Originally she was purchased for $6.95 from a local pet store -- or rather, "rescued" by our daughter who has a knack for bringing creatures home.

Molly has just been brought home from the vet after she had surgery to remove a lump.

Is it cancerous? It doesn't matter because they won't give a rat chemo.  She seems fine and is lively and eating and drinking. We are supposed to keep her quiet for a few days, which, if you've ever had close contact with a rat, you'll know is not an easy task.

Several of my friends and family, when told we were taking Molly in for surgery, said, "But it's only a rat." Yes, species: rodent. The Latin term is Rattus Norvegicus; classification (in part) reads Kingdom -- Animalia; Class -- Mammalia; Order - Rodentia Family. Obviously a well-documented rodent. Needless to say, the comments put me in a reflective mood and made me ponder life, or rather the life of a rat and its value.

True, Molly is a rat, but does that make her any less a pet? A pet in our household is a pet for life.

It doesn't matter if it is a dog, a cat, a guinea pig or a fish. They are all treated equally with respect for their lives.

We take our pet ownership very seriously and it is a family vow that when a new one enters our door, we will make their lives as enjoyable as possible, which will include trips to the vet and the best medical care.

Pet rats have been around as far back as 500 BC and were originally from Asia or Norway, no one is sure. Contrary to popular belief, they did not cause the bubonic plague; in fact, the plague was caused by a flea, and fleas, humans and rats served as hosts for the disease. The well-known author Beatrix Potter owned a pet white rat, as did many ladies of the day.

Life itself, even the lowly life of a rat, is a multi-faceted concept with no simple definition. It is impossible to put a value on a life. Some lives are of great value to the person themselves and to others, while other lives are not.

What that particular life means to someone is what is important. All value judgments are subject to indeterminate relative factors, such as preferences and dislikes. Example: we prefer our rat, others dislike our rat.

It is always possible to describe a life as valueless (rats) especially when it is compared to the life that has a perceived greater quality (dogs, cats, humans). But, is it not true that all life is worthy of preservation and there should be no relevance to the type of life it is?

The value of such a life should not be underestimated.

Our rat is sweet and loving and loyal. She has never bitten anyone, is quiet and clean, and is always happy to see us. She reminds me of Stuart Little, but best of all she makes us smile every day. She improves our lives.

When stating that it is "only a rat" people making these comments should, for one moment, substitute one word.

"It is only a ... cat" or "It is only a ... dog"; then extrapolate that to "She is only an ... old woman" or "He is only an ... old man." Then they should ask themselves: does one life have more importance than another due to its species?

A life is a life and there should be no pecking order of importance. Therefore, why should one life have more value than another and be expendable simply because of how it was born?

We could philosophize for hours but, in the end, two facts remain clear to me: Molly will always be a rat, and her life will be greatly valued by our family no matter what the cost.

Colleen Baldwin is a writer living in Vermette.