Day of Death
Today is the day the rats are being euthanized and their organs harvested for cellular analysis.I'm terribly sad - I've been working with these boys for about 5 months now. As stressful as it was at some points, I nevertheless grew to love the little guys. I was there when they were born, yet I couldn't bring myself to be there when they die. Watching them get put in the rat-guillotine would just be too much for me to bear.
My thesis supervisor understands, and she told us we could bring the rats a little treat before they're euthanized. I bought a bag of M&Ms on my way to class this morning, and took it with me to see the boys. I gave them all a hug and a kiss, and a few M&Ms, and left. It's the last time I'll see them.
This is Jeff, wet after being put in the water maze. We love him, even if he was a psycho gay molester rat.
This is a bunch of the boys as babies, a few weeks old:
R.I.P boys, we'll miss you.
Thankfully reading week (spring break, just not in the spring) starts tomorrow - to cheer me up and provide a temporary relief from the Hell that is Waterloo.
Listening to: Warning - Incubus
posted by Joanna @ 1:49 PM
5 Comments:
Aww! That's a shame for the little guys! :^/ I used to keep mice, and they're just as cute.
http://pimme.blog-city.com
Poor sweeites. At least you felt bad for what had to happen.
I have pet rats (and mice) and I work at a pet store that sells live rats and mice for snake food (and have to feed the reptiles there as well.)
I think the only thing that has kept me sane is that I never, under any circumstances, treat any of the feeders with kindness.
I dont MIStreat them. They get clean food and beddign and water every day they are alive, but they dont get held and petted and they dont get special treats.
Once someone asked me why and I told them, "I don't want them to know kindness from humans because a human is going to kill them. I dont want them to feel betrayed."
That person thought I was nuts. But I meant it. -smile-
Yikes - poor girlie. I don't even kill spiders so I can relate. It's too bad that we can't figure out a way to learn that does not hurt animals but, that's how WE live. I guess we should just thank them, and be glad that someone as kind as you loved them enough to tell about them,and thereby honour them.
Nicework sister!
:)
Interestingly enough, it brings to question how people who raise their own cattle then take them to the slaughter and cook them up for dinner.
This issue has become really tough for our soceity since we live in a consumerism culture: food comes in little see-through packages, resembling nothing of the cow we see on tv.
I feel for you, Jo, and your mice-episodes. I would have wondered though if you could have kept them as your pet? Although, heh, I'd wonder how many people would end up owning mice because they couldn't bring themselves to kill them.
I know I'd probably end up with thousands! (Not that I've ever been in your situation!!)
Fingers crossed for you, chica. What a horrible, horrible day.
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