Rats

I love having pets. They are such an important part of my life. Rats are my favorites. They are smart, kind, playful, silly, loving, curious, clumpsy, funny, sneaky and just adorable. There are only two downsides to having rats; they easily get sick and they only live for about two years.

So, every two years there is a tragedy in our household. This year, two of our three rats have passed. And now, our third and last little guy is seriously ill. And it’s killing me.

“Why rats?” people ask. “Why not a cat or a dog? They live for a lot longer.”

Why? Because of EVERYTHING except for the two downsides stated above. They are always excited to see you, especially when you bring food or a new toy. They wrestle and chase each other around, playing tag, so innocent and joyful. They eat everything and they love to lick soft cheese from your fingertips. They have adorable little round bellies. Their eyes have such a kindness. They are easy to bring on journeys because they acclimatize quickly and sleep most of the way. They love it when you scratch behind their ears or brush their fur. They don’t cause allergies the way cats and dogs do.

I love rats. But right now, I just hate that the one little guy we have left has to suffer.

The world is not fair.

Smokey (RIP), Panic (RIP) and Devil.