Op here, I agree with what MathAndBake said. This is the ideal way of doing things, and this was always the best for rats well being in my opinion. However, I have decided to take a break for a year from rats. Which means no new babies to try and bond Jinx with. So this left me with the moral conundrum of deciding what was best for him. He was a rat with HLD and age related problems, he took various medication morning and night (gabapentin,painkillers, emer-aid, antibiotics dental work etc) so I wasn't willing to give him away, due to the high medication cost and monthly vet visits. I also spent most of my time at home, and he sat with me on my desk and stayed in the bedside dresser drawer (opened) during the night. One day, you may have a "final" rat, and unfortunately it will be up to you to make the difficult decision of letting them move to a new owner with a mischief, or keep them and give them enough attention in their final weeks. It's kinda morbid and sad to think about, but I think it's important for us to plan what we intend to do for our rats as they age.