Cinderwolf said:
I live with my paretns so whent hey say no more rats i have ot stick with it. I am also nto sur eI am ready to take in more. it is really hard. I didnt think I would be faced with this situation so soon I hadnt even thought about it.
Ah yes, i see. What a difficult situation. Do your parents know that's it's important for rats to have a cagemate? I wonder if they would let you rescue a rat Dante's age? If not, i do understand you have to listen to them.
I too am always going back and forth in my mind: Is the excruciating pain of loosing them really worth it, or Is the joy of having them worth the pain of loosing them.
Then i felt responsible because i CAN give them a good home and felt that i SHOULD even if it tears me up every time when i loose them.
Then i thought i'd take a break to see how i felt, and i was down to 3 older rats and i panicked at the thought of them possibly being my last, so it was a relief to get more.
So now i'm trying to work hard on accepting loss a little easier. And i think i'd like to keep rats the rest of my life.
It's a super hard decision, and everybody's different. One of my friends just can't have rabbits anymore because of the pain she went through when she lost her first one. But she can have guinea pigs just fine.
So if you can't get another rat and you can't get rid of Dante, the only thing is to spend lots and lots of time with him. As much as you can have him out of his cage with you, especially now as he's grieving.
Some ideas:
-Mine like to sleep in the hood of my hoody as i do things around the house.
-On one of the couches i put a big comforter so i can wash it, and i sit on it with them with their toys.
-Or if you can't use a couch, maybe a folding camping chair with a blanket on it and you can let him climb on you as you watch tv.
-Some people set up a play area in the tub (easy to clean) and you can sit with him there too (just make sure the toilet cover is down if you leave the room.)
Anyway best of luck. And again, i'm very sorry for your loss
