The Final Chapter In An Older Topic

Years ago, I'd posted about the new pets my daughter had acquired. A number of people said "Ewww, Rats." I'd owned a rat before and knew what a great pet they make. Rats are clean, you can litter train them to a section of their cage, intelligent, and never aggressive (at least ours never have been.)

Templeton and Stormy were sisters hand reared by a local pet shop and we bought them when they were a couple months old. They turned two this spring and sadly Templeton passed on in May. Both had developed a common problem with rats, cysts and tumors, but area vets here don't take on animals that small. Templeton died peacefully one morning. She'd seemed pretty lethargic and came up to be handled. Went for a walk, returned, and she had died with Stormy curled up next to her.

I'd figured that Stormy, who clearly had a larger tumor and a cyst, would go shortly after. Two years is a good life span for a rat. Months passed and she did great. Her cyst ruptured and I spent the next week keeping it cleaned, bandaged (for whatever reason, Stormy never objected). It healed beautifully and she was in great shape until August when the tumor started growing. She died yesterday in my hands, and it wasn't an easy death. Any pet I've owned that has died in my hands (both of my Siamese cats--one from old age and the other had to be put down because he'd developed a life threatening ailment and was suffering) has died quickly and relatively painlessly. Stormy was different than any others. She suffered to the final breath. Having witnessed this, it really shook me up. I've always believed that humans should have the choice to terminate their life if they are facing a life ending disease. Having seen Stormy suffer in pain only reaffirms my belief that everyone should have the right to not have to suffer.