WAR OF THE WOR

 

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Illustration by Cara Succafien

Rodents are gross
and having them
as pets 1s grosser

> Cute but smelly

Jillian McMullen
Staff Writer

 

omesticated rodents—

hamsters being arguably the
most popular—are commonly
chosen as pets for young children
as a kind of preparatory pet that
teaches children the commitment
it requires to responsibly own an
animal. This attempted education
frequently ends poorly, because—as
parents need to realize—rodents
are not meant to be pets.

Growing up, many of my school
friends kept rodents for pets, so I had
this romantic idea of what having
my own would be like. My mother,
however, staunchly refused even
the discussion of adding one to our
household, so I was forced to listen
enviously to all my friends talk about
their after-school adventures with
their furry friends. Recalling that
now as an adult, I’m shocked by the
collection of unfortunate endings
most of their adventures had.

Imagine a child coming home
from a day at school, excited to see
their hamster because she has just
had a litter of ten, tiny, hairless
babies. The child hurries up the
stairs, throws open the bedroom door,
crosses the room to greet their new
best friends and finds instead a scene
of horror: A blood covered cage and
one lone, rotund hamster. Turns out,
the mother had killed all ten babies
while the family was out for the day.

This is an experience I remember
at least three people having while
growing up. Turns out this is common
among hamster owners. If the mother
feels stressed or fearful, she will turn
on her babies and often go full-blown
cannibal on them. It is difficult to
imagine a hamster remaining the
family pet if it has traumatized the
child with the half-eaten carcasses
of its offspring. Furthermore, it is
difficult for parents to teach children

 

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to take responsible care of this
pet when the miniscule model for
motherhood literally eats the thing
it is supposed to be caring for.
Conversely, the small children for
whom rodents are usually bought are
not known to be particularly gentle
with them. How many times have you
visited someone with a hamster only
to see them dangle the flailing fluff
around by one of its hind legs? How
many times have you heard of them
losing it somewhere in the mess of
their bedroom after it darted away?
Speaking generally, all rodents—
simply put—stink. Their urine smells
acidic and stings the nostrils, so their
cages need to be cleaned constantly.
Even with diligent maintenance, a
small room with an enclosure will
reek of their acrid stench because,
unlike with dogs where most of it
happens outside, their territorial
marking happens inside the home
when they are let out of their cages.
It would be totally inhumane to
always keep them inside their cage,
so owning a rodent basically forces
you to accept all your furnishings
will be stained with their urine.
Typically, people will compare
their cost relative to that of more
traditional family pets, like a cat or
a dog, and truthfully it would be
impossible to deny rodents aren't the
“lower maintenance” option. Their
enclosures require less space than a
dog would need for equal amounts of
exercise, and their food is cheaper.
However, the main reason for getting
one is usually their short lifespan,
which is only about two to three years.
If having a pet is meant to add
another member to the family, getting
a rodent because the commitment
is less permanent seems counter-
intuitive. In fact, it seems more like
parents begrudgingly buy these stinky
little fur balls only because they
know it won't be around for long.

 

  

eel

Llike

my pets small

  

with big hearts

> How being a mouse mom changed

my perception on rodents

Mercedes Deutscher
Social Media Coordinator

 

Pp rodents are smart, cute, and
intelligent. If you give them the
proper attention and love, they will
return it tenfold. They are good pets
for someone who needs something to
care for. Each one requires varying
methods of care or companionship.

Mice are a good beginner pet,
or a good pet for someone who
is fairly busy. Despite common
misperception, they are clean animals.
They're also quite clever, and are
smart enough to learn tricks.

It was summer 2015 when I
decided to adopt a fancy mouse.

I named her Arya (after the Game
of Thrones character.) She had a soft
brown and white coat, and big eyes.

Arya took some time to warm up
to me. She’d nip my fingers if] got too
close while feeding her a treat. Female
mice are not as aggressive as their
male counterparts, but can still be
reserved and territorial around people.

After a week, Arya became more
cordial toward me. She began to
associate me with treats, and would
soon start taking the treat directly out
of the palm of my hand. After that,
she would allow me to hold her in my
hands without a struggle. From there,
she would run up my arm and burrow
by my neck. Our friendship had begun.

Mice, especially females, are
social creatures. As much as Arya
adored me, she needed a companion.

So, I came home with a larger
cage and two female mice. Sticking
with my Game of Thrones theme, |
named the black and white mouse
Sansa, and the white mouse Daenerys.
I set up the two new mice (already
bonded) in the new cage, and set them
up next to Arya’s cage. Gradually I
moved Arya into the larger cage.

Cleaning time would be a hilarious
catastrophe. I'd struggle to clean a large
cage in the sink while also trying to
avoid accidently kicking a mouse that
was running loose in a plastic ball.

Sadly, rodents don’t live for
too long. Daenerys succumbed
unexpectedly only two months
after bringing her home.

Sansa, having lost her original
companion, was devastated. She
would eat less and look around the
cage hoping to find Daenerys hiding
somewhere. She never did. Many people
don’t know that mice can fall victim
to depression. Their depression can
even become strong enough to kill
them. Thankfully, Sansa had Arya.

The next year was blissful.

They were there for me when I was
lonely and when everything else was
changing in my life. They loved me,
but perhaps I loved them even more.

That’s what made fall of
2016 so rough for me.

Last September, I went to clean
the cage when I noticed a large lump
growing on Sansa. | called my mom
in a panic and asked if she could drive
me to the vet. Most people would not
bother taking a small animal to the vet,
but I would do anything for Sansa.

The vet misdiagnosed Sansa with
an abscess. I was to feed her antibiotics
and the swelling would have gone
down. Sansa hated the antibiotics. I
would even mix it with apple juice or
infuse it in a treat, but she struggled
against taking her medicine.

Three weeks later, the swelling
had not gone down. I noticed Sansa
laying tired, too exhausted to climb up
and cuddle with Arya. Her growth was
opening. I rushed Sansa to the vet.

A different vet was in than a few
weeks earlier. He gave me the grim
prognosis that I knew deep down. Sansa
had cancer, and the large lump was a
tumour. I could have brought her home
with medication. I could have sent her
for surgery, which was expensive and
very risky. Or I could put her to sleep.

It broke my heart, but Sansa
didn’t deserve to suffer. Even
though she was a mouse, she
deserved to pass with dignity.

After a quick and painless
euthanasia, | brought her home. I
buried her in my backyard and cuddled
Arya. I don’t think it took her long to
figure out what happened. She was
strong, perhaps stronger than I was.

Arya was strong and formidable,
but even the strongest of us cannot
win against time. In December,
she passed peacefully in her sleep.

I buried her next to her sister.

I miss my girls every day.

 

Photo by Mercedes Deutscher