My Pet Rat is Having Her Last Breaths...
By Chrissy
@Java09 (3075)
United States
January 7, 2010 7:41am CST
I have a pet rat,I feel very bad,because she's dying,she has respiratory problems.The vet can't do anything for respiratory problems .My daughter is upset.I don't want anymore rats,because they don't even live long.Their life goes too fast.I always owned pet rats,but I think this is it for us.I feel bad for the rat.Her name is "Happy",because she was all energetic and happy when I bought her.I feel bad for rats because they're so short lived.I'm getting my daughter a toy dog.I know that will live like 15 or more years.She's upstairs in my mother's apartment,she don't want to see Happy die.My mother lives upstairs.I'm sure other rat owners go through this with their rats.Poor things!
1 person likes this
10 responses
@sleepylittlerose (1648)
• United States
7 Jan 10
Sorry to hear about your pet, but you are exactly right rodents do not live very long and are highly subject to respiratory problems. I dread the day that my sister calls to tell me that my niece's rat is not doing well. I am sure that I will be the one that has to go over and bury it out back.
Good luck on finding that toy breed dog you are going to get. Hope the puppy gives you and your daughter years of enjoyment.
1 person likes this
@Java09 (3075)
• United States
7 Jan 10
I'm on a breeder's waiting list for one,because I chose a cool breed that's on the rare side.My daughter is old enough now to care for a toy breed.My daughter is thirteen.Toy breeds aren't for small children.Your niece will probably be very upset that day.I'm gonna have to bury this one out in the yard.Thank you for responding.
@Java09 (3075)
• United States
7 Jan 10
I'm getting a Brussels Griffon and the breeder's dog is pregnant now.She guarantees I will get one.I'll probably have it sometime in March.I found a breeder close to me because I don't think shipping is healthy for a puppy.I'm gonna go get the puppy when it's ready.
@sleepylittlerose (1648)
• United States
7 Jan 10
May I ask what kind of toy breed you are getting? I currently have a Papillion (toy breed)and will be preparing to breed her for the first time in the spring. Hopefully you are pretty high up on the breeders list as the toys often only have 1-3 puppies per litter.
1 person likes this
@Galena (9110)
•
7 Jan 10
I'm really really sorry to hear that.
rats are such wonderful little animals, and they give you SO much love back. I lost both of my last pair to respiritory conditions, despite doing as much as I could to prevent them, and giving them antibiotics and anti-inflammitories to try and get them over it. my Kitten was a very strong and healthy rat, but she was just starting to get lumps, and the first ever infection she got was too much for her. and my Luna was always prone to respiritory infections.
I am determined never to be ratless again though. for a long time I had no rats, and then a family member passed on to me a rather elderly rattie called Millie that her daughter no longer had the time from. and it all came flooding back how much I love having rats around. and then I was determined that no matter how much it hurts me to lose them, the love they give is worth it. especially my dear dear Kitten. she had such a loving and giving soul. not a dismissal at all to sweet, scatty little Luna and calm and gentle Millie.
never say never. rats have a way of winning you back, even if it can take a while to process the hurt that losing their precious little lives brings.
it's so unfair that such a wonderful, intelligent, loving animal gets so short a time to share.
1 person likes this
@Java09 (3075)
• United States
11 Jan 10
The strangest thing, is my rat revived herself.She's acting better,but I know she still will die.I don't know exactly when.My daughter expects her not to die but that's impossible.Happy is my rat's name and she's considered to be old.I bought her from a rip off pet shop,and she was pretty old then,which was a year ago when I bought her.The pet shop tried lying to me that she was young when I see she's not.I can judge a rat's age by looking at them.I bought her because my daughter wanted her.I shouldn't have because that was a terrible pet shop.They will lie just to make a sale.I tried a good pet shop first and they had ne rats.Happy was never very friendly,she don't like to be held,but she likes to be pet.I know if I decide to replace her I'm not going to them.They ripped me off again,so I should learn from this.I tell people not to go to them.When I bought the rat,I had to treat her for lice.I seen she had lice.That would mean that all those rats at that pet shop have lice.Happy isn't healthy and they also had her in wood shavings which I believe doesn't help respiratory problems.
@Java09 (3075)
• United States
7 Jan 10
My daughter is thirteen now,so she's old enough to own a toy sized dog.That's what I'm getting her.I don't reccomend them for small children.they're pretty fragile,but easy to care for.I don't want anymore rodents,because we owned a pet rat for the past seven years,and we keep getting depressed when they come to the end of lives.Thank you for your response.
@Ambitiouslyleiah (591)
• United States
7 Jan 10
aww, im so sorry to hear that. Rats do tend to have respiratory problems, along with others. I haven't ever owned one but I fell in love with one when i work at petsmart... someone eventually sold him. Anywho, I know how much these little guys can steal your heart... and Im sorry that happy is leaving you.
1 person likes this
@Java09 (3075)
• United States
7 Jan 10
I love pet rats because they do not bite and love attention.They problem is they definately don't live very long.They commonly getrespiratory problems and that shortens their life even more.She'll have a toy breed of a puppy,I'm getting her one in March.She'll definately be over the rat by then.Thank you for your response!
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@allknowing (135369)
• India
7 Jan 10
The saddest part of keeping pets is that they dont live for long. I too have pets and those last moments that they spend with us are unbearable as they cannot tell us what is wrong with them. They suffer in silence. Respiratory ailment is incurable in animals as they cannot cough up. Please convey my sympathies to your daughter.
1 person likes this
@Java09 (3075)
• United States
7 Jan 10
You are right about that,that they suffer in silence and can't say anything to us about it.The part that's hard is when the pet rat is going to die,they die very slowly and I know they suffer through it.My daughter sees it suffering and dying slowly.Thanks for your response.
@enola1692 (3323)
• United States
8 Jan 10
I had 2 just recently PITA an Lyle my daughter named them pita meant pain in the you know an because the girls were in school all day thier cage was by my computer an I would play an talk to them while working on the computer my daughter train these guys to climb a rope an she would touch thier nose an say go home an they went into thier cage the funnest thing she taught them was to push a ball back an forth anyway they were brothers an both passed with in a month of each other an I don't know who it bothered me our girls more I did say one day I miss my computer pets an the next day my hubby had a smaller cage by my computer with 2 brownnish black mice in it but its not the same as my rats but I think after nickers an peanut pass no more computer pets for me cause it is heart breaking I am sorry about your rat cause I know how bad it hurts to lose one they become like one of your babies
1 person likes this
@strawberrybaby39 (2086)
• United States
10 Jan 10
Sorry to hear you are losing a pet. I no how hard it is losing something you love. I have lost pets and it was very hard on me and my daughter. My daughter owned a pet rat before. But she doesn't have him anymore he passed away to. So she never got another one.
1 person likes this
@KMaroon (266)
• India
7 Jan 10
Hi Java
I am very sorry that your pet rat because she's dying of respiratory problem. Actually rats have a very short life span of 3 to 5 years or more if they are protected from going out of the house. As I don't have such pet I don't know exactly how to look after such pets. I too feel bad as the rats are short lived. You have taken a good decision to get a toy dog for your daughter. Have a nice day and a Happy New Year.
