When one experiences the death of a rat or any small animal, the words, “What did I do?” or “Why didn’t I catch his illness sooner?” or “If only I knew,” come to mind first. This is normal. To cry and mourn is normal. To miss your little one as if your heart is ripped outside of your body is normal. To want to share your loss with someone is normal. If you don’t get the warm sympathy that you need from people for your loss because people do not understand that the loss of a rat, mouse or hamster is just as great as the loss of a dog or cat, it is because of their ignorance.
Especially for owners of mice or rats, you have experienced the joy, love, and sorrow of holding and loving these precious little ones, most people have not. Your little one was your love, your life’s concern, and most people never have the opportunity to hold and love a mouse or rat as you have. They see them as vermin, you see them as little souls.
There are things you need to know about caring for rats:
1. They live short lives (anywhere from 1 year to 3 years).
2. Most rats are predisposed to respiratory or pituitary tumors. Rats will hide their illness from you until it becomes obvious and often too late to treat.
3. Unspayed female rats will get mammary tumors. Spay rats before 1 year of age.
4. A rat can have a heart attack and die without warning.
There are things you need to know about caring for
mice:
1. They live short lives. (Anywhere from 6 months to 1 ½ years). Your mouse can be spinning on his wheel one day and dead the next without any warning of illness.
2. Mice will hide their illness from you until it becomes obvious and often too late to treat. Mice can have heart attacks and die.
3. If you have given your mouse the best care, a full water bottle, plenty of food, clean cage, and he/she dies, it is his/her time to go. You did not kill it.
Don’t beat yourself up in your grief for giving your rat or mouse too many treats, loving it too much, or not measuring out its food intake. The most important thing is that your rat or mouse was happy to be with YOU! It lived for your touch, love, and attention. This you gave to him or her. In the end, this is more important than looking for WHY your pet died.
There is a Chinese proverb that I hold dear to my heart when I lose one of my own dear
loves: You cannot prevent the birds of sadness from passing over your head, but you
can prevent their making a nest in your hair.
Mourn the loss of your love for as long as it takes, but remember there is another dear love waiting for you and needs your love and care. To grow is to be able to reach out to another, not lock up your heart and walk away. Go ahead and find another to love. You are not replacing your lost one, you are providing an opportunity to open up and love again.
Especially for owners of mice or rats, you have experienced the joy, love, and sorrow of holding and loving these precious little ones, most people have not. Your little one was your love, your life’s concern, and most people never have the opportunity to hold and love a mouse or rat as you have. They see them as vermin, you see them as little souls.
There are things you need to know about caring for rats:
1. They live short lives (anywhere from 1 year to 3 years).
2. Most rats are predisposed to respiratory or pituitary tumors. Rats will hide their illness from you until it becomes obvious and often too late to treat.
3. Unspayed female rats will get mammary tumors. Spay rats before 1 year of age.
4. A rat can have a heart attack and die without warning.
There are things you need to know about caring for
mice:
1. They live short lives. (Anywhere from 6 months to 1 ½ years). Your mouse can be spinning on his wheel one day and dead the next without any warning of illness.
2. Mice will hide their illness from you until it becomes obvious and often too late to treat. Mice can have heart attacks and die.
3. If you have given your mouse the best care, a full water bottle, plenty of food, clean cage, and he/she dies, it is his/her time to go. You did not kill it.
Don’t beat yourself up in your grief for giving your rat or mouse too many treats, loving it too much, or not measuring out its food intake. The most important thing is that your rat or mouse was happy to be with YOU! It lived for your touch, love, and attention. This you gave to him or her. In the end, this is more important than looking for WHY your pet died.
There is a Chinese proverb that I hold dear to my heart when I lose one of my own dear
loves: You cannot prevent the birds of sadness from passing over your head, but you
can prevent their making a nest in your hair.
Mourn the loss of your love for as long as it takes, but remember there is another dear love waiting for you and needs your love and care. To grow is to be able to reach out to another, not lock up your heart and walk away. Go ahead and find another to love. You are not replacing your lost one, you are providing an opportunity to open up and love again.