When should we protect a life? When is a life worth saving? Most would agree that if a baby human was found, that we should protect him or her at all costs. What about baby rats? Would you leave them there to grow in your friend’s garage? Not usually. Would you throw the defenseless babies in the trash? Some might. I just can’t seem to disregard that life that easily. Neither can my children. So here we are with little baby rats in our home. . . as pets. And though these rats are still little, we have learned a lot.
When we first found the rats, we thought of finding someone with a snake, and letting them be snake food, but the hearts of my 11 year old, 9 year old, and 7 year old would not allow it. We brought them home, bought some cat milk replacer at the feed store, and began to care for them. We read up on the internet, and watched some youtube videos, and found out some very interesting things. The most interesting by far is that when rats are very young, they can not relieve themselves. The mother has to help them, so with orphaned rats, we have to rub them with a paper towel or tissue.
What we have learned the most is how much we can care for something else that is living. We brought home three baby rats, and one died a couple of days later. My children cried. They had a funeral. They wrote songs. It is enduring to see the kind of kindness, and compassion that humans can have for another life. No matter how small.
Compassion is not always taught, sometimes it is inherent. Just watch children as they interact with each other at a young age. Sometimes they are selfish, but if someone is truly hurt they are concerned. See how children interact with animals, and know that in each of us there is something that cares.