More rats or no more rats?

[undergunfire]

I have been riding on this question since my Leonidas died last week. How do you not get any more rats when you THINK you would like to take a break from rat ownership once your current rats pass away?

It's probably a dumb question, but I have been going back and forth on it for the past week. Sometimes I want to only have my three boys and once they all pass on, take a long break. Then other times I want to buy a FN or the RN (when it comes out) and rescue a few more and have maybe 5 boys, no more.

I know that if I end up taking a break when my current boys go to the bridge, I will hate not having rats and want more. I also don't want to make the wrong choice by adding more and then regretting it somehow.

I enjoy my rats and they get all organic foods and high quality dog foods, play time, lots of love, ect. I know that without me, they would have ended up in a snake's tummy. I like to think that I give them what they need to live a great life, no matter how long they live.

Then I have my fiance telling me I shouldn't get anymore, but I am ultimately the one who takes care of all of our pets. The rats/bunnies have their own room too and are "out of the way".

I also need to think of my current boys. What if my last living rat gets so sad from not having buddies around that he dies early from loneliness? I know my boys feel empty right now without Leonidas...as they beg for more attention and "dinners" since he passed away.



It's such a tough choice. I needed to vent a little.

[Lilija]

It is a tough thing to think about, I think about this kind of thing sometimes, too.  I have exactly the right amount now, and perfect cage setups, but one of my men is elderly. 

My personal solution is this:  Try to keep 6, no more.  If one should pass, and if the circumstances happen to be right, then I'll adopt another.  It's all about kismet, for me.  Maybe you could do that?  Settle on a number that's -right- and adopt within that boundary, not exactly looking for more, but letting them "come to you" as it were.  (This is how we get all our pets, pretty much, we sorta let them come to us, in the ways of the universe).

[Scubbs]

I'm somewhat in the same situation also.  I have not adopted any rats in almost a year, and won't be for a long (long) time.  I love my rats (and mice) dearly, but I've never known adult life without being responsible for another life (or 10).  I've owned high-maintenance, "exotic" pets since I was about 14 years old; I think it's high time for a break of some sort!    After taking a 'vacation' for a few weeks or even a couple months, I plan on being a quarantine home for HVRR.  While doing that, I'm sure somewhere along the way I'll come across a rattie or two I just can't give up 

You could still get a FN/RN and rescue more rats after you take a break.  I'm sure there will still be lots of homeless rats out there when you come back around to rat ownership  

[strangeduck]

Every time I lose a much loved rat I go through this.  And when I think about losing my Squishy man....well, it's best not to go there.  I think it's something every rat lover confronts regularly.  You know, I know my dogs aren't going to outlive me and neither will my cats, but I also know I've got more than two or three years at best.  My oldest cats, Thelma and Louise and the recently acquired Tiger are eight years old and are likely to live another eight years, as are my five year old dogs, whereas none of my current rats will last another two years and the youngest of them is only a year old.

I think that because rats are like dogs in the way they bond to you, and the way you bond with them, it's hard to face those losses all the time.  But for every rat you lose, there are always 12 more in a shelter willing to love you with every ounce of their little rattie hearts.

It's hard to face continuous loss, unless you can understand that death is simply another stage of life, and that's hard for humans to grasp.  I feel like the three years I spent working in a nursing home coupled with the loss of my grandparents a close friend really taught me that death isn't something to fear, that there are worse things than death, that in fact, death can be a blessing.

I think it's especially hard for people like me who don't believe in "God" or have a faith or religion.  However, I do believe in an afterlife, even if it is only that the molecules that make up our matter are recycled into some other form of matter.  And since I know that to be scientific fact, I know that my loved ones, furry or otherwise, never really leave me.

Each person has to make this decision for themselves, so I don't think we can advise you the right thing to do.  If losing beloved pets is so painful you can't see beyond it, rats with their short life spans might not be the pets for you.  However, if you can't stand the thought of life without rats, then you'll have to find a way to find the silver lining in their passing.  

[undergunfire]

I am so glad I am not the only one who thinks about this a lot  . I've grown up a lot with owning my pets and it seems that rats and rabbits have just become a part of my life. Yes, I have felt overwhelmed with 4 rats (well, 3 now) and 4 rabbits...but I wouldn't get rid of any of them because of that. It takes me about 3 hours on a Saturday to do my rounds of cleanings in the bunny/rat room...which I don't think is all that back breaking work.

My fiance and I have talked about having a human baby in 4 or 5 years and I think about that part of life as well. I am not sure how hard it would be to raise a human child and have a cage full of rats and probably still my 3 bunnies (crosses fingers for healthy bunnies in the future). We also just adopted a kitty from a rescue.

I've thought about taking the break from rats and getting a dog, but the more I think about it....a dog isn't a rat and they can't be replaced like that...it's not the same. I always wonder what it would be like to just have my 3 bunnies and my kitty....and it seems so "boring" in a sense. Plus, I love to talk about my rats and show pictures of my Nakie Ralphie when people ask...when I have no rats....how will I ramble on about them and ask odd questions that come my way?

I have also thought about becoming a foster home, but I'd have to do it privately through homeless rats that people no longer want in my town...which are hard to come by. I was shocked when I came by Ralphie and his mommy and 3 other litter mates...I just had to foster them and not let them be snake food....then I kept Ralphie...hehe. The only rat rescue around here is 2 hours away in the Phoenix area and we are never able to go down that way often because the mountains are too steep for our old explorer...lol. I have a hard time being a foster parent. I kept Ralphie and I am 90% sure I am keeping my current 8 1/2 year old foster rabbit from Brambley Hedge. I fall in love too quickly for homeless animals.


I guess I have to think about it, but the more I think about it....I am still just not sure on what move to make. Maybe with a little time a rat will come my way, or won't....and we will see what I decide to do. I just don't want to wait until I am down to one of my last boys to introduce another rat into the picture...so I feel the time to make a decision is sometime in the next few months.

Maybe the Rat Nation will be amazing and I won't be able to resist it and just happen to HAVE to buy it  .

[lilspaz68]

I took a break from rats once.  My 2 girls passed on at my old apartment.  I moved and made it about 3 months before I had to get more.  Its a good idea to take a break, you will know soon enough if you need them in your life right now or would like to be "unfettered" for a little while.

Are your boys all older?  If they are, you could easily have a single old male live out his life with you as long as he gets a TON of attention.

[undergunfire]

Are your boys all older?  If they are, you could easily have a single old male live out his life with you as long as he gets a TON of attention.

Spartan is about 1 1/2 years old, Ralphie and Louie are around 8 months old...now that I think about it. They are "young", but I get scared as both Leo and Fayl died at about 1 1/2 years old of illness, not old age...though.

I know I should take a break and I am going to try hard to resist the urge to take in any more rats if I can help it. My fiance helps a lot with that  ...lol.

[liza]

You need to listen inside yourself and do what is right for your life. Don't think about the future when it comes to pets, don't make big plans... just see how life goes and enjoy the moment with your current rats/bunnies.

Man, don't I sound smart today?

As if it was this easy.

Honestly, it is hard to give advice. From my own experience, we always thought we were going to take a break, but for us, there simply isn't one and I doubt there will ever be a break from rats. Ever since we have been married (almost seven years), we have had rats. We were without rats for one night (when we moved from Europe to America), one night of being in an apartment without rats - and it was AWFUL. Truly awful. We couldn't sleep all night, we were glad to finally be in the airplane and on our way to America where we had two rats in the care of my mother-in-law.
We were talking the other day how our marriage is unimaginable without the rats. We wouldn't know what to do with each other without the rats being part of our marriage. They have always been with us.

As you mentioned, yes, it is awful to watch the last one of a group survive everybody else. That's why we have always had more rats, too.

Try to see what works out best for you and your life. Life constantly changes, friends come and go, finances (come and go too!), apartments...
So my 'smart' advice? Try to take life one step at a time. See how it goes... Not really much of an advice, huh? Sorry...

[undergunfire]

Liza...your advice was great! I know it is ultimately my decision in the end and I need to make the right choice. My heart tells me to buy a larger cage and add in 2 more rats....my head tells me to be smart and enjoy my three, then take a break when they pass. I guess since Leonidas isn't here anymore, I have an empty hammock and an empty spot in my heart that my heart tells me to fill.

My fiance could do with or without the ratties. He likes them, but isn't "in love" with them. He's not a major animal person, but he supports me with my babies.

We are young...I am 19 and my fiance is 18...but we have GREAT jobs in a multi-million dollar souvenir company of 140 employees. Our company is growing like crazy to the point where we need another building. We sell to Disney, hotels, zoos, ect. Ryan will be manager of the new warehouse at the new building...which brings him a most likely wage of $15 an hour starting out there. My supervisor of my department is leaving for student teaching in August, where I am 90% sure I will be taking on her position...with opportunity for a manager position if we keep growing like we do. So, I think our finances will be just fine. If I can afford it now, I should reeeally be able to afford it then.


With time I'll decide what is best for the rats and I. Just the thought of not having rats seems really awkward and empty, though.

[undergunfire]

And of course I "stumbled" across this ad and saw those 3 boys in the second picture:
http://phoenix.craigslist.org/pet/681834692.html



I think I am going over a weird healing process since Leo passed ? Every one tells me to do what will make me happy, though  .

[MsMagpie]

I don't know how, but I'm going to absolutely let my colony dwindle down. I've said it before, but I really, really need/want to. I'm getting really burnt out and I want to be able to really spend time with my favs and work with training and stuff. I don't know how I'll do it and I'm sure it will be hard.

I'd say hold off on adding more. You can always go out and get rats if you decide firmly, but it's not so easy placing them if you get more and decide it's not the best.

[undergunfire]

Well, the fiance firmly said "no" ten thousand times and I don't want to argue with him. I guess it is best if he keeps me from adding more, but at the same time...I am a little angry at him...lol.

It's too soon, anyway. I need more time to get my mind straight. I keep going back-and-forth  .

[lilspaz68]

If you have just lost a beloved rat there is a thing in us (beyond GGMR) that insists we need "this" rat or "that" rat.

I came back from having my wonderful Moth and Fable pts, and went to the local Animal Control with my friend to look at some guineapigs that may come into her rescue (we picked up both baby girls!) but I had checked their website that day to make sure no rats were there....sigh.
 8 of them!  I held the young girl and 2 5 week old babies, they were wonderful adn looked just like my Dilbert...they were in a hamster cage, seed mix and pine, and I almost caved.  My friend said No, and I realized what I was doing!  A week later they were already adopted   

You need to hold off for awhile and concentrate on your remaining boys and make a rational decision.  You can decide you want rats again and easily find them within hours or days, but making impulse decisions could be regretted in the end.

[Valerie]

I haven't had rats for about a year and a half.  While it still seems weird to throw away leftovers off of my plate (used to give the ratties a little of what we ate for dinner), I am enjoying less cage cleaning and vet trips.  I think that I probably will have rats again in the next year or two.  I currently have gerbils, and with my husband's allergies, we'd like to keep it to one caged pet at a time.  The only way that I've made it this long is that I got rid of my cage when after I had my last ratties.  Now there is no possibility of a rash decision on getting new ratties, I'd have to get a cage too.  I think that I'll be so much more appreciative of ratties when I get more again.  Good luck in whatever you choose.

Valerie

[Heather]

In my situation, my life has changed so much that it's not feasible for me to keep 10 rats anymore or even rats at all. My life is busier, I'm more involved with my dog and his training and I cannot clean the cage as often as I need to and give the out time to play. I would never get rid of them (only have 5 left that are getting old) but I for sure won't be getting anymore. I'm just not involved in the rat community like I used to be.

[Carolyn]

Once Bailey goes, I'm taking a break, too.  I don't have much of a choice, though.  My parents take care of the boys while I'm at college and despite my hints and outright pleas, my two roommates decided they preferred the NO-PET apartment with 2 bathrooms better than pet-friendly apartment with just one bathroom  Obviously our values are a little different    Anyway, when I was home two weeks ago, Merrick passed away and seeing how lonely Bailey was, I immediately started looking for a buddy.  I found a boy born in March 2006 (same as Bailey) who needed a home.  At the time I was convinced he was the perfect boy, but my parents weren't into the idea.  Bailey recently turned 26 months old, he has a tumor and has really slowed down.  I guess the best I can do at this point is to spend lots of time with him and help him to adjust to life as a single-rat.  Who knows if I'll ever get back into rats.  They are tied with hedgehogs as my favorite small-animal, but I don't know if I can take much more of their short lifespans.  Just as my heart was finally healing over the tragic loss of my beloved hedgehog 28 months ago, Merrick, my  rat, passed just hours before I got home to say goodbye.  Now I'm back to crying daily.

Sigh... they have such wonderful personalities... 2-3 years with them is just not enough.  I think next time I'm in the position to get a new pet, I'll have to find a species with a longer lifespan, I can't deal with having my heart broken every two years.

[anita1216]

I enjoy having rats around. I have always had some kind of furry friend around the house and cannot imagine life without them. Sure, Im busy and always have something going on, but I make the choice to have the time, to keep rats in my life. Its been made easier with a cage that is easy to clean and all 8 of my boys are lovable and sweet. Four of them will be reaching 2 years old in the next six months, so there will be loss. I expect thatm accept it and move forward.

The best choice is what is ultimately best for you.

[DebW]

I came to the decision I needed a break about 2 years ago.  I had reached an all time high of 7 cages containing 23 rats.  I was burned out.  I didn't replace the ones that went to the bridge and was able to introduce some of the rats to each other to make less cages.  I had one lone female and 1 lone male at the end (last June).  They got a lot of attention and I really don't think it was that bad for them.  They never acted unhappy and reached
a good old age for rats.

My solution was to offer my home as a quarantine/foster home.  That way I get to play with rats, but don't have the responsibilities that go with full time ownership.  It also allows me to take time off for vacations or emergencies.  Regrettably, our dog went blind about a month ago and I've had to take time off from helping with rats for a few months.   It's nice to know I had that option.   

I always figure that if I want to keep rats full time again, I'll have an excellent opportunity to get to know some through quarantine work.  I can always adopt some needy rat kids that I've fallen in love with if I feel the need to have rats around all the time again.

[undergunfire]

I really thank every one for sharing your very different experiences...it really helps and I appreciate it, a lot  .

My current thought right now after snuggling up with Spartan (my now oldest rat @ 1 1/2 years) and sitting in the middle of my animal room...I want to bond all four of my bunnies...even try to bond in my 8 1/2 year old foster who has never been with another bunny. This is extremely difficult because all 4 are neutered MALES and I have failed many times due to no patience, but I think I really want to try once my temp. foster kitties leave at the end of this month...so I have the spare room to use for bunny bonding.

I think I just need to give myself something animal related (with my current animals) to keep my mind off of getting new pets because of Leo dying. With all four (or even a pair) of bonded bunnies...it will be like getting a "new" pet, if that makes sense.



That is just my current thought right now, who knows how my head and heart will feel tomorrow. I like this idea and I hope it doesn't fail again.