Oh, Rats!
Shortly before leaving for Otakon Momo passed away. He was the last of the three "Lost Boys" and the last remaining rat period. And, of course, he was always the sweetest. In his old age he had suffered some paralysis, but could still get around well enough to food, water, and a comfortable place to sleep. So we kind of let him be and made him as comfortable as possible. That was also part of the reason why we didn't go out and find him a new cage mate.
The other reason being that I think I'm done with rats...at least for a good decade or so. Don't get me wrong; they are *fantastic* pets and they come highly recommended. But they are (deceptively) high-maintenance, prone to (expensive) medical problems, and (at least around here) difficult to find respectable health care for.
Then there's the whole 2-3 year life span. Rats are incredibly intelligent and social animals that can form very strong bonds with humans. In a lot of ways it's like have a small pack of dogs. That only live for two years. And tend to die of cancer. After a while you're just emotionally worn down.
I could also use a break from the rat-owning community. Granted, every pet-owning community is prone to it's own unique flavor of nuttiness but I am just so bloody sick of the stupidity and holier-than-thou arguments that happen. It'd be nice at least to hear *different* arguments for once. It's also clear that a lot of people get into ratting simply because it's a cheap way to get their hording fix or to feel good about themselves. GD it! They're rats, not rattatas!
Or they get rats because they're "disposable" and thus it's okay to cut corners in regards to their care. Though, you've probably been reading this journal for some time so you've probably heard me go on about that to no end at this point.
But truthfully overall I really did enjoy keeping rats. It's just time to move on to something else. There are plenty other childhood fantasy pets to look into. In the meantime, the rat cage itself has been torn down and disposed of. It was getting beyond old and nasty. Giving it away would've been an insult to the recipient.
The other reason being that I think I'm done with rats...at least for a good decade or so. Don't get me wrong; they are *fantastic* pets and they come highly recommended. But they are (deceptively) high-maintenance, prone to (expensive) medical problems, and (at least around here) difficult to find respectable health care for.
Then there's the whole 2-3 year life span. Rats are incredibly intelligent and social animals that can form very strong bonds with humans. In a lot of ways it's like have a small pack of dogs. That only live for two years. And tend to die of cancer. After a while you're just emotionally worn down.
I could also use a break from the rat-owning community. Granted, every pet-owning community is prone to it's own unique flavor of nuttiness but I am just so bloody sick of the stupidity and holier-than-thou arguments that happen. It'd be nice at least to hear *different* arguments for once. It's also clear that a lot of people get into ratting simply because it's a cheap way to get their hording fix or to feel good about themselves. GD it! They're rats, not rattatas!
Or they get rats because they're "disposable" and thus it's okay to cut corners in regards to their care. Though, you've probably been reading this journal for some time so you've probably heard me go on about that to no end at this point.
But truthfully overall I really did enjoy keeping rats. It's just time to move on to something else. There are plenty other childhood fantasy pets to look into. In the meantime, the rat cage itself has been torn down and disposed of. It was getting beyond old and nasty. Giving it away would've been an insult to the recipient.