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Every month I talk about all the glorious things about rats and why having them as pets is worthwhile. Which it is! I also consistently express the importance of being a responsible owner, because I believe that bringing an animal into your home, any type of animal, means you’re making a sacred commitment to them and their care.
Life is unpredictable, though, and it doesn’t always go as we envision. Unexpected changes, too many responsibilities, and care fatigue can suddenly make this commitment feel overwhelming.
If you’re questioning your future as a rat owner, know that you’re not alone. Many of us have faced this tough decision. This choice may be easier for some, but for others, trying to figure out what’s best can feel like torture.
Questioning Sharing Your Life With Pet Rats
What exactly has brought you to this point?
For me, it was health-related reasons, which haven’t improved enough for me to call off this years-long-ratless hiatus. For you it may be financial hardship, moving, a sudden allergy to rats, lack of time, an unexpected event, changes in your family, or maybe even burnout. It’s important to pay attention to any signals that are telling you if and when it’s time to pull back.
Let’s assume for the moment that you aren’t planning on taking a break while your current rats are still alive. Instead, you’re questioning whether you should continue getting more in the future. But this makes you stress over the fact that one of your rats will eventually be the last, and all alone.
I know I always stress the importance of keeping rats in groups, but sometimes having a singleton for a period of time is unavoidable. If you truly need a rat break, don’t fret about this. Otherwise, you’ll be in a perpetual loop of getting a friend for your last remaining rat. Just go out of your way to shower your singleton with extra attention and time out of the cage. You’ll probably both appreciate this special bonding time anyway.
Budgeting Expenses
Everything in life has become increasingly more expensive. Vet care can turn pets and their vet bills into extravagant luxuries. And since rats require an exotic vet, they aren’t exactly cheap pets.
If you’re finding it difficult or impossible to afford vet care, or your rats’ food, or cage supplies, then you probably already know what your decision needs to be. This doesn’t necessarily have to be permanent though. If possible, take some time to build a savings account for pet care and then come back to your favorite rodent when you’re feeling more financially stable.
Health Concerns For You And Your Rats
I spend a lot of time writing about rat health, but our own health affects them as well. I’ve talked to a lot of owners, who sadly had to call it quits, solely because aging and illness demanded it.
I never realized just how much I would come to understand what a hard choice that was for them. I truly believed that I’d have pet rats until my dying day. That I’d have to include whichever ones outlived me, in a will, to ensure my little loves went to someone worthy.
Several years ago, though, I learned that my vet of 20 years was moving out of state. I broke down in tears because I knew at that instant that the level of care that I’d been accustomed to providing would no longer be possible without her. For decades, I’ve been struggling with a growing list of chronic illnesses that continue to progress. I’m not dying, but it has been near impossible to find doctors that truly understand these illnesses or even care about them.
Seeing to my rats had become more difficult for me, but I was still managing. Mostly, because of my vet, who is the type to give clients her cell number “just in case.” She understood how physically hard it was on me to bring a rat in for every respiratory flare-up and common ailment. Especially since she was 90 minutes away. So, for rat illnesses I knew well, she did phone consults instead and sent prescriptions to a nearby compounding pharmacy. This allowed me to treat my rats in a timely manner, which was literally lifesaving. But to really add to her greatness, she was actually affordable! Frankly, I was spoiled to have a vet like her.
After she moved, I was still able to call her for help until the last of my rats, Brinley and Moffett, passed on, but I knew it wouldn’t be fair to expect that with new rats. New ones would require finding a new vet. I tried to do this before my boys died but that turned out to be a nightmare! One vet had a god complex and was convinced that rats lived for a full decade (their actual lifespan is two to three years) and you were a failure if your rats died at 3. Other vets in town were unaffordable. Suffice it to say, I was forced into early retirement as a rat owner.
If you, too, are dealing with health issues, please know it’s alright to take a break. You’re allowed to focus on your own health instead.
Facing Overwhelm And Burnout
Maybe you’re physically fine but the stress of life is piling up? Your obligations probably felt more manageable when you first became a rat owner. But now just finding time to make dinner or clean your house seems like a struggle, much less carving out a few hours every day for the rats.
Or perhaps time isn’t so much an issue, instead it’s the constant heartache of losing a pet with such a short lifespan? You’ve said goodbye one too many times and can’t bear to keep going through it.
The first break I took from rats was back in 2005. I’d had them for a decade at that point and all the losses of these wonderful animals had become too painful. Plus, I was also dealing with mischievous ferrets, a couple of dogs, and a baby. It was a lot to juggle.
That break lasted all of two months, mind you. I found myself perusing the internet for rat photos (this was long before social media) for several weeks straight like I was having withdrawals. It turns out that I was actually far more stressed and sadder without them. So, I caved and adopted three baby boy rats.
I was much younger and healthier back then, though, and what I’ve learned from this second break is just how big of a toll that another two decades of losses had become for me mentally as well as physically. Grief and worry actually makes my physical pain and fatigue so much worse. I didn’t want to admit that to myself at first, because I was supposed to be a lifer with rats. I thought I was built differently. But it’s really difficult to love a pet so deeply, and put everything you have into them, only to watch them age, get sick, and then say tearful goodbyes to another one over and over and over again. Thirty years of that has left 57 rat-shaped holes in my heart.
Even if you’ve only loved and lost a few rats, I’m sure you understand what I’m talking about. And if you’ve gone through any lengthy illnesses with yours, it might be why you feel so burned out. You’re not a weak person for feeling that way either. Losing a rat can cause deep grief, and recognizing that you may need time to process that grief is important. As is taking a break if you’re overwhelmed by daily rat-care responsibilities.
Safe Rehoming
Ultimately, it’s in your rats’ best interest to keep them until they pass on. It’s hard on them to be rehomed, especially if they get split up from their friends. Plus, giving up pets can be as gut-wrenching as them dying, not to mention guilt-inducing. So, if you can, take a break AFTER your rats are gone, not before. With that said, I understand that there are circumstances where waiting may be impossible.
A new allergy to rats for instance, might demand an immediate decision. In my experience, this allergy usually causes hives and itchy skin, but it can also cause asthma for some people.
I think most owners probably take their rats with them if they move, but your situation may not let you. Life changes that could force you to give them up include loss of income, a death in the family, or something like getting a job offer in another country.
If your circumstances are driving you to rehome your rats, and you don’t know someone willing to take them, then I highly encourage you to look into contacting a reputable rat rescue in your area. Don’t take the risk of listing them on Craigslist, since you have no idea what strangers really intend to do with them. Don’t release your rats outside, thinking they can care for themselves. Don’t assume that a rat rescue in someone’s house is legit. Lots of well-meaning people think they can run a rescue and end up getting in way over their heads. Don’t surrender your rats to a kill-shelter.
If you don’t know of a rat rescue in your area, consider contacting an exotic vet to see if they work with a rat rescue or if they can recommend one. Or ask if they have a bulletin board to post a “home needed” flier. Another option is to reach out to well-known rat rescues in neighboring cities or states. They may have a network of foster homes or a list of rescues they’d recommend. You can also ask around in rat groups on Facebook or Reddit for re-homing ideas or rescue recommendations.
A Life Without Rats
I won’t lie and say that taking a break from rats is easy. Honestly, I’m still grieving for mine two years later. Yes, I clearly needed this forced break, but there are times when I swear my heart is going to shatter from the sadness of not having these amazing animals in my life. I mean, I’ve gone two years now without snuggles and rattie kisses, without their goofy personalities and antics, or the calming feel of their fur between my fingers while they napped in my lap. It’s been two LONG years without my tiny, perfect companions. So, no I won’t lie and say it’s easy, but sometimes it’s necessary.
And it doesn’t mean you’ll lose cool points as a rat lover either. OK, maybe I feel a little like I’ve lost cool points since this break, but everyone in my life still thinks of me as the Crazy Rat Lady. I’ve earned that title and I’m sure you’ve earned yours as a rat owner, too. So, I think we’ll maintain some street cred for a while at least. And maybe someday, my life and yours will be filled with silly little rat babies once again.
