I was the scourge of pet rat society yesterday.
Being a rattie enthusiast and having gone a few years without having had any in the house, it's understandable that it was an exciting day when Kath & Kim came to live with us three weeks ago. They are an adorable pair of caramel coloured sisters and are a total joy - very tame, very snuggly.
With one small hitch - I realised last week, to my dismay, that Kath was pregnant. I was very firm about only wanting TWO rats. I had nowhere to raise babies until weaning day, nor the inclination, as much as I love them.
Kath gave birth to ten or eleven wriggling little thumbs on Monday afternoon and I found myself in a moral dilemma about whether to keep them or send them to rattie heaven. I choose the latter and disposed of them yesterday - very quick, very unmessy.
Then I realised I would make a totally hopeless serial killer, as the remorse I felt afterwards was unimaginable. It was as if I'd killed a CHILD... I felt terrible. The practical side of me was telling the bleeding heart to shut up; it was painless and had to be done.
However - I discovered that I am a fantastic liar: "I took them to the petshop in Petone, darling... yes yes, they have full nursing facilities until they're old enough to be weaned."
Being a rattie enthusiast and having gone a few years without having had any in the house, it's understandable that it was an exciting day when Kath & Kim came to live with us three weeks ago. They are an adorable pair of caramel coloured sisters and are a total joy - very tame, very snuggly.
With one small hitch - I realised last week, to my dismay, that Kath was pregnant. I was very firm about only wanting TWO rats. I had nowhere to raise babies until weaning day, nor the inclination, as much as I love them.
Kath gave birth to ten or eleven wriggling little thumbs on Monday afternoon and I found myself in a moral dilemma about whether to keep them or send them to rattie heaven. I choose the latter and disposed of them yesterday - very quick, very unmessy.
Then I realised I would make a totally hopeless serial killer, as the remorse I felt afterwards was unimaginable. It was as if I'd killed a CHILD... I felt terrible. The practical side of me was telling the bleeding heart to shut up; it was painless and had to be done.
However - I discovered that I am a fantastic liar: "I took them to the petshop in Petone, darling... yes yes, they have full nursing facilities until they're old enough to be weaned."
1 comment:
I don't have any fondness for rats, but I suppose killing baby anythings would be hard to do. Unless it was baby cockroaches or something.
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