Saturday, December 8, 2012

Why I Own Rats

There are often times I think about not owning rats. It is just a miserable feeling when they get sick and I cannot afford their vet care. I have to watch my pet get worse everyday knowing they could get better if I only had an extra hundred dollars on me. But I do not. And they die. People have said terrible things to me. How dare I own rats if I cannot afford to take them to the vet. I am abusing them. I should not own anything alive. And yeah, maybe I am a terrible person for not providing the best care possible. I sometimes think about giving up. But for all of those other bazillion times they are NOT sick, it is worth every minute. They make me happy. I may not be rich, but I give them the best care that I can and a peaceful end if it comes to that. To see their little noses sticking out of the cage when I come into the room, begging to come out and play, when they run out and jump into my lap, when I watch them stash treats behind the couch thinking I did not notice, licking my face, pouncing on my toes, making a nest in my hoodie....those are the moments that make owning rats worthwhile. Yes they have short lives. Yes, it seems no matter what I do, they still get sick. Yes,  horrible accidents happen. But, even if their little lives end far too quickly, the days we spend together are treasured. I have to remind myself that bad things happen, that owning pets is never easy and worry-free, but I also have to remember to look back on the great moments of my life and realize that there was a rat in each of them.