It's sad that the price for such loving is grief, but as you say, giving and receiving love is what life is all about.
ReplyDeleteYes, the grief when we loose a pet is real, but as you say, it is the price we pay for love - and I would rather love and grieve, than not. The company of my cat is real.
ReplyDeleteBlessings
Maxine
Love your last words!
ReplyDeleteI still am sad thinking of the gerbil (mouse) I had. She lived to 2 1/2. I was 14 when she passed and I still think of her. She was clever and cute.
Losing a pet is never easy. We still miss our little Daisy every day, but you are right, grief is part of the cost of receiving all that love they give.
ReplyDeleteAs a youngster I kept pet rats and they are wonderfully intelligent and friendly animals. They do need a lot of cage space though and I kept mine in my Dad's 'shed'.
ReplyDeleteI think most of us feel saddened when dealing with the death of a pet or even a wild creature. Death is so final. I'm glad for your son and Spike that 2 new rats are on their way.
ReplyDeleteI think I told you before that my daughter each had a rat...I never could pet them. But they loved the girls. And they had mice...and the mice had such different personalities. Just like people.
ReplyDelete