lifewithrats

I’ve been quiet because my life has been chaotic. I guess the chaos is not beyond a normal level, but certainly the added stress of losing pets is adding to my anxiety. I just wrote last week about dealing with death, but it’s been years since I’ve had to deal with the death of more than one rat at a time. It’s a whole different sort of beast.

I’m guessing that by the end of the month, I will probably be down by two or three rats. My girl, Pidgin, is going to be put down on Saturday, because of a tumor. The two boys I am still lucky enough to have around, Jock and Heathen, both have bad cases of myco. From the research I’ve been doing, the fact that they both have myco and pneumonia means that their days are numbered. I’ve no way of knowing how long they have, but I’m guessing only a few more weeks. They both have the shivers and are hot to the touch, and I’ve nothing to give them.

If any of you are going through a similar situation, be calm. There will be an end to the suffering, at least for your rattie friends. Your heart, on the other hand, will have to deal with loss, grief, and possibly guilt. I know that with each passing of a rat, I feel the pain of every pet I’ve lost before. I know that with each passing, even with the rats I’ve lost of old age, I feel a certain amount of guilt. I feel like I could have done more. This is normal.

If any of you are suffering the same pain I am, take heart. There is nothing in the world like the relationship between a pet and her owner. There are things more precious in their own way, but nothing the same. You will always be blessed with the memories of your pet, and for me that means the memories of seventeen sets of rattie feet trampling through my thoughts.

Amanda

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