One of my rats, Lucy, died last week. She was almost exactly 2 years old and had started to slow down some over the past several months, spending a lot more time napping than she use to. Lucy and her sister Georgie were my first two rats, who I got as babies in the fall of 2010.
One of the only bad things about having rats as pets is their short livespan. The rat lifespan survey, which has collected data on several hundred pet rats, reports that the average pet rat lives just slightly more than 2 years.
Lucy suffered what the vet thought was a stroke when she was about 7 months old. She had impaired motor coordination and a choppy gait for the rest of her life, although she still was pretty active and could climb all around the cage and play area. She was not quite as rambunctious as my other girls and preferred to just cuddle up in your lap and have her ears scratched.
My other 4 rat girls seem to be doing okay. I am really glad I adopted my 3 SPCA rats this past spring. Lucy’s sister, Georgie, gets along fabulously with the new girls. Rats are very social creatures and I’m sure she would have been very unhappy if she was an only rat. In the photo above, Lucy is in the middle, with Georgie to the left, and Isabella (one of the SPCA rats) on the right.
Mary, I am so sorry about Lucy. Lucy, like the rest of your rodent crew, was a lucky rat and I’m glad her life was spent with you. I love reading your rat stories and seeing their photos.
Lisa Rossman
Hi Lisa,
Thanks for the kind words. I appreciate them.
~Mary
I am so sorry to hear about you and your rats’ loss of their buddy, Lucy. Rats are like flames of love. They burn brightly but briefly. I’m glad you have the SPCA younguns.
Thanks Betsy. I really like what you said about rats being “flames of love.” That was a great way to put it.
~Mary
So sorry for your loss. With a hug…
Thanks Katie.
I’m glad Georgie has some more companions. Joy
Me too! She really seems to like Chloe, I think, but they all get along.
~Mary
Extremely Informative.
Lucy is beautiful 🙂 so sorry for your loss Hugs to you and your family
Thank you Sandra.
~Mary
i’m so sorry you’ve lost a friend. My condolences and sympathy go out to you. I remember losing my sweet friendly rat Orlando when I was 12, so I understand. She got rewarded for coming when I called, so I guess she was my first clicker subject before I even know what operant conditioning was!
Do you remember the TV show with Lucille Ball and Desi Arnez? If you happen to have a heart-shaped frame for her picture, you could put her in it with the caption “I Love Lucy.”
Hi Kim,
Your Orlando sounds like she was a great rat.
That’s a great idea about the picture frame! Yes, I do know of and like the show I love Lucy. 🙂
~Mary
We’ve had pet rats for a while but it was always so sad loosing them. Rats are the sweetest little animals and so personable and they love their people.
Hi Christel,
Thanks for the comment. 🙂
I had some childhood experiences with gerbils and other small critters, but I don’t think any of the other small critters compare to rats. I totally agree with you, they are full of sweetness, intelligence and personality. Each of my rats has such a unique personality. The only bad part about keeping rats as pets is their short lifespan.
~Mary