Losing a pet can be extremely distressing, and it can be difficult to know what the next steps are. Rats are incredibly intelligent and charismatic little creatures that bring so much fun and joy to a household, and their passing can be so hard.
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Give yourself time
Firstly, allow yourself to grieve. The loss of a pet can be very taxing. It is important to be kind to yourself and allow yourself time to grieve for them. You may even feel you need extra support from a pet bereavement service.
Burial
You may decide to bury your pet rat in a special place, so that you have somewhere special to go and be with them or think about them. Although burial is of course allowed there are a few things we ought to consider.
One, we need to think about the property that you live in – is it rented? Are you likely to move away soon? Have you anywhere appropriate? You do not need permission to bury domestic pets and can do so on your own land, for example in your back garden. But this is why it is really important to consider if you own or rent the property.
Two, a horrible consideration but an important one – predation. We must ensure that our pets are buried deep in the earth to avoid other predators like foxes excavating them. It is a horrible thought but one we really need to think about to avoid upset.
Three, contamination of local water sources. We must also ensure they are not buried near any water sources or ground water that they could contaminate as they decompose; as this could pose a risk to your health or the pollution of that water source.
Four, always make sure you bury your pet alongside material that will decompose in the earth and will not pollute the area. Don’t bury them with any plastic or bags covering them. Using material that will naturally decompose, such as cardboard, paper or cotton, will be the best option.
Cremation
Now you may think that you do not wish to bury your rat’s body. Therefore cremation can be an option, your veterinary practice will be able to guide you on the options available. Once you have the ashes back you can bury those, but equally you can also keep them with you, or have them buried in a flowerpot so that it can move house with you if you intend to move around. Some people find it easier to say goodbye to ashes than they do burying their pet, so this could be an option for you if this is the case. There are also lots of memorial tributes you can have made now.
Cremation is when your pet is cremated in a special pet crematorium and their remains can be returned as ashes. If you take your pet directly to the pet crematorium you may be able to take their ashes home that day. If you use the transport service via your veterinary practice, then it may be more like a few days to a week before their ashes are returned to the practice. You may also decide not to get the ashes returned to you. If you decide on a group cremation, where your pet will be cremated with other pets, the ashes will not be returned to you, but they are usually scattered in the crematorium’s Garden of Remembrance. This is often a less expensive option.
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