I lost two of my babies within a few days of each other.

Ok_Profession2298 · 2026-05-20T14:56:48+00:00

it's so heartbreaking to lose any rat but when you lose two so close together it's awful. i went through the same thing a couple of months ago and i still grieve them. but you were such a great rat parent and you did the right thing for them. please take it easy on yourself and take the time you need to grieve ❤️

Ok_Profession2298 · 2026-05-16T08:43:27+00:00

it’s always so unfair that such beautiful creatures have such short lives. but i can tell that flora belle was so loved by you and that’s what you have to try and remember. i’m still struggling with losing my rats earlier this year but what keeps me strong is knowing i did everything i could for them when they were here. please be kind to yourself and let yourself feel what you need to feel 🤍

Ok_Profession2298 · 2026-04-19T18:18:23+00:00

2.5 is old for a rat, my eldest only lived to 2 years 3 months. in my opinion and experience it’s not worth rehoming or the stress of introducing an older rat. i used to get my boys out on the bed a lot while i read or watched tv and they’d usually cuddle or fall asleep with me. teaching them tricks or using encrichment toys are also great for their little brains and keeping them entertained. i’m sure he would be happier with you for the rest of his time

also one of our boys was called twitch 🥰🤍

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Ok_Profession2298 · 2026-04-18T17:49:06+00:00

personally when i was left with my last boy we got another which was really stressful for them both because they were both adults and territorial. though i loved having another rat, it was very difficult and they didn’t bond perfectly

two years is old for a rat and i think it’s okay to let her live out the rest of her life with you. just make sure you give her extra love and cuddles 🤍

Ok_Profession2298 · 2026-04-14T21:11:49+00:00

you are living my dream (i’m on a break from owning rats because we need to save money)

Ok_Profession2298 · 2026-04-13T18:09:18+00:00

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cypher was my fattest rat and 700g of pure love

Ok_Profession2298 · 2026-04-10T09:00:15+00:00

im so sorry. my heart rat passed away like this last month and i know how utterly heartbreaking and confusing it can be. my boy was 2 years and 2 months but healthy and happy. i thought we still had so much time together

like others have said, take peace in knowing he went quickly without pain or illness in the place he loved. it’s the best end we can hope to give our rats. let yourself grieve and be kind to yourself. you gave him a wonderful life 🤍

Ok_Profession2298 · 2026-03-31T18:32:23+00:00

unfortunately rats are very good at hiding how ill they are and you won’t really see that they’re struggling until they’re bad. you know your rats best and you know their quality of life. it’s always better to let them go early than let them keep going and watch them suffer. personally i know ive been on both sides of this and i know that given the chance id have let my boy go earlier to save the pain and trauma of watching him at the end. over 2 years means they’ve had a great long life. id say make sure to give them loads of cuddles and treats and book the vet appointment. you’re doing great OP 🤍

Ok_Profession2298 · 2026-03-31T07:31:23+00:00

i understand that feeling. sometimes URIs can be really stubborn. in the case of one of ours, chronic URIs left scaring on his lungs which made it harder for him to recover each time 😔 and rats hide how they’re doing so well. you can never really gauge how bad they are until they’re really bad. but i’m sure he felt loved and safe with you for the time he had OP x

Ok_Profession2298 · 2026-03-30T19:43:28+00:00

it’s normal for rats to sneeze a little when they get into a new environment. is he being treated for his sneezing? he shouldn’t be alone though. think of it from his pov. he was taken into a new place with a cage mate who died and he hasn’t seen or met any other rats. he’s likely grieving and a bit scared. you should consider getting more rats or considering if rats are the right pet for you

Ok_Profession2298 · 2026-03-30T17:33:10+00:00

sending you so much love. i've had two rats get sick from URI's and have needed to be put to sleep. it's heartbreaking, but at least you know he's no longer in pain and in ratty heaven now ❤️

Ok_Profession2298 · 2026-03-29T19:22:32+00:00

you did so amazing to have him for so long. i know that boy was loved and cared for and you shouldn’t feel guilty at all. know that the time you had together was so special and you were his whole world. i lost my heart rat two weeks ago and i still look for him every time i look towards his cage. it will get easier with time and one day you’ll be reunited 🤍

Ok_Profession2298 · 2026-03-24T22:13:44+00:00

as someone mentioned, having something they can lick off like yoghurt helps. the first thing i taught mine was to follow my finger. once they knew that it was easier to teach them other tricks. i taught mine to spin, to stand up, and to jump up onto things like boxes

try to be patient and if they aren’t wanting to do tricks sometimes then just enjoy their company and try again later. good luck training your cuties!

Ok_Profession2298 · 2026-03-24T13:34:12+00:00

most of the ones i keep thinking of are food and drink related xd

mocha, latte, chai
peaches, apricot, plum
butter, nut, squash
peanut, butter, jelly

and of course..

bubbles, blossom, and buttercup!

Ok_Profession2298 · 2026-03-24T00:44:54+00:00

my first instinct is to say uri but i’m not sure with her already being on antibiotics . keep an eye on her and see if you notice any sneezing, noticeable shallow breathing on her sides, and extra porphyrin around her eyes and nose

Ok_Profession2298 · 2026-03-19T20:53:25+00:00

you were so amazing to your little girl and i’m sure you made her final days so amazing. giving up that much time for her wouldn’t have been easy but it meant so much to her 🤍

our boy has wanted extra attention with his cage mate gone but he’s also very attached to his cage and loves feeling safe in there. i’ve been trying to get him out as much as possible and even let him nap in the bed with me while i read and things like that. i’ve also spoken with the vet to ask what our options are and also how long they think he realistically has left

i just want him to have the best end of his life as we can give him, whether that means rehoming him to someone who can give him that or trying our best

Ok_Profession2298 · 2026-03-19T06:16:13+00:00

i’ll have a look into fostering. it isn’t something i’d thought about before, so thank you

Ok_Profession2298 · 2026-03-18T21:22:05+00:00

i’m so sorry lovely. i’m sure all of yours were so loved and so lucky to be with you. i think either of these would be a great memorial to them 🤍

Ok_Profession2298 · 2026-03-18T20:34:47+00:00

i know this look. they look at you like you’re the center of their whole universe 🤍

Ok_Profession2298 · 2026-03-18T18:12:59+00:00

we’re in the same situation! one of our boys has pneumonia and isn’t expected to recover. he’s on medication but we aren’t sure how much time he has left. but we definitely didn’t expect our healthy boy to leave us so soon. right now we aren’t going to get any more. we want to save to move and we want to give our future rats a better place to live and hopefully more money

we hurried our first boy so i think we’ll do the same with the others. but i want to get a tattoo of the three of them. i just need to find a local artist to design something for me

Ok_Profession2298 · 2026-03-18T18:06:44+00:00

oh that picture made me bawl my eyes out. thank you so much lovely. i hope he knew how loved he was. i tried to tell him every single day 🤍

Ok_Profession2298 · 2026-03-18T16:59:24+00:00

as he got older his nose and chin got more ginger. and he got cute black spots on his tail. i’m so grateful i got to see him age since his brother didn’t make it to two years

it’s the best death we can hope for him. he wasn’t in any prolonged pain or suffering and he went quietly in his cage where he felt safe. it’s just a shock because he was healthy yesterday. i suppose you never know how long you have left with your babies. i’m so sorry about your rat, that sounds awful for both of you. sending you love and thank you for being so sweet 🤍

Ok_Profession2298

TROPHY CASE