dying rat. please read

[Skrappie]

Thanks everyone. He finally passed late last night. I stayed up with him, and when he started to lose interest in doing anything i wrapped him in a blanket, gave him a small bit of a golden crisps (also loved them) and he did what he had to do.

I know death is a part of life, and have put many pets, and a few non pets (dutch i'm sure you know what i'm talking about) out of pain, so i am no stranger to suffering. The thing is, once you have taken life when you have no intention or will to do so, snatching away something that is not yours without premission takes on a whole new light.

I don't think he was suffering much, after the smoke up, all he wanted to do is relax and cuddle, and thats what he did.

Slip and others maybe you want the last seconds of your life to end at the hands of another, but not everyone (or thing) feels that way. Rat owners have a special relationship with their ratties, and part of that comes from always trying to make them comfortable with a huge lack of nonverbal communcation
. I'm sure he wouldn't have cared either way since the end result was going to be death regardless, but when it came from doing things the natural way or taking the off chance of making his last seconds a violation of our trust, i choose the natural way. Maybe he did suffer more, but from the way he was acting, im sure he was just trying to hang on for a few more seconds before he went off into the unknown.

I don't remember who stated the tumor situation, but i don't think it was that, I've had a few rabbits who ended up with them, and that is a very painful and noticeable death. I think he was just at the end of his time strand.

Thanks to all for comments.

have a good day.

[Daveracer]

That's sad, but you did the right thing.

Everyone has a special connection with their pets. I've had a dog for about a year now and i love him to death. I wouldn't want anything to happen to him.

[crudemood]

I'm sorry to hear Skrappie
Just give him the best farewell you can, its the least you can do for little guy. He'll appreciate it.
Think about it, in heaven, he'll have all the cheese chocolate and wheels he'll ever want! Rat, heaven, its a wonderful place. He's off to a better place and he'll know you'll miss him.

[five0addict]

rats make awesome pets, i had one and she learned how to get out of her cage and back in!

[slipknotpsycho]

i had some pet rats as well.. i even let 'em roam free... we had this fish tank that had a hole busted in the back (nice clean hole) and i built a little ramp type thing lined with rocks so they could climb back in their cage or run free in the room as they pleased.... they never tried to run away or anything... everyday they always went back to their original home for sleep, to eat and play... alot of people don't realize how smart rats really are...

before that one tho, we had a rat that escaped... we later found him o.0 he had spiked up hair and a friend put a cig but in the cage and the rat grabbed it and even ended up exhaling smoke... he literally took a drag off the cigarette... id on' think it was intentional but it was funny as hell since he now had spiked hair and was the 'bad boy' rat lol..

i'm sorry if the things i said upset anyone, it wasn't meant to... i just wouldn't want to let my pet suffer... i guess becasue i've had to sit there and watch so many of my pets suffer...

my dog tiffany, wouldn't eat for days before she died... wouldn't get up and walk around, woudln't do anything, she just laid there everyday, no meat on her bones... often would whimper....

spot, anoher dog, started losing control of his bowels, lost intrest in food, became way too skinny, wouldn't walk around much, could hardly breathe..

countless iguana's... they're hard to keep alive... that damn disease they get..

our dog willow had puppies once... and fleas were horrible... there were three puppies covered in fleas.... the girl, didn't live... the fleas ate her alive... i sat there for hours on end picking them off her, but i couldn't save her... we managed to save the other two tho... that was one of the most depressing ones... a little baby puppy, being literally eaten alive by hundreds of fleas, i did everything i possibly could have to save her.. and she still didn't make it...

[robert42]

dam slip thats sad u have my sympathies about the puppies man

i too had a similar problem with my kittens but i was able to save them late on but it was touch and go

[slipknotpsycho]

dam slip thats sad u have my sympathies about the puppies man

i too had a similar problem with my kittens but i was able to save them late on but it was touch and go

yeah i was really broken up about it... i'm not afraid to admit i cried either... actually for awhile... that puppy and me like just instantly connected... when i saw her for the first time, i KNEW i was going to keep that puppy and it was going to be a life long friend... a week later... i lost her... i didn't know what else to do.. you can't have a puppy like that dippped in flea killer.... so i picked all the fleas off, gave her baths to drown the fleas, combed her with a lice comb... but they just kept coming back and back.. (some mangy mutt is what got my dog pregnent, and he left fleas, in just a few weeks the problem grew outrageously, and we did yard treatments treatments on willow... we were doing everything we possibly could they just wouldn't go away)

so here i was, spending two hours picking the fleas off this puppy (i did this many many times in the week long span, it wasn't just once) and she was cold, not like dead cold, but i could tell she was losing the battle... so after i got most of 'em off her again, i took her to go feed, even basicly 'forcing' (i had to put her mouth around the nipple and like tickle her throat to get her to) i come back an hour or two later... and i see her laying there, i pick her up, and well... this time she was alot colder... and limp.....

i ended up crying alot... i still feel sad when i think about her... it was love at first sight, literally.... you know, like when you go to look at a litter of puppies to get one, and you just INSTANTLY fall in love with one particular one, and you know right at that second, they're the one for you...

i'm happy as hell i managed to save the other two, and put them into good homes.... but i'll never forget the little girl...

[The.Devil.Himself]

Hey, sorry to hear about your loss. I've been there, and it sucks.

There is an upside though, his relatives in OZ are hard at work breaking the limits of what mice/rats can and can't do. Surely this is going to get them all the same right we as humans enjoy...

Here, have a look and see what i mean. Wouldn't shock me if these creatures took over the planet soon enough.

Dorks - Surfing Mice

[Erosea]

Are you sure he's dying? What signs is he exhibiting to make you think he's dying?

If you are sure he's dying, just be with him. I have had several rats (and a couple guinea pigs, and a hamster... I love rodents!), and they seem to really honestly enjoy people's company. Give him whatever he likes to eat and drink best (it seems you've already done those things). Keep him warm, and consider keeping him away from any rodent friends in his cage with him (although sometimes this isn't a good idea - two of my rats were litter mates, never separated in their lives, and they died together). If you think he's in a lot of pain, I would recommend taking him to the vet to be euthanized. I had to do that with one of mine (she had gone blind and couldn't move much or eat and was slowly starving to death), and it's not as awful as you think it might be. Then, give him a proper burial (I always buried mine in the backyard, had a little family service and then put some flowers from the yard on the grave). Anyway, I hope your rat has had a long and lovely life.

[xcrispi]

Sorry Skrappie ,
Crispi sends his condolences man . I too am a rat lover .

At first they were just a food source for my snakes , snakes got huge and so did their demand for rats . So I started breeding them being the tight ass that I am .

They are awfully misunderstood creatures . Tons of personality , and as clean as our cat , always grooming themselves . And crazy smart / trainable . Tinker would mimick chatter w/ me , repeat long long series' of noises I'd make at him . Merlin , Booty , and Tinker my breeders all lasted approx. 5 yrs. or better . I've had 100's of them .

If you replace it w/ another - a cpl. things I have noticed are all white / albinos seem to have greater heath risks / shorter life expectancy .
The same holds true w/ female rats that aren't breeding - have more probs. w/ tumors etc... The males generally live longer .

Peace
G/B
Crispi :jointsmile: