Dealing with the loss of a pet rat
For many rat owners, losing one of their best furry friends is a very emotional and painful experience. Often friends and family may not understand the extent of your grievance over the loss of a ‘rat’.
What they don’t understand is that you had a deep connection to your friend on a soul level and that he was a close friend, like a human friend.
Take heart and know that many pet caregivers share this same deep grief when they lose a beloved animal friend.
Many people have different ways of coping, it’s important to give yourself time and space to grieve the way only you can. Sometimes it helps to pay tribute to your friend by creating a pictorial record of their life or by sharing an obituary on a rat forum.
Do what feels right to help him come to terms with his loss. Give yourself time before you feel like yourself again. It can take me around 2-3 months before I feel over the loss of a raggedy friend. Having other rats to care for also helps. They may also feel the loss of a close friend, so they also need your comfort and presence to help them with their grievance.
What helps me is knowing that these little beings had a wonderful life with me that they never would have had otherwise. And also, my own faith in a Conscious Loving Creator gives me the feeling that there is no end to life, but only the physical abandonment of a material form that is no longer capable of sustaining itself.
Furthermore, the death of your current rat(s) also leaves room for more rats to come into your life and enjoy the love and wonderful lifestyle you have to give them.
Many people suffer so much that they say they don’t want another rat(s). Hopefully, after a little while, once their grievance is over, they realize that while it was painful to lose their friend, they also had many, many hours of joy and fun with them. And also the rats with them!
In the movie ‘Ghost’ Swayze’s character said at the end ‘You take love with you’. And I think that’s true. Love is invisible, and yet it is undeniable that it exists. Just remember that each of your rats returns love to the Creator and returns it to the Universe. It’s a wonderful thought, isn’t it?
You are blessed to have met each of your wonderful furry friends and they were blessed to have known you and shared their lives with you.
If you are really struggling with the loss, share how you are feeling with rat keepers on a forum such as http://www.fancyratsforum.co.uk who will understand and empathize with your feelings.
Or contact an online pet grief counselor.
One book I recommend for the open minded is ‘Animals And The Afterlife’ by Kim Sheridan. It is a wonderful book with many true stories from pet owners who have experienced messages or contact with their lost pets. This book helped me a lot to cope with the loss and the author has been caring for rats for many years which made it particularly meaningful to me.
I have also experienced ‘contact’ with my rats from the other side of life, and that has made me realize without a doubt that life goes on.
“There is no death, only the abandonment of a form that temporarily embodies the spirit as part of the game of creation. The essence/spirit cannot die, it is around us within everything that comes to be or form. It is the energy which animates our bodies and is the Source of creation. It is what gives life to form or being and simply lets form go when matter can no longer sustain itself due to disease or aging. For all matter is subject to decay in this third dimensional existence, but life or spirit always Is. Forms will always come and go, but Spirit/Life always is, here and now, forever and ever. (anabrese)
Healing wishes and love to you and your rats, wherever they are!
